Biomedical Engineering is defined as the application and combination of engineering principles and concepts of design to biology and medicine for healthcare. Students explore the life sciences and utilize computational practices and theories in disciplines that include biological science, engineering, computer science, and advanced mathematics.
The program aims to equip students in the areas of engineering, computer science, mathematics, and life sciences to be able to generate leaders in the areas of research, medical engineering, and science.
One of the objectives of a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering (BME Ph.D.) is to provide detailed training for students to conduct original research and progress toward a doctoral dissertation.
It also has a goal of promoting the advancement of knowledge and the development of new devices in the areas of engineering, biology, and medicine. It covers bioinformatics, biomechanics, biomaterial, biomedical optics, tissue engineering, genetic engineering, neural engineering, pharmaceutical engineering, medical devices, clinical engineering, and rehabilitation.
Graduates of this Ph.D. program are dedicated, hard-working, and organized because of the detailed coursework for earning the degree. Therefore, graduates are treated significantly in the corporate world.
One of the potential career paths for those who have earned a BME Ph.D. is the academy. In fact, some doctorate Biomedical Engineering programs require doctorate students to show teaching competence as a requirement of their training.
Attending on-campus courses may, therefore, help graduate students gain practical experience as teaching assistants. An online BME Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program is research-intensive but is most appropriate for working students or those with proximity issues.
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Best Doctor of Biomedical Engineering Degree Programs
ROWAN UNIVERSITY
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
School Highlights: The Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University supplies a huge number of relevant degrees, resources, and opportunities. Students can potentially earn their bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in Biomedical Engineering at this one fabulous institution of higher education.
The Ph.D. curriculum is grounded in traditional engineering principles. Yet, it also allows students to explore any number of areas within the discipline, such as robotic surgery, nanotechnology, and the creation of artificial organs and limbs.
Rowan University is very well-established in the field of biomedical engineering, and its excellent location provides avenues to labs, companies, and research facilities in New Jersey, Philadelphia, and New York.
Coursework Options:
- Physiological Fundamentals in Biomedical Engineering
- Introduction to Electrical and Magnetic Lecture/Lab
- Introduction to Mechanics Lecture/Lab
Campus Location: Glassboro, NJ
Accreditation:
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
3624 Market Street, Suite 2 West
Philadelphia, PA 19104
www.msche.org, (267) 284-5000 - Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Acceptance Rate: 77% Retention Rate: 83% Graduation Rate: 78%
LEARN MORE ABOUT ROWAN UNIVERSITY’S PH.D. IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING (BME) DEGREE
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING MAJOR, PH.D.
School Highlights: The University of Tennessee is a prominent and exceedingly popular public school. The Knoxville campus provides undergraduate and graduate programs in engineering, including the 36-credit Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. It is a robust and in-depth general approach to the profession in which students complete knowledge-depth coursework as well as specialization classes.
The electives allow students to strategize individual academic pathways that lead more toward their personal goals and aspirations. There is also an Energy Science and Engineering concentration that is offered in collaboration with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is a tremendously rare and exciting opportunity.
Concentration Options:
- General Program
- Energy Science and Engineering
Campus Location: Knoxville, TN
Accreditation:
- Higher Learning Commission
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Acceptance Rate: 78% Retention Rate: 90% Graduation Rate: 72%
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE, KNOXVILLE’S DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
DOCTORAL DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
School Highlights: Students who are lucky enough to gain enrollment at Columbia University, one of the nation’s most prestigious and competitive schools, can choose from three exciting specialization options, all of which can be found below. Each one significantly differs from the last and provides a unique approach to a complex discipline.
Columbia University retains some of the most fabulous faculty members in the world, and doctoral students have the privilege of tapping into their decades of knowledge in biomedical engineering, as well as their connections across the country and the globe.
The curriculum includes topics in teaching, as well as assistantship and supervisory opportunities, making it a great choice for those pursuing careers in education.
Concentration Options:
- Biomechanics
- Cell and Tissue Engineering
- Biosignals and Biomedical Imaging
Campus Location: New York City, NY
Accreditation:
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Acceptance Rate: 4% Retention Rate: 95% Graduation Rate: 95%
LEARN MORE ABOUT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S DOCTORAL DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING (BME), PH.D.
School Highlights: John Hopkins University is yet another of the country’s most acclaimed institutions of higher education that also provides a unique approach to a doctoral degree in biomedical engineering. Students are required to complete two semesters of coursework that have multiple pathways.
The General Curriculum is broken down into electives in Quantitative Biology and Mathematics, and there is a wide variety of possibilities in these two categories alone. However, the Alternate Life Sciences Tracks offer a fascinating approach to BME in three different curricula focusing on areas such as neuroscience cognition and systems bioengineering.
JHU is at the forefront of this exciting interdisciplinary field of modern scientific research and trains doctoral students to “work at the cutting edge” of the profession.
Concentration Options:
- General Curriculum
- Alternate Life Sciences Curricula
Campus Location: Baltimore, MD
Accreditation:
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Acceptance Rate: 8% Retention Rate: 96% Graduation Rate: 93%
LEARN MORE ABOUT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY’S BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING PH.D. PROGRAM
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES PH.D. PROGRAM
School Highlights: Boston University provides what might be the most innovative doctoral degree in Biomedical Sciences of these five universities. The general coursework, or the Foundations in Biomedical Sciences (FiBS), lays the groundwork for interdisciplinary research with focused preparation and investigation for career advancement.
