Computer-Integrated Surgery Minor

The Whiting School of Engineering offers a minor in Computer Integrated Surgery (CIS) for full-time, undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins. The minor is particularly well suited for students interested in computer integrated surgery issues who are majoring in a variety of disciplines including biomedical engineering, computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. The minor provides formal recognition of the depth and strength of a student’s knowledge of the concepts fundamental to CIS beyond the minimal requirements of his/her major.

If you are interested in declaring a CIS minor, please To add the minor, you must fill out the CIS Advising Plan, showing your plan to complete the minor (you can find this on the this page). Then email your completed course checkout sheet to Dr. Taylor (rht@jhu.edu) who oversees the CIS minor. Once Dr. Taylor has signed off on your plan, please send it to Alison Morrow (Alison.morrow@jhu.edu). You will need to then submit the add minor request in SIS for approval.

  • To satisfy the requirements for the minor in CIS, a student must have a fundamental background in computer programming and computer science, sufficient mathematical background, and also take a minimum of six courses (with a total of at least 18 credits, for a letter grade, earning at least a C- in each course) directly related to concepts relevant to CIS. These six CIS courses must include two fundamental CIS core courses, which provide the student with the fundamental basis for CIS, and four approved upper-level courses (300-level or above) to allow the student to pursue an advanced CIS topic in depth.  The additional four upper-level courses must include at least one course designated as an “imaging” course or one course designated as a “robotics” course, as discussed below.

    Required Fundamental Computer Science Courses

    EN.500.112 Gateway Computing: JAVA
    or EN.500.113 Gateway Computing: Python
    or EN.500.114 Gateway Computing: Matlab
    EN.601.226 Data Structures

    Or equivalent experience determined by your CIS minor advisor.

    Required Fundamental Mathematics Courses

    AS.110.106 Calculus I
    or AS.110.108 Calculus I
    AS.110.107 Calculus II (For Biological and Social Science)
    or AS.110.109 Calculus II (For Physical Sciences and Engineering)
    AS.110.202 Calculus III
    or AS.110.211 Honors Multivariable Calculus
    EN.553.291 Lin Alg & Diff Equations
    or AS.110.201 Linear Algebra
    or AS.110.212 Honors Linear Algebra

    Required Fundamental Computer Integrated Surgery Courses

    • EN.601.455 Computer Integrated Surgery I
    • A design course in CIS. Either EN.601.456 Computer Integrated Surgery II or a design course in biomedical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, or mechanical engineering with substantial CIS content approved by the student’s faculty advisor in the CIS minor.

    Required Four Other Courses Related to CIS

    Students must also complete at least four other courses related to CIS.  Of these AT LEAST ONE must be in EITHER the Imaging Subgroup OR the Robotics Subgroup.

    Imaging
    EN.520.414 Image Processing & Analysis 3
    EN.520.432/EN.580.472 Medical Imaging Systems 3
    EN.520.433 Medical Image Analysis 3
    EN.601.461 Computer Vision 3
    EN.601.783 Vision as Bayesian Inferences 3
    Robotics
    EN.530.420 Robot Sensors/Actuators 4
    EN.530.421 Mechatronics 3
    EN.530.603 Applied Optimal Control 3
    EN.530.646 Robot Devices, Kinematics, Dynamics, and Control 3
    EN.601.463 Algorithms for Sensor-Based Robotics 3
    Other
    EN.520.448 Electronics Design Lab 3
    EN.530.445 Introduction to Biomechanics 3
    EN.580.471 Principles of Design of BME Instrumentation 4
    EN.601.476 Machine Learning: Data to Models 3
    EN.601.482 Machine Learning: Deep Learning 3
    EN.601.454 Augmented Reality 3
  • Download the advising plan.

    Note that the Advising Plan is outdated and will be updated soon.

    1. All students interested in the minor are required to make an appointment with Alison Morrow in the LCSR to be assigned to a minor advisor to receive guidance about the program.
      Phone: 410-516-4639
      Email: alison.morrow@jhu.edu
      When possible, you will be assigned an advisor in your department (though this is not required).
    2. Students who decide to pursue the minor should also review their academic transcript with their minor advisor to ensure they will be able to complete the requirements.
    3. Fill out and submit an Add Minor form (which can be obtained from the registrar’s office)
    4. Complete the Requirements Checkout tables in the CheckOut sheet, downloadable on this web page. You should meet with your minor advisor periodically (at least once per year), bringing a copy of this form for review.
    5. During your senior year, you must also note the CIS Minor on your Application for Graduation.
    6. When all requirements have been completed, take the completed form to the CIS Minor Program Coordinator for review and signature.