Department website: https://www.odu.edu/biomedical-engineering
Program Website: https://www.odu.edu/academics/programs/doctoral/biomedical-engineering
Contact Information
Graduate Program Director: Michel Audette
Department Chair: Oscar Gonzalez
Inquiries: maudette@odu.edu
Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The Biomedical Engineering graduate degree programs are available to full-time and part-time students seeking to improve their research and professional skills in biomedical engineering. The programs strive to provide the highest quality engineering education at the graduate level, to engage in scholarly research at the forefront of biomedical engineering, and to serve the profession of biomedical engineering. While the biomedical engineering program is administered by the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, the program is highly interdisciplinary and students are admitted from broad areas of engineering, science, and healthcare. Cutting-edge research opportunities and instruction are offered in:
• Bioelectrics and Pulsed Power
• Cellular & Molecular Bioengineering
• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Musculoskeletal Biomechanics
• Plasma Medicine
• Computer-Assisted Medicine & Computational Bioengineering
For additional information, please request a departmental handbook from the Graduate Program Director ( maudette@odu.edu ).
Program Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Engineering with a Concentration in Biomedical Engineering requires a minimum of 48 credits beyond a master's degree (or 78 credits beyond a bachelor's degree). These include 24 credits of coursework and 24 credits of dissertation research (beyond a master's degree).
Additional Information
Graduate Student Program Handbook: For additional information, please request a departmental handbook from the Graduate Program Director (maudette@odu.edu).
Additional Graduate Student Resources (Graduate School): The Graduate School has extensive additional resources for graduate students at https://www.odu.edu/graduateschool/graduate-student-resources
Program Financial Aid: Our programs offer graduate assistantships with stipends that are awarded to students after a competitive review process. The level of award is determined on the basis of previous experience and performance as a graduate assistant and on the student’s academic achievement and potential in the field. In addition, a number of teaching and research positions are available for financial support of graduate assistants during the summer months (June and July).
Accelerated Study (Dual Dominion Program): Exceptionally well-qualified undergraduate students in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology can apply for entry into the Dual Dominion Program, which permits students to begin pursuit of a graduate degree (including a doctoral degree) in Engineering while they are still pursuing their undergraduate degree in a complementary discipline. Subject to the approval of the undergraduate and graduate program directors, a student enrolled in the Dual Dominion program can count up to six credit hours of course work towards both the undergraduate and the graduate degrees. Students who are matriculated in an undergraduate major in the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology with a GPA of at least 3.00 overall and 3.00 in the major are eligible to apply for admission to a Dual Dominion Bachelor's/Master's program. Additional Undergraduate Catalog information on the Dual Dominion program can be found at https://catalog.odu.edu/undergraduate/registrationrequirementsandprocedures/linked_programs/.
Admission Information
Application Process
Summary: Applications for graduate study in the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Program (Biomedical Engineering Concentration) should be made through the general ODU Application Portal. Additional materials supporting your application (outlined below) will be required. Once complete, your application package will be reviewed and forwarded to the Biomedical Engineering Program's Graduate Program Director for consideration. Questions regarding the general application process can be directed to admissions@odu.edu (on-campus) or globaladmissions@odu.edu (online).
Application Deadlines: The Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Program uses a rolling admission process and does not have a formal application deadline. Entrance into the program and commencement of studies will be timed to begin with the start of the next academic term following admission.
General ODU Requirements
General ODU Requirements: General requirements for graduate admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Program (Biomedical Engineering Concentration) can be found on the ODU Graduate Admissions website. Additional details can be found in the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog.
Additional Program Requirements:
Prior Degrees: Biomedical Engineering doctoral degree applicants normally will have a bachelor’s degree, preferably in electrical, computer, modeling & simulation, or mechanical engineering with a strong background in mathematics and physical sciences, or alternately, in computer science, biology, chemistry, health sciences, or related areas. However, exceptionally well qualified students can be admitted to Ph.D. program directly without a master’s degree. Provisional admission (see below) may also be possible for applicants with prior degrees in a related fields other than the applicant’s intended graduate program.
Undergraduate GPA: Regular admission to a doctoral program generally requires a master's degree GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with a lower undergraduate GPA may be considered for regular or provisional admission on the basis of successful engineering work experience or other credentials demonstrating potential for success in the doctoral program.
Transcripts: Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended are required.
Examination/Test Scores: Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores is currently not required.
Language Proficiency Requirements: TOEFL (or IELTS) scores are required for all applicants whose native language is not English unless their BS degrees are from USA institutions. These applicants must meet University admission requirements (IELTS: 6.5 or TOEFL iBT: 79); please refer to the website: https://www.odu.edu/admissions/proficiency for additional details.
Résumé: A résumé or CV detailing relevant experience is required.
