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FAQs

Admission Questions

  1. Can GRE or TOEFL/IELTS exams be waived?
    The GRE must be taken by all interested applicants. All graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, must demonstrate proficiency in English to obtain admission to the university; please refer to the English Language Proficiency Guidelines.
  2. Can I apply to your graduate program with an undergraduate degree different than Engineering?
    Yes, that may be possible if your undergraduate degree is closely related to Biomedical Engineering. However, you should contact the department via email prior to submitting an application. Note: Some leveling courses may be required. 
  3. What is a conditional admit?
    A conditional admit means a student is admitted but the admissions committee has chosen to put some expectations on the student. Expectations, meaning GPA requirement or grade requirements within the first semester(s) of the program. [NOTE: At this time the BME Graduate Program DOES NOT admit conditionally.]
  4. What is an unconditional admit?
    An unconditional admit means a student is admitted to the program without expectations of getting a certain GPA or grades.
  5. Can I be a part-time student?
    Yes. However, our classes are during the mornings and afternoons, not in the evenings. Additionally, no funding or scholarships can be given to part-time students. 
  6. What if my GPA is below the minimum?
    We encourage all students to apply since we evaluate the entire application. However, the average GPA for our students is 3.35 (M.S. requirement is 3.0/4.0 and Ph.D. requirement is 3.30/4.0).
  7. What if my GRE score is below the minimum?
    Texas law prohibits the definition of minimum acceptable scores on the GRE. These scores represent desirable scores. We encourage all students to apply since we evaluate the entire application. However, the average GRE score for our students are (Q) 156 (V) 163.
  8. How long are GRE scores valid?
    GRE scores are valid for 5 years.
  9. How long are TOEFL scores valid?
    TOEFL scores are valid for 2 years.
  10. What are my chances for admission when my grades and/or scores are below the minimum guidelines?
    The department evaluates and determines a decision based on all submitted documents
  11. What is the Institution Code for UH that ETS will report GRE and TOEFL scores?
    The code for the University of Houston is 6870, no dept. code is needed.

 

Degree Requirements

  1. How many credits is the M.S. program? What about Ph.D.?
    The thesis M.S. degree is 30 credit hours and the non-thesis degree option is 30 credit hours. The Ph.D. from B.S. degree is 84 credit hours and the Ph.D. from M.S. degree is 54 credit hours.
  2. How long is a master's degree program? What about Ph.D.?
    Ideally, both the thesis and non-thesis master's degree program should be completed in 2 years by students who enroll in 9 credit hours (3 courses) each fall and spring semester. The Ph.D. program has the same enrollment requirements as for masters students and typically requires 3 to 5 years provided that significant progress is made on the dissertation research topic.
  3. How many courses/credit hours may I request for transfer from another institution once I have been approved for graduate admission?
    Students may request 2 courses/6 credit hours for transfer from another institution. Courses should have not been used to obtain a previous degree.
  4. I’m a Ph.D. student, what if I don’t have an Advisor when I start?
    We do our best to connect incoming Ph.D. students to our faculty, however, there are cases when students may complete their first semester without an Advisor. In these cases, students are asked to reach out to faculty within their first semester.

 

Financial Questions

  1. What kind of financial support is available?
    The Department offers Teaching Assistantships (TAs) and Research Assistantships (RAs). TAs assist in undergraduate laboratories, grade homework, and may assist with teaching classes. RAs assist an individual faculty member with their research projects. Obtaining financial support is highly competitive, and is exclusively reserved for students seeking a research-oriented degree, with preference for PhD candidates (fast-track or post-MS).
  2. What is the GTF?
    The GTF or Graduate Tuition Fellowship is awarded to students who are funded through a faculty member. Students with Research Assistant (RA) positions or Teaching Assistant  (TA) positions, have the opportunity to receive this additional funding. The amount is different every year, so we cannot give an estimation of that total. Students receiving the GTF must remain in good academic standing (3.0 or higher) and be enrolled in 12 credit hours. (Click here for more information)
  3. How can I get in-state tuition?
    Students who are funded through a Research Assistant (RA) position or Teaching Assistant (TA) position receive in-state tuition. Another opportunity is through receiving scholarships, but only a few of those are given out each year.
  4. How do I find out about tuition and fee costs for your program?
    For estimated costs, please review the this web site.

 

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