This handbook describes the graduate programs in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering of The University of Iowa. The various plans of study, policies, regulations, and procedures applicable to the students pursuing an MS (Masters of Science) or PhD degree are contained herein. All graduate students are subject to the rights and responsibilities mandated by the Graduate College.

The Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering grants MS, fast-track BS/MS, and PhD degrees in biomedical engineering.

The goal of graduate study, at both the MS (Master's of Science) and PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) levels, is to educate students more deeply and broadly than is possible at the BS (Bachelor of Science) level in the discipline of biomedical engineering. 

Students can then apply this knowledge toward a professional career in engineering design and development or an academic career.

Under the guidance of BME faculty, a student may plan a course of study in a wide variety of areas. The educational experience can be broadly or narrowly directed and is limited only by the range of teaching and research activity currently conducted by the university.

Each student's course of study is based on their background, their career objectives, and sound academic practice. The course of study is normally in an area in which the departmental faculty has teaching and research expertise. 

An individual program may be developed from courses offered by our department and other departments in the college, especially the Departments of Mechanical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering, or by basic science departments in the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Medicine.

Students desiring a more general program may combine disciplines, while those desiring specialization in any particular field may accommodate these preferences through the combination of departmental courses and appropriate electives from other departments.

• Biomaterials
• Biomedical imaging
• Cardiovascular biomechanics
• Computational genomics, bioinformatics, and systems biology
• Computational modeling and simulation
• Mechanobiology and tissue engineering
• Musculoskeletal biomechanics
• Pulmonary/respiratory

Learn more about the Lung Imaging Training Program 

The Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering offers fast-track BS/MS, MS and PhD degrees. Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree in engineering or in a related field such as mathematical, physical, or life sciences are eligible to be considered for admission to the graduate program in Biomedical Engineering.  

However, students from non-engineering disciplines should have completed a four-course engineering Math sequence (Calculus I & II, Matrix Algebra and Differential Equations), a full year of calculus-based Physics, and some introductory Engineering coursework such as Statics and Dynamics in order to be competitive for admission.

This page provides information for applicants interested in pursuing the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. Separate instructions have been provided for applicants interested in pursuing the *fast track BS/MS degree. The minimum requirements for application to the Biomedical Engineering graduate program at the University of Iowa are:

GPA: 3.0 on a 4 point scale for M.S. applicants and 3.25 on a 4 point scale for Ph.D. applicants
TOEFL: 85 (IBT version).

Research has demonstrated that the GRE can act as a barrier to entry for many students applying to graduate schools.  The Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering has removed the GRE as a requirement for all graduate program applications. We are committed to recruiting the best students from all backgrounds and our admission committee holistically reviews all prospective students’ applications.

Official transcripts should be mailed to:

A limited number of teaching assistantships (TAs) and graduate research assistantships (GRAs) are available for BME PhD students to spend the first year of their PhD program doing two or three research rotations with different faculty members before selecting their Dissertation advisor, who will support them for subsequent years. Selection of these students is highly competitive, and decisions are made by the graduate committee.

TA Certification:

The university requires English proficiency certification for graduate TAs whose native language is not English. All such TAs must pass this test before they can be assigned a TA. All foreign students should follow the same rules and codes as the domestic students. This certification test costs $750, and the department does not fund this certification fee. Students should be prepared to cover this cost, or ask their research mentor to cover the cost.

Read the official Graduate College rules for English proficiency.

Within a single year, appointments to assistantships or traineeships are for a fixed period, usually one academic semester or academic year. Renewal of an appointment for a subsequent period is based on the evaluation of the faculty advisor and the collective judgment of the faculty concerning the student progress and professional conduct. It is emphasized that all renewals are contingent on the continued availability of state, federal, and project funds for student support.

A graduate student on an assistantship or traineeship may be dismissed during the term of that appointment due to loss of student status. A graduate student may be dismissed from an assistantship or traineeship appointment during the term of the appointment, without necessarily losing student status, for 1) any reason sufficient to dismiss a faculty member during the term of an appointment (see University Operations Manual, Section 20:290 Ethics; Section 20:267 Unfitness; and Appendix 720.9.1 Uniform Rules of Personal Conduct¹), or 2) failure to follow or implement properly any adequately reasonable instructions of the supervisor when such instructions are within the proper scope of the supervisor. Termination of an appointment for either of these two reasons is described in Section 20:230 of the University Operations Manual.

Students may be dismissed from the University of Iowa Graduate College for inadequate academic performance. Quoting from the Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations:

Master of Science Students

“A non-doctoral departmental (master's, professional improvement, certificate) student, except one on conditional status, shall be placed on academic probation if, after completing 9 semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at The University of Iowa, the student's UI Cumulative GPA falls below 2.75. A student regains good academic standing when their UI Cumulative GPA returns to 2.75, or greater. If, after completing 9 more semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at the University, the student's UI Cumulative GPA remains below 2.75, the student will be denied permission to re-register within any Graduate College degree program.”

Doctoral Students

“A doctoral student on regular status shall be placed on academic probation if, after completing 9 semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at The University of Iowa, the student's UI Cumulative GPA falls below 3.00. A student regains good academic standing when their UI Cumulative GPA returns to 3.00. If, after completing 9 more semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at this University, the student's UI Cumulative GPA remains below 3.00, the student will be dropped from the degree program and denied permission to re-register within any Graduate College doctoral degree program.”

If the department believes there to be extenuating circumstances for a particular student, the director of graduate studies may request a waiver from the Graduate College. When it can be shown that a particular student is uniquely disadvantaged by the probation policy, the Graduate College may grant an additional semester on probation.

