¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

Engineering Science Honours Program, Biomedical Engineering Option (with a Rehabilitation and Assistive Devices Concentration)

School of Engineering Science | Faculty of Applied Sciences
¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Calendar 2012 Spring

This honours program leads to a bachelor of applied science degree (honours) with a biomedical engineering option, and a rehabilitation and assistive devices concentration.

The program concerns engineering problems encountered in medical and surgical treatment, in rehabilitation procedures and assistive devices, in medical electronics, in biomedical imaging, and in biophotonics.

Engineering science students develop skills in systems design with a high level of scientific knowledge. This demanding program is aimed at the superior student. The program produces well educated, innovative engineer/scientists with entrepreneurial skills and attitudes who are oriented to new technologies. Program entry is competitive.

Students undertake a basic core of pure, applied and engineering sciences followed by studies in a specialized option. The general BASc program may be completed in four years, which includes eight terms.

ENSC courses emphasize learning, conceptualization, design and analysis. Built into the program are courses on social impacts of technology, finance, management, design methods and entrepreneurship intended to complement scientific studies. A special, integrated communications course completed throughout the program ensures that all graduates have the communication skills necessary to be effective engineers.

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Requirements

The program begins each fall term. However, admitted students may enter in any term.

For detailed University admission requirements, visit For more detailed School of Engineering Science admission information, visit , or send an email to ensc-adm@sfu.ca.

Minimum ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Requirements

Applicants must be eligible for University admission, must submit a University application, and must have successfully completed the following high school courses: physics 12, mathematics 12, chemistry 12, and English 12.

External Transfer from Another Post-Secondary Institution

Students transferring from other universities, regional colleges, or technical institutions must be eligible for University admission, and must submit a University application. External transfer applicants may apply to begin study in any term and must have an admission average of 2.5.

Internal Transfer from Another ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Program

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV students who wish to transfer to engineering science from another faculty must have a ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.25 and must have been enrolled in at least 12 ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV units in the term prior to requesting the transfer to the School of Engineering Science.

Minimum Grade Requirement

A C- grade or better in prerequisite courses is required to register in engineering science courses.

Minimum Grade Point Averages

The program, and graduation with honours, requires a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division grade point average (UDGPA) each of at least 3.0 in accordance with University graduation requirements. A 3.0 grade point average is required to remain in this concentration.

Co-operative Education Work Experience

Every engineering science student completes a three term co-operative education program of practical experience in an appropriate industrial or research setting leading to a project under the technical direction of a practising engineer or scientist. The goal is a complementary combination of work in an industrial or research setting and study in one of the engineering options. The internship may be within the University but in most cases the work site is off campus.

After the first year, students typically alternate between academic and work terms.

At least two of the three mandatory work terms must be completed in industry (ENSC 195, 295, 395). Students may participate in additional work terms but are encouraged to seek diversity in their experience. The three mandatory work terms may include one special co-op term (ENSC 196, 296, 396). Special co-op may include, but is not restricted to, self-directed, entrepreneurial, service or research co-op work terms. Permission of the engineering science co-op office is required.

An optional non-technical work term (ENSC 194) is also available through the engineering science co-operative education office and is often completed after the first two study terms. ENSC 194 does not count toward the mandatory three course requirement.

The engineering science co-operative education program will also seek opportunities for students wishing to complete their thesis requirements in an industrial setting. The honours thesis work can be done on or off campus, either integrated with an optional (or mandatory) work term, or as independent work with appropriate supervision.

Program Requirements

Students complete the engineering science core course requirements as shown below, which includes additional course requirements for this biomedical engineering option and the rehabilitation and assistive devices concentration. These courses provide basic science, general studies, engineering science, specialized engineering and science, and project and laboratory work.

This program’s core course requirements consist of non-technical courses which broaden education and develop awareness of social, economic and managerial factors affecting engineering and scientific work.

Although there is no strict requirement to complete the curriculum in the sequence that is strongly suggested by the school, deviating from the course completion schedule may lead to scheduling and prerequisite problems in subsequent terms. To view the suggested course schedule, visit

Prior approval by the director of the school is required if the student plans a term with fewer than 15 course units.

