PhD in Biomedical Engineering Application Notes

Applications to the UMass Amherst Biomedical Engineering PhD program are open every Fall and Spring. We do not require GRE scores for admission. 

Research Advisor and Funding 

Most BME PhD students are fully funded for the full duration of their PhD. This includes direct advisor support through research assistantships, departmental teaching assistantship, university grants and fellowships for graduate students, and external (federal, foundation, or industry) scholarships. 

The Biomedical Engineering PhD program admits students directly to a lab. We do not have lab rotations. Because we directly admit students to a lab, our admissions will vary year-to-year to meet lab needs and funding availability. 

Before applying to the PhD program, applicants are encouraged to connect with a faculty research advisor from the BME core or adjunct faculty and discuss: 

  • Research fit based on: (i) shared research interests and (ii) applicant’s prior technical skills 
  • Advisor’s current funding availability

Read more about our BME core research labs and expertise here. 

Application fee waivers

The application fee is $90 USD. The BME department does not offer any additional fee waivers aside from what is listed below. There are no fee waivers for international applicants.

Applicants in the following categories may qualify for a Graduate School application fee waiver:

  • Members of the McNair Scholars Program — submit documentation as a PDF attachment to gradfee [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu (gradfee[at]grad[dot]umass[dot]edu).
  • Applicants who qualify for a GRE fee reduction — submit a copy of your GRE fee reduction as a PDF attachment to gradfee [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu (gradfee[at]grad[dot]umass[dot]edu).
  • Current Five College undergraduate students applying to a master's only program, excluding MFA programs. The fee is automatically waived, no additional documentation is necessary.
  • Current UMass graduate students enrolled in a master's program and applying for a doctoral degree in the same program.
  • Eligible domestic students from underrepresented groups who are participants of these organizations and programs.
  • Domestic NSBE, SWE, SHPE and oSTEM members with proof of their national membership status

Admission Requirements

  • Minimum GPA: 3.25
  • Minimum English Language Proficiency scores (for non-native English speakers):
    • TOEFL: 80
    • IETLS: 6.5
    • PTE Academic: 53
    • Duolingo: 115
  • Bachelor’s degree in math, science, or engineering. A degree in Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field is highly encouraged.

Application Requirements

For questions, please contact bme-admissions [at] umass [dot] edu (bme-admissions[at]umass[dot]edu).