¹See for example Section II Community Policies (chapters on sexual harassment, consensual relationships between instructors and students, violence, drug use, harassment, use of information technology resources, and research), as well as Section III Human Resource Policies (Standards and Ethics; Time Off and Scheduling).

Unlike undergraduate students, PhD and MS with thesis graduate students have research and/or teaching duties on a continuous basis, including those periods when classes are not in session (e.g., winter and spring break). Graduate students receiving financial support must observe normal university business hours. At a minimum, this means assistantship duties should be carried out during Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students must discuss the possibility of alternative working hours with the research advisor or faculty instructor in charge. The research director or faculty instructor should be notified of absences due to illness or family emergency as soon as possible. Graduate students should behave professionally, notifying colleagues and supervisors in advance of planned absences. Students absent for extended periods without approval will become ineligible for departmental financial aid. Graduate students may take paid leave or vacation, with the agreement of the faculty advisor. Typical guidelines are as follows: 1) two weeks of paid leave for academic year appointments, and 2) three weeks of paid leave for fiscal year appointments. Typically, such vacation should be taken between academic semesters or during breaks, and must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor. Students cannot accumulate vacation from year to year.

The university is required by federal regulation to withhold income tax from money paid from university sources and from project grants. The university will provide an annual W-2 form showing the amount withheld. The tax status of these payments, in whole or in part, is subject to interpretation of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Each individual taxpayer bears the responsibility of filing an income tax report according to the individual's situation and applicable status.

Certain fellowships do not have any federal or state income tax withholding, but may still be taxable income. In these cases, the student is required to make quarterly estimated income tax payments to the Internal Revenue Service and to the State of Iowa. See also: forms and instructions to make the payments  

The terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to wages and benefits, in a GA position are governed by a collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, and UE Local 896/COGS, the union representing graduate teaching assistants and research assistants at the University of Iowa. Copies of this collective bargaining agreement will be provided upon your appointment and may be viewed from the university website. 

All MS and PhD students must successfully complete the Graduate Core Courses as part of their graduate curriculum. Students are expected to complete the Graduate Core Courses during their first year of study.

• Human Physiology, HHP:3550, or Quantitative Physiology, BME:3260
• Mathematical Methods in Engineering, ME:5113, or an equivalent 3000-level Mathematics course (e.g., MATH:3xxx excluding History of Math or Philosophy of Math and excluding Engineering Mathematics 5: Vector Calculus)
• Engineering Ethics, ENGR:7270

Engineering Coursework Requirement

• All MS and PhD students must complete at least 18 semester hours at 5000-level or above from the College of Engineering or courses from the approved elective list^1,2,3. This requirement must be satisfied by the end of the student's studies in order to graduate.

¹ BS/MS fast track students may include qualifying courses taken during year 4 and/or year 5.
² MSTP students will have a reduced requirement of 12 credit hours of 5000-level or above courses from the College of Engineering.
³ Some or all of the 18 semester hours of College of Engineering coursework may be satisfied by transfer credit from approved graduate engineering courses.

Depending upon a student’s performance in these Graduate Core Courses and the nature of their research project, the student’s examining committee may specify additional coursework to be completed to satisfy the Graduate Core Coursework requirement.

Graduate Core Courses may be substituted by other equivalent courses at the discretion of the student’s Examining Committee and approval by the director of graduate studies (DGS). Equivalent coursework taken as part of either student's undergraduate or graduate studies prior to starting the BME graduate programs at the University of Iowa may satisfy one or more of the Graduate Core Coursework requirements. Students wishing to request a substitution or a waiver of a Graduate Core course (only Human Physiology) must submit a Core Course substitution or waiver form. Relevant forms may be obtained from the graduate program coordinator.

Seminars

Attendance and participation in seminars are mandatory and important parts of graduate education. All Biomedical Engineering graduate students are required to register for and attend the weekly BME Graduate Seminar, BME:5010:0001. In the case of a conflict (i.e., an internship out of town) a student may request to be excused from attending the seminar. Please note course conflicts do not qualify for a waiver.

If there is a qualifying conflict, the student must instead register for BME:5010:0002. This course requires prior approval in order to receive a registration code. To obtain approval, first contact the DGS and explain the rationale for this request.

A minimum TOEFL internet-based test score of 85 is a requirement for admission to the Biomedical Engineering graduate program. In addition, the English as a Second Language (ESL) program must evaluate students with TOEFL scores below 100 on the internet-based test (or under 600 on the paper-based exam) as soon as they arrive on campus. This evaluation is the basis for ESL recommendations for Intensive English or other coursework to improve English proficiency. Students are required to enroll in the prescribed courses within the first year of graduate study. The Graduate College will monitor the results of on-campus English evaluations of students subject to the TOEFL requirements. Students will be expected to enroll in courses recommended by ESL during their first semester and to continue enrollment until satisfactory grades are earned or until subsequent evaluation indicates that the required level of English proficiency has been achieved. New students taking the English Proficiency Evaluation are notified of the results shortly before the start of the semester. In addition, copies of the results are sent to advisers so that they have them when they meet with students. Results may include recommendations by ESL for enrollment in English preparation courses. Students will be required to continue registration in appropriate ESL courses until certified to have achieved the desired level of proficiency. This policy may preclude some students from enrolling in ANY graduate-level course work during their first semester, and may limit the amount of graduate course work they may take in subsequent semesters if ESL determines that additional English preparation is required. Failure to enroll in the required ESL course work would prohibit future registration in the graduate program until requirements are fulfilled.

U2G Undergrad to Grad Program (BSE/MS) Program Overview

In order to serve the highest achieving undergraduate engineering students at the University of Iowa, BME and the College of Engineering support a combined Bachelor of Science in Engineering and Master's of Science degree program (BSE/MS). The intent of the program is to provide early entrance to graduate school and to accelerate time to an MS for our most able students.

