Students in the biomedical engineering PhD program are trained to solve problems related to human health using innovative engineering approaches. This training includes in-depth instruction in both the life sciences and quantitative disciplines. Our curriculum is flexible, allowing students to choose courses that align with their research area. A full description of our degree requirements can be found here.
BME PhD students can take courses offered by any of the Johns Hopkins divisions, including the Whiting School of Engineering, School of Medicine, and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. The Whiting School of Engineering offers a broad range of in-depth courses in engineering, mathematics, and computer science. The School of Medicine offers a variety of graduate courses in the life sciences, spanning topics such as neuroscience, molecular biology, genetics, cell structure and dynamics, pharmacology, cancer biology, and more. In addition to these courses from the graduate curriculum, some BME PhD students have the option to take courses from the first-year basic sciences medical curriculum at the School of Medicine. That is, these BME PhD students learn human biology alongside the medical students. This is an intensive curriculum covering topics such as molecules and cells, human anatomy, immunology, physiology, and neuroscience. Some students who choose this option devote their entire first academic year to these courses, while others take select courses from the medical curriculum. Please note that the number of seats available to BME PhD students in the medical curriculum courses (particularly Anatomy) is limited; priority will be given based on relevance of each course to the student’s research area.
To help guide students in their course selection, common courses related to each of the BME program’s seven core research areas are listed in the tracks below. Each course is annotated with one or more of the following designations to indicate how it counts toward fulfilling the PhD program degree requirements:
- LS = Life Sciences
- QE = Quantitative/Engineering
- QE.ST = Quantitative/Engineering with Substantial Theory Content
Several of the courses listed in the tracks below can contribute toward the requirement for either life science or quantitative credits, but a single course cannot contribute to both categories simultaneously. Required seminar and ethics courses do not satisfy the requirements of either category. Courses offered by the JHU Engineering for Professionals (EP) program generally do not count for credit toward graduation, with a limited number of exceptions noted in the list below.
Students are not required to take courses from a single track. In fact, because biomedical engineering is interdisciplinary by nature, many students choose courses from more than one track to tailor their education to their unique research interests. Course offerings change frequently, and the lists below are not all-inclusive. Additional courses not listed here are likely acceptable for satisfying program requirements. Students are encouraged to consult their faculty advisors when selecting courses. Additionally, the program offers advising support for BME PhD students.
For a course to apply toward graduation, a grade of B- or higher is required. If a grade lower than B- is received, that course must be repeated. If it is not possible to repeat the course, then an alternate course may be taken but must be approved by the program co-directors.
Faculty advisors may strongly advise that students choose specific electives and/or specific numbers of electives related to specific research and training areas. In such cases, this additional course work is not a requirement of the BME PhD program.
All PhD candidates in the School of Medicine are required to take coursework in the responsible conduct of research.
Courses by Research Area
Electives
Evaluation of Student Progress
The primary mechanism with which the program directors can follow your progress in the program is via the online progress report form. As you enroll in courses, embark on laboratory rotations, take your Doctoral Board Exam (DBO), hold a thesis committee meeting, write a manuscript, give a talk, etc., you must update this form. You are required to check and update the form at least every three months. The form is an accurate record of all your academic activities during your PhD years. The data in this form is kept confidential, and is available to only you, the program director, and the program administrator. These data entries are used to monitor your progress in the program.
The Doctoral Board Oral (DBO) Examination
Upon completion of a majority of the required course work, PhD students must pass a Doctoral Board Oral (DBO) examination.
Learn more about the details of the preliminary and final Doctoral Board Examinations, as well as scheduling, here.
Teaching Requirement
Each student will assist in teaching one semester of a BME or BME-relevant course. Alternatively, students may teach their own courses. Paid TA positions in the Engineering for Professionals (EP) program cannot be counted for credit toward the TA requirement.
Research Rotations
Depending on the type of admission offer received, some students may conduct research rotations in multiple laboratories. The purpose of these rotations is to gain experience with a range of research opportunities and to assist in settling on a thesis project. Before conducting a rotation with faculty outside of BME, students must obtain approval from the program directors. Students must select a thesis research mentor by the end of the summer following program year one.
Write and Present a Thesis Proposal to the BME Committee
Within 12 months after passing the DBO examination, each student must submit a written proposal for dissertation research and present it orally to their thesis committee. The written proposal should follow the format of an NIH fellowship proposal. Particular attention should be paid to a clear exposition of the hypotheses to be tested, the methods to be used and their feasibility, and the interpretation of expected results.
Approval of the Dissertation by Two Readers
The completed dissertation must be read and approved by two faculty readers acceptable to the BME PhD program. Ordinarily, one of the readers will be the thesis preceptor. Upon approval of the dissertation, the readers will submit a letter to the Graduate Board stating that they have read and approved the thesis, and that it represents original work worthy of publication.
Pass a Final Oral Defense of the Dissertation
A final draft of the dissertation must be defended before a committee which will consist of the two principal readers and at least one additional faculty member.