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DEGREE Biomedical Engineering, PhD

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Doctoral degree in biomedical engineering

As a PhD student in biomedical engineering, you’ll work alongside world-class faculty mentors and lead research that solves critical challenges in biology and medicine. You’ll also enhance your skills in using advanced engineering methods of analysis and design.

At a glance

Biomedical engineering department

12
AIMBE fellows
11
undergraduate ranking among public universities
10
graduate ranking among public universities

Learn more about what information you need to apply.

Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.

Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.

Fall Deadline December 1
Spring Deadline September 1
Summer Deadline December 1
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) Not required.
English Proficiency Test Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency).
Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) n/a
Letters of Recommendation Required 3

Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in engineering (biomedical, chemical, electrical, industrial, mechanical, etc.) or science (biology, biochemistry, chemistry, genetics, immunology, physics, etc.). Each application is judged on the basis of:

All applicants must satisfy requirements that are set forth by the Graduate School. Students admitted to the program may be required to make up deficiency course requirements.

To apply to the BME program, complete applications, including supportive materials, must be submitted as described below and received by the following deadline dates:

  • Fall Semester—December 1 
  • Spring Semester—September 1 
  • Summer Session1—December 1 

1Please note that summer admissions are generally limited to continuing BME students at UW–Madison or applicants who have research assistantships already arranged with UW faculty.

Official Academic Transcript

Electronically submit one copy of your transcript of all undergraduate and previous graduate work in your online application to the Graduate School. Unofficial copies of transcripts will be accepted for review. Official copies are required after an applicant is recommended for admission. Please do not send transcripts or any other application materials to the Graduate School or the BME department unless requested. If you have questions, please contact bmegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu.

English proficiency test scores (if applicable)

An applicant whose TOEFL (iBT) score is below 92; TOEFL (PBT) score is below 580; or IELTS score is below 7 must take an English assessment test upon arrival. Depending on the result, an applicant may need to register for recommended English as a Second Language (ESL) courses in the first semester of enrollment.

All BME PhD students will participate in teaching during their graduate degree. International students whose native language is not English must take the SPEAK test during their first semester on campus, unless they have achieved a score 26 or greater on the speaking section of the iBT TOEFL (8.0 for the IELTS). Any recommended ESL coursework must be completed during the first year.

Three Letters of Recommendation

These letters are required from people who can accurately judge the applicant’s academic or research performance. Letters of recommendation are submitted electronically to graduate programs through the online application. Applicants should not send any more than three letters (if more than three are sent, only the first three will be considered). See the Graduate School for FAQs regarding letters of recommendation.

Statement of Purpose

In this document, applicants should explain why they want to pursue further education in BME and discuss which UW faculty members they would be interested in doing research with during their graduate study. See the Graduate School for more advice on how to structure a personal statement.

Resume 

Upload your resume in your application.

Application Fee

Submission must be accompanied by the one-time application fee. It is non-refundable and can be paid by credit card (Master Card or Visa) or debit/ATM. This fee cannot be waived or deferred. Fee grants are available through the Graduate School under certain conditions.

Tuition

Tuition and segregated fee rates are always listed per semester (not for Fall and Spring combined).

View tuition rates

Graduate School Resources

Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.

Program Resources

Students admitted to the BME PhD program are guaranteed financial support from the department in the form of research assistantships, teaching assistantships and fellowships. Support will continue as long as the student maintains satisfactory progress toward their degree.

Biomedical engineering is multidisciplinary, bringing together expertise in engineering, physics, materials science, computation, biology and medicine to increase our understanding of diseases, improve diagnosis, and develop treatments that benefit human health. Our researchers are pushing the boundaries of science and technology, developing new tools and techniques to help solve some of the most challenging problems in medicine and healthcare.

View our research

Minimum graduate school requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Minimum Credit Requirement 60 credits
Minimum Residence Credit Requirement 32 credits
Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement 30 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Details can be found in the Graduate School’s Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244).
Overall Graduate GPA Requirement 3.00 GPA required.
This program follows the Graduate School’s GPA Requirement policy
(https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203).
Other Grade Requirements n/a
Assessments and Examinations PhD candidates are required to pass a comprehensive qualifying examination, preliminary examination, and final oral defense. Deposit of the doctoral dissertation to the Graduate School is required.
Language Requirements No language requirements.
Graduate School Breadth Requirement Breadth is provided via interdisciplinary training. The central aim of biomedical engineers is to unravel gaps in biological knowledge through the use of engineering principles. Thus, the doctoral program is inherently interdisciplinary. Prior to obtaining a Ph.D. warrant, students will prepare a summary of their effort in interdisciplinary coursework and training. The purpose of the summary will be to document the effort to meet the spirit of the minor requirement. The summary must be approved by the student’s thesis committee and filed with the department. Students may elect to pursue a doctoral minor or Graduate/Professional certificate.

