We offer the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs in Biomedical Engineering. Students can apply directly for the Ph.D. degree without already having an M.S. Degree.
Students who have their degree in an area other than Biomedical Engineering may have to take additional courses in addition to those listed in the curriculum. Research under the degree can be within any of the areas our faculty work in as listed on their web pages.
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The Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering degree program can be completed in two years.
SBME Graduate students should select BME electives and Life Science electives from the SBME Pre-Approved Graduate Course List provided. Courses not from the list need to be petitioned toward the Graduate College in order to be counted toward these two elective categories.
*One Non-Thesis Biomedical Engineering course can be 3-credit hour Independent Study.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering degree program requires ninety post-baccalaureate hours, which include 12 hours in biomedical engineering (graduate credit, chosen from the list of approved BME elective courses), six hours in life sciences (graduate credit, chosen from the list of approved life science elective courses), and the additional six hours can be selected from other engineering, science, or math elective (STEM) courses (graduate credit, not from both lists of approved BME and life science electives) in consultation with the student's research supervisor and advisory committee if available. A student with a B.S. degree can enter the Ph.D. program directly; the student does not have to complete the M.S. thesis as part of the Ph.D. degree. At the end of the program, the student will demonstrate excellence in scholarly research by authoring and successfully defending a Ph.D. Dissertation.
During the Ph.D. program, the student is required to take a general examination in accordance with Graduate College requirements. The general examination must be taken in the semester (not including the summer semester) that the student is finishing course works or the immediately following semester.
Coursework requirements for Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering (Minimum 30 hours)
SBME Graduate students should select BME electives and Life Science electives from the SBME Pre-Approved Graduate Course List provided. Courses not from the list need to be petitioned toward the Graduate College in order to be counted toward these two elective categories.
Additional Requirements:
BME electives must include 3 hours of physiology unless this requirement has been satisfied through prior undergraduate or graduate study (as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee). Students who have fulfilled the physiology requirement through prior coursework will not receive credit toward the degree for additional physiology courses taken at OU unless the SBME graduate liaison approves in advance. BME 4813 Quantitative Physiology (with graduate credit) is recommended.
For non-engineering background students (non-biomedical engineering students), there is a potential need to complete undergraduate engineering course work that will not apply towards your Ph.D. course requirements. The need of the course/s will be determined at admission.
In the Accelerated Dual B.S./M.S. in Biomedical Engineering degree program, students will receive two degrees: a B.S. and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering. This program is accelerated because students may share 12 hours of credit that apply to both their undergraduate and graduate degrees (i.e Assume the student finishes all these credit hours during the last year of BS program, there will be 18 hours of credit left. Among them, 6 hours of credit is for research and 12 hours of credit left to finish (4 courses)). Students should apply for this program option no later than March 1 during their Junior year. Please contact Nicole Palmeter (npalmeter@ou.edu) for the application materials to apply.
SBME Graduate students should select BME electives and Life Science electives from the SBME Pre-Approved Graduate Course List provided. Courses not from the list need to be petitioned toward the Graduate College in order to be counted toward these two elective categories.
Required Training and Deadlines set by Graduate College
Please review Graduate College Deadlines, Forms and Documents
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| Program | Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| M.S. and Ph.D. | December 1 for Fall; September 1 for Spring** |
| Accelerated B.S./M.S. | March 1 (applications are submitted in the students 3rd (Junior) year of the BME Program) |
Deadlines are for both national and international applicants.
The University and program will continue to accept applications after the deadline. However, because of the number of applications processed through admissions, there can be a significant delay in the materials reaching us for consideration. An incomplete application may mean that the selection committee may not consider your application. Please be aware that later applications may reach us after all positions have been filled.
Typically, top applicants may be invited to campus for the department's recruitment event in February. Decisions are usually completed by early-March so that prospective students have time to consider other school offers and respond by the standard April 15 response deadline.
** Spring admissions are made on a case-by-case basis
Q. What is the minimum GPA needed for admission?
A. The GPA minimum is 3.00 on a 4.00 scale
Q. My school does not use this scale, how will my grades be evaluated?
A. A standardized system is used by the Graduate College to convert the grades to the 4.00 scale. The system used by the Graduate College is a service that converts the grade point systems of most schools and universities around the world into a scale that we can use for evaluations. This is used by many other U.S. schools and takes into consideration various factors about the school and the curriculum. Our department does not convert grades.
Q. How many Letters of Reference are required?
A. Three.
Q. Can I include more than three Letters of Reference?
A. Yes, but three is usually all that is needed. Space is only provided for three letters of reference on the application. Additional recommendations can be sent by mail or directly from the reference by e-mail.
Q. Who should the Letters of Reference be from?
A. It is most helpful if they are a faculty member who you have done research for or have gotten to know in a class you have taken. If you have also been employed, a supervisor can also be included. You should contact these people before including their names for their approval to include them in the list. The online system will send them an electronic form to complete where they can attach additional letters or comments.
Q. What transcripts should be sent?
A. Transcripts for undergraduate degrees and associate degrees will need to be included in your application. Transcripts for high schools or secondary schools are not needed.
Q. My transcript is from another country, is that type of transcript needed? Will an English Version be required?
A. Photocopies in English and an official copy of the transcript from your university and/or college is required by the admission office. For more information about student transcript requirements, please visit ou.edu/gradcollege/apply/before-you-apply.
Q. Do I need to take the GRE?
A. Our program does not require the GRE. However, you can still submit scores.
Q. What is the minimum score for the GRE test?
A. Since our program does not require the GRE, there is not a minimum score requirement.
Q. What are the GRE codes for the University and the department?
A. The University code for the GRE is 6879 and the department code is 1603.
Q. I took the old GRE test, will I need to retake the new GRE test?
A. While we encourage students to take the new version of the GRE, it is acceptable to send the old GRE test scores.
Q. What are the minimum English Proficiency requirements?
A. The department follows the Graduate College English Proficience score requirements. They can be viewed by visiting ou.edu/gradcollege/apply/international-applicants.
Q. Can a U.S. degree be substituted for the English Proficiency requirement?
A. Yes, a U.S. bachelor's degree or higher can be used to meet the English Proficiency requirement. More information can be found by visiting ou.edu/gradcollege/apply/international-applicants.
Q. Can I send in my application now and send the English Proficiency scores later?
A. You can send in all of the application materials first and the English Proficiency results at a later time, but the application will not be considered by our program until the Graduate College receives the official English Proficiency scores.
If you would like to apply for an Application Fee Waiver, the office will need a copy of your CV, Transcript(s), and Statement of Purpose combined into one PDF. Please email the combined PDF document to Nicole Palmeter (npalmeter@ou.edu). The deadline for a fall application fee waiver is November 15 and August 15 for a spring application fee waiver.
A. We select anywhere from 4 to 10 students for admission to the Fall semester and on an as needed basis for the Spring semester. This is including M.S. and Ph.D. and U.S. and International students. The number of students accepted each semester is subject to many variables and can change at any time.
Sometimes applicants ask if we can review a student's qualifications to see if they would be admitted to our program. While we can determine if a student qualifies to apply, even if the student meets the minimum requirements, it is not possible to tell ahead of time if a particular student would be admitted. Admittance depends upon several factors such as the projects that have openings for that semester, the number of positions we have available on those projects, and the level of qualifications of other students who apply.
A. The committee reviews all applications after the application deadline for each admission semester. For fall applicants, decisions are not usually made until after the department's February recruitment event.
