Biomedical Engineering

The Biomedical Engineering program at Penn State has graduated many undergraduates who have gone on to very successful careers in the biomedical industry. There is a critical niche to fill at the master’s level for biomedical companies wishing to obtain highly trained students capable of carrying out cutting-edge work in translational medicine, device development, and related areas.  To fill this niche, the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering offers a one-year master’s program.  The degree will consist of advanced instruction in biomedical engineering fundamentals, courses in advanced biotechnology and applications, and a culminating research proposal that incorporates experiments and computational work. This degree will result in the students developing foundational knowledge and skills in biomedical engineering that will make them competitive for industry leadership positions or doctoral-level graduate programs in BME and related disciplines. 

The one-year master’s program focuses on fundamentals of integrating life sciences and engineering, in addition to providing instruction in cutting-edge biotechnology methods in bio-imaging, drug delivery, regenerative medicine, bio-manufacturing, and biomaterials. Students can only start the M.S. program in the Fall semester.

A minimum of 32 credits at the 400-level or higher is required for a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering (BME M.S.), with at least 24 credits at the BIOE 500 or 800 level. Students must take the following: 9 credits of foundation courses at the BIOE 500-level, an additional 12 credits of fundamentals and/or applications courses (with a minimum of 3 credits from each category), 1-credit BIOE 591 research ethics course, two 1-credit BIOE 590 graduate seminars, 2 credits of BME 429, and 6 credits of BME 594 mentored research.

1. Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or
2. Tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
3. Applicants will be required to arrange for official transcripts/documents (for institutions outside the U.S. documents may include marksheets, record of courses, degree/study certificate, original diploma, etc) to be sent from all post-secondary institutions attended and official English translation if the language of instruction is not English).
4. All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines) and attainment of a grade of B or higher. The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. 

Scholarships

Assistantships

The most common form of graduate support, teaching and research assistantships, include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance. Recipients are assigned to a faculty adviser who supervises the experience. Graduate assistants support undergraduate instruction or undertake research projects. A specified time commitment of 10-30 hours per week is required depending on the unit (a half-time/20 hour per week commitment is typical). Appointments are available only to graduate students who are registered for courses and enrolled in degree programs.

Fellowships

Fellowships are highly prestigious financial support packages that typically include a stipend, tuition remission, and a subsidy for medical insurance. They derive from University or outside awards. Unlike assistantships, they do not have a required work commitment; they are duty-free. Recipients must be enrolled in degree programs and be registered full time. Fellowship recipients are not permitted to accept employment without obtaining approval from the unit and/or agency supporting the fellowship.

Traineeships

Training grants are derived from agencies outside the University and are intended to support specific student learning experiences in core curricular areas and research methods. Institutional awards, typically under the direction of a faculty principal investigator, afford funding to support selected students with stipends, tuition grants-in-aid, and often include a subsidy for medical insurance.