Program details
The Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Michigan State University is designed to provide sufficient experience in the performance of original research in a supervised setting to produce graduates who can carry out research independently and who can judge worthwhile research in a field. Such students have been a partner in the advancement of knowledge and can be expected to have a deep understanding of that extraordinarily important human activity. As a by-product, the training received is essential for a career in higher education and is required for many research positions in industry or government.
Performance of original research in BME requires substantial background knowledge in Engineering and in related scientific disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and biology. Therefore, the Ph.D. program in BME at MSU includes course work in addition to that normally expected in the typical 4-year bachelor’s degree course program in an Engineering discipline. The program also includes examination procedures to ensure that sufficient background is available to carry out the intended research. These procedures include oral examinations of descriptions of previous work and a proposal for future research.
An essential component of original research is communication of the results of the research to the scientific community and to the world at large. Therefore, the Ph.D. program in BME at MSU includes requirements for the writing of a dissertation that is a detailed description of the research performed and for the presentation of one or more manuscripts suitable for publication in refereed scientific journals.
Next steps
Admissions
Michigan State University uses a decentralized admissions process for graduate studies. Visit the College of Engineering graduate admissions page for details on the overall process.
Biomedical Engineering Department admissions process:
Fill out a complete MSU Graduate School Application. Use the online forms, or contact gradschool@grd.msu.edu to check on the availability of a paper application. Note the following degree code:
Biomedical Engineering (BME) Degree Code 8077
Completing the MSU application online will give you access to the Graduate Student Portal where you can:
Step one
- Upload Resume/CV
- Upload personal and academic statements
- Manage Letter of Recommendations (see guidelines below)
- Upload any other pertinent information for your application
- Send Messages to Graduate Secretary and Graduate Director
Step two
The following items must be submitted in an official capacity:
- Official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate). Note: for paper copies, please have official correspondence sent to department. Please contact the Graduate Secretary if you wish to have electronic copies sent, as they must meet certain criteria.
- The GRE General Examination is not required. You are welcome to submit GRE scores if available.
- Official TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only; see guidelines below).
- Official test scores (GRE and TOEFL) must be submitted to the University via the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Unofficial photocopies of score sheets are useful for review purposes, but we cannot admit applicants without a complete application, which requires official scores.
Step three
Arrange for three recommendations from instructors and/or advisors familiar with your academic record who have agreed to write a letter of recommendation for you. This may be done via the student portal (step 2) or by mail. The student portal allows for the student to add referrers, send reminder emails and waive his/her right to view letters. For mail submissions, please use the Letter of Recommendation form provided by the graduate school. Fill out and sign the top portion of each form. Ask the recommender to complete the form, attach a letter if they wish, and return it to the departmental address.Address for mailing all printed application materials:
Tiffany Owen, Academic Program Coordinator
Michigan State University
Department of Biomedical Engineering
775 Woodlot Drive, Room 2030
East Lansing, MI 48824-1226
Applications will only be reviewed when complete and official. Please utilize the student portal for up-to-date information about your application status.
Next steps
Electives
Nanoengineering in Biomedicine
Course Overview (FS ‘22): The recent advances in nanoengineering and nanotechnology have been harnessed to fix technical problems and test hypotheses into complex biomedical questions. The course will cover conventional synthetic and manufacturing techniques of nanoscale materials, devices, as well as specific nanosystems, being applied towards medicine, medical diagnostics, imaging, sensing, and tissue regeneration, etc. The course will go over fundamental science related to nanoscale properties such as magnetic, electronic, photonic, structural, mechanical, and catalytic activity and the challenges associated with retaining these properties into the biological systems. The course will also cover practical issues in which nanoengineering and nanomaterials interact with the length scales on which humans live. In this course, research methods in nanomedicine will be emphasized (e.g., critical analysis of scientific literature, effective written/oral communication, etc.).
Instructor: Taeho Kim, Ph.D.
