Section 16: MS and PhD Application & Admission Requirements
16.1 General Information
Students can apply to Biomedical Engineering (BME) MS and PhD programs for Autumn and less commonly, for Spring Semester. Below are the application deadlines and requirements. (Applicants to the BS/MS program, see section 12. Applicants to the MD/PhD - MSTP, see Section 11.)
16.2 Application Deadlines
For Autumn – AugustFor admission & fellowship consideration for PhD & MD/PhD and admission to MSNov 30 International applicants for fellowship considerationDec 15 Domestic applicants for fellowship considerationMay 1 Last-minute deadline for general admissionFor Spring – JanuaryFor admission to MS or PhDOct 15 Recommended for all, required for International applicants Last-minute deadline for all general admission
Q: When should I visit Ohio State?
BME works closely with the College of Engineering Office of Graduate Recruitment and Support on annual events such as the Graduate Engineering Open House (GEOH) and participates with the university’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion on their Graduate and Professional Student Recruitment Initiative (GPS). Some travel stipends available. Visit their pages to find out how to attend or apply.
16.3 Basics of Filing the Application
Applicants must submit the application, fee, and all required materials by the deadlines above in order for the application to be considered for admission to BME graduate programs.
There are two main offices involved in processing applications: The Ohio State University Office of Graduate Admissions and the BME Graduate Studies Office. The Graduate Studies Office within BME works with the University’s Graduate Admissions Office application system to manage the application process and provide assistance.
The following materials must be submitted to the Ohio State Office of Graduate Admissions via the online application system:
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Nonrefundable application fee: $60.00 for domestic applicants; $70.00 for international applicants
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Official transcripts from all universities attended (exception: Ohio State students do not need to provide Ohio State transcripts but must provide transcripts for transfer work done at a separate institution)
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Official TOEFL score for international applicants
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A statement of purpose of no more than 2 pages describing your career goals, research interests and experience, desired program of study, etc. (Please see writing prompt ideas on the next page.)
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Three letters of recommendation, preferably from academic sources (exception: Ohio State BME BS applying to the non-thesis MS may submit 2 from Ohio State BME)
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Abstract of the MS thesis (if you are applying to the PhD and have earned an MS degree) or a list of research experiences, conference presentations, or publications, if you have any
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CV or Resume
If the Graduate Admissions Office tips don’t help, here are a few more:
16.4 Things to Do Before and During the Application Process:
The Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Committee (BMEGSC) meets roughly once per month to review applications that have been filed with Ohio State’s Office of Graduate Admissions. Decision times vary depending on time of the year, funding availability, and faculty recruitment needs.
As you may have discovered, admission philosophies and practices differ among programs and departments, even within the same university. In BME, we aim for the long-term success of PhD students and therefore emphasize a research interest and funding match between the applicant and the faculty advisor. We recommend that all PhD applicants explore the research areas and faculty on our website and contact them directly about their interest and availability to advise and/or fund new graduate students. PhD applicants with a strong academic background and a solid research and funding match with Ohio State faculty will receive a high priority for admission and fellowship nomination. All PhD applicants are encouraged to introduce themselves to and connect with potential faculty advisors. Email is often the best way to reach faculty.
The MS is a self-funded degree. However, those interested in pursuing research toward a thesis will want to make sure there are faculty doing research in your area of interest. This step is not as necessary for non-thesis MS students for whom the program is course-based.
16.5 How and When the BMEGSC Makes Admission Decisions
Once a complete application is received, the BMEGSC will make your application information available to all BME faculty. Some recruiting faculty members are able to offer Graduate Research Associateships (GRAs): positions for which students do lab tasks and activities in exchange for tuition and a stipend. Recruiting faculty also assist the BMEGSC in nominating applications in university- and college-wide fellowship (i.e., scholarship) competitions that can pay tuition and a stipend if awarded. An early and complete application, along with a good match with faculty research, is critical to being nominated in fellowship competitions.
Once the BMEGSC learns the results of fellowship competitions (typically during February and March) we will begin to make admission offers and invite recruited students for campus visits (often with a travel stipend). All admission considerations happen between January and April 15th, the nationally agreed upon date by which most schools require an acceptance decision. Applicants are encouraged to stay in touch with faculty and BME graduate studies office staff during this time period and to let us know if we can help with enrollment decisions.
Things to think about when drafting your statement of purpose
- What are your most significant attributes? How do you think these attributes will contribute to your success in the degree program(s) to which you are applying (non-thesis MS or thesis MS or PhD)? Describe one instance in which you have used these attributes to accomplish your goals.
- Describe succinctly a personal or academic challenge (small or large) you have faced and how you successfully handled this challenge. What did you learn? What would you do differently?
- For PhD or thesis-MS applicants only: Summarize highlights of your research experience (including methods, lab or company, advisor, publications, conference presentations, etc.); tell us about a successful research experience (which may include some failures); and describe your process for progressing in or completing your research.
- After reading faculty research interests on the BME Department website, please name the specific areas and faculty with whom you would like to work and explain why.
- State your long-term career goals. How does earning your degree of choice (non-thesis MS or thesis-MS or PhD) assist with achieving these goals?
