MS in Biomaterials: Curriculum, Degree Requirements & Timeline

The M.S. degree in Biomaterials Science is awarded after: (1) completion of 30 points course work with grade point average of B or better, and (2) satisfactory submission of an approved independent project in biomaterials. Of the 30 points required, 26 must be from the Department of Biomaterials at New York University or from courses taught in conjunction with the department.

Only 4 points may be transferred from outside the University and other departments outside NYU College of Dentistry. In these cases, no courses older than ten years may be transferred. All courses must be approved for transfer by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of NYU Dentistry. Application for transfer of courses must be within the first semester of attendance as a matriculant. Courses for which a degree has already been awarded may not be transferred or applied to the Master’s program. Permission must be received from the Director of Graduate Studies for any course work taken outside the department. As also mentioned above, it is anticipated that full time students (average 15 credits per semester) would finish the program in one academic year. All students are required to complete the program within five years unless special permission is obtained from the Chair of the Department of Biomaterials or the program director.

The M.S. degree in Biomaterials Science is awarded after: (1) completion of 36 points course work with grade point average of B or better; (2) satisfactory oral defense of a completed research effort; (3) submission of an approved research thesis. Of the 36 points required, 28 must be from the Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics at New York University or from courses taught in conjunction with the department.

Only 8 points may be transferred from outside the University and other departments outside the NYU College of Dentistry. In these cases, no courses older than ten years may be transferred. All courses must be approved for transfer by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of NYU Dentistry. Application for transfer of courses must be within the first academic year of attendance as a matriculant. Courses for which a degree has already been awarded may not be transferred or applied to the Master’s program. Permission must be received from the Director of Graduate Studies for any course work taken outside the department. As also mentioned above, it is anticipated that full time students (12 – 15 credits per semester) would finish the program in two academic years, depending upon research progress. It is anticipated that part time students should finish the program in three years. All students are required to complete the program within five years unless special permission is obtained from the Chair of the Department of Biomaterials or the program director.

The M.S. degree in Biomaterials Science is awarded after: (1) completion of 36 points course work with a grade point average of B or better, and (2) satisfactory submission of an approved independent project in biomaterials. Of the 36 points required, 28 must be from the Department of Biomaterials at New York University or from courses taught in conjunction with the Department.

Only 8 points may be transferred from outside the University and other departments outside NYU Dentistry. In these cases, no courses older than ten years may be transferred. All courses must be approved for transfer by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of NYU Dentistry. Application for transfer of courses must be within the first academic year of attendance as a matriculant. Courses for which a degree has already been awarded may not be transferred or applied to the Master’s program. Permission must be received from the Director of Graduate Studies for any course work taken outside the department. As also mentioned above, it is anticipated that full time students (12 – 15 credits per semester) would finish the program in two academic years, depending upon overall academic progress. It is anticipated that part time students should finish the program in about three years. All students are required to complete the program within five years unless special permission is obtained from the Chair of the Department of Biomaterials or the program director.

Introduction to Biomaterials Research and Principles of Biomaterials Science. All beginning graduate students are required to register in their first Fall semester for BIOMS-DN 2001, "Introduction to Biomaterials Research" (2 credits), and BIOMS-DN 1000, "Principles of Biomaterials Science" (3 credits). These two courses are the foundation for all remaining coursework for all program options.

Special Program Emphasis may be arranged by the Department Chair or program director for students desiring to participate in a Special Emphasis research study (eg, concentration in another department of the University, but still related to Biomaterials and Biomimetics (physics, chemistry, biology, etc.). Students working with a Special Program Emphasis may, in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, be required to take courses in addition to the 36 points mentioned above. Special Program Emphasis rules apply to the 2-year options only.

Mandatory attendance is required of all graduate students to periodic departmental seminars and/or research group meetings and various sessions of Laboratory Safety (see section “Requirements for Participation in Research”). At these seminars and research group meetings, students, faculty and scholars from other institutions discuss their research plans and findings. In addition, the department may co-sponsor special seminars throughout the year for which attendance is also mandatory unless specifically excused by the Director of Graduate Studies.

All students are required to schedule regular meetings with the Program Administrator in order to keep current regarding course requirements, regulatory status, research requirements, research progress, thesis defense preparations, and if applicable, visa status.

Information concerning NYUCD graduation dates and participation in NYUCD graduation ceremonies can be obtained from the Program Administrator and NYUCD administration.  

[3 points. Course Directors: P. Coelho, N. Tovar]. Covers the scientific principles underlying the area of materials science, including concepts of kinetics, thermodynamics, diffusion, and quantum mechanics, etc., as they relate to their structure and properties of materials. Also discussed are the role of interfaces on absorption, nucleation, phase diagrams of interest to materials scientists, the role of dislocations and other defects in the macroscopic formation associated with materials, the solidification of metals and alloys, and mechanisms of strengthening alloys.

