Bioengineering Graduate Admissions and Financial Aid
On this page:
Admissions: |
Financial Aid: |
| General Admissions Information | Graduate Research Assistantships |
| Admissions Requirements | Fischell Fellowship |
| How to Apply | Other Graduate Fellowships |
| Application Deadlines |
Admissions
General Admissions Information
The overwhelming majority of our students are admitted to the Ph.D. program for a fall semester start. Because of the structure of the first year curriculum, students are rarely admitted to begin the Ph.D. program in the spring semester.
We rarely admit students who only wish to pursue a terminal master's degree in bioengineering. Only those Ph.D. students who fail to meet the requirements after gaining admission to the program are allowed to pursue a terminal master's degree (M.S.). Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to the Ph.D. program for fall admission. You may contact the Graduate Program Academic Coordinator (bioe-grad@umd.edu) with any questions about our admissions policies.
TopAdmissions Requirements
The following information is for applicants to the Graduate Program in Bioengineering only. Students interested in the M.S./M.D. program should apply to the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Admission to the Graduate Ph.D. Program in Bioengineering is highly competitive; the Department looks for strong evidence of motivation and achievement. Admission decisions are generally based on quantitative metrics (GPA, GRE and TOEFL scores), letters of recommendation, essay statements, previous archival publications and research experiences.
Admission to the Graduate Ph.D. Program in Bioengineering requires a Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering discipline from a recognized undergraduate institution. Admission may also 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 are given permission to enroll in the required core graduate courses. If you are a non-engineering undergraduate major, courses in mathematics (Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations, and Thermodynamics) are required to be considered for application.
Entrance Exams: GRE and TOEFL
All applicants must take the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Aptitude Test. For information, visit the Educational Testing service web site at www.ets.org.
International students should consult the Office of International Services web site for additional information regarding English proficiency and financial certification.
The University of Maryland's institutional code for the GRE and TOEFL is 5814. Official score reports sent to that institutional code will be forwarded to the Graduate Program in Bioengineering. Applicants should also use Department and Major Field code 1603 (Biomedical Engineering).
We prefer the TOEFL but currently will accept an IELTS average score of 7.7.
Because the reporting of GRE and TOEFL scores may be several months after the tests are taken, applicants are advised to arrange to take these tests well in advance of the application deadlines that are mentioned below.
The Graduate Program in Bioengineering has considerably stricter admission requirements than those set by the Graduate School.
The minimum requirements for acceptance into the Graduate Program in Bioengineering are:
- Bachelor’s degree from regionally accredited college or university (or equivalent from a foreign institution)
- At least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- At least 3 letters of recommendation strongly supporting the applicant’s admission into the Graduate Program
- An essay or statement of goals and experiences
- General GRE scores of greater than 400 on the Verbal section, greater than 700 on the Quantitative section and greater than 4.0 on the Analytical Writing section
- For international applicants: at least 105 (IBT) score on the TOEFL exam
Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Incoming Graduate Student Statistics
Our program receives a large number of qualified applications each year. The acceptance rate is approximately 15%, which indicates that admission is highly competitive.
The general statistics for our admitted students are as follows:
- average undergraduate GPA 3.6 or better
- average GRE General Test scores are 550+ Verbal, 770+
- Quantitative, 4.0+ Analytic
- average TOEFL score for international applicants was 105+.
The majority of our admitted students also have prior research experience, as well as publication history.
How to Apply
Students must apply online at the University of Maryland Graduate School web site, where they can also learn more about the application process. Please note that all application materials submitted (online application, ETS score reports, transcripts, etc.) should indicate the exact same first and last name and date of birth.
PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT ANY MATERIALS TO THE FISCHELL DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERNG.
Official transcripts should be submitted to:
Enrollment Services Office
Graduate Admissions
Mitchell Building
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
Letters of recommendation must be submitted online. You will receive e-mail instructions for submitting online recommendation letters once you have completed the online application. You will also receive instructions that explain how to check the status of your application online. Due to the volume of applications, this online method for checking the status of your application is strongly encouraged.
For more information, please visit:
- On-line graduate application »
- Current graduate catalog »
- International Education Services (IES): Admissions information for international students »
Application Deadlines
Fall Admission Deadlines
- December 1: Deadline for ALL applicants for first-consideration regarding financial aid and admissions. Applications received after that date will not be considered in the initial evaluations by the admissions committee. Applications completed after December 1 will only be considered if the Fall Semester admissions spots have not been filled by applicants who submitted their application before December 1.
Deferral
Decisions on deferral are made on a case-by-case basis, and we cannot guarantee that a request to defer admission will be approved.
Financial Aid
Graduate Research Assistantships
Graduate Research Assistantships typically support qualified Ph.D. students. This funding is provided by the department for the first year. The student is responsible for acquiring a research advisor who will provide their GRA funding for the remainder of their time in the program (typically 3-4 years). Acceptable progress towards the degree is required to maintain a GRA. This will be determined by yearly evaluations between the advisor and the student, as well as the student’s dissertation committee.
- We are unable to provide funding for students in the M.S./M.D. dual degree program.
- We also do not provide funding for M.Eng or Certificate Students
The Fischell Fellowship
The Fischell Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering is a unique graduate fellowship opportunity for talented and innovative graduate students interested in applied research and product design in the biomedical industry. The Fischell Fellowship is a competitive doctoral fellowship featuring:
- $35,000 (12-month Stipend)
- Full Tuition Waiver
- Full Health Benefits
- Renewal for up to 5 years as long as the recipient remains in good academic standing and continues his or her course of study.
Application and Eligibility
All applicants to the Graduate Program in Bioengineering will be considered for the Fischell Fellowship. No separate application is required. A committee will award the fellowship to one accepted student per year in each incoming class. Eligibility for the Fischell Fellowship in Biomedical Engineering is reserved for applicants (new, incoming students) to the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States. Applicants do not have to have an undergraduate degree in bioengineering.
Meet Our Fischell Fellows
Other Graduate Fellowships
For more information on specific graduate fellowships that may be offered by individual programs or the Graduate School, please visit the Graduate School's Fellowships and Scholarships page »
To Learn More
For more information about financial assistance and the cost of attendance, please visit the Graduate School's Financial and Student Support Policies and the University of Maryland's Office of Financial Aid.
