MS Project

Forms:

Master’s Project Info:

To register for BME 597: Master’s Project, you must:

    1. Submit a completed BME MS Project Proposal Form to BMEGradProgram@wpi.edu
    2. Be assigned or identify a BME faculty advisor (Most students typically keep their academic advisors as BME faculty project advisors. If students do not identify a faculty advisor then they will be assigned one by the Graduate Studies Committee. This should happen within 3 weeks of the project proposal being submitted.)
    3. Email the registrar@wpi.edu
    4. Work with your faculty advisor to create a BME 597 MS Project – Sample Syllabus (*)

*NOTE: This is only an example. Each student must work out the exact details with their advisor.

MS Project: Co-Op and Internship Guidelines

MS Project Abstract Template (IEEE)

Definition of a Master’s Project:

  • A Master’s Project is an open-ended project related to the field of Biomedical Engineering.  It may be completed within a laboratory setting at WPI, or in collaboration with an outside sponsor (e.g. industry partner or clinical partner).
    • All projects must include the following components:
      • Goals statement and a defined Sponsor/client
      • Written documentation, including a literature review and defined methods and analysis.
      • Examples include engineering processes, designs, plans, or computational modeling.
      • Examples include a report, prototype, patent, or other product.
    • The project must:
      • include data collection/generation/analysis.
      • include statistical analysis/testing in some context
      • represent novel work by the student(s)
    • The project may include one or more of the following integrated project based experiences:
      • Internship or Co-Op (BME 5900)
      • Master’s Design Project (BME 5910)
      • Clinical Preceptorship (BME 5920)
    • Finally, the project must be presented publicly in some format.

  • Terms:

    • Advisor refers to the WPI faculty member who is responsible for ensuring the student fulfills all Departmental requirements for the project.
    • Sponsor denotes the primary technical advisor on the project.
    • For off-campus projects, the Sponsor is usually the student’s direct supervisor.  For on-campus projects, the Sponsor is typically also the Faculty Advisor.
      • For off-campus projects, the student is also required to have a BME Faculty Advisor to ensure that the student fulfils departmental requirements for the project
    • A Departmental Committee consisting of the Advisor and two members of the Graduate Studies Committee will be responsible for approving the Master’s Project.

  • Expectations:

    • Approval for the project is contingent upon the Project fulfilling all Departmental requirements.  If the project is performed with an external Sponsor, the committee shall consult with the sponsor prior to approving the final product.
    • The project may be used to fulfill competency and technical depth requirements for the Project-based MS degree.
      • The Faculty Advisor may designate up to two (2) competencies that will be met through project work.
      • Students may designate up to 3 credit-hours of project work towards their defined area of technical depth.
    • Minimum of 4-5 hours per week of work on the project per credit hour
    • The project is above and beyond your expected job duties. You are expected to spend time outside of a paid internship or coop on this project.
    • Regular check-ins with project advisor, to be agreed upon between student and advisor

FAQ:

  • How do I identify a sponsor, faculty advisor, and topic for a project (BME 597)?
    • You are responsible for identifying your own project topic.
      • If you plan to complete this requirement at WPI, you should have conversations with faculty members who are doing work that is of interest to you.  These individuals may be willing to work with you to identify a project topic and serve as sponsor for that work.
      • If you are planning a graduate co-op or internship, you should discuss a possible project with your supervisor at the beginning of the experience or even prior to beginning your experience.
      • If you are interested in completing a clinical-related project, you may identify a clinician of any discipline (e.g. dentist, physician, veterinarian, physical therapist etc) either through the Clinical Practice course (BME 592), by talking to faculty members, or through personal contacts.
      • Regardless of your project location, you must work together with your sponsor to identify a project topic, scope, and timeline.
  • I’m a BS/MS and want to do a project along with my co-op. But the rules say that I can’t register for BME 5900 until I’m at least 12 credits into a MS degree. What am I supposed to do?
    • You should look at all of the courses that you are planning to count towards your degree, including those that you can “double count”.  Many students complete their senior year with more than 12 credits of MS work.  For example, each 4000 level undergraduate course is 2 credits, and each graduate course is 3 credits.  You may double count up to 9 credits total, including 3 4000-level classes, towards both your BS and MS degrees.  You may pursue a co-op outside of the official graduate co-op designation.