Ph.D. Program
Curriculum Requirements
Completion of the Ph.D. degree requires fulfillment of the following coursework. Examples of courses that meet these requirements can be found here.
Core Engineering Courses
Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) six credit hours (typically two courses) of engineering-centric courses.
Core Bio/Medicine Courses
Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) six credit hours to meet the physiology requirement.
- BIOL 451: Comparative Physiology (offered at UNC), or PHY 503: General Physiology I (offered at NC State), or PHY 504: General Physiology II (offered at NC State)
- BMME890/BME790: Biochemistry
Mathematics
Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) three credit hours (typically one course) of graduate-level mathematics or applied mathematics.
Statistics
Students are required to satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) three credit hours (typically one course) of a graduate-level statistics course.
Technical Electives
Students must satisfactorily complete (grade B or better) nine credit hours (typically three courses) of graduate-level science or engineering. Courses pertinent to the student’s areas of interest are selected with the approval of the research adviser.
BME Graduate Seminar
Students are required to enroll every semester in BME 802/BMME 890: BME Graduate Seminar. M.D./Ph.D. students are exempt during the clinical portion of their training. A list of upcoming seminars can be found here.
Ethics
Students must pass a course in research ethics. This may be satisfied by completion of one credit hour courses PHI 816: Introduction to Research Ethics (NC State), GRAD 721: Research Ethics (UNC), or the online Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Good Clinical Practices for Clinical Trials with Investigational Drugs, Biologics and Devices course module.
Professional Development Seminar
Students must enroll in the professional development seminar (BME 802/BMME 890) in the spring of the second year.
Mentored Teaching Experience
Students will participate in a required mentored teaching experience in the third year of graduate study.
Ph.D. Timeline
In addition to the course requirements, a series of checkpoints along a timeline has been established to ensure that all graduate students make steady progress toward degree completion:
How to Apply through UNC or NC State
Because our department is truly joint and BME Graduate degrees are from both universities, applications to the doctoral program submitted through UNC and NC State graduate schools are processed identically. All applications, regardless of submission origin, are evaluated equally by the Joint graduate admissions committee and the Joint Department’s graduate faculty. Therefore, students submitting applications to the doctoral program may do so through either campus equivalently.
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Applicants must submit the following:
- Transcript(s) documenting an undergraduate or graduate degree in engineering or a quantitative science.
- GRE scores are not required. However, if applicants choose to send in their scores, they may do so. Please note that scores from the GRE general exam must be taken within the last five years. UNC institution code: #5816. NC State institution code: #5496
- Three recommendation letters that discuss your potential for graduate study.
- TOEFL scores (international applicants only).
- A 1–2 page personal statement discussing research interests and relevant background experience. The statement should identify professors within the department with whom you are interested in working.
ADMISSIONS DEADLINE: All materials must be received by Tuesday, December 12th, 2023 for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle.
Contacts
Director of Graduate Studies
Matt Fisher, Ph.D.
(919) 515-5242
mbfisher@ncsu.edu
Graduate Program Coordinator
Vilma Berg
(919) 445-6051
vberg@email.unc.edu
MS MedTech Program Director
David Zaharoff
(919) 515-6757
dazaharo@ncsu.edu
MS MedTech Assistant Program Director
Matt Penny
(919) 524-4497
mrpenny@ncsu.edu