Description
The accelerated B.S./M.S. degree program (also know as the "4+1" program) is open to qualified undergraduate Biomedical Engineering students desiring to continue their education at the graduate level immediately upon completion of their undergraduate degree. Accepted students take up to six graduate credit hours that are applied to both the bachelor’s and graduate degrees. Students may pursue either thesis or non-thesis Master’s degree options.
In order to qualify/apply for the Accelerated Master’s program, the student must:
1) Meet minimum overall and engineering program GPA requirements
2) Complete two graduate-level (6000-level or above) engineering courses in lieu of two 4000-level courses
3) Complete the BIOE Accelerated Master’s application
4) Apply to the University of Houston Graduate School (by the deadline)
NOTE: Acceptance into the Accelerated Program does not constitute automatic admission to graduate school.
Please review summary page for a more detailed breakdown of the application process.
Eligibility and Application Process
Interested students should submit an Accelerated Master's Program application form to the Associate Director of Academic Programs.
Minimum eligibility requirements are:
- Junior standing and 30 semester hours of engineering course work completed;
- a 3.2 overall GPA;
- a 3.2 engineering GPA (all completed BIOE courses, ENGI 1331, ECE 2201, and MECE 3400);
- one letter of recommendation from a faculty member familiar with the student.
The application package must be approved by the Associate Director of Academic Programs and the BIOE Department Chair before a student is permitted to enroll in graduate courses.
Graduate Courses Taken as an Undergraduate
The graduate courses must be selected from the 6000-level offerings of the BIOE Department. The selection of courses should be made with guidance from the undergraduate advisor or Associate Director of Academic Programs. This determination will be made with regard to the student’s preparation for the course material and the degree to which the courses complement the student’s undergraduate program.
For students in the BIOE undergraduate program:
- 6000-level BIOE courses will be substituted for 4000/5000-level electives in the BIOE undergraduate curriculum.
- No 4000/5000-level electives taken in the undergraduate program can be repeated at the 6000-level for credit.
Example: If a student takes BIOE 5316 for elective credit as an undergraduate, they cannot also take BIEO 6394 for elective credit as a graduate student. - Students who took BIOE 4350/4150 (Genomics & Proteomics) must take BIOE 6340 (Quantitative Systems Biology & Disease) as the CORE course in the M.S. program.
Admission to the Graduate Program
Acceptance into the Accelerated Program does not constitute automatic admission to graduate school. Completion of the B.S. degree and the standard admission requirements for each graduate degree program apply. Pay careful attention to departmental and graduate school deadlines.
Elements for graduate admission include:
- GPA on the last 60 hours of relevant course work
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores
- Performance in 6000-level courses
- Three letters of recommendation
Qualified graduate applicants are also considered for research or teaching assistantships and fellowships available through the department and the university. Applicants also have the option of applying for the Accelerated Master's Fellowship.
Granting of Degrees
The B.S. degree will be conferred upon completion of the undergraduate curriculum requirements with appropriate undergraduate/graduate course substitutions. The graduate degree shall be awarded based upon existing requirements: completion of courses with satisfactory grades and successful defense of the thesis or dissertation as required.
Graduate Courses Approved as Equivalencies for the Undergraduate Classes
- BIOE 6303 — Biomaterials (equivalent to BIOE 4397)
- BIOE 6305 — Brain-Machine Interfacing (equivalent to BIOE 4397)
- BIOE 6341 — Advanced Biofluid Dynamics (equivalent to 5341)
- BIOE 6342 — Biomedical Signal Processing (equivalent to BIOE 4342)
- BIOE 6344 — Advanced Regenerative Medicine & Stem Cell Engineering (equivalent to BIOE 5323)
- BIOE 6346 — Advanced Medical Imaging (equivalent to BIOE 5317: Introduction to Biomedical Imaging)
- BIOE 6347 — Intro to Optical Sensing and Biophotonics (equivalent to BIOE 4307: Intro. to Optical Imaging)
- BIOE 6348 — Advanced Bioelectromagnetic Imaging (equivalent to BIOE 5320)
- BIOE 6349 — Biomedical Microdevices (equivalent to BIOE 4349)
- BIOE 6351 — Diseases in Biomarkers (equivalent to BIOE 3351)
- BIOE 6394 — Transport Phenomena in Physiological Systems (equivalent to BIOE 5316)
- BIOE 6311 — Advances in Vision Research (equivalent to BIOE 4311)
- BIOE 6310 — Drug Delivery and Design (equivalent to BIOE 4310)
- BIOE 6307 — Cell Biology for BME (equivalent to BIOE 4347)
- BIOE 6397 — Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (equivalent to BIOE 4397)
- BIOE 6319 — Mass Transport for Bio Systems (equivalent to BIOE 4319)
- BIOE 6309 — Neural Interfaces (equivalent to BIOE 4309)
- BIOE 6306 — Advanced Neurocomputing (equivalent to BIOE 4313: Intro. to Neurocomputing)
- BIOE 6397 — Advances in Organ Fabrication