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 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 this 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 BSE/MS 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 BSE/MS program must be received by the Office of Graduate Admissions before the beginning of the senior year (summer or winter break).  Admission to the MS 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 BSE/MS 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 BSE/MS 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 BSE/MS 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 BSE and MS, including Biostatistics, Human Physiology, and two 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, 24 sh of coursework and 6 sh of either thesis or project credit. Students entering the BSE/MS degree program are required to enroll in the BME engineering graduate seminar (0 sh) each semester during the graduate degree.

Core Coursework (required for all MS and PhD students)

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:3500
  • 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 18 semester hours at 5000-level or above from the College of Engineering or courses from the approved elective list. This requirement must be satisfied by the end of the student's studies.

The MS must be completed within two years of completing the BSE 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