Admission Requirements

• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

• Master of Science
• Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
Department of Bioengineering (MC 063)
851 South Morgan Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7052

Campus Location: 218 SEO
Program Codes: 20FS0408MS (MS); 20FS0408PHD (PhD)
Telephone: (312) 996–2331
E-mail: gradbioe@uic.edu
Web Site: http://www.uic.edu/depts/bioe
Head of the Department: Richard L. Magin
Director of Graduate Studies: Michael Cho

The Department of Bioengineering offers graduate programs leading to Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in Bioengineering, and participates in the Medical Scientist Training Program (see Medical Scientist Training Program in the College of Medicine section of the catalog for more information). The Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience is also available to doctoral students. The areas of study are Cell and Tissue Engineering, Neural Engineering, Bioinformatics and Genomics, and Nanobiomolecular Engineering. The Bioinfomatics programs have been approved by the State of Illinois, and interested students may obtain MS or PhD degree in Bioinformatics. Biocompatibility, immunotolerance, drug discovery and delivery, molecular targeting and transport, biotransduction, imaging and inducible bioactivity, computational genomics, structural bioinformatics, and proteomonics are collaborative disciplines found in the areas of study. The Bioengineering Bioinformatics Lab (BBI), established by the University within its Medical Center, coordinates and implements clinically based bioengineering activities. The departmental programs are directed toward applying advanced methods of interfacial molecular bioengineering to clinical problems of diagnosis and treatment. The curriculum provides students with an introduction to molecular modeling, targeting, transport, detection, and nanofabrication complemented by collaborative molecular bioengineering research with biologists, chemists, and clinicians. In addition, curricula in the traditional bioengineering areas of signal and image processing, biocontrol, biomaterials, medical visualization, biomechanics, pattern recognition, and rehabilitation engineering are available.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

• Baccalaureate Field Physical sciences, engineering, computer science, mathematics, biology, or medicine. Students from other areas are also encouraged to apply if their backgrounds indicate a reasonable chance of success in the program.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required GRE General, minimum 1800 total.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
  • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required.
• Personal Statement Required.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Baccalaureate Field Physical sciences, engineering, computer science, mathematics, biology, or medicine. Students from other areas are also encouraged to apply if their backgrounds indicate a reasonable chance of success in the program.
• Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study.
• Tests Required GRE General, minimum 1800 total.
• Minimum English Competency Test Score
  • TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 213 (computer-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
  • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
• Letters of Recommendation Three required.
• Personal Statement Required.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 36.
• Course Work At least twelve hours must be at the 500-level, excluding BIOE 595 and 598. Limited credit hours in BIOE 596 are allowed upon departmental approval.
• Required Courses: 1 hour of BIOE 595. Additional required courses vary by area; contact the department for the specific requirements of each area.
• Comprehensive Examination None.
• Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options
• Thesis: Required. No other options are available. Students must earn at least 8 hours in BIOE 598.
• Other Requirements Each student must present at least one seminar prior to graduation.

Doctor of Philosophy

• Minimum Semester Hours Required 108 from the baccalaureate.
• Course Work Students admitted with a prior master’s degree in bioengineering or a related field must complete a minimum of 24 hours of course work, at least 12 hours of which must be bioengineering courses. At least 12 hours must be at the 500-level, excluding BIOE 595 or 599. Limited credit hours in BIOE 596 are allowed upon department approval. A maximum of 4 hours of BIOE 590 may be applied toward the degree, provided credit for BIOE 590 or a similar course was not applied toward the prior MS degree.
  
  Students admitted with a bachelor’s degree in bioengineering or a related field must complete a minimum of 48 hours of course work. At least 24 hours must be bioengineering courses. At least 20 hours must be at the 500-level, excluding BIOE 595, 596, and 599. A maximum of 4 hours of BIOE 590 may be applied toward the degree.
• Required Courses: Two hours of BIOE 595. Additional required courses vary by area of study; contact the department for the specific requirements of each area.
•  Examinations Departmental Qualifying Examination: Required
• Preliminary Examination: Required.
• Dissertation Required. Students must earn at least 60 semester hours in BIOE 599.
• Other Requirements Each student is required to present at least two seminars prior to graduation. Students must be registered during the semester of intended graduation.

Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience

Doctoral students may pursue the Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience. Refer to Interdepartmental Concentration in Neuroscience in the Graduate College section for more information.