Students admitted to the U2G program will be allowed to:

• Apply four engineering courses (12 sh) towards the requirement from both the BSE and MS in BME.
• Attend and participate in the BME departmental graduate seminar.
• Conduct innovative research for a master's thesis or take coursework for a non-thesis master's starting as early as the summer following junior year.

Eligibility

Students applying to the U2G program in Biomedical Engineering must meet the following criteria at the time of application:

• Minimum of 80 semester credit hours completed towards a BSE
• Cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher
• Identify a thesis mentor (MS thesis only)

Admissions

The application is a two-step process. First, submit the BME application and required materials (listed below) to the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering by May 1. After receiving departmental approval, please apply to the University of Iowa Graduate College through the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Students are encouraged to begin the application in the spring of the junior year.  The Graduate Admissions application for the U2G program must be received by the Office of Graduate Admissions before the beginning of the senior year (summer or winter break). Admission to the U2G program is subject to review by the BME Director of Graduate Studies.

The application requirements for the preliminary BME application are listed below.

THESIS DEGREE OPTION

• The U2G application form
• Transcript (a printout of the grade report is sufficient)
• A copy of your resume/CV
• A letter of support from a faculty member willing to serve as research mentor

NON-THESIS DEGREE OPTION

• The U2G application form
• Transcript (a printout of the grade report is sufficient)
• A copy of your resume/CV

Email all application materials to Miranda Dlhy, graduate program specialist.

Graduation Requirements

Successful completion of the graduate degree requires advice and approval from the student's graduate advisor and committee.

A student in the U2G degree program must complete all the graduate requirements of both the undergraduate and graduate programs in BME. A total of 12 sh of courses may be counted toward both the B.S.E. and M.S., including Biostatistics and three 5000-level courses (or courses from the approved elective list) from your BME focus area requisites or engineering electives. Thirty total sh of graduate credits are required, 30 sh of coursework for non-thesis MS, or 24 sh of coursework and 6 sh of thesis credit for thesis MS. Students entering the U2G degree program are required to enroll in the BME engineering graduate seminar (0 sh) each semester during the graduate degree.

Coursework Requirements

Core Courses

All U2G students must successfully complete the Graduate Core Courses as part of their graduate curriculum. 

• Human Physiology¹, HHP:3550, or Quantitative Physiology, BME:3260
• Mathematical Methods in Engineering, ME:5113, or an equivalent 3000-level Mathematics course (e.g., MATH:3xxx excluding History of Math or Philosophy of Math and excluding Engineering Mathematics 5: Vector Calculus)
• Engineering Ethics, ENGR:7270

¹ Students who completed HHP:2400 for their BSE may complete a waiver for this requirement. Students who completed BME:3260 may also complete a waiver and count this class towards graduate credit. 

Engineering Coursework Requirement

• All BME graduate students must complete 18 semester hours at 5000-level or above from the College of Engineering or courses from the approved elective list.¹ This requirement must be satisfied by the end of the student's studies.

The M.S. must be completed within two years of completing the B.S.E. degree. If a student withdraws from the BSE/MS joint degree program or does not complete the MS two years after completing the BSE, no graduate credit will be given for any portion of the semester hours eligible for joint counting that have been completed.  

Tuition and Fees

Tuition is assessed at the undergraduate level during the undergraduate portion of the program. Graduate tuition will be assessed beginning the first semester after undergraduate commencement.

Research and/or teaching assistantships and other forms of financial aid are not routinely provided to BSE/MS students. However, students are encouraged to discuss this with their graduate advisor. 

Who to contact? 

Miranda Dlhy, graduate program specialist

MS Thesis degree

An MS thesis degree requires 24 semester hours of core and elective graduate-level courses and 6 semester hours of MS thesis. The core courses required of all graduate students are provided in the Graduate Curriculum and Policies page. The elective courses are expected to conform to the focus area of the candidate. The MS thesis will be evaluated by an examining committee of faculty members. Students are encouraged to publish their thesis work in peer-reviewed journals and present them in the BME graduate seminar, where possible. Usually, students obtain their MS thesis degree in four semesters.

Research advisor/mentor:

The research mentor is a faculty member who will guide the candidate in their MS thesis research, in choosing appropriate elective courses, managing the administration of the thesis defense, often providing financial support and in guiding the candidate toward a chosen career path upon graduation. Identifying a research mentor is one of the most important and indispensable steps for an MS thesis candidate. Therefore, the earlier a research mentor is identified, the better. Many MS thesis candidates identify and have communicated with their research mentor even before starting their graduate studies. All students seeking an MS thesis are encouraged to identify their research mentor within the first semester of graduate studies.

Academic advisor:

The academic advisor is a BME primary faculty member¹ who will guide the candidate on general academic requirements of their graduate studies including the approval of courses for registration. If the research mentor is a BME primary faculty, then he/she will also serve as academic advisor. However, if the research mentor is not a BME primary faculty member, an academic advisor from BME will be assigned to the candidate (or may be chosen by the candidate). 

¹ Primary faculty are faculty whose main appointment is in the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering. 

Examining Committee:

The examining committee will evaluate and pass/fail the candidate's M.S. thesis effort. The candidate must form an examining committee with input from his/her research mentor. It must consist of at least three members and conform to the following requirements:

• At least two committee members should be members of the University of Iowa tenure-track faculty;
• At least two committee members should be BME primary faculty members; and
• The examining committee chair or at least one co-chair must be tenure-track.

