External Engineering Knowledge - MEng Academic Requirements

1. Introduction

The BME MEng is a non-thesis, course-based program in which students study various topics in engineering, biomedical sciences, and entrepreneurship. The program includes a mandatory internship course for students to gain practical biomedical engineering experience.

There are various program delivery options including Full-Time or Extended Full-Time. Students select a program delivery mode when submitting their MEng program application.

The program is made up of a total of 5.0 full-course equivalent (FCE) credits. Most graduate courses are weighed 0.5 FCE. Eight half-credits (or 4.0 FCE) are obtained through lecture based courses, while the final two half-course equivalents (or 1.0 FCE) are earned after completion of BME1899Y, an Internship in Applied Research course.

2. Overview

There is considerable flexibility in course selection and scheduling. A suggested program timeline is below. Alternate timelines are possible and should be discussed with the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator.

Topics of Study		Suggested Timeline MEng	Suggested Timeline MEng EFT
Commercialization and Entrepreneurship (0.5 must be BME1800H or BME1801H)	1.0 FCE	2.0 FCE FALL Year1 2.0 FCE WINTER Year1	1.0 FCE FALL Year1 1.0 FCE WINTER Year1 1.0 FCE FALL Year2 1.0 FCE WINTER Year2
Biomedical Engineering courses or Biomedical Sciences courses	2.0 FCE
Additional graduate STEM courses	1.0 FCE
BME1899Y Internship in Applied Research	1.0 FCE	1.0 FCE SUMMMER Year1	1.0 FCE SUMMMER Year1 or Year2
Ready to Graduate	5.0 FCE	August 31st Year 1	August 31st Year 2

3. MEng Courses

3.1 General Course Information

Students select and self-enroll in courses through ACORN and maintain their own course timetable and schedule.

Briefly, course codes at the University of Toronto are organized as follows:

A three letter course prefix denotes the academic unit or department who offers the course, e.g., 'BME'
A serious of numbers identifies the specific course - 4 digit course numbers denote graduate level courses, e.g., BME1800H, while 3 digit course numbers denote undergraduate courses e.g., BME350H1
A suffix (H or Y) denotes the course weight

MEng students may take one 500-level undergraduate course toward MEng course requirements, e.g., BME595H1, if desired. The remaining courses must be graduate level selections.

3.2 Mandatory Courses

One of BME1800 or BME1801 is required to graduate from the MEng program, without exception. Both BME1800 and BME1801 can be taken by those interested in product development and regulatory requirements.

A second commercialization course is required. Options include: BME1405, BME1439, BME1802, BME1801, BME1800 or any APS or TEP courses course offed by the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering. APS/TEP courses, which are part of the optional Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Innovation and Technology in Engineering (ELITE) emphasis, are divided into 4 pillars:

MEng students may take a maximum of two APS or TEP coded courses toward MEng course requirements. Students pursuing the ELITE emphasis must take 2 additional courses above and beyond normal MEng program requirements.

3.3 Biomedical Engineering and Elective Courses

MEng students must take 4 courses (2.0 FCE) in Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical Sciences courses. These courses need to be related to biomedical engineering in content but do not necessarily need to have a 'BME' course code. In addition, 2 courses (1.0 FCE) in STEM electives must be completed. Electives can be other biomedical engineering courses, or other STEM selections.

The Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator will share course planning resources and BME course lists prior to course enrollment in July of each year. Students will have the opportunity to have their course selections reviewed prior to enrollment and can refer to the table below for planning purposes:

Commercialization 1800/01

2nd Commercialization Course

0.5 FCE BME Course

0.5 FCE Elective

BME1800 OR BME1801

BME1405, BME1439, BME1802,

APS/TEP course

2nd of BME1800/1801

If students are unsure about whether a course will meet MEng requirements they can contact the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator.

3.4 Specialty Topics

For course planning purposes, specialty topics in biomedical engineering are listed below. Specialty topics are for planning purposes only, and WILL NOT appear on the student transcript or diploma. Students are free to mix and match and plan courses based on areas of interest.

