The University of Rochester offers flexible, online courses in personalized medicine, healthcare, and biomedical engineering for high school students. You’ll hear from University of Rochester professors, be guided by a mentor well-versed in the course subject, and earn a Certificate of Completion from the University of Rochester.
The courses are 100% online and almost entirely asynchronous, meaning that you can complete the course whenever it works with your schedule. There will be 30 hours of overall course time over 2 or 4 weeks, depending on the session you choose, including recorded video lessons, unit assignments, and access to your mentor.
New this summer: Enjoy all the features of our Biomedical Engineering course PLUS live sessions on weekdays. These structured events will include guest speakers, group mentors, and interaction with classmates. To select this option, choose +Live when you apply.
The three courses offered are:
- Personalized Medicine: Customizing Care through Genetics
- U.S. Healthcare: Politics, Problems and Possibilities
- Biomedical Engineering: Solving the Body’s Challenges with Technology
- Intro to Video Game Design
Personalized Medicine: Customizing Care through Genetics
Discover the exciting world of Personalized Medicine — where doctors use individual genetic mapping to deliver treatment that is more targeted than ever. What role do genes play in addiction, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s, acne, asthma, fertility or resistance to Covid-19? Are commercial DNA “spit tests” accurate? Study genomic sequencing. Practice reading gene data. Identify mutations that cause disease. Discover how genomic information makes you unique. If you’re thinking about a pre-med track in college or want to explore STEM, this course is for you.
U.S. Healthcare: Politics, Problems and Possibilities
We all know healthcare is essential and that it offers many attractive careers. But how does it really work? This course takes a deep dive into the U.S. healthcare system. Why is getting covered so complicated? Why is healthcare such a political hot button? You’ll learn the types of plans currently offered, the controversies surrounding them, struggles toward reform, and future possibilities. Discover the history of our system and even design a plan of your own. If you are interested in pre-med or exploring career options in healthcare or politics, this course is a must.
Biomedical Engineering: Solving the Body’s Challenges with Technology
Artificial limbs and implantable devices, diagnostic screening equipment and technical advances to solve health problems — these are all made possible by Biomedical Engineering. This online course teaches you how to marry the techniques of engineering with biology and medicine. Identify the stages of engineering design, how to measure, collect and display data, and delve into topics around medical innovation. If you’re interested in a future in engineering or healthcare, you’ll love this course.
Intro to Video Game Design
Ever wondered what it takes to customize your own video game? In this course, you’ll do just that. Discover how digital games are built and the skills game designers and developers use. Learn the art of storytelling and the techniques used to embed puzzles, action-adventure, and drama. See interviews with top game designers and explore careers in the field. If you are a committed gamer, a tech wiz, or someone who is intrigued with design, this course is a must.
All course options, whether 2 or 4 weeks, have the identical educational content, learning materials, and number of assignments. The difference in length of course is due to time of year (not amount of instruction). We know the school year keeps you busy, so we’ve made the course longer during that time so that you can get assignments done.
Cost: $695 - $995