MS thesis report and oral defense:

The MS thesis effort must be presented to the examining committee through a report and an oral defense. Thesis report must conform to the instructions provided in the graduate college thesis manual. All committee members have the right to examine corrected drafts as well as earlier drafts to assure that recommended changes have been made before the thesis is submitted to the Graduate College.  An oral defense in front of the examining committee must be scheduled by the candidate. In typical cases, the candidate will present his/her thesis project effort and findings followed by a Q&A session. The examining committee will then convene in private, discuss and vote to pass or fail the candidate. The student will be considered to have passed the M.S. thesis defense if a majority of the members vote to pass. If the student fails the thesis defense, he/she may retake it at the discretion of the examining committee.

The thesis report must conform to the instructions in the graduate college thesis manual. The report must be submitted to the examining committee members at least 2 weeks before the date of the thesis defense.

Required documentation:

Three weeks before the thesis defense date or by the Graduate College deadline, the candidate should submit the BME exam request to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The 'Non-Doctoral plan of study' and the 'Request for final examination form' will be completed and submitted to the Graduate College on behalf of the student. Relevant forms may be downloaded from the BME graduate program Forms and Documents page. 

MS non-thesis degree

Academic advisor/mentor:

PhD Program Overview

PhD Qualifying Exam

PhD Comprehensive Exam

The PhD comprehensive exam (CE) is the second of three exams that graduate students in Biomedical Engineering will have to pass toward obtaining their PhD degree. The CE exam, administered by the candidate’s examining committee, will evaluate the candidate’s proposed PhD dissertation project plan. PhD candidates should take the comprehensive exam within two years of completing the qualifying examination. The CE includes the submission of a report and an oral examination. According to Graduate College policy, the comprehensive exam must be satisfactorily completed not later than the session prior to the session of graduation.

Role of research mentor

The candidate’s research mentor will chair the examining committee. Unlike in the qualifying exam, it is expected that the candidate’s research mentor will work with and assist in preparing him/her for the comprehensive exam.

Examining committee 

The examining committee for the comprehensive exam should conform to the requirements above and be formed under the guidance of the research mentor. 

Required documentation

Three weeks before the scheduled oral comprehensive exam, the candidate should submit the BME request for the exam to the graduate program coordinator. The 'Doctoral plan of study' and 'Request and Report for comprehensive examination' will be completed on behalf of the student and submitted to the Graduate College. Relevant forms may be downloaded from the BME Graduate Program Forms and Documents page.

Please ensure you submit your research plans/report to your committee two weeks in advance of the examination date.

Comprehensive exam report

The candidate is expected to prepare a CE report in the format of a National Institutes of Health research proposal laying out the proposed dissertation project plan. The proposal should include the following:

• Title page: Student name; Committee members and their academic departments; Committee chairman (research adviser)
• Research proposal: Specific Aims, Significance, Innovation, and Approach
• Timeline: Give a specific schedule for the completion of the proposed studies, with explicit reference to the work proposed in the Research Plan.
• Bibliography: A complete list of cited references

The comprehensive report should follow the National Institutes of Health R01 proposal format (NIH SF424 R&R Application – Research Strategy section). The CE report should be submitted to the examining committee at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled oral examination date.

Comprehensive exam administration

Typically, a CE is a public presentation and should be advertised to the public. During the oral comprehensive examination, the candidate will present his/her research plan to the examining committee, followed by a question and answer session. At the discretion of the committee, a closed Q&A session (i.e., only the candidate and the committee members) may also be conducted. Upon completion, the committee will convene in private and vote to pass or fail the candidate based on the merits of the proposed dissertation project plan. The committee may also recommend changes to the candidate’s dissertation project plan.

After passing the comprehensive exam

• Doctoral candidates should strive to conform to the approved project goals and timeline for their dissertation project and communicate with their research mentor and examining committee when substantive changes are anticipated.
• Post-comp students should register for the seminar each semester.
• Post-comp students who have completed 72 credit hours need to maintain ‘continuous registration by registering for a minimum of 1 semester hour (please note that BME Graduate Seminar, BME:5010, does not fulfill the continuous registration requirement.) Refer to the Graduate College policies on continuous registration. To maintain full-time status, please obtain the necessary "short hours" form from the department office.

PhD Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense is the final examination for the awarding of a doctoral degree and defines the culmination of years of dissertation research by the candidate. As with the CE, the dissertation defense will also be administered by the candidate's examining committee. In the typical case, graduate students have their dissertation defense about 4 to 5 years after starting graduate studies.

Role of research mentor

The candidate’s research mentor will chair the examining committee. As with the comprehensive exam, it is expected that the candidate’s research mentor will work with and assist in preparing him/her for the dissertation defense.

Examining committee

The PhD candidate is expected to retain the same examining committee as the one that evaluated and passed him/her for the comprehensive examination. Changes to committee composition are only permitted when strongly justified such as when one of the members has moved from the University. Irrespective, the examining committee should conform to the requirements above.

Required documentation

Three weeks before the dissertation defense date, or by the Graduate College deadline (whichever falls earlier), the candidate should submit the BME request for exam form to the graduate program coordinator. The 'Request and Report for Doctoral Final Exam' will be completed on behalf of the student and submitted to the Graduate College. Relevant forms may be downloaded from the BME Graduate Program Forms and Documents page.  

Dissertation report

The dissertation report must conform to the instructions in the graduate college thesis manual. The report must be submitted to the examining committee members at least 2 weeks before the date of the dissertation defense.

Dissertation defense (oral)

An oral defense in front of the examining committee must be scheduled. Typically, an oral defense is a public event that should be advertised. In typical cases, the candidate will present his/her dissertation project effort and findings followed by a Q&A session. At the discretion of the examining committee, a private Q&A session (i.e., only the candidate and the committee members) may be conducted. The examining committee will then convene in private, discuss and vote to pass or fail the candidate. The student will be considered to have passed the dissertation defense if a majority of the members vote to pass. If the student fails the defense, he/she may retake it at the discretion of the examining committee.

