Graduate Programs at the Biomedical Engineering Department
Apply to the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
Application Checklist (Word Document)
General Requirements for the MS
General Requirements for the PhD
A Customized Program of Study
MD/PhD Option
Graduate Specializations
Apply to the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program
1. How do I start an application?
Apply online at http://gradapply.osu.edu with the nonrefundable application fee:
$40.00 for domestic applicants;
$50.00 for international applicants.
2. What does a complete graduate application include?
A complete application requires the following items to be sent to Graduate Admissions Office, The Ohio State University, 1800 Cannon Dr., Columbus, OH 43210-1270:
- an official transcript or record of marks for each college- or university-level school attended (Include English translation of each of any foreign document)
- official GRE scores
- official TOEFL scores for international applicants
AND these items to be sent to BME Graduate Studies Office, 260 Bevis Hall, 1080 Carmack Road, Columbus, OH, 43210-1002:
- an official transcript or record of marks for each college- or university-level school attended (Include English translation of each of any foreign document.)
- curriculum vitae/resume of no more than two pages
- a one-page statement of purpose indicating your specific research interest, experience and desired program of study (i.e., MS or PhD)
- three letters of recommendation labeled "To BME Graduate Studies Chair" accompanied by completed Ohio State reference forms (http://admissions.osu.edu/apps/pdfs/int_refer.pdf)
- summary of past research project and/or abstract of the master's thesis if applying to the PhD program
3. How do I apply for financial aid consideration?
There is no application form to fill out. For graduate applicants, most financial aid is available in the form of University Fellowships and Graduate Associateships. To apply for Fellowships and Associateships, check the appropriate box(es) on the admission application. Please be aware that only a limited number of awards are available, and they are very competitive; therefore, not all those who apply for Fellowships or Associateships receive them.
These financial aid considerations are made only after an admission decision has been made on a complete application file. In addition to the Fellowship competition, financial aid sometimes is available in the form of Research, Teaching, or Administrative Associateships within the Biomedical Engineering Department or in Ohio State offices, departments, and labs throughout campus.
4. What are the deadlines?
For international applicants, all materials must be received by November 30th in order to be considered for fellowship nomination.
For domestic applicants, all materials must be received by January 15th in order to be considered for fellowship nomination.
The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Office will be as flexible as possible if some of your materials arrive later than planned, especially if you've already filed an application form.
Please note: Non-fellowship applicants may complete their application files as late as March or April, but may be better served to apply before January -- particularly if international.
5. What's the difference between Fellowships and Associateships?
In general, Fellowship awards are more competitive, merit-based awards providing a tuition and fee waiver and some stipend support. Qualified applicants meeting the minimum criteria automatically will be nominated for University Fellowships. This is a formal process administered by the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Office
Associateships (Graduate Research Associateships, Graduate Teaching Associateships, and Graduate Administrative Associateships) provide a tuition and fee waiver and some stipend support in exchange for 20 hours of work per week, in the form of research, teaching, or administrative assistance.
While an interested faculty member sometimes may initiate a Graduate Research Associateship (GRA) offer by contacting an admitted graduate student, it is more common for an admitted student to contact a faculty member to ask if any such opportunities exist.
Usually, these require a personal interview, which can be difficult for many international students.
Biomedical Engineering does not offer Teaching and Administrative Associateships; however, they are available in many departments throughout campus. Enterprising Biomedical Engineering students have taught chemistry, Spanish, and math, and have worked at libraries or offices around campus.
Funding information also is available at http://www.gradsch.ohio-state.edu/
6. Who applies to the BME graduate program? What are my chances of admission?
Most entering students have an academic background in a branch of engineering or the physical/life sciences. Students with non-engineering backgrounds are typically required to complete additional preparatory coursework to develop competence in engineering. Please consult our list of non-engineering background requirements http://bmew.bme.ohio-state.edu/bmeweb3/docs/Non-EngReqs.doc. Biology or physiology background can be helpful.
The Ohio State University Graduate School requires a minimum of 3.0 in all undergraduate work; a minimum of 3.0 in all graduate work; and a minimum 550 on the TOEFL test (213 for CBT).
