Application Cycles 

Applications for admission are accepted for fall admission only. Spring admission for doctoral applicants is possible via faculty nomination only. The next application cycle is for fall 2025 entry. We do not anticipate offering admission to the standalone master’s program for fall 2025 entry. Applications for admission to the B.S. BME/M.S.E. Integrated Program (for Texas BME undergraduates only) and the M.D./M.S.E. Dual-Degree Program (for Dell Medical students only) remain open.

graduation cap iconGRE scores are not considered in the admissions process.

 Deadlines

  • Doctoral program: December 1 each year
  • MD/M.S. Dual-Degree program: December 1 each year
  • B.S. BME/M.S. Integrated program: June 1 each year

The application for admission typically opens in early August each year.  

All admission decisions are made in the context of laboratory space and resources available each year.

Admission decisions are communicated to applicants by the end of March.
Applications that are incomplete as of the application deadline, including all documents, score reports and official transcripts will not be given full consideration. The deadline is absolute, and we cannot grant extensions due to the condensed timeline of the admission process.

After submitting your application for admission through the Cockrell School of Engineering, it can take up to 48 hours to receive a link to upload required documents. Please take this into consideration and submit your application early.

Review instructions to apply to the B.S. BME/M.S.E. Integrated Program (available for current UT Austin biomedical engineering students). 

Holistic Review

The BME admissions committee takes a holistic approach to application reviews. We fully review every application that we receive by the established deadline. The committee does not consider GRE scores as part of its review. Applicants are not advantaged if they decide to submit GRE scores as part of their application. The committee considers all parts of the application when making admission decisions:

  • Grade Point Average
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Structured personal statement
  • Undergraduate degree area and institution
  • Official transcripts
  • Research and work experience
  • TOEFL scores, if applicable
  • Contribution to diversity through personal experience and volunteer service

Applicants are encouraged to make use of application resources including a tip sheet and webinar on writing a strong personal statement.

The Graduate School reports average GPA numbers of applicants, admitted students, and entrants to our program.

TOEFL scores (if applicable) are required to apply and a total score of 100 or greater is recommended. Some applicants are exempt. Scores must be valid on the application deadline. We do not accept IELTS scores in lieu of TOEFL scores.


Recommended Prerequisite College-level Courses

Biomedical engineering is an interdisciplinary field, and we admit students from many different backgrounds including biology, chemistry, physics, computer science and other engineering disciplines. To ensure admitted students are prepared for our graduate engineering curriculum, the BME admissions committee recommends applicants complete the following courses prior to applying:

  • Calculus-based physics (two semesters)
  • Differential equations
  • Statistics
  • Chemistry
  • Cell or molecular biology
  • Physiology

A master's degree is not required to apply. Doctoral applicants should possess a bachelor's degree in an area compatible with the field of biomedical engineering. If you possess a master's degree, some of your previous graduate coursework may be applied toward the doctoral program of work.

Master's degree applicants should possess a bachelor's degree in an area compatible with the field of biomedical engineering.