Stem Cell Engineering
Course description (FS ‘22): This course is an introduction to stem cell biology concepts and stem cell engineering approaches for biomedical engineering students and related disciplines. Topics covered will include basic concepts of developmental biology, stem cell biology and cell signaling, stem cell microenvironment, as well as critical concepts of tissue engineering and stem cell engineering, such as modeling human tissues with stem cells, repairing tissues with stem cells, stem cell gene editing, cell reprogramming and stem cell-based cancer therapeutics. The course is open to graduate students and senior undergraduate students with an interest in tissue engineering and biomedical engineering. A basic knowledge of cell biology and molecular biology is highly recommended. The course's final objective is to provide students with a state-of-the-art perspective of stem cell biology and stem cell engineering principles of critical relevance for biomedical engineering applications.
Instructor: Aitor Aguirre, Ph.D.
Dynamical Systems in Computational Biology
Course description (SS ‘23): A thorough understanding of fundamental principles in Dynamical Systems is essential for modern Computational Biology. This course will provide an accessible introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics with examples of applications in Cell Biology. Beginning with one-dimensional flows on the line, we will introduce bifurcations, phase plane analysis for two-dimensional systems, oscillations, and limit cycles. We will discuss the application of these concepts in Systems Biology, with simplified models of gene regulation, signal amplification in cell signaling networks, and the cell cycle and circadian oscillations. This course, which combines theory with hands-on computer modeling, will be of interest to advanced undergraduate students in engineering, as well as physicists and computer scientists interested in modeling biological systems.
Instructor: Sudin Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Selected Topics in Chemical Biology
Course Description (SS ‘23): This course will teach the latest developments in chemical design for watching and controlling biological processes including in radiochemistry, small molecules, protein design and engineering, and the use of novel biologics in translational biomedical research. It will be taught by the faculty members of the IQ Chemical Biology Division or their collaborators. The instructors are affiliated with the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Radiology. Topics to be covered will include chemical control of biology; radiopharmaceutical development, testing, and utilization; cancer immunotherapy; small molecule control protein design & engineering; carbohydrate chemistry and biology; delivery of drugs and biologics, novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Lead Instructor: Xuefei Huang, Ph.D.
Next steps
More info
1. Application deadlines
For full consideration for admission and financial aid:
December 31 for Fall enrollment. Most common semester to start a graduate program. Most of our financial aid offers are made for Fall semester.
We are currently accepting for fall enrollment ONLY.
2. Pre-evaluation of admissibility
A fair appraisal of admissibility to our department cannot be provided without a complete application package, including personal and academic statements, transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters. Please note the guidelines below that may be helpful in your self-assessment.
3. Standardized test guidelines
The GRE General Examination is not required. You are welcome to submit GRE scores if available. If submitting GRE scores, use the institution code 1465 for Michigan State University.
4. MSU SPEAK exam
Selected applicants from China will be invited to take the SPEAK exam in either Beijing or Shanghai. This exam is administered by MSU's English Language Center and will be weighted heavily in comparison to the speaking portion of the TOEFL. The exams are typically offered in late January, with invitations sent to Chinese applicants in mid- to late-December.
5. Faculty contact
Faculty advisors are not assigned until after students arrive on campus. You are welcome to consult our faculty directory to identify programs that match your interest. While it is not necessary to contact faculty prior to admission, we will be happy to answer research related questions.
6. Transfer during graduate program
It is our general policy not to admit students who want to transfer to our department in the middle of a graduate program at another institution. Unless there are compelling extenuating circumstances, we will only consider such students after they have fulfilled their commitment to their current university. If you are working towards a Master’s degree, we will be happy to consider you for admission to our Ph.D. program after you have completed your MS degree.
7. Graduate admission requirements
Admission decisions will only be made when the applicant has a complete and official application (please see checklist to ensure all steps have been followed). Applicants are evaluated based on their whole application package, so the department encourages everyone to apply. The applicant must have completed a Bachelor's or equivalent degree by the start of the semester applying for. Provisional admission is not granted except in very rare extenuating circumstances.
Additional questions? Please contact our Academic Program Coordinator at (517) 884-0314.