[3 points. Course Director: Y. Zhang]. Metals and ceramics are widely used in dental, biomedical, and an array of engineering applications. This course offers graduate students a comprehensive study of the structure and properties of metals and ceramics, as well as their criteria for practical applications. Also discussed are the fundamental structure-property-function relationship of materials, principles that determine the differences between metals and ceramics, and recent advances in the development of metals and ceramics for dental and medical applications. One of the objective, or philosophy, that I strive to maintain throughout the course is that if a topic or concept is important, then it is worth treating in sufficient details so that students can comprehend it without having to consult other sources.

[3 points. Course Director: P. Coelho]. Covers the chemistry, structure, and properties of polymers used in dentistry and medicine, both inorganic and organic. Topics include the science of large macromolecules, molecular weights and measurements, polymerization mechanisms, mechanical properties of polymers, thermoplastic and thermosetting resins, chemistry of poly-siloxanes, emulsion and suspension polymerization, polymers associated with restorative materials, ionic polymers, silicones, polymethyl- methacrylate, BIS-GMA, reinforced polymers, composites, etc.

Lecture [3 points. Course Directors: P. Coelho]. Covers the principles governing tensile tests, compressive tests, creep tests, and other mechanic properties testing as it relates to the biomechanics of the human body. This will include joints like the TMJ, and total joint replacements, as well as other medical devices including dental implants.

[3 points per semester. Course Director: J. Ricci]. Provides background knowledge on the response of cells in vitro and tissues in vivo to different types of biomaterials used in dentistry and medicine. Covers surface chemistry of biomaterials, protein interaction with surfaces, effects of surface chemistry and microstructure on cell and tissue response, and other topics.

[2 points. Course Directors: Y. Zhang, J. Ricci]. Covers the principles and testing of in vivo and in vitro corrosion. Describes electrochemical mechanisms, corrosion tendency and electrode potentials polarization and corrosion rates, passivity, and crevice corrosion. Also discussed are testing methods involving anodic potentiostatic and potentiodynamic polarization techniques, stress corrosion cracking, intergranular corrosion, corrosion fatigue, oxidation and tarnish phenomena, and principles governing corrosion resistant alloy development.

Lecture and laboratory. [3 points. Course Directors: J. Ricci, T. Bromage, D. Mijares]. Covers the physical construction of scanning electron microscope and the theory of its use, the signals emitted when a high velocity beam of electron is allowed to scan a specimen target, and principles of resolution and contrast. The principles and uses of backscattered electron imaging and x-ray microanalysis are also covered. Students will become familiar with specimen preparation, instrumental use for microstructural examination, and interpretation. The course provides hands on experience.

Lecture and Laboratory. [3 points. Course Directors: D. Mijares, J. Ricci].Introduces students to the principles and techniques used in the study of materials an hard tissues, including x-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, inductive coupled plasma, and mechanical testing. The course provides an introduction to testing instrumentation and equipment. Note: This course is required for Thesis Option students.

[3 points. Course Director: M. Janal]. Covers mathematical and statistical tools that are useful in biomaterials research. Students are trained to (1) evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of a study; (2) design research protocols taking into account required statistical power and sample size; (3) use appropriate statistical analysis tools; and (4) interpret the significance of the experimental results. Reliability, Live Testing, and Weibull Analysis are also covered.

[3 points. Course Director: Department Faculty]. Covers aspects of the materials used in clinical dentistry and medicine including restorative materials, alloys, cements, impression materials, gypsum products, and cell-biomaterial interactions.

[1 to 4 points. 1 point per semester] Course Director: Faculty]. Covers reviews of scientific literature related to biomaterials and biomimetics as designated by a faculty mentor. Requires students to prepare extensive reviews of selected topics.

[Course Director: Department Faculty. 1 to 6 points.] The student may use additional credits (1 to 6 points) each semester for thesis research.

[2 points. Course Director: D. Mijares].This course offers much of the necessary information for conduct thesis research and preparing the Masters thesis. It includes how to prepare scientific abstracts, papers, and presentations, use of reference databases, and also includes information on the different research program and topics that are actively being studied by department faculty.

[4 points. Course Director: T. Bromage,]. This course will highlight basic principles of preparation and imaging relevant to biomaterials research, particularly as they relate to 2D and 3D transmitted and reflected light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy of bone and tooth microanatomy. Each student will have the opportunity to work with samples, the purpose being to integrate preparation methods for some specific imaging mode(s). Students will also be exposed to and perform digital processing, analysis, and measurements of images acquired from their prepared samples.

[3 credits. Course Director: Y. Zhang] Many structural and biomedical components encounter service conditions that require materials performance to vary with location within the component. Conventional design using monolithic materials often fail to meet the application demands. This course offers graduate students a comprehensive study of structure-function-property relationships in composites across a range of applications. A background in composite materials design is provided, including multiphase metal, ceramic and polymer systems. This background is supplemented by study of the interactions between micro, meso and macro structures within several biological structures as a basis for biomimetic materials design. A number of lecturers from a broad range of disciplines give presentations in this integrated course.

[2 credits. Course Directors: Faculty]This course requires an independent project that can be a thorough review of an advanced literature topic, evidenced based review, or researched subject resulting in manuscript or presentation on a topic previously accepted by the department.