First-year Ph.D. students explore a wide variety of areas within three high-quality laboratory rotations while completing the core curriculum. The labs subsequently help students focus their degree in one of the ten fascinating departments below.
This is an outstanding choice for any number of students pursuing a degree in the field of Biomedical Engineering, in large part because of the sheer number of available concentration options. There is no telling where graduates might end up upon completing this doctoral program.
Concentration Options:
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Genetics & Genomics
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Molecular & Translational Medicine
- Nutrition & Metabolism
- Oral Biology
- Pathology
- Physiology
Campus Location: Boston, MA
Accreditation:
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Acceptance Rate: 22% Retention Rate: 94% Graduation Rate: 89%
LEARN MORE ABOUT BOSTON UNIVERSITY’S BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES PH.D. PROGRAM
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering degree take to earn?
A Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering is generally granted to students after four to six years of research and coursework. A master’s degree is required to pursue a Ph.D. in this particular field.
A BME Ph.D. opens doors of opportunities for students to become experts in this field of study and help them attain their professional and personal goals.
During this period, doctorate students will have a deeper understanding of chemistry and biology’s fundamental principles. It prepares students for various high-paying jobs.
The exact period it takes to earn a BME Ph.D. may vary depending on the academic institution offering the program and the student. This is the reason why students should efficiently research any potential school and become aware of any responsibility that comes along with earning this degree.
What are the possible career opportunities for a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering graduate?
A BME Ph.D. graduate becomes adequately prepared for different career paths, which may include research and development careers for the advanced levels in private industries and government laboratories.
As well as teaching positions in Biomedical Engineering disciplines in academic institutions, research in hospitals and medical-related companies, medical equipment manufacturing, pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing, navigational, measuring, and manufacturing of electro-medical and control instruments.
Graduates of a BME Ph.D. program can create solutions to biomedical problems through the use of conceptual and computational methods related to engineering. There is a deeper understanding of data analysis and mathematics, along with courses such as biomedical product development and biomaterial science.
Specialists aid in the development of equipment and products that are relevant to the study. BME Ph.D. students are active participants in seminars and conferences that focus on the methods of conducting independent research and the use of tools and techniques to construct practical solutions.
Here are some of the career paths that a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering degree holder can pursue, along with their expected salaries:
- Biomedical Engineer for research and patent development companies– $99,950
- Biological technicians– $49,650
- Software developers– $124,200
- Research scientists– $136,670
- Biomedical Engineering Director– $89,921
Other job positions include medical device developer, scientific and bioinformatics analyst, research scientist, medical project manager, and education and research at universities.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that Biomedical Engineers are part of a progressive industry with an employment rate that is projected to rise by 4% between the years 2022 and 2032. The average annual salary for biomedical engineering professionals was $99,550 as of May 2022.
What is the general curriculum for a BME Ph.D. program?
The first phases of the Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. program require students to complete the basic life science curricula. The advanced course materials and subjects are sometimes lifted from a medical program’s curriculum.
Common BME, Ph.D. course topics also include Biomedical Imaging, Biostatistics, Nanotechnology, Molecular Biology, Cardiovascular systems, Computational Modeling of Physiological systems, and Bioengineering.
Many universities readily accept students who have a strong interdisciplinary background or can demonstrate experience in multidisciplinary research. A BME Ph.D. program is interdisciplinary and aims to equip students to collaborate with teams of specialists to design and assess systems for solving complex medical issues.
Generally, the BME Ph.D. coursework varies and is dependent upon a student’s preferred area of specialization, recommendations from advisors or academic committees, and focus of research. Students of this online program deal with specific topics in engineering, life sciences, and mathematics.
Other topics include cellular and molecular bioengineering and quantitative physiology and upper-level mathematics and engineering courses. Depending on the features of the program, students are required to write and defend their dissertations to a panel of experts.
How does a student get admitted to a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program?
Admission to a BME Ph.D. program may differ depending on the academic institution. A bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology, mathematics, or computer science is typically required.
Eligible applicants for a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program are students who are interested in advanced research concerning tissue regeneration, biomaterials, or medical optics. Students become well-equipped to become leaders in research and development for academic and industrial settings.
What are the schools that offer a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program?
Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program is offered as a hybrid program at Rowan University and at the University of Tennessee- Knoxville. On the other hand, some of the schools that offer a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program on-campus are Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
If you find significant innovations like artificial organs, prostheses, instrumentation, medical information systems, health management, and care delivery systems interesting, then a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering program will equip you for various career opportunities at present and in the future.
Is a Doctor of Biomedical Engineering degree worth the time and expense?
The answer to this question depends on your career goals and how much time and money you are willing to invest. A Doctor of Biomedical Engineering degree can open up many doors for career advancement and provide you with an understanding of the principles and techniques used in modern biomedical engineering.
However, it is also an expensive and time-consuming degree, so you should consider whether the investment of time and money is worth it for your particular goals.