Core Course Requirements

Students complete all of

  • CHEM 121-4 General Chemistry and Laboratory
  • CHEM 180-3 The Chemistry of Life
  • CMPT 128-3 Introduction to Computing Science and Programming for Engineers
  • CMPT 225-3 Data Structures and Programming
  • ENSC 100-3 Engineering Technology and Society
  • ENSC 101-1 Writing Process, Persuasion and Presentations
  • ENSC 102-1 Form, Style and Professional Genres
  • ENSC 150-3 Introduction to Computer Design
  • ENSC 201-3 The Business of Engineering
  • ENSC 204-1 Graphical Communication for Engineering
  • ENSC 215-3 Microcontroller/Assembly Programming
  • ENSC 220-3 Electric Circuits I
  • ENSC 225-4 Microelectronics I
  • ENSC 250-3 Introduction to Computer Architecture
  • ENSC 304-1 Human Factors and Usability Engineering
  • ENSC 305-1 Project Documentation and Team Dynamics
  • ENSC 320-3 Electric Circuits II
  • ENSC 330-4 Engineering Materials
  • ENSC 350-3 Digital Systems Design
  • ENSC 370-3 Biomedical Engineering Directions
  • ENSC 380-3 Linear Systems
  • ENSC 383-4 Feedback Control Systems
  • ENSC 372-4 Biomedical Instrumentation
  • ENSC 406-2 Social Responsibility and Professional Practice
  • ENSC 440-4 Capstone Engineering Science Project
  • ENSC 498-3 Engineering Science Thesis Proposal
  • ENSC 499-9 Engineering Science Undergraduate Thesis
  • GERO 300-3 Introduction to Gerontology
  • KIN 201-3 Biomechanics
  • KIN 208-3 Introduction to Physiological Systems
  • KIN 308-3 Experiments and Models in Physiology
  • MACM 316-3 Numerical Methods
  • MATH 152-3 Calculus II
  • MATH 232-3 Elementary Linear Algebra
  • MATH 251-3 Calculus III
  • MATH 254-3 Vector and Complex Analysis
  • MATH 310-3 Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations
  • PHYS 131-2 General Physics Laboratory I*
  • PHYS 321-3 Intermediate Electricity and Magnetism
  • STAT 270-3 Introduction to Probability and Statistics

and one of

  • MATH 150-4 Calculus I with Review
  • MATH 151-3 Calculus I

and one of

  • PHYS 120-3 Modern Physics and Mechanics
  • PHYS 125-3 Mechanics and Special Relativity
  • PHYS 140-4 Studio Physics – Mechanics and Modern Physics

and one of

  • PHYS 121-3 Optics, Electricity and Magnetism
  • PHYS 126-3 Electricity, Magnetism and Light
  • PHYS 141-4 Studio Physics – Optics, Electricity and Magnetism

*tudents with credit for both PHYS 140 and 141 are not required to complete PHYS 131

Elective Course Requirements

Complementary Studies Elective Courses

In addition, students must also complete one complementary studies course chosen from the complementary studies list that is available at . Note that students must complete an acceptable Breadth-Humanities course and should choose this elective course with that in mind. A pre-approved complementary studies course list is available at . Other courses may be acceptable with undergraduate curriculum committee chair approval.

Engineering Science Elective Courses

As well, students must complete four engineering science elective courses, two of which must be chosen from ENSC 300 or 400 division courses, and two of which must be chosen from only ENSC 400 division courses. The choice will be constrained by those that are appropriate for the biomedical signals and insturmentation concentration.

Science Elective Courses

Students must also complete two science elective courses selected from a pre-approved science electives list that is available at

Thesis

Students will start their thesis work (ENSC 498 and 499) on or off campus, either integrated with an optional (or mandatory) work term or as independent work with appropriate supervision.

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements
A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit.
Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV within the student’s major subject
Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth Must be outside the student’s major subject, and may be lower or upper division
6 units Social Sciences: B-Soc
6 units Humanities: B-Hum
6 units Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth

6 units outside the student’s major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements)
Additional breadth units must be from outside the student's major and may be B-designated (B-Hum, B-Soc, B-Sci courses). Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honors, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

 

For engineering science students, these university requirements are modified as follows.

  • for students in the biomedical engineering option, one course in each of the Breadth-Social Sciences (B-Soc) and Breadth-Humanities (B-Hum) categories may be waived
  • the B-Sci requirements are waived for engineering science students who complete PHYS 125 and 126 instead of PHYS 120 and 121

In addition, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) requires that one complementary studies elective in the ENSC curriculum must be in the Central Issue, Methodology, and Thought Process category.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

The University’s residency requirement stipulates that, in most cases, total transfer and course challenge credit may not exceed 60 units, and may not include more than 15 units as upper division work.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.

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