16.6 Required Application Background
Most applicants to the MS or PhD programs have an engineering background. A list of Required Background Courses for Non-engineers is available in the Appendix I of this handbook. Note that applicants typically are not considered for admission without earning at least a 3.0/4.0 in most of the required background courses, with an emphasis on math through differential equations. Our past experiences have confirmed that an engineering background is essential for success in a graduate-level engineering program; lesser preparation could jeopardize successful completion of the degree.
16.7 Admission Requirements
Admission to The Ohio State University Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program is based in part on several university requirements:
- The equivalent of a four-year bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited college or university, earned by the expected date of entry into your graduate program. Students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline are expected to take the courses necessary to acquire an appropriate engineering background before applying. Students may apply directly to the PhD without a master’s degree.
- A minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for the last bachelor's degree earned. Although this is the minimum for consideration by the university’s Graduate School, prospective students should be aware that the average GPA of admitted BME students may be higher.
- A minimum of 3.3 cumulative point-hour ratio or GPA (on the 4.0 scale or equivalent) in all previous graduate work. This is the GPA required for an applicant to be considered for admission. In general, applicants for the PhD program are expected to have earned a higher cumulative point-hour ratio than is expected of applicants for the MS degree.
- For applicants whose native language is not English, who have been educated primarily outside of the U.S., or who have held U.S. permanent resident, asylee or refugee status for less than one year from the first term of enrollment: A minimum score of 19 on each section of the paper-based TOEFL; 79 on the Internet Based TOEFL or TOEFL Special Home Edition; or 7.0 on the IELTS exam or IELTS Indicator. (See exemptions and Duolingo exceptions for 2021 applicants.)
- An abstract of the MS thesis/project or similar published work, when available, is required of PhD applicants. The requirement may be waived for students who are applying directly to the PhD from a bachelor’s degree program.
16.8 Application Advice & Events
Applicants may apply directly to the PhD program without a master’s degree; we admit directly to PhD program.
In very rare circumstances, the BMEGSC may petition the Graduate School to request conditional admission for an applicant not meeting the 3.0/4.0 university GPA cut. This is an option used for applicants demonstrating outstanding achievement amidst extenuating circumstances, with other mitigating factors and experience. If approved by the Graduate School, a student would need to meet conditions set forth by them in the first semester before an official offer of admission could be made.
Choose recommenders who can speak to your academic and research skills: professors and research supervisors are preferred to academic advisors or employers, but there can always be exceptions for a good letter of reference.
Prospective students seeking guidance on applying may contact the BME Graduate Studies Coordinator (senitko.1@osu.edu) or for more in-depth discussions of the field, BMEGSC Chair (liu.314@osu.edu).
Be sure to reply to emails from the BME Graduate Studies Coordinator – as well as staff of all programs to which you have applied – and make sure your application email address is current. This can make all the difference when last-minute application problems are caught or new funding or research leads are found.
In addition to making connections at local Graduate Engineering Open House (GEOH) and Graduate and Professional Student Recruitment Initiative (GPS) events, students attending professional conferences such as the national meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) or Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) should be sure to visit the Ohio State booths; seek out Ohio State research; and make connections with faculty, students, and graduate program staff.
16.9 Applying from BME MS to BME PhD
Current students enrolled in the BME master’s program who wish to apply to the doctoral program must submit the request for admission in writing and with approval of their advisor to the BMEGSC for consideration. A program of study must be included. Previously enrolled students who have not been enrolled in the Graduate School for more than two years must submit a petition to the BMEGSC for permission to re-enroll in the program. Each case will be judged on its individual merit.
16.10 Transferring from an Ohio State Graduate Program to BME
Applicants to the graduate program who have enrolled in another graduate program at Ohio State and wish to transfer into a new graduate program follow different application procedures. Contact Graduate School Registration Services at grad-schoolregistrationservices@osu.edu or 614-292-6031 for information about eligibility to re-enroll or procedures to change programs. Neither fellowships nor candidacy exams can transfer into a new program.
Handbook
Section 1: Graduate Program Advising & Governance
Section 2: Registration and Enrollment Basics
Section 4: BME Thesis-MS Curriculum Requirements
Section 5: Thesis-MS Committee and Examinations
Section 6: BME Non-Thesis-MS Curriculum Requirements
Section 7: Non-Thesis MS Committees and Culminating Experience
Section 8: BME PhD Curriculum Requirements
Section 9: PhD Candidacy Examination: Overview, Committee, and Process
Section 10: PhD Dissertation Defense: Final Oral Examination Overview, Committee, and Process
Section 11: Combined Medical Scientist Training Program: MD/PhD Degree
Section 12: Combined BS/MS Program in BME
Section 13: Funding Sources and Policies
Section 14: Student Organizations, University Services & Wellness Resources
Section 15: Development of Ethics in Scholarly Activities
Appendix A: List of Graduate Course Suggestions for Programs of Study
Appendix B: PhD Program Template
Appendix C: Thesis MS Program Template
Appendix D: Non-thesis MS Program Template
Appendix E: PhD Timeline: Completing degree requirements
Appendix F: MS Timeline: Completing degree requirements
Appendix G: PhD Graduation Tool
Appendix H: MS Graduation Tool
Appendix I: Admission Prerequisites for Non-engineers
Appendix J: Department Mission