Specialty Topics
Medical Imaging Courses	Molecular Engineering Courses	Microengineering Courses	Nanoengineering Courses	Neural Engineering Courses	Regenerative Medicine Courses	Rehabilitation Engineering Courses	Coding/AI Course	Device and Technology Courses
BME595 F	BME1459 W	BME1560 F	CHE1333 F	BME1500 F	BME1454 F	BME1473 F	BME1478 F	BME1405 F
BME1453 F	JCB1349 W	MIE1359 W	MBP1410W (0.25FCE)	BME1472 F	JTC1331 F	BME1520 F	BME1560 F	BME1439 W
JEB1433 W	JMB1050 W	BME1462 W	PCL1004 Y (1.0FCE)	BME1473 F	BME1550 W	BME1466 W	BME1570 F	BME1800 W
BME1466 F	BME1560 F	BME1460 W	MIE1359 W	BME1580 F	CHE1334 W	BME 1540 W	BME1510 W	BME1801 F
BME1460 W	CHM1104 F	BME1452	BME1453 F	JPB1071 W	MIE1359H	BME1471 W	LMP1210 W	BME1520 F
BME1462 W	BME1453 F			JEB1444 W	LMP1103 (0.25FCE)	REH1500 W	HAD5751 W	BME1580 F
ECE1475 W	BME1088			MIE1452 F		REH5100 W	PSL4040	BME1802 F
ECE1512							ECE1513	MIE1401 F
								BME1530

The session in which a course is typically offered is denoted as either "F' for Fall or "W" for Winter.

Not all courses are offered every year and students must plan their curriculum accordingly. Enrollment for all courses, including BME1800 and BME1801, is on a 'first come first served' basis.

The above table is not exhaustive and a number of other courses from FASE or partner departments can count toward the MEng course requirement.

Some courses from other departments may require the submission of an Add/Drop Form - contact the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator for assistance.

4. MEng Internship - BME1899Y: Practical Experience in Applied Research

One of the most unique components of the MEng Program is the opportunity to acquire practical experience and knowledge during a hands-on experience course. The MEng internship is a course that is taken for 1.0 FCE and graded on a CR/NCR basis. Typically, MEng students complete their internship in the summer session, however students can enroll in BME1899Y off-cycle in the Fall or Winter term, if they find a suitable position. The course is often carried out in industry, private consulting firms, hospitals, or government institutions. Students may also participate in design projects or work in academic labs to fulfill the educational requirement of BME1899Y.

The BME1899Y internship can be paid or unpaid. To work in a paid position, international students must have a co-op work permit. A supporting letter for the co-op work permit will be sent to all international students prior to the start of their program. It is critical to apply for this documentation in a timely manner. Questions about permit requirements and working legally in Canada should be directed to the Immigration Advising team at the Centre for International Experience.

4.1 BME1899Y Expectations and Deliverables

Students must work full-time for 12-16 weeks and are expected to cover at least one of four important aspects of biomedical device development during their internship:

1. Clinical, medical or health needs assessment (need of healthcare providers and patients). For this project component, students will apply concepts learned from Biomedical Science courses.

2. Concept development (literature and patent searches, input from experts). For this project component, students will apply concepts learned from Engineering, Entrepreneurship, and Biomedical Science courses.

3. Design and prototyping. For this project component, students will apply concepts learned primarily from Engineering and Biomedical Sciences courses.

4. Development of business models. For this project component, students will apply concepts learned primarily from Entrepreneurship courses.

While the work needs have a technical biomedical component, there is considerable flexibility in the types of positions a student can take to meet this requirement.

BME1899Y deliverables include the following:

1. Attend two professional development workshops in preparation: A resume and cover letter workshop, and a second workshop of choice. BME will arrange engineering specific sessions with a career educator. If students cannot attend the BME sessions, they must individually register for 2 workshops through the Career Learning Network (CLNx).

2. Submit a signed Agreement Form

3. Submit a signed Interim Report

4. Submit a signed Final Report

Report templates can be found on the BME Student Portal. BME1899Y credit will be granted after the above items have been completed.

4.2 BME1898Y Part-Time Internships

Although most internship are completed in the Summer session from May to August, students have the option of working part-time for 24-32 weeks. Students completing a part-time internship will enroll in BME1898Y which will appear over 2 session on the student transcript. Please contact the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator to discuss this option and the implications for course planning.

4.3 Obtaining an Internship

The Graduate Office provides information to MEng students about available industry and academic positions, on a continual basis through emails and via the BME Internship Database on the Student Portal. Additional resources will be shared with incoming student each September, including a list of companies where alumni have led successful internships. In addition to the opportunities shared on the database, students are strongly encouraged to use the resources provided to actively seek employment through networking, job searching and applying to various positions. While BME1899Y is a mandatory course, there is no guarantee that the Graduate Office will be able to provide an industry position to every student.