REQUIRED COURSES 

General Requirements
Research Credits (B M E 790, 890, 990)at least 30
Coursework, including:at least 25
2 semesters of B M E 7012
B M E 703 Responsible Conduct of Research for Biomedical Engineers2
One set of Ph.D. pathway requirements (credits vary; see below).21
Total Credits60

Students who follow the Ph.D. coursework guidelines should fulfill the Biomedical Engineering: Research, M.S. requirements. They may file for that degree prior to their preliminary examination.

Biomaterials & Tissue Engineering Pathway1

Biomaterials and tissue engineering employ a diverse range of approaches to develop methods to diagnose and treat diseases, create living tissue environments that may be used to restore the function of a damaged organ, and uncover biological mechanisms related to tissue development and disease. Graduate students trained in biomaterials and tissue engineering are expected to gain a detailed understanding of cellular and molecular biology, materials science, and engineering methods relevant to their research focus. 

Biology Requirement3
Fundamentals of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology
Molecular and Cellular Organogenesis
Immunology
Cell Biology
Data Analysis Requirement3-4
Introduction to Biostatistics
Advanced Bioinformatics
Data Visualization
Statistical Methods for Bioscience I
Statistical Methods for Molecular Biology
Engineering Requirement9
Biological Interactions with Materials
Introduction to Tissue Engineering
Tissue Engineering Laboratory
Stem Cell Bioengineering
Engineering Extracellular Matrices
Introduction to Biological and Medical Microsystems
Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (CRISPR Genome Editing and Engineering Laboratory)
Polymer Science and Technology
Special Topics in Chemical Engineering (Cellular Biomanufacturing)
Synthetic Organic Materials in Biology and Medicine
Biological Engineering: Molecules, Cells & Systems
Advanced Polymeric Materials
Elective credits chosen in consultation with your advisor6
Total Credits21-22

Biomedical Imaging & Optics Pathway1

Biomedical imaging and optics research develops and utilizes new experimental and computational tools to characterize tissue structure across multiple size scales. A particular focus is on human health, especially with respect to achieving superior diagnostic/prognostic tools for a spectrum of diseased states. Graduate students trained in this pathway are expected to gain a detailed understanding of mathematics, biology and engineering both optical and/or physical methods relevant to their research focus.

Mathematics Requirement 23
Applied Linear Algebra
Biology Requirement3-5
Physiology
Introduction to Biochemistry
Cell Biology
Data Analysis Requirement3
Matrix Methods in Machine Learning
Computer Vision
Computational Methods for Medical Image Analysis
Engineering Requirement 9
Medical Imaging Systems
Mathematical Methods in Medical Physics
Data Science in Medical Physics
Non-Ionizing Diagnostic Imaging
Biophotonics Laboratory
Microscopy of Life
Advances in Medical Magnetic Resonance
Biological Optical Microscopy
Biomedical Optics and Biophotonics
Methods in Quantitative Biology
Radiation Physics and Dosimetry
The Physics of Medical Imaging with Ionizing Radiation
Principles of X-ray Computed Tomography
Elective credits chosen in consultation with your advisor3
Total Credits21-23

Biomechanics Pathway1

Biomechanists use experiments and computational tools to investigate the mechanical aspects of biological systems at levels ranging from whole organisms to organs, tissues, and cells. Graduate students trained in biomechanics are expected to gain a detailed understanding of mechanics, mathematics, biology, and engineering relevant to their research focus.

Mechanics 12
To provide depth, 6 credits of Biomechanics courses are required. The remaining 6 credits may be selected from either the Advanced Mechanics or Biomechanics lists.
Biomechanics
Orthopaedic Biomechanics – Design of Orthopaedic Implants
Biomechanics of Human Movement
Biofluidics
Finite Elements for Biological and Other Soft Materials
Special Topics in Bioinstrumentation and Medical Devices (Image-Based Biomechanics)
Tissue Mechanics
Advanced Tissue Mechanics
Advanced Mechanics
Intermediate Vibrations
Composite Materials
Experimental Vibration and Dynamic System Analysis
Intermediate Fluid Dynamics
Experimental Mechanics
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Advanced Mechanics of Materials I
Fracture Mechanics
Heterogeneous and Multiphase Materials
Mechanical Vibrations
Introduction to Finite Elements
Micro- and Nanoscale Mechanics
Mechanics of Continua
Viscoelastic Solids
Theory of Elasticity
Biosciences3-5
Physiology
Fundamentals of Human Physiology
Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
Biology of Heart Disease and Regeneration
Cardiorespiratory Adaptions to Environment and Exercise
Cell Biology
Elective credits chosen in consultation with your advisor6
Total Credits21-23

Medical & Microdevices Pathway1

Medical and mircodevices involve the use of electronic and computational tools to develop devices used in diagnosis and treatment of disease ranging from the systemic to the cellular and molecular levels.

