Ph.D. Program

The BIG Ph.D. (Bioengineering Departmental Graduate Program) is heavily integrated with research activities and is intended for well-qualified individuals who wish to pursue leadership careers in academic or industrial research.

The program requires approximately three years of full-time study beyond the master’s degree but an M.S. is not required to enter into the Ph.D. program. In consultation with a faculty advisor, BIG Ph.D. students plan their program of study. The doctoral dissertation is based on original research in the field of specialization. The doctoral program includes a teaching requirement, an oral and written qualifying examination, and a dissertation.

The normative time to complete the Ph.D. degree is five years.

For more information on the requirements of the BIG Ph.D. program, please see contact the department GSAO, Manuel Perez (mperez@engr.ucr.edu).

Why BIG?

• Broad range of critically important, contemporary bioengineering topics
• Dedication to leadership training - graduates are continuously exposed to opportunities to interact with BIG faculty as well as many Colloquium speakers to ask questions without faculty presence
• Emphasis on productivity in an energized welcoming environment has students working early and often with creative expression and presentations that focus on accountability
• Strong faculty dedicated to a collaborative, sharing environment to maximize learning and innovation with flexible course structures that include non-clinical medical school courses at the UCR School of Medicine
• Opportunities to interact with leading UC centers with cutting edge instrumentation including UCR Center for Plant Cell Biology (CEPCEB) and UCR Central Facility for Advanced Microscopy and Microanalysis as well as the potential to do collaborative cutting-edge medical research with institutions such as City of Hope, Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine and University of Iowa’s Carver College of Medicine.

How to Apply

Applications to the BIG Ph.D. program are accepted through the UC Riverside Graduate Division website for the Fall quarter only. The priority deadline for admission and fellowship consideration is January 5th. The deadline to apply for admission consideration only is June 1st for all applicants.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the following requirements listed below, all applicants must meet the general requirements of the UCR Graduate Council as set forth by the Graduate Division. The Department of Bioengineering requires that you possess a cumulative 3.0 minimum GPA during the junior and senior year of your undergraduate education.

*An M.S. degree is not a prerequisite for entering the Ph.D. program.

*The GRE is no longer required to apply to the Ph.D. program.

Applicants will need to have completed coursework in chemistry, physics, math, biochemistry and biology, and engineering. Students without an undergraduate engineering degree should have excellent training in mathematics and the physical sciences.

Specific recommendations for students without an undergraduate engineering degree are:

• Two years of mathematics
• One year of physics
• One year of inorganic chemistry including lab
• One year of organic chemistry including lab
• One course in biochemistry
• One course of molecular biology

Students with strong academic records may be admitted with limited coursework deficiencies, provided that these are satisfied by appropriate coursework taken during the first two years of graduate study.

Domestic Students

In order to be considered for admission in the Department of Bioengineering you must upload ALL of the following directly to the online application:

• A statement of purpose
• A personal history statement (CVs or Resumes may not be submitted in lieu of a personal history statement)
• A total of 3 letters of recommendation
• upload one copy of unofficial transcripts to the online Graduate Application from ALL institutions attended after secondary school (high school)

International Students

In order to be considered for admission in the Department of Bioengineering you must upload ALL of the following directly to the online application:

• A statement of purpose
• A personal history statement (CVs or Resumes may not be submitted in lieu of a personal history statement)
• A total of 3 letters of recommendation
• upload one unofficial copy of transcripts and degree certificates that are in the original language accompanied by certified English translations from EACH academic institution attended after secondary school (high school)
• TOFEL Requirement: 550 paper test score minimum and 80 iBT score minimum
• IELTS Requirement: An overall score of 7 with no band score less than 6