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McKelvey School of Engineering Biomedical Engineering

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Graduate Programs

Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering

Learn more about the master's of science degree program offered by the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis.

Students pursuing a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis are provided a rigorous scientific education, led by our expert faculty, that prepares them for work in the industry or advanced study.

All students wishing to pursue a master's degree in biomedical engineering must apply to and be admitted into the program. All admitted doctoral biomedical engineering students are allowed to pursue a master's but must formally register their intent with the master’s studies coordinator at bme@wustl.edu.

Candidates for the master's program must accumulate a total of 30 graduate course credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Only six of the 30 graduate course credits may be transferred from another university. There are two degree options available to admitted master's students: thesis and non-thesis.

For this option, a minimum of 24 graduate credits is required, with the balance being thesis research. The courses must fulfill the core curriculum requirement.

The remainder of the credits taken is generally determined by the student's research interests. Upon completion of the thesis, candidates must pass an oral defense conducted by their thesis committee. This will consist of a public presentation followed by questions from the committee. Candidates must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or better to receive the degree. Each student needs to complete the Title, Scope and Procedure form each semester he or she is enrolled in thesis research. The form is due by the first day of class. To receive a DocuSign version of the Title, Scope, and Procedure form, please email Mimi Hilburg with the name of your PI. 

Candidates must accumulate a total of 30 graduate credits, have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or better and satisfy the core curriculum requirements. The balance of the course credits should be selected to reflect a specialization in a research area.

A maximum of 3 credits of independent study (BME 500) may be counted toward a master’s degree. Registration for independent study requires submission of the Independent Study form and approval by the Director of Master’s Studies. Independent Study is for non-thesis students only.

Core Requirements

All master's students must complete the core curriculum, which consists of the following courses from the approved lists:

  • One graduate-level course in life sciences
  • One graduate-level course in mathematics or computer science
  • Three BME courses from the approved list

Lists of current courses satisfying the core curriculum can be found on the approved courses web page and in the Policies and Regulations Governing Master's Students booklet. Contact the director of master's studies if you are unsure if a course will count towards your core curriculum. Graduate-level courses given by other departments and schools may be substituted for courses in this list with the permission of the director of master's studies. The Title, Scope and Procedure form is due by the first day of class and should be completed each semester prior to enrollment into BME 599: Masters Research. To receive a DocuSign version of the Title, Scope, and Procedure form, please email Mimi Hilburg with the name of your PI.

 

FAQs

Frequently asked questions for Master's degree students

Contact

Dennis Barbour
Director of Master's Studies
dbarbour@wustl.edu

Mimi Hilburg
Student Coordinator
mhilburg@wustl.edu

Policy Books

Students can view the Policies and Regulations Governing Master's Students booklet for the year they entered the master's program.