Program Overview

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree

Overview

The biomedical and chemical engineering Ph.D. program provides students with the knowledge, training, and expertise to tackle important problems in diverse industries.

Why Pursue a Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Ph.D.?

• STEM-OPT Visa Eligible: The STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) program allows full-time, on-campus international students on an F-1 student visa to stay and work in the U.S. for up to three years after graduation.
• Future-Focused Curriculum: Provides a dynamic program designed by academic and industry leaders to integrate formal education with state-of-the-art research and best practices from industry.
• Internship Opportunities for Research: Apply for internships in industry or national laboratories related to your thesis research, gaining hands-on experience, professional connections, and advancing your academic work.
• Top-Notch Faculty: Work side-by-side with experienced faculty conducting research on contemporary problems.

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Plan of Study

The curriculum for the biomedical and chemical engineering Ph.D. program provides the knowledge and skills to develop successful independent researchers.

• Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Ph.D. Core Courses: Core courses, which are usually completed during the first two semesters of the program, serve as foundational preparation for elective courses. They develop your core competency skills for research, introduce the research landscape in biomedical and chemical engineering, and help prepare you for the qualifying exam.
• Discipline Concentration Elective Courses: The discipline concentration elective courses provide rigorous education in a field of research in biomedical and chemical engineering. Students may choose elective courses in consultation with the dissertation and research advisor, and from courses offered by the department of biomedical engineering and the department of chemical engineering.
• Focus Area Elective Courses: Focus area elective courses provide the flexibility for you to engage in trans-disciplinary learning. In consultation with your dissertation and research advisor, you will select graduate level elective courses offered by any of the departments in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. In addition, and subject to the program director’s approval, you may choose graduate courses offered by any of the RIT colleges.
• Qualifying Exam: You will complete a qualifying exam at the end of your first year of study. The exam evaluates your aptitude, potential, and competency in conducting doctorate-level research. Through written documentation and a presentation of your work, you will critically review a recent peer-reviewed journal article in your field and propose a creative extension of the work.
• Dissertation Proposal and Candidacy Exam: You will present and defend a dissertation proposal to your dissertation committee typically during your third year of study. The proposal provides the opportunity for you to elaborate on your research plans and to obtain feedback from your dissertation committee on the direction and approach of your research.
• Research Review Meetings: Research review meetings provide comprehensive feedback regarding your dissertation research progress and expected outcomes prior to the defense of your full dissertation.
• Dissertation Presentation and Defense: You will prepare an original, technically rigorous, and well-written dissertation that describes your research body of work and novel contributions that have resulted from your doctoral studies in biomedical and chemical engineering. You will present and defend your dissertation and its accompanying research to your dissertation committee.

Research Assistantships

Research assistantships are available to doctoral students. Learn more about the college’s research assistantship opportunities and how you can apply.

Research

Please visit the research laboratory profiles on the biomedical engineering department and chemical engineering department websites for an overview of opportunities. Visit individual faculty profiles for a more complete list of research advisors in the program.

• AWARE-AI NSF Research Traineeship Program: The AWARE-AI National Science Foundation Research Traineeship Program provides a unique opportunity to RIT's graduate students, who are poised to become future research leaders in developing responsible, human-aware AI technologies.
• Research Assistantships: Research assistantships are available to doctoral students. Learn more about the college's research assistantship opportunities and how you can apply.

Careers and Internships

• Internships: You may apply for internships in industry or at one of the national laboratories that align with your thesis research. Internships provide an opportunity for hands-on research experience, professional networking, and can serve to advance your thesis work. In addition, you may identify research opportunities at the National Labs Career Fair, an annual event hosted by RIT that brings representatives to campus from the United States’ federally-funded research and development labs.

