Biological and Biomedical Engineering (Thesis) (M.Sc.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Biological & Biomedical Engr (Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences)
Degree: Master of Science
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The Biological and Biomedical Engineering (BBME) Master’s program focuses on the interdisciplinary application of methods, paradigms, technologies, and devices from engineering and the natural sciences to problems in biology, medicine, and the life sciences. With its unique multidisciplinary environment, and taking advantage of research collaborations between staff in the Faculties of Medicine, Science, and Engineering. BBME offers thesis-based graduate degrees (M.Sc.) that span broad themes in biomodelling, biosignal processing, medical imaging, nanotechnology, artificial cells and organs, probiotics, bioinformatics, bioengineering, biomaterials, and orthopaedics. BBME’s internationally renowned staff provide frequent and stimulating interactions with physicians, scientists, and the biomedical industry. Through courses and thesis research, this program will prepare students for careers in industry, academia, hospitals and government and provide a solid basis for Ph.D. studies. Candidates should hold a bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, or medicine with a strong emphasis on mathematics, physics, chemistry, and basic physiology or cell biology.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Thesis Courses (30 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BBME 693 | Thesis Research 1. | 6 |
Thesis Research 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor | ||
| BBME 694 | Thesis Research 2. | 6 |
Thesis Research 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor | ||
| BBME 695 | Thesis Submission. | 12 |
Thesis Submission. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. | ||
| BBME 696 | Thesis Research 3. | 3 |
Thesis Research 3. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. | ||
| BBME 697 | Thesis Research 4. | 3 |
Thesis Research 4. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor. | ||
Required Courses (3 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BBME 600D1 | Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mandatory attendance at the seminar series at which students present a seminar related to their research | ||
| BBME 600D2 | Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mandatory attendance at the seminar series at which students present a seminar related to their research. | ||
OR
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BBME 600N1 | Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mandatory attendance at the seminar series at which students present a seminar related to their research | ||
| BBME 600N2 | Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. | 1.5 |
Seminars in Biological and Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mandatory attendance at the seminar series at which students present a seminar related to their research. | ||
Complementary Courses (12 credits)
3 credits from the following quantitative courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 510 | Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications. | 3 |
Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of biomedical uses of nanotechnology. Emphasis on emerging nanotechnologies and biomedical applications including nanomaterials, nanoengineering, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, nano-based imaging and diagnostic systems, nanotoxicology and immunology, and translating nanomedicine into clinical investigation. | ||
| BIEN 530 | Imaging and Bioanalytical Instrumentation. | 3 |
Imaging and Bioanalytical Instrumentation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Microscopy techniques with application to biology and medicine. Practical introduction to optics and microscopy from the standpoint of biomedical research. Discussion of recent literature; hands-on experience. Topics include: optics, contrast techniques, advanced microscopy, and image analysis. | ||
| BIEN 550 | Biomolecular Devices. | 3 |
Biomolecular Devices. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamentals of motor proteins in neuronal transport, force generation e.g. in muscles, cell motility and division. A survey of recent advances in using motor proteins to power nano fabricated devices. Principles of design and operation; hands-on-experience in building a simple device. | ||
| BIEN 560 | Design of Biosensors. | 3 |
Design of Biosensors. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction into the motivation of analytical biosensors as well as its fundamental physicochemical challenges. Techniques used to design, fabricate and operate biosensors. Specific applications. | ||
| BIEN 570 | Active Mechanics in Biology. | 3 |
Active Mechanics in Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the role of active forces, e.g. cell and tissue contraction, in the mechanics of biological systems. Review of passive and actively driven viscoelastic systems and momentum transport underlying the material properties of biology. The course involves a literature survey and a team project application. | ||
| BIEN 590 | Cell Culture Engineering. | 3 |
Cell Culture Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of cell culture engineering, cell line development and cell culture products; genomics, proteomics and post-translational modifications; elements of cell physiology for medium design and bioprocessing; bioreactor design, scale-up for animal cell culture and single use equipment; challenges in downstream processing of cell-culture derived products; process intensification: fed-batch, feeding strategies and continuous manufacturing; scale-down and process modeling; Process Analytical technologies and Quality by Design (QbD) concept. | ||
| BMDE 502 | BME Modelling and Identification. | 3 |
BME Modelling and Identification. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methodologies in systems or distributed multidimensional processes. System themes include parametric vs. non-parametric system representations; linear/non-linear; noise, transients and time variation; mapping from continuous to discrete models; and relevant identification approaches in continuous and discrete time formulations. | ||
| BMDE 503 | Biomedical Instrumentation. | 3 |
Biomedical Instrumentation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The principles and practice of making biological measurements in the laboratory, including theory of linear systems, data sampling, computer interfaces and electronic circuit design. | ||
| BMDE 512 | Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. | 3 |
Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. General principles of quantitative modelling; types of models; principles of the finite-element method, primarily as applied to mechanical systems; introduction to the use of finite-element software; model generation from imaging data; modelling various material types, mainly biological; model validation. | ||
| BMDE 519 | Biomedical Signals and Systems. | 3 |
Biomedical Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the theoretical framework, experimental techniques and analysis procedures available for the quantitative analysis of physiological systems and signals. Lectures plus laboratory work using the Biomedical Engineering computer system. Topics include: amplitude and frequency structure of signals, filtering, sampling, correlation functions, time and frequency-domain descriptions of systems. | ||
| BMDE 610 | Functional Neuroimaging Fusion. | 3 |
Functional Neuroimaging Fusion. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Biomedical engineering: Multimodal data fusion of electrophysiology and functional neuroimaging data, including: detailed description of source localization methods for Electro- and MagnetoEncephaloGraphy data, analysis of brain hemodynamic activity through simultaneous recordings with electrophysiology, analysis and reconstruction of Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy data, modeling of the neurovascular coupling,validation methodology. | ||
| BMDE 660 | Advanced MR Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Brain. | 3 |
Advanced MR Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy techniques to investigate the structure, connectivity, chemistry and physiology of the brain, including data acquisition and reconstruction techniques, scanner hardware, and contrast mechanisms. Focus on neuroscience applications. | ||
| MDPH 607 | Medical Imaging. | 3 |
Medical Imaging. Terms offered: Fall 2025 This course is concerned with the principles of medical imaging as applied to conventional diagnostic radiography, X-ray computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The course emphasizes a linear system approach to the formation, processing, and display of medical images. | ||
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 510 | Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications. | 3 |
Engineered Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of biomedical uses of nanotechnology. Emphasis on emerging nanotechnologies and biomedical applications including nanomaterials, nanoengineering, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, nano-based imaging and diagnostic systems, nanotoxicology and immunology, and translating nanomedicine into clinical investigation. | ||
| BIEN 530 | Imaging and Bioanalytical Instrumentation. | 3 |
Imaging and Bioanalytical Instrumentation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Microscopy techniques with application to biology and medicine. Practical introduction to optics and microscopy from the standpoint of biomedical research. Discussion of recent literature; hands-on experience. Topics include: optics, contrast techniques, advanced microscopy, and image analysis. | ||
| BIEN 540 | Information Storage and Processing in Biological Systems. | 3 |
Information Storage and Processing in Biological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Storage and processing of information in biological systems, both natural and artificially-created, ranging from biomolecules, cells, and populations of cells. Information storage in DNA and DNA computation; molecular surfaces of proteins; computation with motile biological agents in networks; and biological and biologically-inspired algorithms. | ||
| BIEN 550 | Biomolecular Devices. | 3 |
Biomolecular Devices. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamentals of motor proteins in neuronal transport, force generation e.g. in muscles, cell motility and division. A survey of recent advances in using motor proteins to power nano fabricated devices. Principles of design and operation; hands-on-experience in building a simple device. | ||
| BIEN 560 | Design of Biosensors. | 3 |
Design of Biosensors. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction into the motivation of analytical biosensors as well as its fundamental physicochemical challenges. Techniques used to design, fabricate and operate biosensors. Specific applications. | ||
| BIEN 570 | Active Mechanics in Biology. | 3 |
Active Mechanics in Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the role of active forces, e.g. cell and tissue contraction, in the mechanics of biological systems. Review of passive and actively driven viscoelastic systems and momentum transport underlying the material properties of biology. The course involves a literature survey and a team project application. | ||
| BIEN 590 | Cell Culture Engineering. | 3 |
Cell Culture Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of cell culture engineering, cell line development and cell culture products; genomics, proteomics and post-translational modifications; elements of cell physiology for medium design and bioprocessing; bioreactor design, scale-up for animal cell culture and single use equipment; challenges in downstream processing of cell-culture derived products; process intensification: fed-batch, feeding strategies and continuous manufacturing; scale-down and process modeling; Process Analytical technologies and Quality by Design (QbD) concept. | ||
| BIEN 680 | Bioprocessing of Vaccines. | 4 |
Bioprocessing of Vaccines. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Building on recent developments and expansion in the mammalian cell culture for production of complex biologics such as viral vaccines and viral vectors, the following topics will be covered: Principles of immunology and industrial virology; Cell physiology for vaccine production; Cell lines for vaccine production; Upstream process development and process intensification strategies; Purification and downstream processing of viral vaccines; Analytical and potency assays; Formulations and delivery of vaccines; Basics of clinical trials and regulatory principles; Immunization policies. Case studies on bioprocessing/manufacturing licensed vaccines. | ||
| BMDE 501 | Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering. | 3 |
Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of how techniques from engineering and the physical sciences are applied to the study of selected physiological systems and biological signals. Using specific biological examples, systems will be studied using: signal or finite-element analysis, system and identification, modelling and simulation, computer control of experiments and data acquisition. | ||