Personal Statement: Each applicant must submit an essay of 500 words or less describing personal and academic goals, professional objectives, preparation for graduate study, and how the chosen program will help the applicant achieve these goals and objectives.
Recommendation Letters: Two letters of recommendation must be submitted. At least one must be from former or current professors, and one could alternatively be from an employment supervisors.
Provisional Admission: Students not meeting the above requirements may be admitted provisionally. Only the Graduate Program Director (GPD) can waive an admission requirement. Please reach out directly to the GPD if you think you are eligible for a waiver from a requirement. The GPD may request additional information, including GRE scores. Provisionally admitted students may be required to complete additional prerequisite course requirements to prepare them for the graduate curriculum in the discipline.
Curriculum Requirements
The Ph.D. degree requires:
- 24 credit hours of graduate-level courses beyond the master's degree,
- 24 research credit hours (BME 899) beyond the master's degree,
- successful completion of a written diagnostic examination,
- successful completion of written and oral candidacy examinations,
- successful completion of a dissertation research proposal, and
- successful completion and public defense of a dissertation.
- Or, in the absence of a master's degree, 78 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree are required.
The program of study will be developed with the approval of the graduate program director and the student’s advisor. The 24-credit course program shall include a common core of 12 credits (four 3-credit courses) including : BME 811 Biological Mechanisms for Biomedical Engineers, BME 812 Engineering Fundamentals in Biomedicine, BME 840 Regenerative Medicine, and BME 847 Responsible Conduct of Research (now worth 3CH). 12 credits of elective coursework are also required and are described below.
For students without a master's degree, a total of 78 credit hours of graduate level coursework is required, consisting of 48 credit hours of graduate courses (the 24 course credits listed above for master's holders, plus 24 elective credits), as well as 30 research credit hours (BME 899). Three fifths of the required 48 course credit hours must be at the 800 level and need to comply with regular PhD program degree requirements.
Exceptions to the credit-hour distribution requirements at any level must be approved in writing by the graduate program director, the dean or his or her designee, and the provost or his or her designee. Additional course work or appropriate research background may be required to meet prerequisites for courses or in preparation for the diagnostic examination.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credit Hours |
| Biological Mechanisms for Biomedical Engineers | |
| Engineering Fundamentals in Biomedicine | |
| Regenerative Medicine | |
| Responsible Conduct of Research | |
| Therapy and Function Models for Medical Simulation | |
| Introduction to Bioelectrics | |
| Introduction to Medical Image Analysis | |
| Biomedical Applications of Low Temperature Plasmas | |
| Digital Signal Processing I | |
| Cardiovascular Physiology | |
| Biomedical Sciences Journal Club | |
| Advanced Cell Biology | |
| Biomedical Sciences Laboratory | |
| Modern Biomedical Instrumentation | |
| Mathematical Modeling in Physiology | |
| Biomaterials | |
| Predoctoral Fellowship Grant Writing | |
| Finite Element Analysis | |
| Principles of Visualization | |
| Computational and Statistical Methods in Biomedical Engineering | |
| Advanced Bioelectrics | |
| Biomembranes and Ion Channels | |
| Autonomous and Robotic Systems Analysis and Control | |
| Applied Medical Image Analysis | |
| Advanced Study in Biology | |
| Grant Writing in Biology | |
| Digital Image Processing | |
| Advanced Manufacturing Technology | |
| Biomechanics | |
| Cellular Biomechanics | |
| Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering | |
| Independent Study | |
| Doctoral Graduate Credit | |
| |
| PHD Dissertation Research | |
| Total Credit Hours | 48 |
Doctor of Philosophy Degree Requirements
The Ph.D. in biomedical engineering is offered in accordance with the general requirements for doctoral degrees as specified in the Requirements for Graduate Degree Section of this catalog. Specific program of study requirements include the following:
- Completion of a minimum of 48 hours of graduate credits to include: a minimum of 24 credits of course work beyond the master’s degree and a minimum of 24 credits of dissertation research. At least 15 credits of non-dissertation course work must be at the 800-level. The Graduate Program Director in concurrence with the Chair can approve exceptions to these requirements under special circumstances.
- For students without a master's degree, a total of 78 credit hours of graduate level coursework is required, consisting of 48 credit hours of graduate courses (the 24 course credits listed above for master's holders, plus 24 elective credits), as well as 30 research credit hours (BME 899). Three fifths of the required 48 course credit hours must be at the 800 level and need to comply with regular PhD program degree requirements.
- Successful completion of a written diagnostic examination before the end of the first academic year.
- Successful completion of a written and oral qualifying examination near the completion of the coursework.
- Successful presentation of a dissertation research proposal at the beginning of the dissertation research.
- The successful completion and public defense of a dissertation representing independent, original research worthy of publication in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. At least one published and one submitted manuscript as first author in peer-reviewed, indexed journals are expected.
