Bioengineering (B.Eng.) (142 credits)
Offered by: Bioengineering (Faculty of Engineering)
Degree: Bachelor of Engineering
Program credit weight: 142
Program Description
Program credit weight: 142-152 credits
Program credit weight for Quebec CEGEP students: 122-123 credits
Program credit weight for out-of-province students: 142-143 credits
The B.Eng.; Major in Bioengineering will
- provide students with the ability to apply systematic knowledge of biology, physical sciences and mathematics; and sound engineering foundations in order to solve problems of a biological nature; and
- prepare students for the broad area of bioengineering, incorporating both biology-focused biological engineering and medicine-focused biomedical engineering.
Students will acquire fundamental knowledge in bioengineering-related natural sciences and mathematics, as well as in the foundations of general engineering and bioengineering. Students will also acquire knowledge in one area of specialization of bioengineering:
- biological materials and biomechanics;
- biomolecular and cellular engineering; or
- biological information and computation
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.
Required Year 0 (Freshman) Courses (29 credits)
Generally, students admitted to Engineering from Quebec CEGEPs are granted transfer credits for Year 0 (Freshman) courses, except BIOL 112 Cell and Molecular Biology., and enter a 122-123-credit program. Students from Quebec CEGEPs who have successfully completed a course at CEGEP that is equivalent to BIOL 112 Cell and Molecular Biology. may obtain transfer credits for this course by passing the McGill Science Placement Exam for BIOL 112. For information on transfer credit for French Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate exams, Advanced Placement exams, Advanced Levels and Science Placement Exams, see www.mcgill.ca/engineering/student/sao/newstudents and select your term of admission.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 112 | Cell and Molecular Biology. | 3 |
Cell and Molecular Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The cell: ultrastructure, division, chemical constituents and reactions. Bioenergetics: photosynthesis and respiration. Principles of genetics, the molecular basis of inheritance and biotechnology. | ||
| CHEM 110 | General Chemistry 1. | 4 |
General Chemistry 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of atomic structure, radiation and nuclear chemistry, valence theory, coordination chemistry, and the periodic table. | ||
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry 2. | 4 |
General Chemistry 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the fundamental principles of physical chemistry. | ||
| MATH 133 | Linear Algebra and Geometry. | 3 |
Linear Algebra and Geometry. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Systems of linear equations, matrices, inverses, determinants; geometric vectors in three dimensions, dot product, cross product, lines and planes; introduction to vector spaces, linear dependence and independence, bases. Linear transformations. Eigenvalues and diagonalization. | ||
| MATH 140 | Calculus 1. | 3 |
Calculus 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Review of functions and graphs. Limits, continuity, derivative. Differentiation of elementary functions. Antidifferentiation. Applications. | ||
| MATH 141 | Calculus 2. | 4 |
Calculus 2. Terms offered: Summer 2025 The definite integral. Techniques of integration. Applications. Introduction to sequences and series. | ||
| PHYS 131 | Mechanics and Waves. | 4 |
Mechanics and Waves. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws and principles of Newtonian mechanics; oscillations, waves, and wave optics. | ||
| PHYS 142 | Electromagnetism and Optics. | 4 |
Electromagnetism and Optics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The basic laws of electricity and magnetism; geometrical optics. | ||
Note: FACC 100 Introduction to the Engineering Profession. must be taken during the first year of study.
Required Non-Departmental Courses (30 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 212 | Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. 1 | 4 |
Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 A fundamental study of aliphatic compounds and saturated functional groups including modern concepts of bonding, reaction mechanisms, conformational analysis, spectroscopy, and stereochemistry. | ||
| COMP 208 | Computer Programming for Physical Sciences and Engineering . | 3 |
Computer Programming for Physical Sciences and Engineering . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Programming and problem solving in a high level computer language: variables, expressions, types, functions, conditionals, loops, objects and classes. Introduction to algorithms such as searching and sorting. Modular software design, libraries, file input and output, debugging. Emphasis on applications in Physical Sciences and Engineering, such as root finding, numerical integration, diffusion, Monte Carlo methods. | ||
| FACC 100 | Introduction to the Engineering Profession. 2 | 1 |
Introduction to the Engineering Profession. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to engineering practice; rights and code of conduct for students; professional conduct and ethics; engineer's duty to society and the environment; sustainable development; occupational health and safety; overview of the engineering disciplines taught at McGill. | ||
| FACC 250 | Responsibilities of the Professional Engineer. | 0 |
Responsibilities of the Professional Engineer. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A course designed to provide all Engineering students with further training regarding their responsibilities as future Professional Engineers. Particular focus will be placed on three professional characteristics that future engineers must demonstrate: i) professionalism, ii) ethical and equitable behaviour, and iii) consideration of the impact of engineering on society and the environment. | ||
| FACC 300 | Engineering Economy. | 3 |
Engineering Economy. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Introduction to the basic concepts required for the economic assessment of engineering projects. Topics include: accounting methods, marginal analysis, cash flow and time value of money, taxation and depreciation, discounted cash flow analysis techniques, cost of capital, inflation, sensitivity and risk analysis, analysis of R and D, ongoing as well as new investment opportunities. | ||
| FACC 400 | Engineering Professional Practice. | 1 |
Engineering Professional Practice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Laws, regulations and codes governing engineering professional practice. Responsibility and liability. Environmental legislation. Project and organization management. Relations between engineer and client. Technical practice - analysis, design, execution and operation. | ||
| MATH 203 | Principles of Statistics 1. | 3 |
Principles of Statistics 1. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Examples of statistical data and the use of graphical means to summarize the data. Basic distributions arising in the natural and behavioural sciences. The logical meaning of a test of significance and a confidence interval. Tests of significance and confidence intervals in the one and two sample setting (means, variances and proportions). | ||
| MATH 262 | Intermediate Calculus. | 3 |
Intermediate Calculus. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Series and power series, including Taylor's theorem. Brief review of vector geometry. Vector functions and curves. Partial differentiation and differential calculus for vector valued functions. Unconstrained and constrained extremal problems. Multiple integrals including surface area and change of variables. | ||
| MATH 263 | Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers. | 3 |
Ordinary Differential Equations for Engineers. Terms offered: Summer 2025 First order ODEs. Second and higher order linear ODEs. Series solutions at ordinary and regular singular points. Laplace transforms. Linear systems of differential equations with a short review of linear algebra. | ||
| MATH 264 | Advanced Calculus for Engineers. | 3 |
Advanced Calculus for Engineers. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Review of multiple integrals. Differential and integral calculus of vector fields including the theorems of Gauss, Green, and Stokes. Introduction to partial differential equations, separation of variables, Sturm-Liouville problems, and Fourier series. | ||
| PHYS 319 | Introduction to Biophysics. | 3 |
Introduction to Biophysics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Emerging physical approaches and quantitative measurement techniques are providing new insights into longstanding biological questions. This course will present underlying physical theory, quantitative measurement techniques, and significant findings in molecular and cellular biophysics. Principles covered include Brownian motion, low Reynolds-number environments, forces relevant to cells and molecules, chemical potentials, and free energies. These principles are applied to enzymes as molecular machines, membranes, DNA, and RNA. | ||
| WCOM 206 | Communication in Engineering. | 3 |
Communication in Engineering. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Written and oral communication in Engineering (in English): strategies for generating, developing, organizing, and presenting ideas in a technical setting; problem-solving; communicating to different audiences; editing and revising; and public speaking. Course work based on academic, technical, and professional writing in engineering. | ||
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Students from a CEGEP background who have completed a CEGEP course equivalent to CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. may obtain transfer credits for this course by passing the McGill Placement Exam before the start of their first term. For information on Science Placement Exams, see www.mcgill.ca/exams/dates/science. CEGEP students who do not successfully complete the CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. Placement Exam must take CHEM 212 Introductory Organic Chemistry 1. at McGill, as outlined in the program requirements.