After passing the dissertation defense

Congrats! You've earned a rare honor. Now just a few more things to take care of:

• Submit the dissertation report to the graduate college after making any final edits recommended by your examining committee.
• All committee members have the right to examine corrected drafts as well as earlier drafts to assure that recommended changes have been made before the thesis is submitted to the Graduate College.
• Speak to the BME graduate program specialist in the department office regarding any additional loose ends with your graduation.
• Update your information on BME-GETS -- The BME Graduate Education Tracking System (login to ICON and look under the semester, "Ongoing").
• Get signatures from your committee on your thesis Certificate of Approval page and ensure you meet Graduate College deadlines for first deposit and final deposit.

Ph.D. students are expected to hold an Annual Thesis Committee meeting each year following completion of the QE. Instructions for the exam are contained in the following forms.

Annual Mentoring Discussion Form

Annual Meeting Progress Report

The Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering is proud to offer twelve $500 travel awards each year. Students working with both primary and secondary faculty are encouraged to apply by submitting an electronic Travel Award Application Form. To ensure awards are distributed to students across a variety of primary and secondary faculty labs, the following rules will apply:

• Primary faculty labs are eligible for two students to be awarded travel awards each year.
• Secondary faculty labs are eligible for one student to be awarded a travel award each year.
• Students are eligible for one travel award a year.

*An exception to these rules may be granted for students attending the BMES Conference as presenters, which will be reviewed by the department's DEO and DGS on a case-by-case basis. 

This award program is named after Professor Emeritus Krishnan B. Chandran, a faculty member in our department from 1984 to 2014. He served as departmental executive officer from 1998 to 2009 and as the Lowell G. Battershell Endowed Chair Professor from 2000 until his retirement in 2014. He mentored to graduation 19 doctoral and 19 master's degree students in his cardiovascular fluids laboratory. His former students have gone on to become deans, professors, doctors, scientists, entrepreneurs, and innovators. He has published three books, including the first textbook on cardiovascular biomechanics,  as well as135 archival papers in leading journals in the area of the fluid mechanics in the arteries and heart valve dynamics. He is internationally recognized for his research work in the area of cardiovascular fluid dynamics. Professor Emeritus Chandran lives with his wife, Vanaja, in North Carolina. The BME faculty is honored to name this award after our colleague who was instrumental in making the department what it is today.

Travel award Application form

Satisfactory performance in the program requires all of the following:

1. Satisfactory Academic Standing:
   Students may be dismissed from the University of Iowa Graduate College for inadequate academic performance. Quoting from the Graduate College Manual of Rules and Regulations:
   
   Master of Science Students: “A non-doctoral departmental (master's, professional improvement, certificate) student, except one on conditional status, shall be placed on academic probation if, after completing 9 semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at The University of Iowa, the student's UI Cumulative GPA falls below 2.75. A student regains good academic standing when their UI Cumulative GPA returns to 2.75, or greater. If, after completing 9 more semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at the University, the student's UI Cumulative GPA remains below 2.75, the student will be denied permission to re-register within any Graduate College degree program.”
   Doctoral Students: “A doctoral student on regular status shall be placed on academic probation if, after completing 9 semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at The University of Iowa, the student's UI Cumulative GPA falls below 3.00. A student regains good academic standing when their UI Cumulative GPA returns to 3.00. If, after completing 9 more semester hours of graded (A, B, C, D, F) graduate work at this University, the student's UI Cumulative GPA remains below 3.00, the student will be dropped from the degree program and denied permission to re-register within any Graduate College doctoral degree program.”
   
   NOTE: If the Department believes there to be extenuating circumstances for a particular student, the Director of Graduate Studies may request a waiver from the Graduate College. When it can be shown that a particular student is uniquely disadvantaged by the probation policy, the Graduate College may grant an additional semester on probation.
    
2. Good to excellent performance in research productivity toward the thesis or dissertation (based on the written evaluation of the faculty advisor(s) and/or research director in the annual evaluation).
    
3. Good to excellent performance in teaching assistantship activities (based on the evaluation of the professor in charge).
    
4. Attendance in departmental seminars as described in the “Requirements and Expectations for Degree” section of the handbook.

Grades

Courses carry letter grades. Grades carrying advanced-degree credit are A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C- and S (satisfactory).

Incompletes

Students who receive a grade of “I” (incomplete) must remove that grade in accordance with the deadlines posted by the Graduate College or the grade will automatically be converted to an “F”. (https://grad.uiowa.edu/academics/manual/academic-program/section-vi-marking-system)

Audits

A student may audit a course with the permission of his or her faculty advisor and the course instructor. No academic credit is given for an audited course, but a grade of “R” (registered) is recorded on the student’s transcript. Requirements for the audit will be set by the course instructor. Tuition is charged for classes audited.

The length of time required to complete a degree program will vary depending on a variety of considerations such as previous degree(s) awarded, background, conditional or regular admission, full or part-time status, degree objective and plan of study. The rate of progress normally expected is such that a resident full-time student would complete an M.S. program in one to three calendar years after the B.S. and the Ph.D. program in four to six calendar years after the B.S. 

The faculty members of the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering expect the conduct of students in programs delivered by the department to be consistent with that of a working professional. Faculty members are expected to uphold the integrity of the program and ensure that all aspects of the academic program are administered impartially. Therefore, academic misconduct will not be tolerated.

