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BIOE-MS - Bioengineering (MS)
Overview
Program Overview
Coterminal Master's Program in Bioengineering
This option is available to Stanford undergraduates who wish to work simultaneously toward a B.S. one major as well as an M.S. in Bioengineering. The degrees may be granted simultaneously or at the conclusion of different quarters, though the bachelor’s degree cannot be awarded after the master’s degree has been granted.
The University minimum requirements for the coterminal program are 180 units for the bachelor’s degree plus 45 unduplicated units for the master’s degree.
In order to apply for the coterminal master's program students must have completed six, non-summer quarters at Stanford (two non-summer quarters for transfer students), have completed 120 undergraduate units, and must have declared the undergraduate major. They must be accepted into our program one quarter before receiving the B.S. degree.
The deadline for receiving applications will be late fall 2021. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the M.S. or Ph.D. program in Bioengineering.
The application must provide evidence of potential for strong academic performance as a graduate student. The application is evaluated and acted upon by the graduate admissions committee of the department. Students are expected to enter with a series of core competencies in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, computing, and engineering. Typically, a GPA of at least 3.5 in engineering, science, and math is expected.
University Coterminal Requirements
Coterminal master’s degree candidates are expected to complete all master’s degree requirements as described in this bulletin. University requirements for the coterminal master’s degree are described in the Coterminal Master's Degrees section. University requirements for the master’s degree are described in the Graduate Degrees section of this bulletin.
After accepting admission to this coterminal master’s degree program, students may request transfer of courses from the undergraduate to the graduate career to satisfy requirements for the master’s degree. Transfer of courses to the graduate career requires review and approval of both the undergraduate and graduate programs on a case by case basis.
In this master’s program, courses taken during or after the first quarter of the sophomore year are eligible for consideration for transfer to the graduate career; the timing of the first graduate quarter is not a factor. No courses taken prior to the first quarter of the sophomore year may be used to meet master’s degree requirements.
Course transfers are not possible after the bachelor’s degree has been conferred.
The University requires that the graduate advisor be assigned in the student’s first graduate quarter even though the undergraduate career may still be open. The University also requires that the Master’s Degree Program Proposal be completed by the student and approved by the department by the end of the student’s first graduate quarter.
Free Form Requisites
The Master of Science in Bioengineering requires 45 units of coursework. The curriculum consists of core bioengineering courses, technical electives, core seminars and unrestricted electives. Core courses focus on quantitative biology and biological systems analysis. Approved technical electives are chosen by the student in consultation with their graduate adviser, and can be selected from graduate course offerings in mathematics, statistics, engineering, physical sciences, life sciences, and medicine. Seminars highlight emerging research in bioengineering and provide training in research ethics. Unrestricted electives can be freely chosen by the student in association with his/her adviser.
All courses for the MS degree in Bioengineering must be taken for a letter grade if offered by the instructor (only exceptions are research units). Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) for all courses (combined) is a 3.0. The department’s requirements for the M.S. in Bioengineering are:
1. Core Bioengineering courses (10 units)
The following courses are required:
Course List | ||
Units | ||
|---|---|---|
Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | 3 | |
Quantitative Physiology | 3 | |
Select two of the following: | 4-5 | |
Molecular and Cellular Engineering Lab | 2 | |
Clinical Needs and Technology | 2 | |
Diagnostic Devices Lab | 2 | |
Microfluidic Device Laboratory | 3-4 | |
Computational protein modeling laboratory | 2 | |
Research Data & Computation | 2 | |
These courses, together with the approved technical electives, should form a cohesive course of study that provides depth and breadth.
2. Approved Technical Electives (27 units)
These units must be selected from graduate courses in mathematics, statistics, engineering, physical science, life science, and medicine. They should be chosen in concert with the bioengineering courses to provide a cohesive degree program in a bioengineering focus area. Students are required to take at least one course in some area of device or instrumentation. Up to 9 units of directed study and research may be used as approved electives.
3. Core Seminars (2 units)
The seminar units should be fulfilled through:
Course List | ||
Units | ||
|---|---|---|
Bioengineering Departmental Research Colloquium | 1 | |
The Responsible Conduct of Research | 1 | |
Other relevant seminar units may also be used with the approval of the faculty adviser. One of the seminar units must be course The Responsible Conduct of Research.
4. Unrestricted Electives (6 units).
M.S. Program Proposal
Students are assigned an initial faculty adviser to assist them in designing a plan of study that creates a cohesive degree program.
To ensure that an appropriate program is pursued by all M.S. candidates, students who first matriculate at Stanford at the graduate level must:
submit an adviser-approved Program Proposal for a Master’s Degree form to the student services office during the first month of the first quarter of enrollment
obtain approval from the M.S. adviser and the Chair of Graduate Studies for any subsequent program change or changes.
It is expected that the requirements for the M.S. in Bioengineering can be completed within approximately one year. There is no thesis requirement for the M.S..
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of Bioengineering, a number of courses are offered directly through the Bioengineering Department but many are available through other departments. See respective ExploreCourses for course descriptions.
Program Policies
External Credit Policies
N/A
Advising Expectations
The Department of Bioengineering is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by both the adviser and the advisee. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the adviser and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity.
Graduate students are active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program.
For a statement of University policy on graduate advising, see the "Graduate Advising" section of this bulletin.
At the start of graduate study, each student is assigned a master’s program adviser: a member of our faculty who provide guidance in course selection and in exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. The department’s graduate handbook provides information and suggested timelines for advising meetings. Usually, the same faculty member serves as a program adviser for the duration of master’s study, but the handbook does describe a process for formal adviser changes.
In addition, the faculty Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) is available during the academic year by email and during office hours.
The department’s student services office is also an important part of the master’s advising team. They inform students and advisers about University and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities, and they maintain the official records of advising assignments and approvals.
Learning Outcomes
Program Learning Outcomes
The purpose of the master’s program is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for a professional career or doctoral studies. This is done through coursework with specialization in an area of the field, including biomedical computation, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, molecular and cell bioengineering, biomedical imaging, and biomedical devices.