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Yes, you may apply if you have a background in engineering, physical sciences, and/or biological sciences. We have admitted students from a number of different undergraduate programs, including electrical engineering, physics, biochemistry, and materials science. You do not need a degree in biomedical engineering to be admitted to this program.
If you do not have an engineering degree, you may need to take additional math and/or physics courses to prepare you for a graduate engineering program. Contact the Graduate Program Assistant and Advisor at bmengp@umn.edu for more information.
No, a Master's degree is not required. Several of our current students joined the Ph.D. program directly after finishing their undergraduate degrees.
Doctoral students have the option of earning their Master's degree while working toward their Ph.D., but it is not necessary.
No, our program does not work this way. There is no difference between the admissions criteria for the Master's versus the Ph.D. If an applicant were to be rejected from the Ph.D. program, s/he would be rejected from the Master's program as well.
You should apply for the BME degree that you would most like to pursue.
We do not have cut-off scores or a minimum required grade point average (GPA), and we do not determine admission decisions based solely on those criteria. Each application is given a thorough and holistic review after all required materials have been submitted. Academic performance, test scores, letters of recommendation, research experience, etc., are all considered when determining an applicant's suitability for our program.
We will not pre-screen transcripts, test scores, or resumes to determine an applicant's chances of admission. The committee needs to see your entire application package in order to evaluate your suitability for our program and accurately compare you to our other applicants.
Application materials must be submitted electronically via the online ApplyYourself application system, as instructed on the Application Information page. If you are unable to access or complete these materials online, please contact the Graduate Program Assistant and Advisor at bmengp@umn.edu.
No, there is no separate application for financial support. All full-time M.S.-Plan A and Ph.D. applicants are automatically considered for financial support.
All students admitted to the full-time program with support receive the same financial offer, which includes tuition coverage, health care coverage, and a graduate assistant stipend.
Applicants are not generally admitted to the full-time program without receiving financial support from the department, unless they have an external funding source (government scholarship, fellowship, etc.).
We only consider spring/summer applications if the applicant is EITHER
applying for the part-time program
OR
a current University of Minnesota graduate student who is switching programs and will continue to be supported by his/her current advisor.
Contact bmengp@umn.edu for more information.
Yes, you must submit a separate application and fee for every program to which you would like to apply. For more information, please see the Graduate School website at http://www.grad.umn.edu/admissions/application_instructions/faq_13.
The Graduate School and the Biomedical Engineering Program have transitioned to a paperless submission and review system. This is part of a University-wide effort to reduce our negative impact on the environment, save money by cutting printing and copying costs, and increase efficiency in the handling and processing of applications.
The paperless processes will benefit applicants by reducing or eliminating your photocopying costs, transcript request fees, and postage expenses. The application process will be less confusing and more streamlined, allowing us to communicate more effectively with all applicants so that you receive your admissions decision as quickly as possible.
You must submit at least three (3) letters of recommendation. If you wish, you may submit up to five (5) letters.
Letters should be from faculty in your undergraduate and/or previous graduate institution(s). If you are presently enrolled in a graduate program, you must include a letter from your current advisor, and your remaining letters can be from either your undergraduate or graduate institution.
If you are currently working in industry, you may provide letters from your supervisor(s), but we would like at least one recommendation from academia if at all possible.
There is a BME Graduate Admissions Committee that makes all admissions decisions. The committee is comprised of the Director of Graduate Studies plus two or three other members of our Graduate Faculty. New committee members are appointed each academic year.
If there are specific members of our Graduate Faculty whose labs you would like to join, you may certainly contact them to express your interest, but they are not able to admit students. It is after students are admitted that we encourage them to meet and talk with faculty members whose research is of interest.
Graduate Faculty members are listed alphabetically in our Directory (click on the Graduate Faculty tab), and by research area in our Research section.
We never know exactly how many students we will admit, as it depends on several factors that can change quite dramatically over the course of the admissions and recruiting season. In recent years we have admitted anywhere from 28 to 45 Ph.D. students, and 6 to 17 M.S. students (these ranges include both funded and non-funded positions).
Our application deadline is January 10. Some applicants may receive a decision as early as mid-January or as late as early-April. The majority of applicants, though, should hear from us sometime in March.
Contact bmengp@umn.edu for approval to defer enrollment. The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program generally allows admitted students to defer their enrollment for up to one year. Offers of financial support may also be deferred up to one year.