All acts of dishonesty in any academic work constitute academic misconduct. Student academic misconduct includes behavior involving plagiarism, cheating, fabrication of data, falsification of records or official documents, intentional misuse of equipment or materials, and aiding and abetting the perpetration of such acts. The preparation of reports, papers, and examinations assigned on an individual basis must represent each student’s own effort and reference sources and citations must be clearly stated. The use of assistance from other students or aids of any kind during a written examination, except when the use of books or notes has been approved by the instructor, is a violation of the academic conduct standard. Students must abide by all academic misconduct policies set forth in course syllabi.

Relevant standards include the course materials in Department, College and University ethics classes and trainings, departmental expectations of academic honesty, the Code of Student Life, University Operations Manual, and the Code of Ethics of the Biomedical Engineering Society or other Professional Society. Useful discussions on plagiarism, and how to avoid it, can be found at the following website: https://www.northwestern.edu/provost/policies-procedures/academic-integrity/.

The university, Graduate College, and department consider breaches of integrity to be serious offenses. Therefore, all instances of academic misconduct will be documented and recorded in the student’s file. Sanctions for academic misconduct are within the purview of the course instructor, academic/research advisor, and full faculty of the department. Alleged violations of this provision will be investigated by the department faculty. If a violation of professional conduct is substantiated, then the department faculty will determine any punitive or corrective action at a closed session of a departmental faculty meeting. Sanctions may include: reduction in the student's grade for the assignment, quiz, exam or course, including assignment of the grade of F in the course, disciplinary probation, suspension from the department, or expulsion from the university.

The department requires that all graduate students conducting research to maintain scholarly records in accordance within their discipline’s norms. All scholarly records are the property of the University of Iowa and should remain in the faculty advisor’s possession upon student graduation.

Laboratory Notebooks

Students must maintain laboratory notebooks, or equivalent records, using best practices appropriate to their discipline. Any laboratory-specific or advisor-specific record keeping norms or policies must be adhered to.

Record keeping procedures should keep in mind the goals of notebooks: (a) to prove what you did and when you did it, for intellectual property disputes, as well as misconduct investigations; (b) to transmit information to coworkers, including after your graduation; (c) to assist you in remembering your experiments and protocols for future experiments and publications; and (d) to analyze and troubleshoot problems.

Electronic Research Records

Electronic records of research (instrument output files, computer codes, analysis scripts, electronic lab notebook systems) should be maintained according to laboratory-specific record keeping norms, advisor recommendations, and grant/contract data management plans. Data management plans typically specify backup procedures and frequencies, file formats, quality assurance procedures, storage location and indexing procedures, and rules or restrictions for access.

Computers

Computers that store research data, publication files, etc. need to be managed appropriately, whether they are (a) maintained by the College or University, (b) owned and maintained by the laboratory group, or (c) personal computers such as laptops. Files and devices should be appropriately secured and backed up. The department encourages lab groups to develop group- and project-specific policies in conjunction with college and university IT staff.

Registration Procedure

To register for classes, you will need to get registration permission from your faculty academic advisor each semester. You can register at or after the time assigned to you. On-line computer registration information is provided on MyUI at: https://myui.uiowa.edu/my-ui/courses/dashboard.page.

Transfer Credits

Students may request the use of graduate credits earned at another institution. A transfer means the student may substitute a course taken at another institution for a required course. To request transfer credits, students should talk to the Director of Graduate Studies. Students may be requested to submit a course syllabus for evaluation. Transfer credits from other colleges and universities are also evaluated by the Office of Graduate Admissions. The program cannot approve transfer hours from other institutions unless Graduate Admissions awards graduate credit hours.

Access (generally electronic) to student offices, laboratories, common areas and entrances may be obtained from the BME department administrator or graduate program specialist. Students that need access to resources or buildings administered by other colleges (e.g. Chemistry building, CMRF, Biochem Stores, PBDB) need to contact the administrator in the respective office for that department or facility to obtain access. 

Purchasing procedures differ depending on where vendor and the cost. Please check with your advisor and departmental staff member prior to purchasing goods, or services, including travel tickets, hotel reservations, and conference registrations.

For routine lab supply purchases, send an e-mail or quote to University Shared Services contact (https://university-shared-services.fo.uiowa.edu/uss-contacts-college-engineering). Information required for purchase request includes:

1. Link to website (if applicable)
2. account to charge
3. justification for purchase
4. vendor
5. item number
6. item name/description
7. price
8. quantity

Shipping will be standard delivery unless you note a need for expedited delivery. You can also create an eBuy shopping cart through ePro and send it to the Department Administrator. Please include the justification/purpose for purchase, and account to charge.

Note that frozen and refrigerated items need extra attention to ensure you can receive them as soon as they are delivered. Coordinate with department staff when you make such orders.

Major equipment costing more than $5,000 will require a review and potential bids. This process can be time consuming

Gas for experiments is purchased through a contract with Praxair. Email the department administrator and ask if there is an existing account for a particular lab or project. If an account does not exist, work with the department administrator and he/she will set one up for you. If an account exists, email the department administrator with the type of gas needed, size of cylinder, serial number, lab location, your phone number so you can be contacted when cylinders arrive, and the account that will pay for the gas and cylinder rental. The gas cylinders will be delivered to the laboratory. The gas is purchased; however, the gas cylinders are rented. Projects will be charged a monthly rental fee for each cylinder ordered until the cylinder is returned to Praxair. These fees can add up quickly and students are requested to return cylinders as soon as they are no longer needed. Email the department administrator to have the empty cylinders picked up. All gas cylinders should be stored, transported and used according to University safety policies and training courses.

If a dispute arises between a student and a faculty member or between a student and their program, there may be confusion as the best way for the student to seek resolution of the problem. In part, this is because the procedure to be employed is dependent upon the nature of the problem. The Graduate College Academic Grievance Procedure (https://grad.uiowa.edu/academics/manual/academic-grievance-procedure) presents a convenient summary of the route to be applied for the problem at hand. Both informal and formal procedures are discussed in the document.

