University of Pittsburgh Courses & FeesPittsburgh, USA

The Department of Bioengineering combines hands-on experience with the solid fundamentals that students need to advance themselves in research, medicine, and industry. The Department has a long-standing and unique relationship with the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and other academic departments at the University of Pittsburgh as well as neighboring Carnegie Mellon University. Our faculty are shared with these organizations, offering our graduate and undergraduate students access to state-of-the-art facilities and a wide array of research opportunities. We currently have 187 graduate students who are advised by some 100 different faculty advisers, pursuing graduate research across 17 Departments and five Schools. Our undergraduate class-size of approximately 50 students per year ensures close student-faculty interactions in the classroom and the laboratory.
 

The Bioimaging and Signals Track is designed for flexibility so that students are able to tailor their degree within the broad fields of biological signal acquisition and processing.

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical principles to biological systems. The track curriculum was designed for flexibility so that students are able to tailor their degree into a focus area that is of interest to them. Examples of such areas include cell biomechanics, tissue/organ biomechanics, orthopaedic biomechanics, design, biomaterials, whole-body biomechanics, human factors, rehabilitation biomechanics, motor control and robotics.

This track provides students with the opportunity to focus in areas related to cellular, tissue, and organ engineering. The track is designed for students interested in a quantitative understanding of the native biological structure/function at various levels of organization (molecules-cells-tissues-organs) and in leveraging that understanding to manipulate processes and/or engineer artifacts for biomedical applications.

Students choosing this track will leverage the medical product design process to identify unmet clinical needs and develop products that contribute to human health and welfare. Facets of this process include customer discovery, design conceptualization and prototyping, identification of appropriate regulatory and reimbursement pathways, and application of key elements of the FDA Quality System Regulation with particular focus on the Design Controls. In addition, the track requires student exposure to other elements unique to the medical product design process including clinician, patient, and caregiver interaction, risk identification and management, economic considerations, and implementation of computer-aided design and simulation tools.

Chemical engineering is concerned with processes in which matter and energy undergo change. The range of concerns is so broad that the chemical engineering graduate is prepared for a variety of interesting and challenging employment opportunities. 
 

Students are encouraged to take three courses (9 credits) in a given sequence or combination in order to acquire a broad background in Petroleum Engineering, which would allow them to earn a job in oil and gas industries or continue their graduate education in the Petroleum Engineering filed. The Petroleum Engineering Program is carefully  designed to cover specific topics on petroleum origin, drilling and well completion, casing design, gas reservoirs, oil reservoirs, reservoir fluid properties, material balance calculations in gas and combination reservoirs, primary recovery, artificial gas lift, secondary recovery, tertiary recovery (EOR), hydraulic fracturing, and natural gas and oil processing.

The Polymers concentration is intended to expose give students to the synthesis, physical chemistry, properties, and processing of polymeric materials. For the Chemical Engineering students, the Polymer concentration also serves to expose the students to materials science.

The civil engineer may focus in environmental control and in the development or redevelopment of a geographic area through overall planning, as well as in the design, construction, and operation of structures and facilities for public and private use. Included in the broad field of civil engineering are the following: buildings, bridges, and industrial installations; soil mechanics and foundations; transportation, including highways, traffic, airports, and harbors; hydraulic engineering, including irrigation; water resources, including power plants and dams; water supply; waste disposal; air pollution; hazardous and solid wastes; and environmental sanitation. Modern-day requirements have necessitated involvement in the medical and dental fields, oceanography, polar exploration, energy resources, and the space effort.

The Concentration offers undergraduate courses in both environmental engineering topics. Students are encouraged to combine the environmental program with associated programs in geo-technical and water resources engineering, civil, and applied mechanics, (for example, flow of pollutants through porous media, stability of dams, canals and culverts, finite element modeling of fluid-structure interactions). Graduates of the environmental program have found opportunities with consulting firms and public agencies as well as in research and academia.

The Geotechnical Engineering Concentration focuses on the ways natural materials are characterized and used for civil engineering construction. Historically, the geotechnical engineering program focused on structural foundations, slope stability, and earth dams. Today, the program’s scope of activities includes natural and man-made hazard mitigation, advanced techniques for site and material characterization, constitutive modeling of natural materials, design of pavement systems, and geo-environmental assessment and remediation.

Undergraduate students involved in the Water Resources Engineering Concentration gain a solid civil engineering foundation through a wide array of courses, and then choose elective courses to individualize the program and best suit their career goals.

This program has become an attractive option for students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in mathematical or quantitative finance and master's degrees in business administration, as well as in securing employment in the banking and insurance industries.

Mathematics has assumed a significant role in the study of biological systems, in the development of biotechnology, and in advances in medicine. The construction and analysis of mathematical models of biological systems allows for the precise formulation of theoretical ideas, the testing of assumptions that may not be easily accessible experimentally, and the generation of novel predictions that can guide future research. The University of Pittsburgh is known for its excellence in biomedical research, and the Department of Mathematics at Pitt includes prominent faculty with strong records of teaching and research in mathematical biology.
 

This joint major provides a program of study for students who seek the option of taking a quantitatively oriented job in industry or who intend to enter graduate school in applied mathematics, statistics, economics, business, or a related area such as operations research or management science. The program is advantageous to students who otherwise would take a double major or a single major in mathematics and/or economics. The joint major provides not only a set of requirements but also suggested course sequences of mathematics and economics courses that are compatible with each other and prepare students for various specialties.
 

This program is intended to give students a thorough background in basic physics and astronomy, as well as the historical development of modern physical concepts and the relationship of these basic sciences to other fields. It is a particularly appropriate program for those planning to enter careers on which science and technology have a large impact, such as certain kinds of law, business administration, governmental administration, technical writing, and science education. It is not intended to prepare students for scientific or technical careers, but to enable students to understand and evaluate the ever increasing influence of science and technology on other areas.

Computational Biology, offered jointly between the Departments of Biological Sciences (Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences) and Computer Science (School of Computing and Information), will prepare students to understand core principles, models, and theories in the fields of biology and computer science and use them strategically to solve key problems in Computational Biology. Graduates will have the skills and knowledge to pursue graduate study or careers in industry.

The Biological Sciences major is intended for the biology student who wishes to develop an individualized combination of courses at the advanced level. The student is free to plan a curriculum of great breadth or to choose an area of specialization not offered as a major by the department. Most of the undergraduates in our Department choose the Biological Sciences major. The Biological Sciences major is suitable for those planning a career in which general familiarity with biological topics is desirable, such as jobs in scientific journalism, biological and pharmaceutical supply industries, biological or medical research, scientific libraries and museums, or in any industry where the products or by-products have potential biological impact. Completing the Biological Sciences major fulfills the basic science requirements for admission to medical, dental, and other health professional schools and to graduate biology programs (see our guide for applying to graduate schools for more information).