Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for the MS and PhD in the Department of Bioengineering and the PhD in Biomedical Engineering differ slightly in the coursework background required and in the test score requirements.Admission for MS and PhD in Bioengineering
The graduate programs (MS and PhD) in the Department of Bioengineering are open to all qualified individuals with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) or Master's of Science (M.S.) in Engineering. Students with a B.S., B.A., or M.S./M.A. degree in a related field are also eligible provided they meet the minimum prerequisite coursework requirement of:
- two (2) years of calculus through differential equations; and
- one (1) year of engineering physics.
To be competitive for admission, all applicants should have a grade point average of at leastÌý3.0/4.0Ìýfor all previousÌýundergraduateÌýwork andÌý3.3/4.0Ìýfor all previousÌýgraduateÌýwork. In some cases, additional prerequisite courses related to the program of study may be required (see Provisional Admission). Course credits for meeting undergraduate prerequisites are not applied toward the graduate degree.
The GRE exam is required of all students, and international students are expected to complete the TOEFL exam. The minimum scores for the GRE are set by the Department of Bioengineering; the minimum scores for the TOEFL exam are set by the College of Graduate Studies. The minimum scores considered are:
- GRE - 300 combined for the verbal and quantitative sections
- TOEFL - 550 (PBT); 213 (CBT); 80 (IBT)
Admission for the Biomedical Engineering PhD program
The PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering is open to qualified students with either degrees in engineering or in science fields such as biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, or computer science. Since prospective students are expected to have a variety of backgrounds, the requirements for admission will also vary.
To be competitive for admission to this program, students must have a grade point average of at leastÌý3.0/4.0Ìýfor all previousÌýundergraduateÌýwork andÌý3.3/4.0Ìýfor all previousÌýgraduateÌýcoursework. All non-MD applicants are required to submit the results of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Students who are candidates for the MD program in the UT College of Medicine may submit MCAT scores. These scores will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. In addition, international students must submit the results of the TOEFL exam with a required minimum score of 550 (paper-based test), 213 (computer-based test), or 80 (internet-based test). Students with non-engineering undergraduate degrees desiring entry into this PhD program must have completed:
- one (1) year of engineering physics;
- one (1) year of biology;
- one (1) year of chemistry;
- two (2) years of calculus through differential equations; and
- at least 12 semester credit hours of undergraduate engineering/science course work (appropriate to the area of research interest of the candidate) to be considered for admission.
Examples of course requirements for some of the existing research areas are summarized in Table 1. Credit received for undergraduate coursework required for admission will not be applied toward the graduate degree.
Table 1: Undergraduate Coursework for Students with Non-engineering BS Degrees.ÌýAll students must take the core courses, or have received a 3.0/4.0 GPA or better in equivalent courses. The 12 credit hours of engineering/science courses will depend on each student's research area, and two examples are provided below.
Core Science Courses | Hrs | Engineering/Science Courses | Hrs |
Sciences:Ìý BIOL 2150 Fund. Life Sci. IÌý BIOL 2170 Fund. Life Sci. IIÌý CHEM 1230 General Chemistry IÌý CHEM 1240 General Chemistry IIÌý PHYS 2130 Engineering Physics IÌý PHYS 2140 Engineering Physics IIÌý Mathematics:Ìý MATH 1850 Calculus IÌý MATH 1860 Calculus IIÌý MATH 2850 Multivariate CalculusÌý MATH 2860 Differential Equations |
ÌýÌý 4Ìý 4Ìý 4Ìý 4Ìý 5Ìý 5Ìý ÌýÌý 4Ìý 4Ìý 4Ìý 3 |
Biomechanics Option:Ìý BIOE 2200 BiomaterialsÌý CIVE 1150 StaticsÌý CIVE 1160 Strength of MaterialsÌý MIME 2300 DynamicsÌý Bioinstrumentation Option:Ìý EECS 2300 Electric CircuitsÌý MATH 2890 Linear AlgebraÌý BIOE 3300 Biomedical ElectronicsÌý BIOE 4120 Biosignal Processing |
ÌýÌý 3Ìý 3Ìý 3Ìý 3Ìý ÌýÌý 4Ìý 3Ìý 4Ìý 4 |
Students interested in the MD/PhD in Biomedical Engineering program should first apply and be admitted to the College of Medicine. They should also state their interest in the Biomedical Engineering PhD program on the COM Secondary Application. Either simultaneously or within the first year of their studies at COM, they should apply for admission to the Biomedical Engineering Doctoral program through the College of Graduate Studies.
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