Engineering: Bioengineering (BIOE)

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Abstract

The Fischell Department of Bioengineering offers research and education opportunities leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree and to the MS/MD Masters of Science as a Dual Degree program with the University of Maryland School of Medicine. It is housed in and administered by the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. The Bioegineering Graduate Program faculty includes all faculty holding a tenured or tennure-track appointment in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, as well as faculty holding Affiliate and Adjunct appointments with the Department. The research interests of the program faculty are extensive and include biomaterials, bioMEMS, biomechanics, cardiovascular mechanics, cellular and metabolic engineering, imaging, systems biology, nanobiotechnology, and tissue engineering. Academic departments participating in the program include, but are not limited to: the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, Biology, Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, and the University of Maryland Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Admissions Information

Admission to the Graduate Program in Bioengineering requires a bachelor of science degree in an engineering discipline from a recognized undergraduate institution. Admission also may be granted to students with a degree in another scientific discipline, such as biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics. In some cases, students may be required to take undergraduate courses to rectify deficiencies in their background before they will be given permission to enroll in the required core graduate courses. Because of the structure of the first year curriculum, students seldom are admitted to begin the Ph.D. program in the spring semester. In addition, students are rarely admitted that only wish to pursue a master's degree. Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for fall admission to the Ph.D. program.

Application Deadlines

Type of Applicant	Fall	Spring
Domestic Applicants; US Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials; International Applicants seeking admissions under A, E, G, H, I and L visas and immigrants	Deadline: December 1 Preferred: December 1
International Applicants seeking admission under F (student) or J (exchange visitor) visas	Deadline: December 1 Preferred: December 1

Application Requirements

1. Online Application
2. Statement of Goals, Research Interests and Experiences (on-line submission required)
3. 3 Letters of Recommendation (on-line submission required)
4. Complete set of official transcripts reflecting all undergraduate and graduate work completed or in progress
5. Official GRE General Exam score report
6. Official TOEFL score report (if applicable)
7. Maryland In-State Status Form (if wish to apply for Maryland resident status)

Degree Requirements

Master of Science (M.S.)
Students who have been accepted into the PhD program and are unable to satisfy the PhD requirements may complete a MS degree. There is no direct admission into the MS program. Applicants interested in a terminal master's degree, should consider the Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) with a concentration in Bioengineering offered by the Office of Advanced Engineering. Information about this program can be found at http://www.oaee.umd.edu/grad/pmbi.html

Master of Science/Doctor of Medicine (M.S./M.D.)
This is a dual degree program with the University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Medicine. Students applying to the MS Program in Bioengineering must first be admitted to the MD program in the School of Medicine. The objective of this program is to broaden to educational and research scope of medical doctors in significant fields of bioengineering. Thus, the program should be attractive to those clinicians interested in areas including clinical research, biomaterials, biomedical imaging, medical device innovation, medical device development, and drug development. Graduates of the combined program will receive a Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine as well as a Master of Science degree from the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
The PhD program consists of 45 credits including required, restricted, and unrestricted elective courses, a research aptitude examination (RAE), an oral defense of a written dissertation research proposal, and a preparation and oral defense of a publication-quality dissertation that advances the field. All students must take the following three Bioengineering courses (9 credits): BIOE 601 Rate Processes in Biological Systems, BIOE 604 Transport Phenomena in Bioengineering Systems, and BIOE 612 Physiological Evaluation of Bioengineering Designs. Students are also required to take two restricted electives (6 credits) and 3 unrestricted electives (9 credits) in order to fulfill course requirements. A complete list of acceptable electives may be obtained from the BIOE Graduate Program website. The laboratory rotation courses BIOE 605/606 (2credits) and the Bioengineering Seminar Series BIOE 608 (1 credit) are also required. Attendance at all Bioengineering seminars is expected throughout the graduate student's career, irrespective of whether the course is taken for credit or not. Additionally, a total of 18 credit hours of Dissertation Research credits must be taken (BIOE 899). Qualification for advancement to candidacy requires that students earn a GPA of 3.0 or better in each of the core courses and pass the Research Aptitude Examination. If a student receives a C in a core course, then it must be repeated. All students entering the PhD program must take the Research Aptitude Examination held in January, prior to the second semester of their first year. The date and time of the examination will be announced by the graduate program before the end of the Fall semester. The dissertation proposal, with oral presentation, must be completed by the end of the third year.

Facilities and Special Resources

The Department has access to well-equipped bioengineering research laboratories and associated departmental facilities of its faculty. In addition, there are core facilities available for bioengineering research. Animal facilities are available if necessary.

Financial Assistance

Graduate assistantships and fellowships are available on a competitive basis to PhD students. No separate financial support application is required. Students will automatically be considered for eligible forms of support.

Contact Information

Please see the program's web site for program description, admission requirements, and financial aid information.

Graduate Program in Bioengineering
2330 Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building University of Maryland
College Park
MD  20742
Telephone: (301) 405-8268
Fax: (301) 405-9953
bioe-grad@umd.edu

http://www.bioe.umd.edu

Courses: BIOE

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