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Note FACC 100 Introduction to the Engineering Profession.FACC 100 Introduction to the Engineering Profession. must be taken during the first year of study.
Required Bioengineering Courses (50 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 200 | Introduction to Bioengineering. | 2 |
Introduction to Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to bioengineering. Introduction to engineering calculations. Physical foundations of bioengineering. Introduction to conservation laws. Fundamentals of conservation principles. Conservation of mass, energy, charge and momentum. Mechanical, chemical, electrical, and thermodynamic driving forces in biological systems. Design principles of biological systems. Computational foundations of bioengineering. Multi-scale modeling of cells and organs. Bioinformatics. Bioengineering applications in life sciences, health sciences, and material sciences. Ethical and regulatory considerations in bioengineering. | ||
| BIEN 210 | Electrical and Optical Properties of Biological Systems. | 3 |
Electrical and Optical Properties of Biological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mechanisms of optical and electrical detection, transmission, and processing in biology. Vision, luminescence, photosynthesis, nerve conduction, ion channels. Speciation and evolutionary optimization as a design platform. Biomimetic opto-electric engineering. Optics and electronics in instrumentation for biological measurements. | ||
| BIEN 219 | Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. | 4 |
Introduction to Physical Molecular and Cell Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to molecular and cell biology from a physical perspective. Techniques and methodologies, both experimental and computational, are included in the presentation of each thematic module. | ||
| BIEN 220 | Introduction to Mechanics for Bioengineers. | 2 |
Introduction to Mechanics for Bioengineers. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamentals of statics covering basic mechanics topics with focus on bioengineering. Forces during dynamic motion, laws of mechanics, Newton’s laws of motion and mechano-functional biosystems. Applied load and deformation, stress and strain analysis for biological systems and implement computer aided design. Fundamentals of failure mechanics including Euler buckling, local buckling, plastic deformation will be studied. Practical problems in mechanics of biomaterials and biological systems. | ||
| BIEN 267 | Bioanalytical Methods in Bioengineering. | 3 |
Bioanalytical Methods in Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Survey of qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and their relevance to bioengineering. Techniques for the determination and experimental analysis of chemical metabolites and biological macromolecules emphasizing the following subjects: analytical process, common analytical tools, chemical equilibrium, basic spectroscopy, chromatography and separation methods, metabolite and protein extraction, protein purification methods and quantitative determination, high performance liquid chromatography, western blotting. An introduction to modern instrumental analysis highlighting gas- and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and computational data analysis. Strengths and weaknesses of each method. | ||
| BIEN 290 | Bioengineering Measurement Laboratory. | 3 |
Bioengineering Measurement Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Laboratory safety. Conceptual understanding of measurement principles and instrumentation. Introduction to experimental techniques requiring sterile conditions. Mechanical measurements of solid and thermofluid quantities. Optical sensing techniques. Measurements of biological and chemical properties. Design of experiments and statistical and uncertainty analyses. | ||
| BIEN 300 | Thermodynamics in Bioengineering. | 3 |
Thermodynamics in Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental concepts of Thermodynamics: Internal Energy, Work, The three Laws of Thermodynamics, Enthalpy, and Entropy. Basic concepts of energy in living organisms: distribution of energy, energy conservation in living organisms, isothermal systems, Gibbs free energy in chemical coupling, reversible processes and redox reactions. Application of Thermodynamics in defining biological processes and components such as hydrolysis, osmosis, ELISA, PCR, DNA, amino acids, proteins. | ||
| BIEN 314 | Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems 1. | 3 |
Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic concepts in transport phenomena, including fluid dynamics (momentum transport) and heat transfer (energy transport), with applications to biological systems, both medical and non-medical. Topics in fluid dynamics include: properties of Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids; dimensional analysis; drag; integral/macroscopic balances (Bernoulli's equation and linear momentum theorem); differential/microscopic balances (continuity and Navier-Stokes equations); boundary layer approximations; turbulence. Topics in heat transfer include elements of conduction and convection. | ||
| BIEN 340 | Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems 2. | 3 |
Transport Phenomena in Biological Systems 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental principles of mass transport and its application to a variety of biological systems. Membrane permeability and diffusive transport. Convection. Transport across cell membranes. Ion channels. Blood rheology. Active transport. Intra- and inter-cellular transport. | ||
| BIEN 350 | Biosignals, Systems and Control. | 4 |
Biosignals, Systems and Control. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Discrete- and continuous-time signals; basic system properties. Linear time-invariant systems; convolution. Frequency domain analysis; filtering; sampling. Laplace and Fourier transforms; transfer functions; poles and zeros; transient and steady state response. Z-transforms. Dynamic behaviour and PID control of first- and second-order processes. Stability. Applications to biological systems, such as central nervous, cognitive, and motor systems. | ||
| BIEN 360 | Physical Chemistry in Bioengineering. | 3 |
Physical Chemistry in Bioengineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Description of chemical systems with the help of theories of physics and application of its techniques: reaction kinetics, physical and chemical equilibria in biological systems. Review of energy transfer and thermodynamics. Chemical and physical equilibria in biology: variation of Gibbs energy with temperature, energy, composition. Theories of reaction kinetics and the reaction mechanism in biological phenomena: polymerization, protein folding, enzymes. | ||
| BIEN 390 | Bioengineering Laboratory. | 3 |
Bioengineering Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the fundamental principles of experimental design, statistical analysis, and scientific communications applied to bioengineering research.Laboratory topics include: DNA engineering and cloning, in vitro motility assays, mammalian cell culture and immunofluorescence, and microfabrication. | ||
| BIEN 420 | Biodevices Design for Diagnostics and Screening. | 3 |
Biodevices Design for Diagnostics and Screening. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Design of analytical devices for high throughput screening (HTS) for genomics, proteomics and other “omics” applications; and for diagnostics for medical, veterinary, or environmental applications. Assessment of the specific requirements of each 'client' applications, followed by a review of specific regulations and guidelines. Theoretical and practical guidelines regarding the design of a specific micro- or nano-device, and comparison with the established state of the art in the chosen application. | ||
| BIEN 470D1 | Bioengineering Design Project. | 3 |
Bioengineering Design Project. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A capstone group design project on an industrially relevant engineering problem of a biological nature. Student teams work in consultation with faculty and industrial consultants in the design of functional and practical systems, devices, or processes, taking into account safety, sustainability, management and economic considerations. | ||
| BIEN 470D2 | Bioengineering Design Project. | 3 |
Bioengineering Design Project. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A capstone group design project on an industrially relevant engineering problem of a biological nature. Student teams work in consultation with faculty and industrial consultants in the design of functional and practical systems, devices, or processes, taking into account safety, sustainability, management and economic considerations. | ||
| BIEN 471 | Bioengineering Research Project. | 2 |
Bioengineering Research Project. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Individual guided research projects in bioengineering. Under the guidance of a research adviser, students will propose and implement a research plan that addresses a current gap in knowledge or industry need. Projects will be designed to provide experience in critical evaluation of primary research literature, experimental approaches and methodologies, quantitative analysis, mathematical modelling, and effective written and oral presentation of scientific ideas. | ||
| 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. | ||
Complementary Courses (33-34 credits)
Bioengineering Complementary Courses (24-25 credits)
Starting in the third year (second year for CEGEP students) (Year 2), students will need to take 30-31 credits of courses to upgrade their general knowledge of Bioengineering. Students must register for the required Technical Complementary courses in one of the three streams of bioengineering knowledge and practice:
- Biological Materials and Mechanics (25 credits);
- Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering (24 credits); or
- Biological Information and Computation (24 credits).