Typically, a competitive application file in Biomedical Engineering will exhibit higher marks than these. In order to be considered for fellowship funding -- a primary means of funding for international students -- grades must be equal to 85% or 3.6/4.0, and GRE scores must average in the 75th percentile. (Please note: Professional evaluators in the university's admissions office review all transcripts from international universities using different grading scales to be sure that all files are considered fairly.)
Profile of admitted BME students:
Of roughly 150 applicants, only 32 were admitted in 2005. Students admitted for Autumn 2005 earned a mean GPA of 3.65 on a 4.0 scale and an average total GRE percentile of 79% (76% verbal and 82% quantitative). International GPAs have averaged 79/100.
Of over 200 applicants last year, 21 were admitted, with a mean GPA of 3.69 and an average GRE score of 2010 (based on the old version of the exam).
The BME Graduate Studies Committee takes pride in the careful review of all applicant files, valuing experience and references. Still, there are more denied files than admitted ones, due to the sheer volume and quality of all of your applications.
On rare occasion, grades or scores falling just short of the minima may be strengthened by exceptional performance in some other area. Incidentally, high grades and scores will not guarantee admission.
7. May I apply directly to the PhD program if I do not already have an MS degree?
Yes. Exceptional students may be admitted directly to the PhD program.
8. When is the best time to apply to the BME graduate program? Can I apply for Winter, Spring, and Summer Quarters as well as Autumn?
A University-wide fellowship competition is held for Autumn quarter. Autumn quarter offerings include introductory BME courses BME 600 Introduction to Biomedical Engineering and PhysioCB 601 Organ System Physiology. Coupled with the fellowship competition, this makes Autumn the most popular quarter for enrollment. However, we practice rolling admissions throughout the year for all quarters.
The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Committee meets roughly one time per month. To ensure timely review of your application, please feel free to contact the BME Department to find out about the meeting schedule.
9. How can I check the status of my graduate application? What if the status has not changed in awhile?
Please check the status of your file at http://appstatus.osu.edu.
As soon as the file is complete, a decision will be made at a meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Department Graduate Studies Committee (BMEGSC). These meetings are held once per month, so a decision should be made soon after a completed file is received, unless it becomes necessary to defer the decision until a later meeting, or to defer the decision due to lack of space in the program. (In the past, we have deferred decisions for quite some time, in hopes of an opening, rather than denying otherwise qualified applicants.)
As soon as a decision is made, you will be notified promptly via U.S mail.
10. To whom do I address general admissions questions with regard to processing the application fee, I-20/visa, Ohio residency requirements, evaluation of official transcripts, and/or financial documents?
Contact the counselors and specialists at Ohio State's Graduate Admission Office:
Domestic inquiries: domestic.grad@osu.edu
International inquiries: international.grad@osu.edu
11. To whom should my letters of reference be addressed?
You may address all admissions correspondence to the Graduate Studies Chair, Dr. Alan Litsky.
Dr. Litsky leads the review of all completed application files and chairs the meetings of the BMEGSC.
12. Are GRE scores required to apply to the graduate program?
Yes! Official scores are required for the general portion of the GRE, which includes verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections. To schedule an exam, please go to www.gre.org.
The Institution and Department codes for TOEFL are 1592 and 69, respectively.
The Institution and Department codes for GRE are R1592 and 1603, respectively.
13. Are there any opportunities for undergraduates in Biomedical Engineering?
Undergraduates with an interest in biomedical engineering may pursue the new Undergraduate Minor http://bmew.bme.ohio-state.edu/bmeweb3/bme_ugminor.html.
General Requirements for the MS
- A minimum of 36 course hours and 9 thesis hours to total 45 credit hours
- At least 13 credit hours in the life sciences and at least 18 credit hours in engineering
- All courses must be letter graded except BME 793 Individual Studies in Biomedical Engineering
- A BMEGSC-approved Program of Study that fulfills core course distribution and credit-hour requirements as well as the BME Educational Objectives
- Masters students are required to write and defend a thesis in an oral MS Examination.
