OHSU

Graduate Program

Program Overview

The graduate program in the Department of Biomedical Engineering offers doctor of philosophy degrees in biomedical engineering with specialization in the following areas: biomedical optics, cardiovascular engineering, nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology, neuroengineering, and spatial systems biology.

An essential aspect of the doctoral program is the individual research in close collaboration with members of the faculty. Research training begins in the first year of study with direct placement into a mentor’s laboratory. The diversity of faculty collaborations provides research opportunities in addition to those available at the Medical School, such as the Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research and Portland State University.

Trainees are funded from the start and are encouraged to write their own individual training grant applications, focused on their individual research interests. Our trainees have been highly successful at obtaining these grant awards from a number of agencies, including National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and the American Heart Association.

Biomedical Engineering is one of eight basic science departments / divisons in the OHSU School of Medicine, and provides a unique environment especially suited for the education of multidisciplinary biomedical engineers.

Read more about the program in Biomedical Engineering

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The overall record of funding for research in the Department of Biomedical Engineering is excellent. The source of grant funds are diverse and include National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH –NHLBI), National Cancer Institute (NIH –NCI), and National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as the American Heart Association, and the Department of Defense. Students admitted to our program can expect to be supported as graduate research assistants by departmental funds, by research training grants, or by individual faculty research grants. Our trainees have been highly successful at obtaining these grant awards from a number of agencies, including NIH and the American Heart Association.

The current annual stipend is $26,000 for graduate students.

Admission to the Program

Specific Details Regarding Submission of Your Application

Please visit the Admissions section of OHSU's Graduate Studies website.

General Requirements

For admission to graduate school at Oregon Health & Science University, students must have obtained the following:

  • Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) from an accredited college or university with an appropriate educational background in engineering or biological sciences with a strong mathematics background.
  • GPA -- Cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (based on a letter grading system of A = 4 points; B = 3; C = 2; D = 1; F = 0) or its equivalent in other grading systems.
  • GRE -- Acceptable scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test. Although there is no GRE admissions "cutoff" score, Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical Writing General Test Scores of 500, 600 and 4.5 or above, respectively, will generally be considered competitive.
  • TOEFL -- Foreign students must have acceptable scores in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Program Requirements

Applications are encouraged from students who have completed undergraduate coursework in engineering, particularly mechanical, chemical, and computer engineering, and other basic science areas with strong mathematics backgrounds. There are no specific undergraduate course requirements for admission.

Due to the strong emphasis of our program on research, the admissions committee is especially interested in applicants who have demonstrated a strong interest and aptitude for research prior to applying to graduate school (e.g., independent study, honors thesis, laboratory work experience).

Prospective Student FAQ

Please visit the Prospective Student FAQ section of OHSU's Graduate Studies website, and the FAQs for Biomedical Engineering admissions.