Admissions Ph.D. and Research M.S.

Applicants for admission, irrespective of status at current or previous institutions, to the Ph.D. or Research M.S. programs are expected to have a minimum QPA of 3.5 from an accredited BS program in Engineering. They must submit transcripts of all college-level work, three letters of recommendation, a Statement of Purpose, and scores on the verbal, quantitative, and writing assessment-analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination.  International applicants whose first language is not English are also required to submit either the TOEFL administered by the Educational Testing Service with a minimum score of 600 (213 computer-based, 80 internet-based). In addition to these basic requirements, evidence of significant research and/or industrial experience is very important as further evidence of ability to perform well at the graduate level. These experiences should be detailed clearly in recommendation letters, as well as in the student's Statement of Purpose. Students with a non-engineering background will also be considered, and if admitted are required to take extensive pre-requisite engineering and math courses as part of their graduate coursework. The Graduate Admissions Committee will also make special considerations for the admission of students with exceptional research capabilities and/or experience.  All special case applications are handled on an individual basis.

All doctoral students in the Bioengineering Department are currently supported either by research or departmental funds.  Financial assistance is typically arranged between a student and a faculty advisor. Students with exceptional qualifications will be considered for additional Departmental support and NIH Training grant fellowships. Please note that admission and financial aid to our Graduate Programs has become increasingly competitive, with the Fall 2008 matriculating students average QPA of 3.8. Over the past three years, the average GRE scores of matriculating graduate students has been above 730 (Q), 530 (V) and 5.0 (A).

All applicants are required to apply on-line, which includes a non-refundable fee of $40. You will need to request the registrars of all undergraduate and graduate schools attended to send official transcripts to the Swanson School of Engineering, Office and Administration, 749 Benedum Engineering Hall, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261. The application will be processed only after receipt of the completed application materials, including the fee, and complete transcripts of work done in previous undergraduate and graduate curricula, and GRE and TOEFL (if appropriate) scores.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered and will be returned.

Application procedures and follow-up questions/comments should be directed to Ms. Lynette Spataro at . Further questions on admissions policies should be directed to Dr. Patrick Loughlin, Chair, Admissions committee, .

Important Dates

• Applications for Fall 2010:
  
  Earliest Applications Will Be Considered:  November 1, 2009.
  
  Application Deadline: February 1, 2010
  
  Notification of Acceptance Deadline*: April 15, 2010
  
  *Highly competitive students are typically notified by late February.
  
  Acceptance of Offer: May 1, 2010.


• Applications for Spring 2011:
  
  Earliest Applications Will Be Considered: May 1, 2010.
  
  Application Deadline: June 1, 2010.
  
  Notification Date: August 1, 2010.
  
  Acceptance of Offer August 25, 2010.