Application deadlines plus 13 important things to know:
- The Ohio State University Graduate School absolutely requires a minimum 3.0 GPA in all undergraduate work to be admitted to the traditional MS or PhD programs and a 3.5 for Ohio State students participating in BS/MS programs; however, the minimum GPA requiredfor some University Fellowship & Funding Competitions can be as high as 3.6.The Department posts no required minimum GPA and considers applicant fit with recruiting faculty lab and funding; likelihood of academic success based on academic background; and potential contribution to the field based on research experience, problem-solving skills, collaborative spirit, response to hardship or challenges, andrecommendations. We utilize anadmission rubric tool that helps us our Biomedical Engineering Graduate Studies Committee (BMEGSC) make decisions holistically.
- The GRE requirement has been eliminated as of 2020. A GRE score is nolonger requiredfor applicants to anyBMEgraduate program. International applicants can find guidance on the university's required English test scores and policies from the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.
- Most applicants to the BME graduate program have majored in a traditional branch of engineering (e.g., ChE, ME, MSE, ECE, etc.) or in BME. Preparation in biology or physiology can be helpful to those with engineering backgrounds. Those with life science undergraduate degrees or with non-engineering backgrounds are required to complete additional coursework to develop competence in engineering before applying. Please see our required background course list for details.
In order to maximize chances of admission,PhD applicants are encouraged to contact specific faculty ofinterest directly in order to establish a connection that might lead to a funded position. Typically this funding comes in the form of a Graduate Research Associateship (GRA): a position which requires 20 hours of work in a specific faculty member's lab weekly in exchange for covering the cost of tuitionandhealth insurance, as well as a monthly stipend. (The faculty supervisor for this position also serves as a student's research advisor.) This step also is helpful to thesis-MS applicants who hopeto do research in a specific area, but it is not required. (Non-thesis MS applicantsmay wait to choose faculty members to consult with after they are admitted, as the non-thesis MS program is largely course-based rather than research-focused.) Use our matrix to explore research areas and learn about the many faculty who are conducting biomedical engineering research and advising graduate student projects. Aswell, it is helpful to review our list of faculty currently seeking GRAs.
What is the deadline for applyingand how long does it take to hear of an admission decision? PhD applications are reviewed starting in mid-December, with priority for admissions and fellowship nominations given to applications received by December 1. We will continue to review applications on a rolling basis through February and March, keeping some PhD applications open until May as new funding sources may result in a faculty member's ability to recruit a new student. (Most MS application decisions are made byMarch, unless there are incomplete items keeping us from posting.) This means some PhD applications are admitted early and others remain on a frequently reviewed "hold" list; unfortunately, the alternative to holding would bea deny decision. What feels like a long and stressfulperiod of waiting can turn into a chance at late admission or an unexpected funding award.Thistrade-off can work out for PhD applicants. However, all applicants who have receivedfunding and admission offers fromanother program or school definitely should accept those offers by April 15 rather than waiting for a slim chance here after April 15.
See AlsoQueen’s graduates return for convocation | Queen's GazetteBiomedical Engineering: Master of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering (MASc) - MASC in Biomedical Engineering - Master's program in CanadaBiomedical Engineering degreeBME Master's Programs: Who Are They for and What Can They Offer?The MS (including BS/MS) is a self-funded degree. This means no funding is available from our program for admitted MS students. However, opportunities to finance an MS degree are sometimes found by applicants who inquire to external departments on their own. Both thesis-MS and non-thesis MS students in our program have found Graduate Teaching Associateship (GTA) positions in Chemistry, Math, Biology, Engineering Education, etc.These typically require 20 hours of work weekly in exchange for covering the cost of tuitionandhealth insurance, and they provide a monthly stipend. Information on personal loans can be found at the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Application fee waivers are not available from our program. However, there are resources available for domestic applicants who have attended the October Ohio State Graduate Engineering Open House orparticipated in SROP, McNair Scholars, or Buckeye REU programs. Applicants are encouraged to explore the Big Ten Academic Alliance FreeApp fee waiver program. In rare cases, a faculty member you meet at a conference such as the October Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) Annual Meeting may be able to assist with your application fee: it never hurts to ask faculty directly.
