PhD in Engineering

Phd in Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Science degree with a Concentration in Bioengineering is conferred on the basis of extended study and high scholarly attainment in the field of bioengineering. The entrance requirement for the Ph.D. program in Bioengineering is the M.S. in Bioengineering or another engineering field that meets the requirements of the Bioengineering Department. The M.D., D.D.S., and D.V.M. are acceptable, provided that the student presents evidence of an appropriate engineering background at the undergraduate level, including a minimum of two years of calculus through differential equations and one year of physics. Highly qualified B.S. engineering graduates can be admitted directly into the Ph.D. program. Direct admission students will not write and defend an M.S. thesis or receive an M.S. degree en route to the Ph.D. degree.Any petition or request regarding a change of the terminal degree must be discussed and approved by the faculty advisor and the Graduate Committee. A Ph.D. student who chooses en route not to pursue the Ph.D. degree can only receive a degree from the Department by writing and defending an M.S. thesis. Moving from the Ph.D. program to an M.S. thesis option is contingent upon the approval of the faculty advisor and the Graduate Committee, and is not guaranteed.

In addition to coursework requirements, continuation within the Ph.D. program requires that the student pass two major examinations: (1) the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam and (2) the defense of the Dissertation Research Proposal. Completion of the Ph.D. degree requires the writing and defense of the Dissertation and presentation and publication of the research findings.

Curriculum

A minimum of 90 semester credit hours of approved graduate coursework are required beyond the B.S. degree or 60 semester hours beyond the M.S. degree. For students directly admitted into the Ph.D. program with a B.S. degree, the M.S. coursework and the Ph.D. coursework requirements must be satisfied. All coursework must be approved by the student's advisor. Each student must meet the following minimum general coursework requirements beyond the M.S. degree requirements:

• Register and attend the weekly Bioengineering Department seminar. Registration and attendance is mandatory every semester.
• Complete 3 hours of Bioengineering core coursework if not previously taken.
• Complete 3 hours of coursework to satisfy the mathematics requirement.
• Complete 9-12 hours of elective coursework as approved by the advisor to support the research area.
• Complete at least 45 semester hours of dissertation research. A student can register for dissertation research only after passing the Qualifying Exam and defending the Dissertation Research Proposal.

The Ph.D. curriculum requirements are designed to allow advanced students maximum flexibility in selecting coursework appropriate for the research area. Individual course selections are determined almost entirely by the student and the student's research advisor and/or dissertation committee. In some cases, individual faculty members serving on a dissertation committee may require specific coursework. Any course that is not acceptable for M.S. credit is not acceptable for Ph.D. credit. The curriculum requirements for the Ph.D. degree are summarized in Table 1. The time required for completion of the Ph.D. degree is not typically tied to the length of time required to meet coursework requirements, but depends on the student's research area, work ethic, and research results. The majority of the training that occurs in the Ph.D. curriculum occurs through the dissertation research.