Next steps
Program details
The Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering (BME) at Michigan State University is designed to provide sufficient experience in the performance of original research in a supervised setting to produce graduates who can carry out research independently and who can judge worthwhile research in a field. Such students have been a partner in the advancement of knowledge and can be expected to have a deep understanding of that extraordinarily important human activity. As a by-product, the training received is essential for a career in higher education and is required for many research positions in industry or government.
Performance of original research in BME requires substantial background knowledge in Engineering and in related scientific disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and biology. Therefore, the Ph.D. program in BME at MSU includes course work in addition to that normally expected in the typical 4-year bachelor’s degree course program in an Engineering discipline. The program also includes examination procedures to ensure that sufficient background is available to carry out the intended research. These procedures include oral examinations of descriptions of previous work and a proposal for future research.
An essential component of original research is communication of the results of the research to the scientific community and to the world at large. Therefore, the Ph.D. program in BME at MSU includes requirements for the writing of a dissertation that is a detailed description of the research performed and for the presentation of one or more manuscripts suitable for publication in refereed scientific journals.
Next steps
Admissions
Michigan State University uses a decentralized admissions process for graduate studies. Visit the College of Engineering graduate admissions page for details on the overall process.
Biomedical Engineering Department admissions process:
Fill out a complete MSU Graduate School Application. Use the online forms, or contact gradschool@grd.msu.edu to check on the availability of a paper application. Note the following degree code:
Biomedical Engineering (BME) Degree Code 8077
Completing the MSU application online will give you access to the Graduate Student Portal where you can:
Step one
- Upload Resume/CV
- Upload personal and academic statements
- Manage Letter of Recommendations (see guidelines below)
- Upload any other pertinent information for your application
- Send Messages to Graduate Secretary and Graduate Director
Step two
The following items must be submitted in an official capacity:
- Official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate). Note: for paper copies, please have official correspondence sent to department. Please contact the Graduate Secretary if you wish to have electronic copies sent, as they must meet certain criteria.
- The GRE General Examination is not required. You are welcome to submit GRE scores if available.
- Official TOEFL or IELTS scores (international applicants only; see guidelines below).
- Official test scores (GRE and TOEFL) must be submitted to the University via the Educational Testing Service (ETS). Unofficial photocopies of score sheets are useful for review purposes, but we cannot admit applicants without a complete application, which requires official scores.
Step three
Arrange for three recommendations from instructors and/or advisors familiar with your academic record who have agreed to write a letter of recommendation for you. This may be done via the student portal (step 2) or by mail. The student portal allows for the student to add referrers, send reminder emails and waive his/her right to view letters. For mail submissions, please use the Letter of Recommendation form provided by the graduate school. Fill out and sign the top portion of each form. Ask the recommender to complete the form, attach a letter if they wish, and return it to the departmental address.Address for mailing all printed application materials:
Tiffany Owen, Academic Program Coordinator
Michigan State University
Department of Biomedical Engineering
775 Woodlot Drive, Room 2030
East Lansing, MI 48824-1226
Applications will only be reviewed when complete and official. Please utilize the student portal for up-to-date information about your application status.
Next steps
Electives
Nanoengineering in Biomedicine
Course Overview (FS ‘22): The recent advances in nanoengineering and nanotechnology have been harnessed to fix technical problems and test hypotheses into complex biomedical questions. The course will cover conventional synthetic and manufacturing techniques of nanoscale materials, devices, as well as specific nanosystems, being applied towards medicine, medical diagnostics, imaging, sensing, and tissue regeneration, etc. The course will go over fundamental science related to nanoscale properties such as magnetic, electronic, photonic, structural, mechanical, and catalytic activity and the challenges associated with retaining these properties into the biological systems. The course will also cover practical issues in which nanoengineering and nanomaterials interact with the length scales on which humans live. In this course, research methods in nanomedicine will be emphasized (e.g., critical analysis of scientific literature, effective written/oral communication, etc.).
Instructor: Taeho Kim, Ph.D.