If the specific case of a complaint involves sexual harassment, different procedures apply. The university policy on sexual harassment and consensual relationships in the instructional context can be found at https://opsmanual.uiowa.edu/community-policies/sexual-harassment-and-sexual-misconduct. More information is available at https://ocrc.uiowa.edu.

The Office of the University Ombudsperson, Third Floor Jefferson Building, 129 E. Washington Street, 335-3608, responds to problems and disputes brought forward by all members of the university community – students, staff, and faculty. All conversations with people in the Ombuds Office are confidential. Individuals in that office will, through discussion, help students to determine if they have a legitimate complaint and, if so, the best procedure for resolving the complaint.

Students are encouraged to make full use of the counseling services available through the university (https://counseling.uiowa.edu). These cover the full range of academic, personal, financial, health or marital difficulties. Such discussion will usually be informal and confidential.

A change in advisor-student relationship may be requested by either the student or the faculty member. Changing this relationship, while possible, may create numerous difficulties for the student as well as for the advisor. The department may be unable to provide alternative financial support for students previously supported by their faculty advisor or unable to find another faculty member willing to act as their faculty advisor. In addition, the faculty member may be unable to fulfill their research obligations. As a result, changes in advisor are not taken lightly and cannot be automatically approved.

Should a difficulty arise in the advisor-student relationship which cannot be resolved privately, the Director of Graduate Studies and the DEO may be able to assist the parties in reaching a mutually acceptable agreement. If the problem cannot be resolved after consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies and the DEO, then a change of advisor may be formally requested by one or both parties. A change of advisor must be approved by the student, the student’s advisor, and the DEO. In the event that either the student or the former advisor refuses approval, a departmental faculty meeting will be held to discuss the change. The approval of the department faculty is required before the change of advisor is approved. In either case, the student can petition the department (by writing a letter to the DEO requesting to present their case at the departmental faculty meeting).

A change of advisor may be permitted only when the following conditions have been met:

• A change in advisor is in the best interests of the student, the faculty advisor and the department.
• The Department Executive Officer has been consulted.
• The student is able to find a new faculty advisor in (or affiliated with) the department or has taken steps to transfer out of the department. Generally, a change of advisor will require the student to change research projects and often lead to the delay of graduation. Publication or presentation of the research work conducted before the change of advisor should seek approval from both the student and the student’s original advisor.

The student and/or faculty advisor should submit their request for change of advisor, in writing, to the DEO, giving their reasons for making this request. The DEO will bring this request to the department faculty for their approval before the request is approved.

A Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary cessation of study and may be granted for up to one year for medical reasons and other emergencies. LOA allows graduate students in good academic standing to postpone their studies for a defined period of time in the event of unavoidable circumstances (e.g., documented medical reasons, active military duty, etc.). Supporting documentation must be submitted with a LOA letter to the Director of Graduate Studies. All LOAs are reviewed and granted on a case by case basis. Financial hardship is not an approved LOA.

A graduate student who wishes to request a LOA will submit to the Director of Graduate Studies a letter requesting the Leave of Absence. The LOA is first approved by the department and then submitted to the Graduate College for approval. An official Leave of Absence begins only after the student receives a letter formally approving the LOA and stating the expectations for how the student will rejoin the program at the end of the absence. Students that are post-comprehensive are expected to maintain continuous registration until graduation, including time on LOA.

Students who have been absent for less than one year from the University of Iowa are not required to be re-admitted. Students should contact the UI Service Center to have a registration day and time set up. Students absent from The University of Iowa 12 months or more need to apply for re-entry through the Office of Admissions. International students need to contact International Student and Scholar Services, regardless of the length of their absence, to ensure they have the appropriate immigration documentation to return.

There are considerable support systems at the University of Iowa to assist students, especially in times of stress or crisis. A master list of resources can be found at: https://dos.uiowa.edu/assistance/quick-guide-responding-distress/master-resource-list.

Key contact information is:

• Emergency 911, or 319-335-5022 (University of Iowa Public Safety)
• If you’re not sure where to start, call Student Care and Assistance at the Office of the Dean of Students, 319-335-1162, dos-assistance@uiowa.edu
• The resources available include the Threat Assessment & Care Team, University Counseling Service, Student Health & Wellness, Sexual Misconduct Response Coordinator, Women’s Resource and Action Center, Rape Victim Advocacy Program, Office of the Ombudsperson, Domestic Violence Intervention Program, Graduate College, Student Legal Services, International Student and Scholar Services, Student Disability Services, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, Associate of Campus Ministers, Johnson County Crisis Center 24-hour Hotline, UI Health Care 24-hour Nurseline, and National Suicide Prevention 24-hour Lifeline. Consult a web search engine to find phone numbers and office locations. Many of these offer confidential and/or 24-hour support.

As a graduate student in the department you also have access to all Engineering Computer Services (ECS) resources. This includes access to software (for immediate download, use via the virtual desktop, or purchase), computers and laptops, research drives, consultants, and more. Access to super computers, parallel processors and other high-speed computing resources is available. Online training may be required to access these resources.

Students must use computing resources ethically and legally. It is a violation of University policy to access, read, copy or use the computer programs, files, tapes or other material without the knowledge and consent of the owner. Violation of this policy is considered the equivalent of theft. In addition, students must observe the copyright protection afforded commercial software and are not permitted to make illegal (or "bootleg") copies of copyrighted software.

There are a number of shops on campus available to repair and construct graduate research apparatus. These shops charge users for labor and materials. A university MFK is required and must be requested prior to obtaining services. Please work closely with your advisor to select facilities for construction and repair of apparatus.