| BMDE 502 | BME Modelling and Identification. | 3 |
BME Modelling and Identification. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Methodologies in systems or distributed multidimensional processes. System themes include parametric vs. non-parametric system representations; linear/non-linear; noise, transients and time variation; mapping from continuous to discrete models; and relevant identification approaches in continuous and discrete time formulations. | ||
| BMDE 503 | Biomedical Instrumentation. | 3 |
Biomedical Instrumentation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The principles and practice of making biological measurements in the laboratory, including theory of linear systems, data sampling, computer interfaces and electronic circuit design. | ||
| BMDE 504 | Biomaterials and Bioperformance. | 3 |
Biomaterials and Bioperformance. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Biological and synthetic biomaterials, medical devices, and the issues related to their bioperformance. The physicochemical characteristics of biomaterials in relation to their biocompatibility and sterilization. | ||
| BMDE 505 | Cell and Tissue Engineering. | 3 |
Cell and Tissue Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of the principles of engineering, physical, and biological sciences to modify and create cells and tissues for therapeutic applications will be discussed, as well as the industrial perspective and related ethical issues. | ||
| BMDE 508 | Introduction to Micro and Nano-Bioengineering. | 3 |
Introduction to Micro and Nano-Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The micro and nanotechnologies that drive and support the miniaturization and parallelization of techniques for life sciences research, including different inventions, designs and engineering approaches that lead to new tools and methods for the life sciences - while transforming them - and help advance our knowledge of life. | ||
| BMDE 512 | Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. | 3 |
Finite-Element Modelling in Biomedical Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. General principles of quantitative modelling; types of models; principles of the finite-element method, primarily as applied to mechanical systems; introduction to the use of finite-element software; model generation from imaging data; modelling various material types, mainly biological; model validation. | ||
| BMDE 519 | Biomedical Signals and Systems. | 3 |
Biomedical Signals and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the theoretical framework, experimental techniques and analysis procedures available for the quantitative analysis of physiological systems and signals. Lectures plus laboratory work using the Biomedical Engineering computer system. Topics include: amplitude and frequency structure of signals, filtering, sampling, correlation functions, time and frequency-domain descriptions of systems. | ||
| BMDE 525D1 | Design of Assistive Technologies: Principles and Praxis. | 3 |
Design of Assistive Technologies: Principles and Praxis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This is an interdisciplinary, project-based course, centred around a design project in which small teams of students work closely with a person with a disability in the Montreal area to design a device, piece of equipment, app, or other solution that reduces their experience of disability. | ||
| BMDE 525D2 | Design of Assistive Technologies: Principles and Praxis. | 3 |
Design of Assistive Technologies: Principles and Praxis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See BMDE 525D1 for description. | ||
| BMDE 610 | Functional Neuroimaging Fusion. | 3 |
Functional Neuroimaging Fusion. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Biomedical engineering: Multimodal data fusion of electrophysiology and functional neuroimaging data, including: detailed description of source localization methods for Electro- and MagnetoEncephaloGraphy data, analysis of brain hemodynamic activity through simultaneous recordings with electrophysiology, analysis and reconstruction of Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy data, modeling of the neurovascular coupling,validation methodology. | ||
| BMDE 650 | Advanced Medical Imaging. | 3 |
Advanced Medical Imaging. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Review of advanced techniques in medical imaging including: fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI, MR angiography and quantitative flow measurement, spiral and dynamic x-ray computed tomography, 2D/3D positron emission tomography (PET), basic PET physiology, tracer kinetics, surgical planning and guidance, functional and anatomical brain mapping, 2D and 3D ultrasound imaging, and medical image processing. | ||
| BMDE 654 | Biomedical Regulatory Affairs - Medical Devices. | 3 |
Biomedical Regulatory Affairs - Medical Devices. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Regulatory strategies and quality management systems are critical for medical device development. This course provides an overview of regulatory requirements, and familiarize students with the important ISO and IEC standards pertaining to medical device development. This course will provide biomedical engineers with an understanding of the regulatory and quality requirements to translate a medical device idea into a commercial product, and will draw upon the expertise of invited speakers currently working in the medical devices industry. | ||
| BMDE 660 | Advanced MR Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Brain. | 3 |
Advanced MR Imaging and Spectroscopy of the Brain. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy techniques to investigate the structure, connectivity, chemistry and physiology of the brain, including data acquisition and reconstruction techniques, scanner hardware, and contrast mechanisms. Focus on neuroscience applications. | ||
| MDPH 607 | Medical Imaging. | 3 |
Medical Imaging. Terms offered: Fall 2025 This course is concerned with the principles of medical imaging as applied to conventional diagnostic radiography, X-ray computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The course emphasizes a linear system approach to the formation, processing, and display of medical images. | ||
6 credits at the 500-level or higher chosen from a list on the program web site https://www.mcgill.ca/bbme/students/courses or from other courses, at the 500 level or higher, at least 3 credits of which have both life sciences content and content from the physical sciences, engineering, or computer science, with the prior written approval of the Thesis Supervisor and the Graduate Program Director.