Stream 1: Biological Materials and Mechanics (25 credits)
13 credits from List A
12 credits from List B
List A
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 320 | Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics. | 3 |
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic mechanics of biological building blocks, focusing on the cytoskeleton, with examples from pathology. At the macromolecular level: weak/variable crosslinking and hydrolysis driven athermal processes. At the cellular/tissue level: cell architecture and function. Discussion of modern analytical techniques capable of single-molecule to tissue scale measurements. | ||
| BIEN 361 | Materials for Bio-Applications. | 3 |
Materials for Bio-Applications. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Relationships between the structures and properties of materials, with emphasis on bioengineering and biomedical applications. Design of materials with predetermined set of properties. Overview of biomaterials, classes of materials used in medicine and brief introduction to material structures. Introduction to fundamental concepts of materials properties. Mechanical and structural properties of metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Electrical, optical, and magnetic properties and materials processing. Selection of materials and design considerations for bioengineering 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. | ||
| CIVE 207 | Solid Mechanics. | 4 |
Solid Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Stress-strain relationships; elastic and inelastic behaviour; performance criteria. Elementary and compound stress states, Mohr's circle. Shear strains, torsion. Bending and shear stresses in flexural members. Deflections of beams. Statically indeterminate systems under flexural and axial loads. Columns. Dynamic loading. | ||
List B
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 330 | Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. | 3 |
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The history, scope, challenges, ethical considerations, and potential of tissue engineering. In vitro control of tissue development, differentiation, and growth, including relevant elements of immunology compared to in vivo tissue and organ development. Emphasis on the materials, chemical factors, and mechanical cues used in tissue engineering. | ||
| BIEN 414 | 3 | |
Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. | ||
| BIEN 450 | Biological Structures and Assemblies. | 3 |
Biological Structures and Assemblies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Formation, functions and properties of natural structures and assemblies, which are distinct from human-made structures and assemblies. Analyze the fundamental phenomena of physics, chemistry and mathematics that define evolutionary optimization strategies found in nature. | ||
| BIEN 462 | Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic aspects of human physiology. Applications of general balance equations and control theory to systems physiology. The course will cover: circulatory physiology, nervous system physiology, renal physiology and the musculoskeletal system. | ||
| BIEN 500 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 1. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected special topics in bioengineering, given by current and visiting staff. | ||
| BIEN 505 | Medical Technology Innovation and Development . | 3 |
Medical Technology Innovation and Development . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Systematic design methodologies and support concepts: clinical user need identification, brainstorming and conceptualization, system and robust design and development practices, verification and validation testing and failure modes analysis, regulatory affairs, for medical devices and technologies. Concepts and framework of ideation and conceptualization through to device output for sale as realized and defined by the medical device technology industry. Focus on corporate and technological phase structuring for systematic product design and medical business creation aspects. Real-world examples, artifacts from industry, recent articles, and presentations. | ||
| 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 515 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 2. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to new selected topics in bioengineering. | ||
| BIEN 525 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 3. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to new selected topics in bioengineering. | ||
| 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 535 | Electron Microscopy and 3D Imaging for Biological Materials. | 3 |
Electron Microscopy and 3D Imaging for Biological Materials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to electron microscopy and 3D imaging. Dual-beam microscopy (FIB-SEM, or focused ion beam – scanning electron microscope); conventional and cryogenic preparation methods for biological materials. Complementary methods such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray tomography, atom probe tomography. 3D image processing and analysis, and the fundamentals of deep learning in imaging. | ||
| BIEN 545 | Diagnostic Devices at the Point-of-Care. | 3 |
Diagnostic Devices at the Point-of-Care. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The fundamental of diagnosis devices from design concepts to implementation in real-life application, a brief review of the gold standard diagnostic methods and their limitations, the building blocks of an ideal diagnostic device with a focus on point-of-care applications, biomolecular recognition elements including different one-step and multi-step assays based on nucleic acids and proteins, and the fundamental of sample delivery systems and fluid flow based on microfluidics, the integration of bioassays and microfluidics in lab-on-chip devices for automated sample preparation and detection, real-life application of lab-on-chip devices in medical diagnosis and the commercialized approaches. | ||
| 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 580 | Synthetic Biology. | 3 |
Synthetic Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Engineering principles in biology, BioBricks and standardization of biological components, parts registries, advanced molecular biology tools for DNA assembly, genome editing, high-throughput genetic manipulation methods, construction of biological pathways, strategies for transcriptional control, examples of engineered systems. | ||
| BIEN 585 | Metabolic Engineering. | 3 |
Metabolic Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Metabolic engineering role in transition from fossil resources to a bio-based society. Design-build-test-learn cycle of metabolic engineering. Design, genetic engineering and optimization of microbial biocatalysts. Metabolic network analysis, constraint-based modelling of metabolism, microbial production of valuable chemicals. General biochemical engineering practices. Recombinant DNA technology, enzyme function, kinetics and regulation. Cell chemistry, structure and function. Growth models, fermentation, strain development. Case studies. | ||
| 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 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. | ||
| CHEE 563 | Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. 1 | 3 |
Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of circulation including vascular fluid and solid mechanics, modelling techniques, clinical and experimental methods and the design of cardiovascular devices. | ||
| CIVE 281 | Analytical Mechanics. | 3 |
Analytical Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Kinematics of particles, dynamics of particles. Work, conservative forces, potential energy. Relative motion and general moving frames of reference. Central force fields and orbits. Dynamics of a system of particles. General motion of rigid bodies, angular momentum and kinetic energy of rigid bodies. Generalized coordinates and forces, Lagrange's equations. | ||
| MECH 321 | Mechanics of Deformable Solids. | 3 |
Mechanics of Deformable Solids. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Modern phenomenological theories of the behaviour of engineering materials. Stress and strain concepts and introduction to constitutive theory. Applications of theory of elasticity and thermoelasticity. Introduction to finite element stress analysis method and its application to structural design of a machine element. | ||
| MECH 547 | Mechanics of Biological Materials. | 3 |
Mechanics of Biological Materials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mechanics of proteins (collagen, keratin), polysaccharides (cellulose, chitin), cells, skin, bone, teeth, seashells, insect and arthropod cuticles. Emphasis on microstructure-property-function relationships and on multiscale approach. State-of-the-art experimental and modelling techniques. Self-healing and adaptive biological materials. | ||
| MECH 561 | Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Systems. | 3 |
