The BME Department offers an Accelerated Master's of Science program for exceptional students enrolled at the University of Arizona for both their bachelor's and master's degrees. Students obtain a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a M.S. in Biomedical Engineering. The M.S. is completed in one year beyond the B.S degree. General requirements for Accelerated Master's Programs are set by the office of Academic Affairs, and can be found here.
Most importantly, the Accelerated Master’s Program is not designed to accelerate progress towards a Ph.D. degree in biomedical engineering. The intent of the AMP is to provide students with a terminal M.S. degree that they can then use to accelerate their careers in industry or medical research institutions. The AMP program is not a stepping-stone for obtaining a B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degree within 7 years, which is an unlikely scenario within our program. Students who are interested in a Ph.D. degree should consider the Ph.D. program rather than the AMP, as only the units taken after Bachelor's degree is awarded can be used toward Ph.D total unit requirement.
Qualified students apply to the program nominally in the second semester of their junior year (i.e. with two full semesters remaining in their undergraduate program). UA Biomedical Engineering provides a rigorous education in the time-tested principles, technologies and tools of engineering combined with broad exposure to the ever-expanding modern practice of biomedicine.
BME is an inherently interdisciplinary department with a diverse and highly collaborative faculty. Research and educational connections throughout the university yield extensive opportunities for students to gain the knowledge and experience to pursue careers in industry, academia, medicine and government.
Degree Requirements
Students complete 12 units of advanced BME courses in their senior year, which apply toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees. After completing bachelor's degree requirements with grades of "B" or better in all BME courses, students are granted graduate status and enter the master's program.
Students may choose to complete a master's thesis or master's report. Students may find that the report, which does not require original laboratory research, is more compatible with the accelerated nature of this program, but a thesis is encouraged if appropriate.
Complete a minimum of 30 units of graduate credit including the following courses:(a) three Biomedical Engineering core courses (BME 510, 511, 517); (b) one Biomedical Engineering focus area course (BME 516, 561, 566, 577, 586); (c) two units of BME seminar/student forum; (d) one unit of Research Methods in Biomedical Engineering (lab rotations); (e) nine units in graduate engineering, life or physical sciences, or mathematics courses (which can include one additional unit of Research Methods in Biomedical Engineering, or up to two additional units of BME seminar/student forum); and (f) six units of BME Thesis or three units Master's Report and one additional 3 unit course. A final thesis defense is required, if Thesis option chosen. The units of (e) will focus on the student’s biomedical engineering research interests such that the courses complement and broaden the student’s undergraduate degree and provide the student with the skills necessary to complete the research. The courses will be established in consultation with the student’s mentor and Graduate Studies Committee. The courses chosen should be based on the student’s area of specialization. A high level of performance is expected of students who are enrolled in graduate programs at The University of Arizona. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.00 (letter grade of B) or better to continue enrollment in the degree-granting program, receive financial support, and to be awarded an M.S. or Ph.D. degree.
*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution
January 2025
The University of Arizona
TUCSON,
Arizona,
85721, United States
1. Completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of application; a minimum of 90 undergraduate credit hours will be required at the time of entry into the AMP.
2. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a minimum of 12 units of undergraduate UA.
3. Completion of at least 12 earned undergraduate credits in their major at The University of Arizona’s main campus. Units still graded Incomplete, units graded Pass/Fail or units taken as audit will not count toward the requirement of the 12 undergraduate units.
4. Completion or near completion of general education requirements.
5. Expectation to complete the undergraduate degree within four years. The undergraduate degree requirements must be completed before the student is eligible to have the Master’s degree awarded.
Acceptable English Proficiency credentials:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) - minimum score of 79 iBT (or 60 on the revised PBT with no section score lower than 15). Individual MyBest scores must also be dated within 2 years of the enrollment term to be considered valid.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - minimum composite score of 7, with no subject area below a 6
Pearson PTE Academic - minimum score of 60
Graduate English Language Endorsement from the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL)
CEPT Full Academic test - offered by our Center for English as a Second Language (CESL), minimum Total score of 110.
Admissions Deadlines
Qualified students apply to the program in the second semester of their junior year (i.e., with two full semesters remaining in their undergraduate program). The application deadline is June 1st for students who expect to graduate in May of the following year.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
UArizona is ranked in the top 1 percent of universities worldwide, with research and development expenditure in the top 4 percent in the U.S.
