BME Admission Requirements

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The Henry Samueli School of Engineering receives many more graduate applications than can be accommodated. Because of its interdisciplinary nature, Biomedical Engineering attracts students with a variety of backgrounds. Students should have a bachelors degree in either an engineering, physical science or biological science discipline.

Minimum coursework requirements for admission to the program will include the following:

1. 6 quarters of calculus through linear algebra and ordinary differential equations,
2. 3 quarters of calculus based physics,
3. 3 quarters of chemistry, and
4. 2 quarters of biology.
5. Students without a physics, chemistry, or engineering undergraduate degree may be required to take additional relevant undergraduate engineering courses in the first year of the program.

Recommended requirements for admission are as follows:

REQUIRED APPLICATION ITEMS

An Application and $60 application fee, three (3) letters of recommendation, and official transcripts from all universities/colleges.

GPA

A GPA of 3.0 during the junior and senior years of undergraduate study is recommended for admission into the Biomedical Engineering program.

Standardized Tests

Minimum GRE scores of 1200 (quantitative plus verbal), or minimum combined MCAT scores in Verbal Reasoning, Physical Sciences, and Biological Sciences of 30 (a minimum score of 8 on each section) are recommended. In addition, a minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required of all international students whose native language is not English.

TUITION/FEES

		Fall		Winter		Spring
CA resident fees		$2,439.50		$2,439.50		$2,438.50
Non CA resident fees		$2,409.50		$2,409.50		$2,408.50
Non resident fees (paid by non-California residents)		$3,859.00		$3,859.00		$3,860.00
Total Tuition and fees for non-California residents		$6,268.50		$6,268.50		$6,268.50
Tuition and Fees subject to change.

For those interested in taking Summer courses, please contact the UCI Extension program at www.unex.uci.edu.

FINANCIAL VERIFICATION REQUIREMENT for INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

International students must certify that they have support of approximately $30,806 per year for academic study to obtain a student visa. More information pertaining to this requirement is forwarded to international applicants upon acceptance.

FINANCIAL AID

For full financial aid consideration please have your application complete by February 1st!

The faculty in Biomedical Engineering are actively involved with many research projects. Most employ graduate student researchers, who work closely with faculty on various topics. Some of these positions provide financial assistance in the form of payment of fees, tuition, or a salary. Assistance varies from project to project. Your application will be considered for scholarship/assistantship when you indicate accordingly on the application itself.

Please note that admission to the university is separate from an offer of financial aid. In other words, you should not expect any financial assistance unless you are officially notified in writing of such an award by Biomedical Engineering. Such letters usually do not accompany the admission letter itself, but are sent a short time after the admission letter.

Exceptionally promising undergraduates at UCI may apply for admission through the accelerated M.S. and Ph.D. programs in the School of Engineering. This program is described in detail in the UCI general catalogue. However, these students must satisfy the coursework and letters of recommendation requirements as described above.

UCI Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

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Apply to the Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering

Jump to Admissions Requirements

Before You Apply

Deadline for completed applications is February 7 . This is the only application deadline for the entire year. Please review carefully our programs in research and courses. You may also contact individual faculty to learn about current research activities and possible opportunities for academic support. If you have a strong interest in our programs, you are welcome to apply using the procedure below.

How To Apply Online:

Please file an electronic application over the Web.

The five digit application codes for Biomedical Engineering are:

• 01289 for Ph.D.
• 03289 for M.S. (terminal).

Mail Supporting Materials:

Karen Stephens, BME Graduate Coordinator
Department of Biomedical Engineering
204 Rockwell Engineering Center
The Henry Samueli School of Engineering
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-2715
kstephen@uci.edu 

Application Fee: All applications require a fee of $60. Your application will not be filed without this fee. No exceptions.

What Happens Next

Once all the paperwork is in, your application is evaluated by the Graduate Admissions Committee. The Committee will decide admission and possible financial support. We are as anxious as you are to make early decisions. If your application is recieved by February 1, we will contact you on or around March 1. If accepted you will be invited to visit the campus mid to late March. You will be expected to give us a response by April 15.