Biomechanics of Musculoskeletal Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The musculoskeletal system; general characteristics and classification of tissues and joints. Biomechanics and clinical problems in orthopaedics. Modelling and force analysis of musculoskeletal systems. Passive and active kinematics. Load-deformation properties of passive connective tissue, passive and stimulated muscle response. Experimental approaches, case studies. | ||
| MECH 563 | Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. 1 | 3 |
Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic principles of circulation including vascular fluid and solid mechanics, modelling techniques, clinical and experimental methods and the design of cardiovascular devices. | ||
| MECH 572 | Mechanics and Control of Robotic Manipulators. | 3 |
Mechanics and Control of Robotic Manipulators. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Historical development and applications of robotic manipulators. Homogeneous transformations and geometry. Forward and inverse kinematics, manipulator Jacobian. Newton-Euler and Lagrangian formulations of inverse and forward dynamics. Trajectory planning for pick-and-place operations. Linear independent joint control and nonlinear model-based control schemes. | ||
| MIME 470 | Engineering Biomaterials. | 3 |
Engineering Biomaterials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Key definitions, clinical need, desired materials properties, current and future materials, materials assessments and performance. Materials of the body. Characterisation techniques for bulk and mechanical properties of biomaterials. Engineering processing and design of biomaterials. | ||
| MIME 473 | Introduction to Computational Materials Design. | 3 |
Introduction to Computational Materials Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to modelling and simulation techniques in materials engineering: quantum mechanics and atomistic simulation (i.e. Monte-Carlo and Molecular Dynamics). These modelling and simulations methods provide new and efficient tools to examine and predict various physical and mechanical properties of materials, enabling bottom-up design of materials and structures starting from quantum and atomistic level. These computational tools play an increasingly important role in modern materials engineering. Fundamental theories behind materials modelling and hands-on training on various modelling software. | ||
| SEAD 515 | Climate Change Adaptation and Engineering Infrastructure . | 3 |
Climate Change Adaptation and Engineering Infrastructure . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Climate resilience and sustainability of engineering systems such as the built environment and engineering infrastructure in the context of a changing climate, possible mitigation and adaptation strategies and associated challenges and opportunities. Review of the basic principles that underpin the science of climate change; the role of global and regional climate models in predicting the behaviour of the climate system in response to different forcing scenarios, and the use of climate model outputs in support of across scale climate-resilience of various engineering systems including infrastructure systems. | ||
| SEAD 520 | Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting . | 3 |
Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting and the application of basic methods for life-cycle environmental inventory and impacts modeling. LCA theory and quantitative analysis, approaches for assessing and reducing the environmental impacts of product, process, and technology systems. System boundary and functional unit design approaches, process-based and input-output-based methods for modeling mass and energy flows in life-cycle systems. How LCA can facilitate sustainable technology innovation and deployment, behavioural and societal changes, and policies, standards and regulations. | ||
| SEAD 540 | Industrial Ecology and Systems. | 3 |
Industrial Ecology and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Industrial ecology theory, concepts, normative goals and analytical methods. Material and energy flows, environmental impacts of industrial activities, systems thinking, transitioning from linear to closed loop systems, recent contributions to sustainable product systems, urban metabolism, optimized materials or energy management, development of a circular economy, new environmental policies and business models based on product or material lifecycle information. Consumer and organizational behaviour in transitioning to sustainable industrial systems. | ||
| SEAD 550 | Decision-Making for Sustainability in Engineering and Design. | 3 |
Decision-Making for Sustainability in Engineering and Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Role and importance of engineering decisions of environmental, social, and economic problems and the application of decision-making approaches and tools to engineering sustainability. Multi-criteria decision-making, uncertainty analysis, game theory, sustainability metrics, life cycle analysis evaluation and impact assessment methodologies, design problem formulation, stage-dependent strategies, case studies. | ||
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Note: Students may choose only one of CHEE 563 Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics. and MECH 563 Biofluids and Cardiovascular Mechanics.
NOTE: Maximum 6 credits of SEAD courses are allowed.
Stream 2: Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering (24-25 credits)
12 credits from List A
12-13 credits from List B
List A
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 310 | Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering. | 3 |
Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Forward and reverse engineering of biomolecular systems. Principles of biomolecular thermodynamics and kinetics. Structure and function of the main classes of biomolecules including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Biomolecular systems as mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems. Rational design and evolutionary methods for engineering functional proteins, nucleic acids, and gene circuits. Rational design topics include molecular modeling, positive and negative design paradigms, simulation and optimization of equilibrium and kinetic properties, design of catalysts, sensors, motors, and circuits. Evolutionary design topics include evolutionary mechanisms, fitness landscapes, directed evolution of proteins, metabolic pathways, and gene circuits. Systems biology and synthetic biology. | ||
| BIEN 320 | Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics. | 3 |
Molecular, Cellular and Tissue Biomechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic mechanics of biological building blocks, focusing on the cytoskeleton, with examples from pathology. At the macromolecular level: weak/variable crosslinking and hydrolysis driven athermal processes. At the cellular/tissue level: cell architecture and function. Discussion of modern analytical techniques capable of single-molecule to tissue scale measurements. | ||
| 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 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. | ||
List B
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 330 | Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. | 3 |
Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The history, scope, challenges, ethical considerations, and potential of tissue engineering. In vitro control of tissue development, differentiation, and growth, including relevant elements of immunology compared to in vivo tissue and organ development. Emphasis on the materials, chemical factors, and mechanical cues used in tissue engineering. | ||
| BIEN 410 | Computational Methods in Biomolecular Engineering. | 3 |
Computational Methods in Biomolecular Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to computational biomolecular engineering. Biomolecular simulation: deterministic simulation, stochastic simulation. Biomolecular modeling: energy minimization, coarse-grained methods. Computational biomolecular design: protein design, protein docking, and drug design. Computational systems and synthetic biology: computer simulation of biomolecular circuits. | ||
| BIEN 414 | 3 | |
Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. | ||
| BIEN 450 | Biological Structures and Assemblies. | 3 |
Biological Structures and Assemblies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Formation, functions and properties of natural structures and assemblies, which are distinct from human-made structures and assemblies. Analyze the fundamental phenomena of physics, chemistry and mathematics that define evolutionary optimization strategies found in nature. | ||
| BIEN 462 | Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic aspects of human physiology. Applications of general balance equations and control theory to systems physiology. The course will cover: circulatory physiology, nervous system physiology, renal physiology and the musculoskeletal system. | ||
| BIEN 500 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 1. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected special topics in bioengineering, given by current and visiting staff. | ||
