Biomedical Engineering, PhD

 Program Description

The UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences together with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Memphis offers a joint graduate program leading to the PhD in Biomedical Engineering (BME). As a special field, BME applies engineering, physical sciences, and mathematical methods to problems involving health care; it demands close integration of many areas and forms of knowledge including the areas listed above, the life and health sciences, and current practice in clinical care.  Usually in BME the student is admitted as a thesis-based MS degree student which is followed by a Ph.D.  The minimum graduate school requirement for the Joint Program is 57 credits (plus 6 credits for the MS thesis and 24 credits for the Ph.D. dissertation).  Students and their faculty committee agree on the actual number of credits; few take the exact number shown.  Some courses can be chosen from lists; others are chosen with the consent of the faculty advisor and committee. The term “engineering choice” is understood to include applicable course work.

The program’s primary faculty are divided between the two campuses and offer academic and research activities that focus on engineering aspects of four major sub-disciplines: (1) Biomechanics and Movement Science (2) Biomaterials and Regenerative Technology; (3) Biosensors and Electrophysiology and, (4) Cellular Biomechanical Responses. These sub-disciplines are bolstered by collaborations with secondary and adjunct faculty at the two universities and other affiliated institutions.

Admission and Selection

Admission as a full-time student requires a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 from an accredited college or university and a combined score totaling at least 300 for the verbal and quantitative sections of the revised Graduate Record Examinations (GRE). Individuals with a professional or graduate degree in science from an accredited US/Canadian institution, or with scores from other commonly recognized standardized graduate admissions exams, may petition for an exception. Three letters of recommendation from previous instructors or persons capable of judging the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study are also required. Any applicant to the graduate program whose first language is not English and who has earned neither a bachelor’s nor a master’s degree from a college or university in an English-speaking country must have achieved a TOEFL score of at least 213/79 on the computer-based/Internet-based exam or an IELTS score of 6.5 (earned within 2 years prior to application). Any applicant to the CGHS whose first language is not English but who has earned a baccalaureate or master’s degree from a college or university in an English-speaking country where instruction was in English may be exempted from the requirement for the TOEFL or IELTS examination.

Technical Standards and Accommodations

The minimum abilities for eligibility to participate successfully in educational programs and activities by students enrolled in the College of Graduate Health Sciences are listed below. All persons who wish to enter one of the programs in the College should be aware of the minimum abilities required for success. Admission decisions for the College programs do not take disabilities into consideration; students may disclose their disabilities after admission.

Minimum abilities are as follows:

1. To make proper assessments and ethical judgments regarding research and professional decisions.
2. To communicate effectively with colleagues and professional staff.
3. To acquire necessary information developed through classroom instruction, laboratory experience, independent learning, and consultation.
4. To search and evaluate articles in the scientific literature.
5. To obtain, interpret, and accurately document research data.
6. To complete computer-based assignments and use computers.
7. To understand and carry out safety rules and precautions in the laboratory.
8. To handle emergencies in the laboratory, including fire, exposure to dangerous agents, and explosions.

These abilities may be accomplished through direct student response, use of prosthetic devices, or personal assistance (e.g., readers, signers, and note takers). Upon admission, students are invited to disclose any disabilities (with certification) to the Student Academic Support Services and Inclusion (SASSI) https://www.uthsc.edu/sassi/. The college will provide reasonable accommodations, as required by the student’s documented disabilities with SASSI, and at the student’s written request to the Dean, College of Graduate Health Sciences. Purchase of prosthetic devices to aid the student in meeting these requirements is the responsibility of the student. On a case-by-case basis and upon written request of the student, the College may assist in providing attending services.