Biomedical Engineering Doctoral Program
Gain the advanced research skills and hands-on experience you need to engineer innovative medical solutions in the biomedical engineering Ph.D. program.
The biomedical engineering Ph.D. program at Stevens is part of a collaborative community of scholars who are dedicated to scientific research and technology-based medical discoveries at the boundary between engineering and science. Through advanced research opportunities, you'll gain an extensive and intensive understanding of the challenges within medical and clinical environments.
You'll graduate from the biomedical engineering Ph.D. program with the ability to apply a deep knowledge of engineering principles to create life-saving tools and technologies. This impactful program will solidly prepare you to enter academia or pursue a career as a research scientist in a variety of medical-related industries.
The Department of Biomedical Engineering offers dynamic opportunities to work close with a faculty mentor. Research in the biomedical engineering Ph.D. program focuses on eight cluster areas of research, and you'll be able to study under a faculty mentor in the area that you find most exciting:
AI and Deep Learning
Biomechanics
Control Systems
Device Development
Drug Development Delivery
Engineering Philosophy
Imaging
Neuroengineering
Tissue engineering
The Stevens Advantage: Widen Your Career Options
The Stevens campus is located within a global hub of pharmaceutical, medical research and technology companies. Our faculty are active collaborators with many of New York’s leading medical centers and universities. Many of our students have sought and found careers within New Jersey’s burgeoning medical and pharmaceutical industries.
Learn more about what makes graduate education from Stevens a unique experience:
Graduate Cooperative Education Program: Available with two tracks, your co-op experience can serve as a starting point for a research project or augment your on-campus research with complimentary experience.
International Student Experience: Tap into our expanding worldwide network of research, academic and alumni partners and mentor with our expert faculty in a number of federally-designated STEM degree programs. Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is available to gain work experience in your major/field of study.
State-of-the-Art Research Labs and Facilities: Build, tinker and test your designs in Stevens' MakerCenter, Prototype and Object Fabrication Lab, or numerous other research facilities.
Research Opportunities: Renowned faculty, labs and research centers – as well as industry partnerships and funding from leading national agencies – support strategic and interdisciplinary research in engineering and science.
Assistantships and Fellowships: Stevens offers funding to select graduate students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships and fellowships. Limited in number, these highly competitive opportunities are awarded to exceptional candidates based on merit.
Expanded Learning Options: The Schaefer School offers new opportunities for doctoral students to do coursework at universities in the New York City area – and around the world – through our growing list of academic partnerships with other prestigious universities. Learn more about our latest partnerships.
Hands-On Biomedical Research
At Stevens, you have the ability to join research groups with students at a variety of levels of experience, and outstanding faculty so you can learn cutting-edge technology as a team, just like in the real-world. In our state-of-the-art research labs and facilities, you'll have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning. By the end of this program, you'll have the following training and skills:
Knowledge of physiology
Ability to design experiments and, in some laboratories, develop instrumentation
Expertise in area-specific data collection techniques such as immunohistochemistry, fluorescence imaging, electrical recording, and motion capture
Expertise in data analysis methods such as signal processing and kinematic analysis
Oral and written communication skills
Program Admission Requirements
Who Should Apply
Applications submitted by February 1st are guaranteed to receive full consideration for a funded Ph.D. student position. Applications are also welcome to be submitted after February 1st, and will be considered for funded Ph.D. student positions that remain available. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.
Requirements
If entering post-bachelor’s degree:
Preliminary 30-credit master’s degree
Post master’s degree:
54 total credits including
at least 15 course credits
at least 30 doctoral research credits
Other Requirements
Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional only; Select Ph.D. programs require a third letter of recommendation)
Statement of Purpose
$60 non-refundable Application Fee
Proof of English language proficiency
A competitive GRE or GMAT score (optional)
Resume/CV
Writing sample(s). All applicants are encouraged to submit a lab report (preferable) or paper that they wrote, individually, for an engineering course. Applicants who have published a journal article are also encouraged to submit a copy of their article.
For more complete details, visit our General Admissions Requirements page.
Overview of Program Requirements
Required Courses
PRV 961 Doctoral Signature Seminar - Scientific communications course
For students without training in physiology, BME 502 and 503 Physiology for Engineers I and II
Qualifying examination
1st year
In the fall, first year students are provided materials for exam and can opt to study together as a cohort to prepare for the exam
Exam takes place at the start of the spring term
Proposal defense
2nd year
Proposal evaluation and defense are overseen by student's doctoral dissertation advisory committee, which is chaired by student's advisor
Publication
First-authored paper on doctoral research in peer-reviewed journal
Dissertation
Write and defend doctoral thesis
View objectives, outcomes, and other Ph.D. curriculum details in the most recent academic catalog.
View Academic Catalog >
Each Ph.D. curriculum must also adhere to the institution wide standards listed in the doctoral handbook.
View Doctoral Handbook >
If you have existing graduate credits or experience in this area of study, contact [email protected] to discuss opportunities to include it in the curriculum.
Fellowships & Assistantships
Information about assistantships and fellowships can be found here.
STEM Designated Degree Programs
The four fields comprising STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – offer a wide variety of professions that are classified as some of the highest-growing and highest-paying jobs right now and in the future.
And for international students, the demand for STEM-related professionals in the United States can open the door for an extended stay.
An ever-growing list of eligible programs across all levels is available here.
A Tech Forward Education
We also go to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in the Bronx to do research there occasionally, which is awesome. We give feedback to participants with a spinal cord injury that’s either visual or haptic, which is like vibrations on their hand, or a combination of the two. We look at how they perform a motor task with all of these types of feedback, and we try to figure out what’s best.
Sophie Dewil
Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate
Our collaborator, Dr. Leslie Gold at NYU, reached out to my advisor, Dr. Hongjun Wang, and to me directly and said, ‘I think you should apply for this.’ I consider this award a great way to end my Ph.D. career.
Mary Stack
Biomedical Engineering Doctoral Graduate and 2022 Young Innovator Award Winner
I have had the privilege to work with some of the best faculty members in the field of biomedical engineering. In particular, Dr. Kim has provided me with great mentorship and guidance throughout my undergraduate education. In addition, he has given me opportunities to participate in hands-on projects that have applications in the real world.
Mohammad Mir
Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate
Stevens has a very unique community, with students across many different backgrounds and a diverse faculty across many science and engineering fields. After I joined Stevens, I was involved in multiple projects, and I have had to communicate and collect feedback from my collaborators. Ultimately, these collaborations uniquely shaped my experience at Stevens and have helped me grow as a researcher.
Xueshen Li '25
Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate
We also go to the Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital in the Bronx to do research there occasionally, which is awesome. We give feedback to participants with a spinal cord injury that’s either visual or haptic, which is like vibrations on their hand, or a combination of the two. We look at how they perform a motor task with all of these types of feedback, and we try to figure out what’s best.
Sophie Dewil
Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Candidate
Our collaborator, Dr. Leslie Gold at NYU, reached out to my advisor, Dr. Hongjun Wang, and to me directly and said, ‘I think you should apply for this.’ I consider this award a great way to end my Ph.D. career.
Mary Stack
Biomedical Engineering Doctoral Graduate and 2022 Young Innovator Award Winner
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