| BIEN 505 | Medical Technology Innovation and Development . | 3 |
Medical Technology Innovation and Development . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Systematic design methodologies and support concepts: clinical user need identification, brainstorming and conceptualization, system and robust design and development practices, verification and validation testing and failure modes analysis, regulatory affairs, for medical devices and technologies. Concepts and framework of ideation and conceptualization through to device output for sale as realized and defined by the medical device technology industry. Focus on corporate and technological phase structuring for systematic product design and medical business creation aspects. Real-world examples, artifacts from industry, recent articles, and presentations. | ||
| 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 515 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 2. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to new selected topics in bioengineering. | ||
| BIEN 525 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 3. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to new selected topics in bioengineering. | ||
| 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 535 | Electron Microscopy and 3D Imaging for Biological Materials. | 3 |
Electron Microscopy and 3D Imaging for Biological Materials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to electron microscopy and 3D imaging. Dual-beam microscopy (FIB-SEM, or focused ion beam – scanning electron microscope); conventional and cryogenic preparation methods for biological materials. Complementary methods such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray tomography, atom probe tomography. 3D image processing and analysis, and the fundamentals of deep learning in imaging. | ||
| 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 545 | Diagnostic Devices at the Point-of-Care. | 3 |
Diagnostic Devices at the Point-of-Care. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The fundamental of diagnosis devices from design concepts to implementation in real-life application, a brief review of the gold standard diagnostic methods and their limitations, the building blocks of an ideal diagnostic device with a focus on point-of-care applications, biomolecular recognition elements including different one-step and multi-step assays based on nucleic acids and proteins, and the fundamental of sample delivery systems and fluid flow based on microfluidics, the integration of bioassays and microfluidics in lab-on-chip devices for automated sample preparation and detection, real-life application of lab-on-chip devices in medical diagnosis and the commercialized approaches. | ||
| 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 580 | Synthetic Biology. | 3 |
Synthetic Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Engineering principles in biology, BioBricks and standardization of biological components, parts registries, advanced molecular biology tools for DNA assembly, genome editing, high-throughput genetic manipulation methods, construction of biological pathways, strategies for transcriptional control, examples of engineered systems. | ||
| BIEN 585 | Metabolic Engineering. | 3 |
Metabolic Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Metabolic engineering role in transition from fossil resources to a bio-based society. Design-build-test-learn cycle of metabolic engineering. Design, genetic engineering and optimization of microbial biocatalysts. Metabolic network analysis, constraint-based modelling of metabolism, microbial production of valuable chemicals. General biochemical engineering practices. Recombinant DNA technology, enzyme function, kinetics and regulation. Cell chemistry, structure and function. Growth models, fermentation, strain development. Case studies. | ||
| BIEN 595 | Advanced Biomolecular Systems Modelling. | 3 |
Advanced Biomolecular Systems Modelling. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced methods for modelling complex biomolecular systems,with a focus on state-of-the-art, data-driven and integrative methods for modelling protein structures and networks. Modelling of protein structures: protein structure prediction, modelling protein dynamics, use of evolutionary information. Modelling of protein networks: reconstruction, analysis, evolution. Combined protein structure and network modelling. | ||
| 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 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. | ||
| CIVE 281 | Analytical Mechanics. | 3 |
Analytical Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Kinematics of particles, dynamics of particles. Work, conservative forces, potential energy. Relative motion and general moving frames of reference. Central force fields and orbits. Dynamics of a system of particles. General motion of rigid bodies, angular momentum and kinetic energy of rigid bodies. Generalized coordinates and forces, Lagrange's equations. | ||
| CIVE 557 | Microbiology for Environmental Engineering. | 3 |
Microbiology for Environmental Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Microbiological concepts applied to the practice of environmental engineering and biotechnologies including the following topics: cellular and pathway organizations, evolution, growth, gene expression, horizontal gene transfer, metabolic microbial diversity, ecosystem structures, and quantitative mathematical modelling. | ||
| PHYS 534 | Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. | 3 |
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Topics include scanning probe microscopy, chemical self-assembly, computer modelling, and microfabrication/micromachining. | ||
| SEAD 510 | Energy Analysis. | 4 |
Energy Analysis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Critical analysis of the importance of energy to society, the unsustainability of the current energy system, and potential options for a sustainable energy system. Topics include: peak oil and climate change, fundamental energy metrics, traditional and alternative primary and secondary power systems, and energy storage technologies. Quantitative energy analysis is applied to a set of case studies investigating energy use, energy generation, and energy storage and transport. | ||
| SEAD 515 | Climate Change Adaptation and Engineering Infrastructure . | 3 |
Climate Change Adaptation and Engineering Infrastructure . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Climate resilience and sustainability of engineering systems such as the built environment and engineering infrastructure in the context of a changing climate, possible mitigation and adaptation strategies and associated challenges and opportunities. Review of the basic principles that underpin the science of climate change; the role of global and regional climate models in predicting the behaviour of the climate system in response to different forcing scenarios, and the use of climate model outputs in support of across scale climate-resilience of various engineering systems including infrastructure systems. | ||
| SEAD 520 | Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting . | 3 |
Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting and the application of basic methods for life-cycle environmental inventory and impacts modeling. LCA theory and quantitative analysis, approaches for assessing and reducing the environmental impacts of product, process, and technology systems. System boundary and functional unit design approaches, process-based and input-output-based methods for modeling mass and energy flows in life-cycle systems. How LCA can facilitate sustainable technology innovation and deployment, behavioural and societal changes, and policies, standards and regulations. | ||
| SEAD 540 | Industrial Ecology and Systems. | 3 |
Industrial Ecology and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Industrial ecology theory, concepts, normative goals and analytical methods. Material and energy flows, environmental impacts of industrial activities, systems thinking, transitioning from linear to closed loop systems, recent contributions to sustainable product systems, urban metabolism, optimized materials or energy management, development of a circular economy, new environmental policies and business models based on product or material lifecycle information. Consumer and organizational behaviour in transitioning to sustainable industrial systems. | ||
| SEAD 550 | Decision-Making for Sustainability in Engineering and Design. | 3 |
Decision-Making for Sustainability in Engineering and Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Role and importance of engineering decisions of environmental, social, and economic problems and the application of decision-making approaches and tools to engineering sustainability. Multi-criteria decision-making, uncertainty analysis, game theory, sustainability metrics, life cycle analysis evaluation and impact assessment methodologies, design problem formulation, stage-dependent strategies, case studies. | ||
NOTE: Maximum 6 credits of SEAD courses are allowed.