General Requirements for the PhD
- A minimum of at least 75 course hours (60 letter graded) and at least 50 research hours for a grand total of 135 credit hours
- At least 25 credit hours in the life sciences, and at least 40 credit hours in engineering (to comprise one major subject of study and one or two minor subjects of study)
- A BMEGSC-approved Program of Study that fulfills core course distribution and credit-hour requirements as well as the BME Educational Objectives
- PhD students are required to pass a written and oral Candidacy Examination upon completion of all course work (and before beginning a Dissertation)
- PhD students must defend the Dissertation at a Final Oral Examination
A Customized Program of Study
MS and PhD students will create a Program of Study that meets their individual needs and interests. Based on the Biomedical Engineering Curriculum Guidelines and the Biomedical Engineering Handbook, the Program of Study must be approved by student, advisors, and the BMEGSC. Students are encouraged to design a Program of Study soon after joining the Department. It is required that the student work with his or her Core Faculty Contact (a BME academic advisor) and Research Advisor to prepare a proposed listing of courses for BMEGSC approval. The Program of Study will be based on the General Requirements listed above and the Core Courses and Educational Objectives listed below.
Core Courses
The following set of core biomedical engineering courses are required at the graduate level for MS and PhD students:
| Course Number | Course Title-Credit Hours | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| PhysioCB 601/602 | Organ System Physiology-10 | This requirement may be waived for students with
sufficiently strong backgrounds in physiology.
Autumn/Winter Quarters |
| BME 600 | Introduction to Biomedical Engineering-3 | Autumn Quarter |
| BME 771 | Biomedical Instrumentation-4 | Spring Quarter |
| BME 881 | Seminar in Biomedical Engineering-2 | PhD students will be expected to give seminars on their work.
Autumn/Winter/Spring Quarters |
| Statistics-based course on research design or model building (e.g., Statistics 641 or 645) | Required of PhD students |
Educational Objectives of the BME Graduate Program
All students completing the BME graduate program must possess the knowledge, experience, and skills summarized below. In order to afford maximum flexibility in developing a course program, these objectives are not stated in terms of course requirements. Undergraduate and/or master-level work counts. There are 9 educational objectives for MS students and 12 for PhD students.
In view of the breadth of biomedical engineering, including both engineering and life science components, students entering the program may have to take some background courses to meet the Department's Educational Objectives. The Core Faculty Contact can help students to make that determination.
- Knowledge of mathematics, through ordinary differential equations, and a knowledge of statistics.
- Knowledge of introductory chemistry, with some amount of thermo-dynamics, equivalent to one year of undergraduate chemistry for engineering students.
- Knowledge of physics, equivalent to one year of undergraduate coursework.
- Knowledge of graduate-level human physiology, equivalent to one year of coursework.
- Computer literacy skills, including knowledge of a programming language and some understanding of systems operation. These skills can be gained by experience, and need not necessitate coursework.
- Knowledge of basic instrumentation in a biomedical engineering context, including necessary background material in electronics and circuit design, safety and clinical considerations, biomedical transducers, electrodes, and other devices and considerations unique to the biomedical setting.
- Technical writing and oral communication skills. All of our students should be able to write clearly in an organized fashion, and to express their ideas well orally and on paper. Students graduating from the program must be able to express themselves clearly in both written and spoken English.
- Laboratory experience and a knowledge of basic laboratory safety. This experience should commence early in the student's degree program.
- Knowledge of solid mechanics.
The following requirements apply to PhD students only:
- Knowledge of experimental design or statistically-based model building.
- Knowledge of control theory, including frequency analysis.
- Proposal writing skills, gained through a workshop in proposal writing, and experience in manuscript preparation, preferably gained through submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed archival journal.
MD/PhD Option
A combined MD/PhD (MSP) program is available for selected highly qualified students and administered through the College of Medicine and Public Health and the Graduate School. Admission to the Medical Scientist Program requires three separate applications with three separate sets of requirements:
- Medical School
- Medical Scientist Program
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program.
To learn more about this rigorous program or to talk with current MD/PhD students in Biomedical Engineering, please contact the Department at gradsec@bme.ohio-state.edu or 614-292-7152.