Research experience can help a PhD applicant gain admission. Applicants are encouraged to do research rotations or volunteer work on projects during their undergraduate years and to strike up conversations with faculty at places like BMES or the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS): aconference for historically excluded community college andundergraduate students in STEM. Programs such as the Buckeye REUcan provide summer research opportunities that blossom into opportunities to pursue a doctoral degree in graduate school.
See AlsoInternational Students in CanadaWe typically host a visitfor admitted students who are being recruited in late February or early March.Interested prospective applicants who wish to visit us are welcome to apply to the invitation-only OctoberOhio State Graduate Engineering Open House run in collaboration with the College of Engineering Office of Graduate Education -- or you may contact faculty directly to set up a meeting if you find yourself passing through Columbus. Be sure to provide as much advance notice as possible as faculty and graduate student schedules are busy and get booked far in advance. We typically hold a zoom session held in November for applicants seeking to learn more about applying to the graduate program.
Graduate school application goals and processesdiffer from undergraduate ones. Some applicants think of admission as guaranteedif their background and credentials are strong enough; in graduate school, background and credentials are only partof the equation. Here, our BMEGSC members know we need to be able to accommodate a student's educational needs and interests; if we feel we are not the best fit for an MS applicant, or if we cannot find openings in a funded lab for a potentially strongdoctoral student, we may not be able to offer admission. Forthese reasons,results can feel surprising when an application is denied admission. Elements beyond an applicant's control such as thetiming of grant awards, vacancies in particularlabs, or even delayed graduations here in the program can factor into a program's ability to recruit specific applicants. We want applicants to feel reassured that the Graduate Studies Coordinatorand BMEGSC Chair are working with our facultyto make sure our program is able to admit as many graduate students as we can. For these reasons, the number of applicants we admit is fluid throughout a recruitment season; we set no limits ahead of time.
We admit only those PhD applicants we can fund. All applicants to the PhD program are considered for possible funding through GRA appointments and Fellowship competitions. Fellowships are scholarships that allow students to hit the ground running in a specific faculty lab, or that can provide space and time for research rotations. Typically, when a fellowship is awarded, it comes with a chance to be funded in future years in the lab of a highly interested faculty member. Students who are admitted with a fellowship and choose to do lab rotations must work closely with the Graduate Studies Coordinator and BMEGSC Chair to ensure that continued funding can be arranged. Students recruited to a specific lab with a GRA are essentially being offered a job with a given supervisor; the position itself is connected to the faculty member and cannot be taken to a different lab. We practice what is known as a faculty- or mentor-admit admission model. Other programs may offer a departmental or committee-admit, where funding is not connected to a sole faculty member. It is good to remember the pros and cons of each as you explore graduate programs.
BS/MS applicants should contactAshlynn Fisher to learn all about combined program application details and tips. Traditional MS and PhD applicants are encouraged to apply for Autumn semester start:this is when our introductory graduate courses are offered and the only time to attend a new graduate student orientation featuringmany welcome week activities. Incoming new students are more readily able to formbonds and build community in Autumn. That said, if a graduationdelayor a special case requires Spring admission for a January start, it is doable -- just less common and less ideal.
The graduate application process is managed collaboratively by the Graduate Studies Office within BME and the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions at the University level.Thetips above are aimed at making our admission process more transparent;easier to navigate;and worth your time, money, and energy. None of the things mentionedhere are designed to discourage interested applicants. We hope we have provided helpful ideas anda more clearsense of all the moving parts behind the scenes of graduate program application.We welcome additional questions, andyourpatience is always appreciated during the busy recruitment season.