Stream 3: Biological Information and Computation (24-25 credits)
12 credits from List A
12-13 credits from List B
List A
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 310 | Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering. | 3 |
Introduction to Biomolecular Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Forward and reverse engineering of biomolecular systems. Principles of biomolecular thermodynamics and kinetics. Structure and function of the main classes of biomolecules including proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. Biomolecular systems as mechanical, chemical, and electrical systems. Rational design and evolutionary methods for engineering functional proteins, nucleic acids, and gene circuits. Rational design topics include molecular modeling, positive and negative design paradigms, simulation and optimization of equilibrium and kinetic properties, design of catalysts, sensors, motors, and circuits. Evolutionary design topics include evolutionary mechanisms, fitness landscapes, directed evolution of proteins, metabolic pathways, and gene circuits. Systems biology and synthetic biology. | ||
| BIEN 410 | Computational Methods in Biomolecular Engineering. | 3 |
Computational Methods in Biomolecular Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to computational biomolecular engineering. Biomolecular simulation: deterministic simulation, stochastic simulation. Biomolecular modeling: energy minimization, coarse-grained methods. Computational biomolecular design: protein design, protein docking, and drug design. Computational systems and synthetic biology: computer simulation of biomolecular circuits. | ||
| 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. | ||
List B
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIEN 414 | 3 | |
Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. | ||
| BIEN 450 | Biological Structures and Assemblies. | 3 |
Biological Structures and Assemblies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Formation, functions and properties of natural structures and assemblies, which are distinct from human-made structures and assemblies. Analyze the fundamental phenomena of physics, chemistry and mathematics that define evolutionary optimization strategies found in nature. | ||
| BIEN 462 | Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. | 3 |
Engineering Principles in Physiological Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Basic aspects of human physiology. Applications of general balance equations and control theory to systems physiology. The course will cover: circulatory physiology, nervous system physiology, renal physiology and the musculoskeletal system. | ||
| BIEN 500 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 1. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected special topics in bioengineering, given by current and visiting staff. | ||
| BIEN 505 | Medical Technology Innovation and Development . | 3 |
Medical Technology Innovation and Development . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Systematic design methodologies and support concepts: clinical user need identification, brainstorming and conceptualization, system and robust design and development practices, verification and validation testing and failure modes analysis, regulatory affairs, for medical devices and technologies. Concepts and framework of ideation and conceptualization through to device output for sale as realized and defined by the medical device technology industry. Focus on corporate and technological phase structuring for systematic product design and medical business creation aspects. Real-world examples, artifacts from industry, recent articles, and presentations. | ||
| BIEN 515 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 2. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to new selected topics in bioengineering. | ||
| BIEN 525 | Special Topics in Bioengineering 3. | 3 |
Special Topics in Bioengineering 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to new selected topics in bioengineering. | ||
| BIEN 535 | Electron Microscopy and 3D Imaging for Biological Materials. | 3 |
Electron Microscopy and 3D Imaging for Biological Materials. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to electron microscopy and 3D imaging. Dual-beam microscopy (FIB-SEM, or focused ion beam – scanning electron microscope); conventional and cryogenic preparation methods for biological materials. Complementary methods such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray tomography, atom probe tomography. 3D image processing and analysis, and the fundamentals of deep learning in imaging. | ||
| BIEN 545 | Diagnostic Devices at the Point-of-Care. | 3 |
Diagnostic Devices at the Point-of-Care. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The fundamental of diagnosis devices from design concepts to implementation in real-life application, a brief review of the gold standard diagnostic methods and their limitations, the building blocks of an ideal diagnostic device with a focus on point-of-care applications, biomolecular recognition elements including different one-step and multi-step assays based on nucleic acids and proteins, and the fundamental of sample delivery systems and fluid flow based on microfluidics, the integration of bioassays and microfluidics in lab-on-chip devices for automated sample preparation and detection, real-life application of lab-on-chip devices in medical diagnosis and the commercialized approaches. | ||
| BIEN 580 | Synthetic Biology. | 3 |
Synthetic Biology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Engineering principles in biology, BioBricks and standardization of biological components, parts registries, advanced molecular biology tools for DNA assembly, genome editing, high-throughput genetic manipulation methods, construction of biological pathways, strategies for transcriptional control, examples of engineered systems. | ||
| BIEN 585 | Metabolic Engineering. | 3 |
Metabolic Engineering. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Metabolic engineering role in transition from fossil resources to a bio-based society. Design-build-test-learn cycle of metabolic engineering. Design, genetic engineering and optimization of microbial biocatalysts. Metabolic network analysis, constraint-based modelling of metabolism, microbial production of valuable chemicals. General biochemical engineering practices. Recombinant DNA technology, enzyme function, kinetics and regulation. Cell chemistry, structure and function. Growth models, fermentation, strain development. Case studies. | ||
| BIEN 595 | Advanced Biomolecular Systems Modelling. | 3 |
Advanced Biomolecular Systems Modelling. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced methods for modelling complex biomolecular systems,with a focus on state-of-the-art, data-driven and integrative methods for modelling protein structures and networks. Modelling of protein structures: protein structure prediction, modelling protein dynamics, use of evolutionary information. Modelling of protein networks: reconstruction, analysis, evolution. Combined protein structure and network modelling. | ||
| 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. | ||
| CIVE 281 | Analytical Mechanics. | 3 |
Analytical Mechanics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Kinematics of particles, dynamics of particles. Work, conservative forces, potential energy. Relative motion and general moving frames of reference. Central force fields and orbits. Dynamics of a system of particles. General motion of rigid bodies, angular momentum and kinetic energy of rigid bodies. Generalized coordinates and forces, Lagrange's equations. | ||
| COMP 250 | Introduction to Computer Science. | 3 |
Introduction to Computer Science. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Mathematical tools (binary numbers, induction,recurrence relations, asymptotic complexity,establishing correctness of programs). Datastructures (arrays, stacks, queues, linked lists,trees, binary trees, binary search trees, heaps,hash tables). Recursive and non-recursivealgorithms (searching and sorting, tree andgraph traversal). Abstract data types. Objectoriented programming in Java (classes andobjects, interfaces, inheritance). Selected topics. | ||
| COMP 251 | Algorithms and Data Structures. | 3 |
Algorithms and Data Structures. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Data Structures: priority queues, balanced binary search trees, hash tables, graphs. Algorithms: topological sort, connected components, shortest paths, minimum spanning trees, bipartite matching, network flows. Algorithm design: greedy, divide and conquer, dynamic programming, randomization. Mathematicaltools: proofs of asymptotic complexity and program correctness, Master theorem. | ||
| COMP 462 | Computational Biology Methods. | 3 |
Computational Biology Methods. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Application of computer science techniques to problems arising in biology and medicine, techniques for modeling evolution, aligning molecular sequences, predicting structure of a molecule and other problems from computational biology. | ||
| COMP 551 | Applied Machine Learning. | 4 |
Applied Machine Learning. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Selected topics in machine learning and data mining, including clustering, neural networks, support vector machines, decision trees. Methods include feature selection and dimensionality reduction, error estimation and empirical validation, algorithm design and parallelization, and handling of large data sets. Emphasis on good methods and practices for deployment of real systems. | ||
| ECSE 415 | Introduction to Computer Vision. | 3 |
Introduction to Computer Vision. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the automated processing, analysis, and understanding of image data. Topics include image formation and acquisition, design of image features, image segmentation, stereo and motion correspondence matching techniques, feature clustering, regression and classification for object recognition, industrial and consumer applications, and computer vision software tools. | ||
| MECH 513 | Control Systems. | 3 |
Control Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. State-space modelling and related linear algebra. Controllability and observability of linear time-invariant systems and corresponding tests, system realizations. Stability: Bounded-Input-Bounded-Output (BIBO), internal, Lyapunov. Linear state feedback control: pole placement and root locus design methods, linear quadratic regulator. State observers: full- and reduced-order designs, separation principle, Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) design. Introduction to optimal control and optimal state estimation. | ||
