Commerce & Engineering Degree Opportunity

Return to: McIntire School of Commerce: Degree Programs

Return to: School of Graduate Engineering and Applied Science: Degree Programs

Overview

In order to amplify the impact of translational research on human health and well-being, the Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the McIntire School of Commerce offer a pathway that allows Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering (BME PhD) students to acquire fundamental business skills by earning an M.S. in Commerce (MSC) degree.

Administration of the Program

The program is administered by the Biotechnology Track Sub-Committee (BTSC), which is comprised of one faculty administrator from BME and one from the McIntire School of Commerce, as designated by their respective deans. The responsibilities of the BTSC extend to coordination of curricula for the students involved, resolution of problems that may arise, reconciliation of course and examination conflicts, and promotion of this offering by the two schools where appropriate.

Admission Eligibility and Requirements

Students who have been admitted to the BME PhD program and have completed at least their first year are eligible for the MS in Commerce pathway. Entrance to this pathway requires application to the MSC program, specifically to the Biotechnology Track. Prior to matriculation into the MS in Commerce program, students must have completed prerequisite coursework in statistics and financial accounting. The microeconomics prerequisite may be substituted with another markets-based course at the graduate or undergraduate level. Students must also have completed BME PhD courses that fulfill the following minimum MSC Biotechnology Track requirements: a science elective, an analytics elective(s), and another approved elective. The elective coursework will be agreed upon by the BTSC.

Admission to the MS in Commerce pathway program is not guaranteed, applicants will be judged according to McIntire’s MSC admissions criteria, as well as confirmation that the student has satisfactorily completed the coursework noted.

Academic Policies

Students will be subject to the academic policies of the school (SEAS or McIntire) in which they are currently enrolled during the program. Any grade or policy appeals that pertain to courses delivered at the McIntire School of Commerce—even if taken on a cross-enrollment basis—will be handled following McIntire’s policies outlined in the Graduate Record. McIntire’s Graduate Program Committee is responsible for certifying to the McIntire faculty when all degree requirements for the MSC have been satisfactorily completed.

Financial Aid

Financial aid will be provided by the school to which the student is paying tuition during each semester. Financial aid is not guaranteed and is subject to individual school and University availability and regulations.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering (BME PhD) is a full-time program that requires a minimum of 72 credit hours, including 24 credits of graded coursework. Students typically complete the BME PhD in 5 to 6 years. The M.S. in Commerce (MSC) is a full-time 40-credit hour, one-year degree program that includes a minimum of 22 required credit hours and 18 credit hours in a track.

The proposed pathway allows a student to complete both the BME PhD and MSC (Biotechnology Track) programs in 5.5 years. Upon admission into the pathway, a minimum of nine (9) credit hours and a maximum of 15 credit hours of coursework earned during or after the first year of the PhD BME will double-count toward the MSC Biotechnology Track requirements. After a minimum of one year in the PhD BME and with at least nine (9) credit-hours of MSC biotechnology track electives coursework completed, the student will enroll during the fall semester (early August-December) in the McIntire School and complete the following 21 credit hours:

Fall Semester

Fifteen (15) credit hours of required integrated core coursework:
GCOM 7010 - Global Strategy and Systems Credits: 7.5
GCOM 7020 - Strategic Cost Management Credits: 1.5
GCOM 7030 - Financial Accounting Credits: 1.5
GCOM 7040 - Marketing and Quantitative Analysis Credits: 3
GCOM 7050 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 1.5
Each of the following:
GCOM 7060 - Financial Management Credits: 3
GCOM 7290 - Frontiers in Biotechnology I Credits: 3 (one of two required Biotech track courses) if not taken prior to enrollment.

Spring Semester

During the following spring semester (January-May), the student re-enrolls in the BME PhD program, but will be expected to cross-enroll in up to 10 credit hours of MSC coursework:

GCOM 7291 - Frontiers in Biotechnology II Credits: 3 (one of two required Biotech track courses) if not taken prior to enrollment.
GCOM 7870 - Foundations of Global Commerce Credits: 3
GCOM 7549 - Commerce in the Global Context Credits: 1 to 4
Upon successful completion of all required coursework, the student’s MSC degree will be conferred in August of that year. The student will then continue with the remainder of their BME PhD curriculum .