Applicant Information

Preparation for the Program

The program is designed primarily for students who have received four-year baccalaureate degrees in engineering or applied physics, but students from other baccalaureate degree programs may qualify for the program. The undergraduate curriculum should include courses in calculus through differential equations, inorganic chemistry, and physics, as well as in-depth training in engineering or the physical sciences. Some formal training in the biological sciences is also desirable. Students wishing to pursue a degree in biomedical engineering but who have not had substantial training in engineering or the physical sciences at the undergraduate level may be admitted to the program, but would be expected to remedy any deficiencies, usually during the summer preceding or during their first year of residency. Students for whom English is not a native language are strongly urged to come to Rochester early, in order to prepare for the first-year program.

Financial Support

All students accepted into the PhD program in Biomedical Engineering are granted financial support in the form of a full tuition waiver, and a competitive stipend. Outstanding candidates may be nominated by the Admissions Committee for special fellowships that are awarded on a competitive basis. Support is generally provided by the University for the first year or two of study. At the present time, this financial support does not require teaching or laboratory assistant duties beyond those that are integral to the academic program. Thereafter, the student is usually supported with research funds from his or her faculty advisor, although in rare cases, continued support from the University may be obtained. Student progress is reviewed on a yearly basis, and satisfactory progress must be demonstrated for support to continue.

No stipend support is available for MS degree candidates but a limited number of partial tuition scholarships are available. Federal work-study program funds, government or personal loans, or part-time employment may sometimes be used to meet expenses.

Housing

The University of Rochester offers a variety of housing accommodations for married and single graduate students ranging in cost from $415 USD/month for a studio apartment to $727 USD/month for a 3-bedroom townhouse. Other housing options are available in the nearby community, many within walking distance of the campus. Cost of food and sundries generally ranges from $200-$300 USD/month for a single person.

City of Rochester

The City of Rochester provides many cultural and recreational opportunities, including its own philharmonic orchestra, an active theatrical community, professional sports teams and numerous parks and bodies of water for hiking, swimming, fishing, skiing, jogging and other outdoor activities. Rochester's industrial base is technological. It is a center for the imaging industry and headquarters of several large corporations, including: Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb and Xerox.

Admissions

The deadline for completed applications and supporting material is January 1^st for admission in September of the same year. There is no application fee. The GRE General Test is required and should be taken in time for the admissions committee to receive score results by the January 1^st deadline.

All foreign applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL and achieve a minimum score of 250 for the computer-based test (CBT), 600 for the paper-based test (PBT), or 80 for the internet-based test (IBT), unless they are graduates of a U.S. undergraduate program. The institution code is 2928. For the GRE test, the department code is 1603.

For the TOEFL test, since there is no department code for Biomedical Engineering please use the following codes

• 45 for Biomedical Sciences
• 69 for Other Engineering
• 99 for Department Not Listed

In addition to completing the Online Application and personal statement, the following materials must be received by the BME Graduate Admissions office no later than January 1^st:

1. Three letters of recommendation
2. Official transcripts
3. Official test scores (GRE and TOEFL)
4. Curriculum vitae