| MECH 572 | Mechanics and Control of Robotic Manipulators. | 3 |
Mechanics and Control of Robotic Manipulators. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Historical development and applications of robotic manipulators. Homogeneous transformations and geometry. Forward and inverse kinematics, manipulator Jacobian. Newton-Euler and Lagrangian formulations of inverse and forward dynamics. Trajectory planning for pick-and-place operations. Linear independent joint control and nonlinear model-based control schemes. | ||
| SEAD 510 | Energy Analysis. | 4 |
Energy Analysis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Critical analysis of the importance of energy to society, the unsustainability of the current energy system, and potential options for a sustainable energy system. Topics include: peak oil and climate change, fundamental energy metrics, traditional and alternative primary and secondary power systems, and energy storage technologies. Quantitative energy analysis is applied to a set of case studies investigating energy use, energy generation, and energy storage and transport. | ||
| SEAD 515 | Climate Change Adaptation and Engineering Infrastructure . | 3 |
Climate Change Adaptation and Engineering Infrastructure . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Climate resilience and sustainability of engineering systems such as the built environment and engineering infrastructure in the context of a changing climate, possible mitigation and adaptation strategies and associated challenges and opportunities. Review of the basic principles that underpin the science of climate change; the role of global and regional climate models in predicting the behaviour of the climate system in response to different forcing scenarios, and the use of climate model outputs in support of across scale climate-resilience of various engineering systems including infrastructure systems. | ||
| SEAD 520 | Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting . | 3 |
Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to Life Cycle-Based Environmental Footprinting and the application of basic methods for life-cycle environmental inventory and impacts modeling. LCA theory and quantitative analysis, approaches for assessing and reducing the environmental impacts of product, process, and technology systems. System boundary and functional unit design approaches, process-based and input-output-based methods for modeling mass and energy flows in life-cycle systems. How LCA can facilitate sustainable technology innovation and deployment, behavioural and societal changes, and policies, standards and regulations. | ||
| SEAD 540 | Industrial Ecology and Systems. | 3 |
Industrial Ecology and Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Industrial ecology theory, concepts, normative goals and analytical methods. Material and energy flows, environmental impacts of industrial activities, systems thinking, transitioning from linear to closed loop systems, recent contributions to sustainable product systems, urban metabolism, optimized materials or energy management, development of a circular economy, new environmental policies and business models based on product or material lifecycle information. Consumer and organizational behaviour in transitioning to sustainable industrial systems. | ||
| SEAD 550 | Decision-Making for Sustainability in Engineering and Design. | 3 |
Decision-Making for Sustainability in Engineering and Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Role and importance of engineering decisions of environmental, social, and economic problems and the application of decision-making approaches and tools to engineering sustainability. Multi-criteria decision-making, uncertainty analysis, game theory, sustainability metrics, life cycle analysis evaluation and impact assessment methodologies, design problem formulation, stage-dependent strategies, case studies. | ||
NOTE: Students in Stream 3 may only take one of the two 4 credit list B TCs (either COMP 551 Applied Machine Learning. or SEAD 510 Energy Analysis. or another 3 credit list B TC)
NOTE: Maximum 6 credits of SEAD courses are allowed.
Complementary Studies (9 credits)
Group A - Impact of Technology on Society
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 212 | Anthropology of Development. | 3 |
Anthropology of Development. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Processes of developmental change, as they affect small communities in the Third World and in unindustrialized parts of developed countries. Problems of technological change, political integration, population growth, industrialization, urban growth, social services, infrastructure and economic dependency. | ||
| ECON 225 | Economics of the Environment. | 3 |
Economics of the Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the application of economic theory to questions of environmental policy. Particular attention will be given to the measurement and regulation of pollution, congestion and waste and other environmental aspects of specific economies. | ||
| ECON 347 | Economics of Climate Change. | 3 |
Economics of Climate Change. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The course focuses on the economic implications of, and problems posed by, predictions of global warming due to anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases. Attention is given to economic policies such as carbon taxes and tradeable emission permits and to the problems of displacing fossil fuels with new energy technologies. | ||
| ENVR 201 | Society, Environment and Sustainability. | 3 |
Society, Environment and Sustainability. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course deals with how scientific-technological, socio-economic, political-institutional and behavioural factors mediate society-environment interactions. Issues discussed include population and resources; consumption, impacts and institutions; integrating environmental values in societal decision-making; and the challenges associated with, and strategies for, promoting sustainability. Case studies in various sectors and contexts are used. | ||
| GEOG 200 | Geographical Perspectives: World Environmental Problems. | 3 |
Geographical Perspectives: World Environmental Problems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to geography as the study of nature and human beings in a spatial context. An integrated approach to environmental systems and the human organization of them from the viewpoint of spatial relationships and processes. Special attention to environmental problems as a constraint upon Third World development. | ||
| GEOG 203 | Environmental Systems. | 3 |
Environmental Systems. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to system-level interactions among climate, hydrology, soils and vegetation at the scale of drainage basins, including the study of the global geographical variability in these land-surface systems. The knowledge acquired is used to study the impact on the environment of various human activities such as deforestation and urbanisation. | ||
| GEOG 205 | Global Change: Past, Present and Future. | 3 |
Global Change: Past, Present and Future. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of global change, from the Quaternary Period to the present day involving changes in the physical geography of specific areas. Issues such as climatic change and land degradation will be discussed, with speculations on future environments. | ||
| GEOG 302 | Environmental Management 1. | 3 |
Environmental Management 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An ecological analysis of the physical and biotic components of natural resource systems. Emphasis on scientific, technological and institutional aspects of environmental management. Study of the use of biological resources and of the impact of individual processes. | ||
| MGPO 440 | Strategies for Sustainability. 1 | 3 |
Strategies for Sustainability. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course explores the relationship between economic activity, management, and the natural environment. Using readings, discussions and cases, the course will explore the challenges that the goal of sustainable development poses for our existing notions of economic goals, production and consumption practices and the management of organizations. | ||
| PHIL 343 | Biomedical Ethics. | 3 |
Biomedical Ethics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An investigation of ethical issues as they arise in the practice of medicine (informed consent, e.g.) or in the application of medical technology (in vitro fertilization, euthanasia, e.g.) | ||
| RELG 270 | Religious Ethics and the Environment. | 3 |
Religious Ethics and the Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Environmental potential of various religious traditions and secular perspectives, including animal rights, ecofeminism, and deep ecology. | ||
| SOCI 235 | Technology and Society. | 3 |
Technology and Society. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the extent to which technological developments impose constraints on ways of arranging social relationships in bureaucratic organizations and in the wider society: the compatibility of current social structures with the effective utilization of technology. | ||
| SOCI 312 | Sociology of Work and Industry. | 3 |
Sociology of Work and Industry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The development of the world of work from the rise of industrial capitalism to the postindustrial age. Responses of workers and managers to changing organizational, technological and economic realities. Interrelations between changing demands in the workplace and the functioning of the labour market. Canadian materials in comparative perspective. | ||
| URBP 201 | Planning the 21st Century City. | 3 |
Planning the 21st Century City. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The study of how urban planners respond to the challenges posed by contemporary cities world-wide. Urban problems related to the environment, shelter, transport, human health, livelihoods and governance are addressed; innovative plans to improve cities and city life are analyzed. | ||
- 1
Note: Management courses have limited enrolment and registration dates. See Important Dates at www.mcgill.ca/importantdates.
Group B - Humanities and Social Science, Management Studies and Law
Generally, students admitted to Engineering from Quebec CEGEP's are granted transfer credits for 3 credits (one course) from the Complementary Studies Group B list.
