Bioengineering
Director of Graduate Studies: Michael F. Insana
Program Coordinator: Samuel J. Smucker
3120 Digital Computer Laboratory
1304 West Springfield Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 333-1867
E-mail: bioen@illinois.edu
Major: Bioengineering
Degrees Offered: M.S., Ph.D.
Medical Scholars Program: Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Bioengineering and Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through the Medical Scholars Program
Graduate Degree Programs
The Department of Bioengineering offers studies leading to the Master of Science in Bioengineering and the Doctor of Philosophy in Bioengineering. The Bioengineering Graduate Program provides students with educational and research experiences that integrate the sciences of biology and medicine with the practices and principles of engineering. Areas of focus include Bio-imaging, Cell & Tissue Engineering, Micro and Molecular Technologies, and Computational Biology. Opportunity also exists for specializing in (i) computational science and engineering and (ii) energy and sustainability engineering within the department's graduate programs via the Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) Option and the Energy and Sustainability Engineering (EaSE) Option. The Medical Scholars Program permits highly qualified students to integrate the study of medicine with study for a graduate degree in a second discipline, including Bioengineering.
Admission
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in a natural science, computer science, or engineering. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 (A = 4.00) for the last two years of undergraduate study is required. Applicants should show evidence of strong quantitative skills and of serious interest in the life sciences. Applicants with a grade point average of greater than 3.00 (A = 4.00) may be considered for admission to the Ph.D. program. In addition, applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test.
All applicants whose native language is not English must submit a minimum TOEFL score of 96 (iBT), 243 (CBT), or 590 (PBT); or minimum International English Language Testing System (IELTS) academic exam scores of 6.5 overall and 6.0 in all subsections. Applicants may be exempt from the TOEFL if certain criteria are met. For those taking the TOEFL or IELTS, full admission status is granted for scores greater than 102 (TOEFL iBT), 253 (TOEFL CBT), 610 (TOEFL PBT), or 6.5 (IELTS). Limited status is granted for lesser scores and requires enrollment in English as a Second Language (ESL) courses based on an ESL Placement Test (EPT) taken upon arrival to campus.
Students may apply to the Medical Scholars Program prior to beginning graduate school or while in the graduate program. Applicants to the Medical Scholars Program must meet the admissions standards for and be accepted into both Bioengineering and the College of Medicine. An application to the Medical Scholars Program will also serve as the application to the Bioengineering graduate program. Further information on this program is available by contacting the Medical Scholars Program (125 Medical Sciences Building, 217-333-8146, mspo@illinois.edu).
Degree Requirements
*For additional details and requirements for all degrees, please refer to the department's Graduate Studies Web site and the Graduate College Handbook.
Master of Science
| Requirements | Thesis Option | Non-thesis Option |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours | Hours | Hours |
| Total Credit for the Degree | 32 | 40 |
| Thesis Research – BIOE 599 (min-max applied toward degree): | 4 | n/a |
| Course Work | 28 | 40 |
| BIOE 500 | 2 | 2 |
| BIOE 501, BIOE 502, BIOE 504, BIOE 505, BIOE 506, and BIOE 507 | 18 | 18 |
| Elective Courses | 8 | 20 |
| Other Requirements and Conditions:* | ||
| BIOE 500 must be taken at least twice. A maximum of 2 hours may be applied toward the degree. | ||
| The minimum program GPA is 3.25 | ||
Doctor of Philosophy
Requirements |
|
|---|---|
| Credit Hours: | Hours |
| Total Credit for the Degree | 64 |
| Thesis Research – BIOE 599 (min-max applied toward degree) | 52 |
| Course Work | 12 |
| Elective courses | 12 |
| Other Requirements and Conditions:* | |
| The minimum program GPA is 3.25 | |
| A Masters degree is required for admission to the Ph.D. program. | |
| Ph.D. exam and dissertation requirements: Qualifying exam Preliminary exam Final exam or dissertation defense Dissertation deposit |
|
Medical Scholars Program
Students in the Medical Scholars program must meet the specific requirements for both the medical and graduate degrees. On average, students take eight years to complete both degrees. The first year of the combined program is typically spent meeting requirements of the Bioengineering graduate degree.
Faculty Research Interests
Bioengineering faculty perform research in the areas of Bio-Imaging and Biomedical Imaging, Cell and Tissue Engineering, Micro and Molecular Technologies, and Computational Biology. In addition to Bioengineering faculty, Department of Bioengineering has more than 50 affiliate faculty.
Financial Aid
Qualified students may apply for financial aid in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, and waivers of tuition and service fees. All applicants, regardless of U.S. citizenship, whose native language is not English and who wish to be considered for teaching assistantships must demonstrate spoken English language proficiency by achieving a minimum score of 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE), 24 on the speaking subsection of the TOEFL iBT, or 8 on the speaking subsection of the IELTS. For students who are unable to take the TSE, iBT, or IELTS, a minimum score of 50 is required on the SPEAK test, offered on campus. All new teaching assistants are required to participate in the Graduate Academy for College Teaching conducted prior to the start of the semester.