Mathematics Requirement 23
Applied Linear Algebra
Ordinary Differential Equations
Analysis of Partial Differential Equations
Biology Requirement 3-5
Physiology
Introduction to Biochemistry
Prokaryotic Molecular Biology
Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
Cellular and Molecular Biology/Pathology
Neurobiology
Cell Biology
Data Analysis Requirement3-4
Introduction to Biostatistics
Introduction to Clinical Trials I
Introduction to Bioinformatics
Advanced Bioinformatics
Engineering Requirement9
Medical Instrumentation
Therapeutic Medical Devices
Introduction to Energy-Tissue Interactions
Introduction to Biological and Medical Microsystems
Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (Introduction to Neuroengineering)
Medical Devices Ecosystem: The Path to Product
Biophotonics Laboratory
Biological Optical Microscopy
Elective credits chosen in consultation with your advisor3
Total Credits21-24

Neuroengineering Pathway1

Neuroengineering is the convergence of neuroscience, computation, device development, and mathematics to improve human health. Neuroengineering brings together state-of-the-art technologies for the development of devices and algorithms to assist those with neural disorders. It is also used to reverse engineer living neural systems via new algorithms, technologies and robotics. Students pursing this pathway are involved in all of these endeavors so as the next generation of engineers, they will transcend the traditional boundaries of neuroscience, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

Data Analysis Requirement3
Data Science Programming I for Research
Matrix Methods in Machine Learning
Image Processing
Medical Image Analysis
Engineering Requirement 9
Therapeutic Medical Devices
Stem Cell Bioengineering
Introduction to Biological and Medical Microsystems
Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (Introduction to Neuroengineering)
Medical Devices Ecosystem: The Path to Product
Medical Instrumentation
Computers in Medicine
Biology Requirement3
Neural Basis for Movement
Principles of Motor Control and Learning
Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
Systems Neuroscience
Neurobiology of Disease
Design and Analysis of Psychological Experiments I
Perceptual and Cognitive Sciences
Development of the Nervous System
Elective credits chosen in consultation with your advisor6
Total Credits21

Systems & Synthetic Biology Pathway1

Systems and synthetic biology utilizes experimental and computational tools in an iterative fashion to analyze and regulate biological systems.

Students interested in earning a doctoral minor in Quantitative Biology: enrollment in B M E 780 Methods in Quantitative Biology is a requirement. Additionally, students will need to take one additional 3-credit course in quantitative science, biology, or integrated biology/quantitative science from the approved list of courses in the doctoral minor (this course counts toward the elective credits for this pathway).

Mathematics Requirement 23
Applied Linear Algebra
Ordinary Differential Equations
Analysis of Partial Differential Equations
Biology Requirement3
Introduction to Biochemistry
Prokaryotic Molecular Biology
Eukaryotic Molecular Biology
Immunology
Cell Biology
Data Analysis Requirement3
Introduction to Biostatistics
Introduction to Bioinformatics
Data Science Programming I for Research
Matrix Methods in Machine Learning
Engineering Requirement9
Introduction to Biological and Medical Microsystems
Systems Biology: Mammalian Signaling Networks
Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (CRISPR Genome Editing and Engineering Laboratory)
Methods in Quantitative Biology
Biochemical Engineering
Intermediate Problems in Chemical Engineering
Biological Engineering: Molecules, Cells & Systems
Modeling Biological Systems
Elective credits chosen in consultation with your advisor3
Total Credits21

 Guidelines for students who earned a master’s degree in another field at UW-Madison

  1. Students who have earned a master’s degree in another field at UW-Madison should contact the Associate Chair of the PhD Degree to understand remaining course requirements. A maximum of 7 credits can be counted from a separate MS degree, in compliance with the Graduate School’s Double Degrees policy.
  2. Master’s degree students who have been absent for five or more years lose all degree credits earned before their absence. 
  3. All students with a prior master’s degree will need to complete the Qualifying Exams and Preliminary Exam requirements even if coursework requirements have been met. Please discuss your specific plan with the Associate Chair of the PhD Degree.

Footnotes

1

These pathways are internal to the program and represent different curricular paths a student can follow to earn this degree. Pathway names do not appear in the Graduate School admissions application, and they will not appear on the transcript.

2

The math requirement can be waived by a B- or better in the equivalent course in undergraduate. To request this waiver, please e-mail the Associate Chair of the PhD Degree a copy of your unofficial transcript and indicate the course you are proposing to use. The credits do not transfer; you will instead be able to take an additional 3 credits of electives.

Graduate Student Services
bmegradadmission@engr.wisc.edu
3180 Mechanical Engineering
1513 University Ave., Madison, WI 53706

Pam Kreeger, Associate Chair, Graduate Advising
kreeger@wisc.edu

View the Graduate Guide for program-specific information on admission, coursework, policies, rules and regulations.

Biomedical engineering news

Research in our department pushes the boundaries of science and technology, covering a spectrum of conditions, and is uniquely situated with access to one of the top-20 hospitals in the country, a veterinary school, and cutting-edge research centers.

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