6 credits of courses at the 200-level or higher from the following departments:
Anthropology (ANTH)
Economics (any 200- or 300-level course excluding ECON 227 Economic Statistics. and ECON 337 Introductory Econometrics 1.)
History (HIST)
Philosophy (excluding PHIL 210 Introduction to Deductive Logic 1. and PHIL 310 Intermediate Logic.)
Political Science (POLI)
Psychology (excluding PSYC 204 Introduction to Psychological Statistics. and PSYC 305 Statistics for Experimental Design., but including PSYC 100 Introduction to Psychology.)
Religious Studies (RELG) (excluding courses that principally impart language skills, such as Sanskrit, Tibetan, Tamil, New Testament Greek, and Biblical Hebrew)1
School of Social Work (SWRK)
Sociology (excluding SOCI 350 Statistics in Social Research.)
OR from the following courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARCH 528 | History of Housing. | 3 |
History of Housing. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Indigenous housing both transient and permanent, from the standpoint of individual structure and pattern of settlements. The principal historic examples of houses including housing in the age of industrial revolution and contemporary housing. | ||
| BUSA 465 | Technological Entrepreneurship. 2 | 3 |
Technological Entrepreneurship. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Concentrating on entrepreneurship and enterprise development, particular attention is given to the start-up, purchasing and management of small to medium-sized industrial firms. The focal point is in understanding the dilemmas faced by entrepreneurs, resolving them, developing a business plan and the maximum utilization of the financial, marketing and human resources that make for a successful operation. | ||
| CLAS 203 | Greek Mythology. | 3 |
Greek Mythology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the myths and legends of Ancient Greece. | ||
| ENVR 203 | Knowledge, Ethics and Environment. | 3 |
Knowledge, Ethics and Environment. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to cultural perspectives on the environment: the influence of culture and cognition on perceptions of the natural world; conflicts in orders of knowledge (models, taxonomies, paradigms, theories, cosmologies), ethics (moral values, frameworks, dilemmas), and law (formal and customary, rights and obligations) regarding political dimensions of critical environments, resource use, and technologies. | ||
| ENVR 400 | Environmental Thought. | 3 |
Environmental Thought. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students work in interdisciplinary seminar groups on challenging philosophical, ethical, scientific and practical issues. They will explore cutting-edge ideas and grapple with the reconciliation of environmental imperatives and social, political and economic pragmatics. Activities include meeting practitioners, attending guest lectures, following directed readings, and organizing, leading and participating in seminars. | ||
| FACC 220 | Law for Architects and Engineers. | 3 |
Law for Architects and Engineers. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Aspects of the law which affect architects and engineers. Definition and branches of law; Federal and Provincial jurisdiction, civil and criminal law and civil and common law; relevance of statutes; partnerships and companies; agreements; types of property, rights of ownership; successions and wills; expropriation; responsibility for negligence; servitudes/easements, privileges/liens, hypothecs/ mortgages; statutes of limitations; strict liability of architect, engineer and builder; patents, trade marks, industrial design and copyright; bankruptcy; labour law; general and expert evidence; court procedure and arbitration. | ||
| FACC 500 | Technology Business Plan Design. | 3 |
Technology Business Plan Design. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course combines several management functional areas such as marketing, financial, operations and strategy with the skills of creativity, engineering innovation, leadership and communications. Students learn how to design an effective and winning business plan around a technology or engineering project in small, medium or large enterprises. | ||
| FACC 501 | Technology Business Plan Project. | 3 |
Technology Business Plan Project. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Students work in teams to develop a comprehensive business plan project based on a technological or engineering innovation while utilizing site visits. | ||
| HISP 225 | Hispanic Civilization 1. | 3 |
Hispanic Civilization 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of historical and cultural elements which constitute the background of the Hispanic world up to the 18th century; a survey of the pre-Columbian indigenous civilizations (Aztec, Maya and Inca) and the conquest of America. | ||
| HISP 226 | Hispanic Civilization 2. | 3 |
Hispanic Civilization 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the constitution of the ideological and political structures of the Spanish Empire in both Europe and America until the Wars of Independence; a survey of the culture and history of the Hispanic people from the early 19th Century to the present. | ||
| INDR 294 | Introduction to Labour-Management Relations. 2 | 3 |
Introduction to Labour-Management Relations. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to labour-management relations, the structure, function and government of labour unions, labour legislation, the collective bargaining process, and the public interest in industrial relations. | ||
| INTG 215 | Entrepreneurship Essentials for Non-Management Students. 3 | 3 |
Entrepreneurship Essentials for Non-Management Students. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fundamental concepts, theories, and practices of entrepreneurship. Focus on identifying opportunities, developing business ideas, and understanding key components of starting and managing a business. | ||
| MATH 338 | History and Philosophy of Mathematics. | 3 |
History and Philosophy of Mathematics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Indian and Arab contributions to mathematics are studied together with some modern developments they give rise to, for example, the problem of trisecting the angle. European mathematics from the Renaissance to the 18th century is discussed, culminating in the discovery of the infinitesimal and integral calculus by Newton and Leibnitz. Demonstration of how mathematics was done in past centuries, and involves the practice of mathematics, including detailed calculations, arguments based on geometric reasoning, and proofs. | ||
| MGCR 222 | Introduction to Organizational Behaviour. 3 | 3 |
Introduction to Organizational Behaviour. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Individual motivation and communication style; group dynamics as related to problem solving and decision making, leadership style, work structuring and the larger environment. Interdependence of individual, group and organization task and structure. | ||
| MGCR 352 | Principles of Marketing. 2 | 3 |
Principles of Marketing. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Introduction to marketing principles, focusing on problem solving and decision making. Topics include: the marketing concept; marketing strategies; buyer behaviour; Canadian demographics; internal and external constraints; product; promotion; distribution; price. Lectures, text material and case studies. | ||
| ORGB 321 | Leadership. 2 | 3 |
Leadership. Terms offered: Summer 2025 Leadership theories provide students with opportunities to assess and work on improving their leadership skills. Topics include: the ability to know oneself as a leader, to formulate a vision, to have the courage to lead, to lead creatively, and to lead effectively with others. | ||
| ORGB 423 | Human Resources Management. 2 | 3 |
Human Resources Management. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Issues involved in personnel administration. Topics include: human resource planning, job analysis, recruitment and selection, training and development, performance appraisal, organization development and change, issues in compensation and benefits, and labour-management relations. | ||
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If you are uncertain whether or not a course principally imparts language skills, please see an adviser in the McGill Engineering Student Centre (Frank Dawson Adams Building, Room 22) or email an adviser.
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Note: Management courses have limited enrolment and registration dates. See Important Dates: www.mcgill.ca/importantdates.
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INTG 215 Entrepreneurship Essentials for Non-Management Students. is not open to students who have taken INTG 201 Integrated Management Essentials 1. and INTG 202 Integrated Management Essentials 2..
Note regarding language courses: Language courses are not accepted to satisfy the Complementary Studies Group B requirement, effective for students who entered the program as of Fall 2017.
Elective Courses (0-9 credits)
Students from Quebec CEGEPs must take 9 credits of elective courses. These can be chosen from any course at the 200-level or higher offered by the University, subject to permission of the offering department.