Available resources on campus currently include:

Engineering Technology Center

• Poster printing service
• Machine Shop
• Electronics Shop
• Computer service o Numerous 3D printers and 3D scanning, prototyping services

Engineering Library Tool Library- https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/eng/tool-library/

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Glass Shop- https://clas.uiowa.edu/shops/glass-blowing

The Engineering Library (2100 SC) should be considered a valuable asset to graduate researchers. The Engineering library (https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/eng/), and other libraries on campus have valuable short courses on searching literature and databases, citation and reference management, and data management. Researchers are encouraged to meet with the Engineering Library staff to discuss their research and discover relevant resources.

The University of Iowa has a decentralized library system. Most of the chemistry and chemical engineering literature is accessible on the web. Loan policies vary by library; however, graduate students typically may check out books for one semester. All material is subject to recall.

Printers and copy machines are available for use in individual research spaces, engineering computer laboratories, and the various libraries on campus. Use of the department copy machine and printers (including color printing) is limited to that needed to discharge the responsibilities of a teaching or research assistantship.

In general, it is the policy of this department that equipment of the instructional laboratories may not be used for graduate study. Limited short-term or occasional use for graduate research may be approved by the lab course instructors or the DEO. The equipment must remain in the instructional laboratory, and such usage must not interfere with the instructional use of the equipment. The research advisor must certify in writing that use of the equipment is essential to the research project and that the advisor and student will be responsible for repairing any damage to the instruments that arise from their use. The research advisor must also agree to pay for supplies and incidental items used by their students while using instructional equipment.

The users must be trained to use the equipment properly and safely. Any equipment problems must be reported immediately to the lab course instructor or the DEO. Arrangements for repairs due to damage or wear from non-instructional use must be made immediately from non-departmental funds. For use of the instruments after hours, room access may be granted with the permission of the lab course instructor or DEO. Any violation of these policies may result in the loss of instructional equipment use privileges.

In extraordinary circumstances, instructional equipment may be loaned to faculty advisors for research purposes for a limited time (typically four weeks or less). A written request must be submitted to the lab course instructor or DEO. Approval will be granted only if undergraduate teaching will not be impaired and the faculty advisor has taken steps to purchase the needed equipment. In no case will teaching equipment be loaned for more than one semester.

All chemicals in the laboratory should be considered potentially hazardous. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) are available online for most of the chemicals used in your laboratory. The SDS contains information regarding the potential chemical, physiological, mechanical and other hazards associated with the chemical. Every laboratory must maintain a Chemical Inventory of all chemicals available in the laboratory, as well as the SDSs for those chemicals. Check with your faculty advisor, the department office or the Environmental Health and Safety Office in order to see the SDS of interest to you. Laboratory instructors are responsible for providing SDS on all chemicals used in the course to the graduate T.A.'s. The T.A.'s are then responsible for making them available to the laboratory students before they start the lab.

Each experimental laboratory must have at least one person designated and trained to dispose of hazardous waste and in maintaining the Chemical Inventory.

The PI of each laboratory is responsible for initial and annual training of all students and staff working in the lab. Typical training requires online training in Lab Chemical Safety, Chemical Fume Hoods, Chemical Storage Safety, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) Awareness for Labs, Spill Preparedness Response, Hazardous Waste Management for Labs, Blood Borne Pathogens, and lab specific training in the Chemical Hygiene Plan / Lab Chemical Safety which covers access to SDSs, training and Standard Operating Procedural requirements for the specific lab, evacuation routes, and PPE requirements for the lab. Initial and annual training, such as in compressed gasses, laser safety, biological safety, blood borne pathogens, ionizing radiation, respirator use, nanomaterials, or other topics may be appropriate (https://ehs.research.uiowa.edu/safety-training-course-guide-what-course-should-i-take). Information on how to register for a course is available at https://ehs.research.uiowa.edu/ehs-safety-training-information.

Please see a senior member of the lab or faculty member if you are unsure of a safe procedure, or of the training and training documentation requirements for your research.

In addition, the Department's Exposure Control Plan is located in BME front office. 

Please consult lab specific safety policies/procedures and the University of Iowa appropriate procedures and policies, such as the University Laboratory Chemical Hygiene Plan.

But, in summary, in the event of fire, major chemical hazard, or other event that could impact those in the building, you should activate the fire alarm, evacuate the building, and call 911. Fire extinguishers, fire alarms, eyewash fountains and emergency showers are in all laboratory areas. Note the location of these devices near your office or laboratory.

For all emergency situations where immediate assistance is required (major chemical spill, serious injury, police, fire or ambulance) call 911.

For other emergencies call Public Safety (335-5022), e.g. break-ins or illegal entry to labs, personal injuries, theft, or other crimes.

For building emergencies call Facilities Maintenance Work Control Center (335-5071) and Departmental or Building administrators. After working hours, call the Facilities Management emergency number, 335-5071, or Public Safety, 335-5022. Examples of building emergencies include loss of electricity, lack of fume hood ventilation, leak in gas, steam or water lines, elevator problems, heating/AC problems, storm damage, and snow removal.

In emergency calls, state your location, the nature of the trouble and the assistance you are requesting. Finally, you should report all problems and emergency situations to your faculty advisor and to the DEO as soon as possible.

If you are injured while at the University, it is important to get proper medical treatment and to alert your supervisor of the injury. You may be provided no-cost treatment at a University-approved clinic, and you will likely be asked to participate in an accident investigation to help prevent accident re-occurrence.

The supervisor in charge of the space where the incident occurred must file a First Report of Injury within 24 hours of the incident, following chapter on accidents in the University Policy Manual. The form is available through HR Employee Self-Service. Contact the Environmental Health & Safety for assistance if needed.