Stem Cell Engineering
Course description (FS ‘22): This course is an introduction to stem cell biology concepts and stem cell engineering approaches for biomedical engineering students and related disciplines. Topics covered will include basic concepts of developmental biology, stem cell biology and cell signaling, stem cell microenvironment, as well as critical concepts of tissue engineering and stem cell engineering, such as modeling human tissues with stem cells, repairing tissues with stem cells, stem cell gene editing, cell reprogramming and stem cell-based cancer therapeutics. The course is open to graduate students and senior undergraduate students with an interest in tissue engineering and biomedical engineering. A basic knowledge of cell biology and molecular biology is highly recommended. The course's final objective is to provide students with a state-of-the-art perspective of stem cell biology and stem cell engineering principles of critical relevance for biomedical engineering applications.
Instructor: Aitor Aguirre, Ph.D.
Dynamical Systems in Computational Biology
Course description (SS ‘23): A thorough understanding of fundamental principles in Dynamical Systems is essential for modern Computational Biology. This course will provide an accessible introduction to Nonlinear Dynamics with examples of applications in Cell Biology. Beginning with one-dimensional flows on the line, we will introduce bifurcations, phase plane analysis for two-dimensional systems, oscillations, and limit cycles. We will discuss the application of these concepts in Systems Biology, with simplified models of gene regulation, signal amplification in cell signaling networks, and the cell cycle and circadian oscillations. This course, which combines theory with hands-on computer modeling, will be of interest to advanced undergraduate students in engineering, as well as physicists and computer scientists interested in modeling biological systems.
Instructor: Sudin Bhattacharya, Ph.D.
Selected Topics in Chemical Biology
Course Description (SS ‘23): This course will teach the latest developments in chemical design for watching and controlling biological processes including in radiochemistry, small molecules, protein design and engineering, and the use of novel biologics in translational biomedical research. It will be taught by the faculty members of the IQ Chemical Biology Division or their collaborators. The instructors are affiliated with the departments of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Radiology. Topics to be covered will include chemical control of biology; radiopharmaceutical development, testing, and utilization; cancer immunotherapy; small molecule control protein design & engineering; carbohydrate chemistry and biology; delivery of drugs and biologics, novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Lead Instructor: Xuefei Huang, Ph.D.
Next steps
More info
1. Application deadlines
For full consideration for admission and financial aid:
December 31 for Fall enrollment. Most common semester to start a graduate program. Most of our financial aid offers are made for Fall semester.
We are currently accepting for fall enrollment ONLY.
2. Pre-evaluation of admissibility
A fair appraisal of admissibility to our department cannot be provided without a complete application package, including personal and academic statements, transcripts, test scores, and recommendation letters. Please note the guidelines below that may be helpful in your self-assessment.
3. Standardized test guidelines
The GRE General Examination is not required. You are welcome to submit GRE scores if available. If submitting GRE scores, use the institution code 1465 for Michigan State University.
4. MSU SPEAK exam
Selected applicants from China will be invited to take the SPEAK exam in either Beijing or Shanghai. This exam is administered by MSU's English Language Center and will be weighted heavily in comparison to the speaking portion of the TOEFL. The exams are typically offered in late January, with invitations sent to Chinese applicants in mid- to late-December.
5. Faculty contact
Faculty advisors are not assigned until after students arrive on campus. You are welcome to consult our faculty directory to identify programs that match your interest. While it is not necessary to contact faculty prior to admission, we will be happy to answer research related questions.
6. Transfer during graduate program
It is our general policy not to admit students who want to transfer to our department in the middle of a graduate program at another institution. Unless there are compelling extenuating circumstances, we will only consider such students after they have fulfilled their commitment to their current university. If you are working towards a Master’s degree, we will be happy to consider you for admission to our Ph.D. program after you have completed your MS degree.
7. Graduate admission requirements
Admission decisions will only be made when the applicant has a complete and official application (please see checklist to ensure all steps have been followed). Applicants are evaluated based on their whole application package, so the department encourages everyone to apply. The applicant must have completed a Bachelor's or equivalent degree by the start of the semester applying for. Provisional admission is not granted except in very rare extenuating circumstances.
Additional questions? Please contact our Academic Program Coordinator at (517) 884-0314.