Any opportunity shared by the Graduate Office or listed on the BME Internship Database is considered an approved position. If a student obtains a position through their own means, an approval step is required to ensure the role meets BME1899Y requirements. The Associate Director, Professional Programs, will review all proposed BME1899Y positions to determine their eligibility.

4.4 Paid and Unpaid Internships

Most MEng students find paid internships, however, the compensation can vary significantly depending on the employer. Interns at area hospitals, for example, will likely be paid as casual summer student employees, while those employed by larger MedTech and Pharma companies will receive more competitive compensation.

MEng students are often supported by awards such as Mitacs Accelerate funds, Biotalent SWPP awards, and other sources. To learn more about these awards and possible tax credits for student hires contact the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator.

Students can also take on unpaid internships.

Any role that is supported by an award, stipend, or honorarium and all unpaid roles require additional paperwork for workplace insurance coverage. This is separate from and in addition to the BME course deliverables listed in 4.1

The additional items that must be submitted for unpaid internship are:

1. Student Declaration - This document, signed by the student, allows the University to share the student's information with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities for the purpose of obtaining insurance coverage.

2. Employer Letter - This document, signed by the employer, outlines the employer's duty to report any workplace accidents to the University.

3. Placement Agreement - This document, signed by the employer and by BME leadership, captures the duties of both parties with respect to conduct, training, intellectual property, etc. Standing agreements are already in place with area hospitals, KITE, CAMH, and a number of other BME partners. Please connect with the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator to confirm whether an agreement is already in place.

Templates are available on the BME Student Portal. These items must be submitted before the student begins working and can be submitted to the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator.

It is the student's responsibility to work with the employer to complete and submit these documents as below.

4.5 BME1899Y Milestone Checklist

Students can use the following checklist to prepare for and keep on track with respect to BME1899Y. The checklist is for planning purposes only and does not have to be submitted formally.

MILESTONE	COMPLETE BY	COMPLETED
Communicate U of T Email to MEng program manager to gain access to the Internship Database	Sept 30
Review Employer List and Select 5 Companies of Interest	Sept 30
Create/Update LinkedIn profile	Sept 30
Attend 2 Professional Development Workshops (BME Specific Sessions or via the CLNx)	Dec 31
Attend Career Fair and Networking Events	Fall and Winter
Attend BME1899Y Info Session	January
Begin job search for Summer Internships	January and ongoing
Accept and offer and enroll in BME1899Y on Acorn	April 30
Submit Agreement Form to the Program Manager	May 15
Submit Interim Report to Program Manager	June 30
Submit Final Report to Program Manager	August 31
Complete Program Completion Form to request graduation	August 31

4.6 Internship FAQs

Does BME provide funding for internship?

No. The department does not subsidize student internship salaries. To learn about awards and subsidies from the federal and provincial governments, please contact the Industrial Program Manager & Internship Coordinator.

Can an internship be taken outside of Canada?

Yes. Students have previously worked in Asia, Europe, and the United States. If taking a position outside of Canada, students must complete the Safety Abroad training and must register with the Safety Abroad Office. Proof of workplace insurance will be needed for any unpaid roles and a risk assessment may be required.

Do remote internships count?

Yes. Students can work in-person or remotely as mutually agreed upon with their employer.

I have a start-up idea, can I work on my own project/device for BME1899Y?

With the approval of the Associate Director, Professional Programs, students can work on a self-directed project for BME1899Y. A faculty mentor is required and must agree to sign a mentorship agreement and meet regularly with the student to monitor progress and advise on the project. The course deliverables (Agreement Form, Interim Report, and Final Report) remain the same.

I've been offered a full-time job. Does this count toward BME1899Y?

Yes. Although students typically engage in 8 or 12 month contracts, a full-time position may also be used toward fulfilment of BME1899Y. Occasionally, some contract opportunities also evolve into full-time offers from employers. In such cases, students would use the first 4 months toward BME1899Y and submit the reports based on the work completed during this time. After the first 4 month the student could continue working in a regular employer/employee relationship as the BME internship requirement would be satisfied. Some factors to consider with longer contracts are:

Work permit duration and stipulations - contact Immigration Advising team at the Centre for International Experience.
Salary subsidies - some subsidies require the recipient to be enrolled as a student. Students must be honest with the employer about their enrollment status during the hiring process.