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Department of Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers logo
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers logo
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Rutgers logo
Department of Biomedical Engineering

Combined BS/MS Degree

The goal of the BME Bachelor’s/Master’s Combined Degree Program (BME-CDP) is to allow academically qualified students to receive the B.S. and M.S. or M.Eng degrees in a compressed time frame. This highly intensive academic program gives students more research experience and better prepares them for research and development careers or further graduate study. Completing the BME-CDP is possible in as little as 5 years if the candidate takes graduate level courses in the senior year in addition to completing all the undergraduate degree requirements. (Courses cannot double-count for both UG requirements and graduate credit)

Eligibility

To be considered for the BME-CDP, candidates must:

  • Have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and maintain at least a 3.4 GPA throughout Senior Year.
  • Have no more than 2 grades of  C+ or lower in any BME (14:125:xxx) class.
  • Have completed most, if not all, of the School of Engineering undergraduate degree requirements for General, Humanities and Social Science Electives by the start of the Senior Year.
  • Have at least one letter of recommendation and a personal statement. A second letter is optional.
  • Apply after the end of Spring Junior Year exams but before July 1 prior to the fall semester of the Senior Year.

*There is no GRE requirement for the BME-CDP although the GRE’s may be required to apply for any PhD program or for future funding or fellowships.

Curriculum

The BME-CDP requires the candidate to take the remaining undergraduate credits during the Senior Year and 33 Graduate level credits during Senior and Graduate Years (Years 5+).  The general timeline for the BME-CDP is as follows:

Senior Year:  Candidates will take 6-18 graduate (500+ level) credits along with the remaining BME undergraduate courses needed for the B.S. degree (Senior Design, DE, TE, etc.).

Fifth Year (1st graduate year):  Remainder of master’s courses and work on the M.S. thesis or M.Eng project. Candidates can take fewer graduate courses, but this could lengthen the duration of the master’s degree.

Summer following the Fifth Year: If necessary, students will complete the M.S. thesis and defend it or present the M.Eng project.

Please Note:

  • Candidates need to graduate with the BME B.S. degree at the end of the spring semester of the 4th year to continue (officially) in the master’s program, as a full-fledged graduate student, starting either in the summer or fall following the 4th year.
  • Graduate courses in the senior year will be billed at the lower undergraduate tuition rate.
  • The J.J. Slade Scholar Program can be, and is recommended to be, pursued along with the BME-CDP. If applying to the J.J. Slade Scholar Program in conjunction with the BME-CDP, that program requires a separate application form: https://soe.rutgers.edu/slade. At least ONE of your recommendation letters should be from your intended J.J. Slade Research Advisor. Contact Dr. Joseph Freeman (jfreemn@soe.rutgers.edu) for questions on this additional option.
  • Continuation in the BME-CDP is contingent on receiving no more than one C+ or lower grade in any of the BME graduate courses during the Senior Year.