Faculty

• Blanca Lapizco-Encinas: Professor
• Xiangcheng Sun: Assistant Professor
• Moumita Das: Professor

Featured Work and Profiles

• RIT Research Minute: Soft Matter Signaling: Professor Jairo Diaz and his research team are experimenting with soft matter to create new materials for the future. Learn how they’re changing the internal structure of tiny microscopic droplets to...
• A Breakthrough in Cell and Virus Analysis: How Electric Fields are Transforming Biomedical Research: Alaleh Vaghef-Koodehi, Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas In biology and medicine, the ability to rapidly analyze and separate micron- and nano-sized particles, such as bacterial cells and viruses, is crucial. This article delves into a cutting-edge field...
• From Lab to Life: Transforming Medicine with Organ-on-Chip Technology: Mehran Mansouri Organ-on-chip technology is a breakthrough in developing new medicines.
• New Micro-Technique Could Revolutionize Pathogen Detection at RIT: RIT researcher Blanca Lapizco-Encinas has developed a new micro-technique using non-linear electrophoresis to rapidly identify and analyze pathogens for faster, more effective treatment decisions.
• RIT Researchers Develop Data-Driven Platform for Better Cardiac Ablation: RIT researchers, led by Professor Cristian Linte, are developing a computational platform to better monitor and visualize cardiac tissue response to thermal ablation therapy, aimed at improving...
• Researchers Pioneer Solutions for Degenerative Disc Disease: RIT biomedical engineering professors Karin Wuertz-Kozak and Thomas Gaborski are developing a groundbreaking non-invasive treatment for degenerative disc disease by using advanced gene-editing...

Facilities

• Semiconductor Nanofabrication Laboratory:

Curriculum

Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, Ph.D. degree, typical course sequence

• First Year:
  • BCEP-795: Doctoral Seminar* (2)
  • BCEP-892: Graduate Research (3)
  • ENGR-701: Inter-disciplinary Research Methods (3)
  • ENGR-702: Translating Discovery into Practice (3)
  • Engineering Foundation Electives: (6)
  • Discipline Concentration: (6)
• Second Year:
  • BCEP-795: Doctoral Seminar* (1)
  • BCEP-892: Graduate Research (6)
  • Discipline Concentration: (3)
  • Focus Area Electives: (12)
• Third Year:
  • BCEP-890: Dissertation and Research (21)

Electives

Engineering Foundation Electives

• BIME-750: Statistical Analysis and Modeling of Biomedical Data
• CHME-709: Advanced Engineering Mathematics
• EEEE-707: Engineering Analysis
• EEEE-709: Advanced Engineering Mathematics
• ENGR-707: Engineering Analysis
• ENGR-709: Advanced Engineering Mathematics
• ISEE-760: Design of Experiments
• MATH-655: Biostatistics

Admissions and Financial Aid

• Admit Term(s): Fall
• Application Deadline: December 15 priority deadline
• STEM Designated: Yes

Application Details

• Learn tips to apply for a doctoral program and then complete a graduate application.
• Submit copies of official transcript(s) (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work, including any transfer credit earned.
• Hold a baccalaureate degree (or US equivalent) from an accredited university or college. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent) is recommended.
• Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
• Submit a statement of purpose for research which will allow the Admissions Committee to learn the most about you as a prospective researcher.
• Submit two letters of recommendation.
• Entrance exam requirements: GRE optional but recommended. No minimum score requirement.
• Submit English language test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic), if required.

English Language Test Scores

• TOEFL: 94
• IELTS: 7.0
• PTE Academic: 66

Resources

• BMECHE-PHD Student Manual
• BMECHE-PHD Request for Qualifying Exam
• BMECHE-PHD Advisory Committee Request Form
• BMECHE-PHD Request for Candidacy Exam
• BMECHE-PHD Request for Research Review Meeting Form
• BMECHE-PHD Request for Dissertation Defense
• BMECHE-PHD Independent Study Proposal
• PHD Outside Dissertation Committee Member Form

Research Resources

• RIT Libraries
• RIT Libraries InfoGuides
• Our librarian
• Remote access to publications with RIT Account
  • IEEE Xplore
  • ACM Digital Library
  • Springer Link
  • SPIE Digital Library
  • Elsevier Science Direct