Financial Support

Biomedical Engineering was awarded a multi-million-dollar grant from the Whitaker Foundation in 1999. This prestigious award allows us to provide stipends for graduate and postdoctoral students, and allows us to further develop core resources in biophotonics, robotics, computational science and nanoscale systems.

We frequently receive questions early in the application process regarding the availability of support. We will not have the answers until your application has been completed and evaluated, at which time we will let you know immediately.

Foreign students, or students whose high school education was not English-based, cannot work as Teaching Assistants unless they pass the Test of Spoken English (TSE) with a minimum score of 50. The Web site of TSE indicates the dates of the exam.

Once You Are Admitted

Please read the Graduate Student handbook. This handbook provides helpful information to assist you in making a smooth transition as a new graduate student.

Master of Science

Requirements for Admission

Thirty six (36) units of academic credit are required for the M.S. degree. This requirement will be met, in part, by the Graduate Biomedical Engineering Core (described below) of 22 units. The remaining (14 units) academic credits will be achieved through elective courses chosen by the student.

Option 1: Thesis A thesis option is available to students who prefer to conduct a focused research project. Students selecting this option must select a thesis advisor and complete an original research investigation including a written thesis, and obtain approval of the thesis by an thesis committee. A maximum of 8 M.S. research units (i.e. ECE 296) may be applied toward the 36 unit requirement.

Option II: Comprehensive Exam Alternatively, students may select a comprehensive exam option in which they must successfully complete 36 units of study and pass a comprehensive exam.

Doctor of Philosophy

Requirements for Admission

The Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering requires the achievement of an original and significant body of research that advances the discipline, and which culminates in the oral and written presentation of a dissertation. Students may enter the Ph.D. program with a B.S. degree in engineering, biological science, or physical sciences from either UCI or another university. However, core skills in engineering mathematics must be demonstrated through previous graduate level coursework, or by taking a set of graduate courses at UCI that will be determined on a case-by-case basis by the Graduate Committee. Each student will be matched with a faculty advisor (from the list of Core and Affiliated faculty) and an individual program of study will be designed by the student and a faculty advisory committee. No additional graduate-level courses are required beyond that of the M.S. degree. Four milestones are required for the Ph.D.:

1. successful completion of 36 units of course work beyond the bachelor’s degree, at least 28 of which must be at the 200 level including the 22 units of Core Course requirement;
2. successful completion of a preliminary exam at the Ph.D. competency level;
3. formal advancement to candidacy by successfully passing a qualifying exam; and,
4. completion of a significant body of original research and the submission of a written and an oral defense of an acceptable dissertation.

Advancement to candidacy must be completed between the 9th and 12th quarters of enrollment, usually the third academic year of the student. The qualifying exam is described in greater detail below. Special exceptions can be made, but a formal request with justification must be supplied in writing to the Director. The qualifying exam will consist of an oral and written presentation of original work completed thus far, and a coherent plan for completing a body of original research. The qualifying exam will be presented to the student’s graduate advisory committee. The graduate advisory committee will be selected by the student and faculty advisor and must have a minimum of five faculty members (including the faculty advisor). Of these five faculty members, a minimum of three must be affiliated biomedical engineering faculty. In addition, a minimum of two faculty members must have part of their primary appointment in the School of Engineering. The qualifying exam will follow campus and Henry Samueli School of Engineering guidelines.

The Ph.D. will be awarded upon submission of a written and an oral defense of an acceptable dissertation. The degree will be granted upon the recommendation of the graduate advisory committee and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Completion of the Ph.D is expected in the fifth year following completion of the B.S. degree, although a maximum of seven years (28 academic quarters) is allowed.

M.D. / Ph.D.

Requirements for Admission

A combined M.D./Ph.D. degree is offered in conjunction with the UCI College of Medicine. The program combines clinical training and research experience. Students who complete this program will be awarded both an M.D. degree from the College of Medicine and a Ph.D. degree from the school of engineering. More information is available at the UCI Medical Scientist Training Program web page. Applications should be made to the UCI Medical Scientist Training Program and applicants should state that their chosen graduate department is Biomedical Engineering.