Doctoral Student Require 30 credits beyond M.S. degree
Doctoral candidates are expected to complete 30 credits beyond the master's degree, pass an oral and written qualifying examination, and successfully defend their doctoral dissertations, which are based on individual research. In addition, all doctoral students must demonstrate teaching competence as part of their training.
Two courses in computational modeling of physiological systems are required. At least one graduate mathematics course must be taken in addition to the mathematics course required for the M.S. degree. Students must attend our Biomedical Engineering seminar series and complete research rotations during the first two semesters of graduate study. Remaining courses should be selected in consultation with the student’s faculty adviser to prepare for the doctoral qualifying examination and to develop expertise in a clearly identified area of biomedical engineering. Up to 12 credits of research may be applied toward doctoral degree course requirements.
Doctoral Student Requirements
30 credits beyond M.S. degree
- 1 advanced math course required
- Up to 12 credits can be research
- Other courses can be selected in consultation with adviser
For information on specific courses see http://www.columbia.edu/cu/bulletin/uwb/ and http://bulletin.engineering.columbia.edu/graduate-programs-1 .
Doctoral Qualifying Exam
Doctoral candidates are required to pass a qualifying examination. This written examination is given once a year, in January. It should be taken after the student has completed 30 points of graduate study.
Students must declare a track (biomedical imaging, biomechanics, or cellular and tissue engineering) at the time of registration for the qualifying examination. The qualifying examination consists of a written examination, and at a later date an oral exam. The written examination covers three areas: applied mathematics, quantitative biology and physiology, and a track-specific examination. The oral examination consists of the analysis and presentation of assigned scientific papers in the student’s thesis research area.
A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 is required to register for this examination. A candidate who fails the examination may be permitted to repeat it once at the time of the next examination.
• Student needs at least 30 credits (3 semesters)
• Must take qualifying examination when 45 credits are completed
• Minimum GPA of 3.2
• Given in January of each year
Examples of examinations from previous years can be found here (login required, email Prof Hayden Huang hayden.huang@columbia.edu for further details).
Doctoral Committee and Thesis
Students who pass the qualifying examination choose a faculty member to serve as their research adviser. Each student is expected to submit a research proposal and present it to a thesis committee that consists of at least four faculty members.
The committee considers the scope of the proposed research, its suitability for doctoral research and the appropriateness of the research plan. The committee may approve the proposal without reservation or may recommend modifications.
In general, the student is expected to submit his/her research proposal after five semesters of doctoral studies. In accord with regulations of the School, each student is expected to submit a thesis and defend it before a committee of five faculty, two of whom hold primary appointments in another department.
Every doctoral candidate is expected to have had accepted at least one full-length paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal prior to recommendation for award of the degree.
Proposal Defense
• Expected after four semesters of doctoral studies (2 years after qualifying exam)
• Committee of at least four faculty members
Thesis Defense
• Committee of at least five faculty members, two of whom hold primary appointments outside BME
Resources
Chair of the Graduate Affairs Committee
Professor Helen Lu hl2052@columbia.edu
Student Coordinator
Jarmaine Lomax (jl432@columbia.edu)
Graduate Student Council
Andrew Kang (wk2201@columbia.edu)
Individual Professors/Advisors
Columbia University Bulletin
http://www.engineering.columbia.edu/bulletin
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