Accelerated Masters Program in Biomedical Engineering

Program Overview

Qualified undergraduate students who plan to earn a M.S. in biomedical engineering may enroll in the Accelerated Master’s Entry Pathway, which enables students to begin working on the M.S.  while still an undergraduate. Students typically apply to the program in the second semester of their junior year. Following acceptance by the Graduate College, students may take up to 6 graduate credits (defined as 5000-level or above) while still an undergraduate that can be counted toward both the B.S. and the M.S. degrees. Another 3 graduate credits can be counted towards the M.S. degree while an undergraduate but cannot count towards the B.S. degree. The graduate credits taken prior to completion of the bachelor's must be in graded coursework only; independent study, research credits, internships and practica will not count towards the M.S.  In addition, the courses taken  must be approved by the student's graduate advisor.

Biomedical Engineering AMP Listing in the Graduate Catalog

Prospective AMP students must apply for admission through the Graduate College.

Applicants will automatically be considered for partial tuition scholarships; no separate application is necessary.

The AMP Permission form (PDF) is a required part of the application and requires both a signature from first, the Faculty Graduate Program Coordinator and then CEMS Graduate Program Coordinator, Jane Kimble, at cems.graduate.coordinator@uvm.edu (listed as the Undergraduate Dean’s Office signature).   Prospective AMP students must also notify the appropriate Graduate Program Director as to:

• which courses they would like to double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees (for this they can consult a faculty and/or Graduate Program Director affiliated with the particular graduate program)
• whether they're planning to do a coursework only, project, or thesis option, and
• for project or thesis options, who has agreed to be their graduate advisor (note that upon starting their Master's degree, the thesis/project advisor can be changed)

Applications are typically completed in the second semester of the junior year, but must be completed at least one month before the semester in which the student wishes to take courses that will double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees so that there is enough time to be admitted to the Graduate College before coursework that will double count is taken. 

AMP Permission form (PDF)

Curriculum

Minimum Degree Requirements

Thesis-Based:

• 24 credit hours of coursework, at least 6 of which must be at the 6000-level. At least 15 credit hours will come from CEE, EE, BME, ME, CS, EMGT, CEMS and/or ENGR graduate courses. At least 6 credits will have BME designation.
• 6 credit hours of research conducted with BME associated faculty.
• Degree Capstone: A thesis must be completed, under the supervision of a BME graduate program faculty member. The written thesis must meet Graduate College requirements and be defended orally in a public forum.

Project-Based:

• 27 credit hours, at least 6 of which must be at the 6000-level. At least 15 credit hours will come from CEE, EE, BME, ME, CS, EMGT, CEMS and/or ENGR graduate courses. At least 6 credits will have BME designation.
• 3 credit hours of project conducted with BME associated faculty.
• Degree Capstone: A poster must be presented at Spring BME Student Symposium (or other public forum) on the project. Poster presentation must meet requirements as assessed by BME faculty.

Coursework Option:

• 30 credit hours, at least 6 of which must be at the 6000-level. At least 15 credit hours will come from CEE, EE, BME, ME, CS, EMGT, CEMS, and/or ENGR graduate courses. At least 6 credits will have BME designation.

Admissions

To apply for the program, students must be enrolled in an engineering program at the University of Vermont with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 at the time of application and must complete the CEMS Accelerated Masters Permission Form and the Graduate College application. For thesis students, the application should name a graduate faculty member who has agreed to serve as their thesis advisor. No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for AMP applicants.

All students must also meet UVM's Requirements for the Accelerated Master’s Degree Pathway

UVM undergraduate students should apply in the fall or spring of their junior year when they have 2-3 semesters remaining in their BS program and should meet the following requirements:

• Two or three semesters remaining before completion of their bachelor's degree
• A minimum 3.2 GPA (some exceptions may be made, if warranted)
• Sufficient prerequisite coursework for the master's program that is being applied to.

Prospective AMP students must apply for admission through the Graduate College.

Applicants will automatically be considered for partial tuition scholarships; no separate application is necessary.

The AMP Permission form (PDF) is a required part of the application and requires both a signature from first, the Faculty Graduate Program Coordinator and then CEMS Graduate Program Coordinator, Jane Kimble, at cems.graduate.coordinator@uvm.edu (listed as the Undergraduate Dean’s Office signature).   Prospective AMP students must also notify the appropriate Graduate Program Director as to:

1. which courses they would like to double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees (for this they can consult a faculty and/or Graduate Program Director affiliated with the particular graduate program)
2. whether they're planning to do a coursework only, project, or thesis option, and
3. for project or thesis options, who has agreed to be their graduate advisor (note that upon starting their Master's degree, the thesis/project advisor can be changed)

Applications are typically completed in the second semester of the junior year, but must be completed at least one month before the semester in which the student wishes to take courses that will double-count for both Bachelor's and Master's degrees so that there is enough time to be admitted to the Graduate College before coursework that will double count is taken. 

AMP Permission form (PDF)

Costs and Funding

Students pursuing a thesis-based MS are often supported as an undergraduate research assistant (URA) while still an undergraduate student, and then change to a graduate research or teaching assistant (GRA or GTA) when they graduate with their Bachelor’s degree and become a regular graduate student.

Students pursuing course-based or project-based MS degrees are typically self-funded. Self-funded AMP students will receive a partial tuition scholarship of 30% of the tuition cost for the remaining 21-24 graduate credits taken after completion of the Bachelor's degree, provided the student maintains a GPA of at least 3.0 in their graduate work  

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Comprehensive Examination

M.S. Thesis Option: 

The student must orally present a proposal for their thesis research at least 3 months prior to their final semester's last day of classes. The student's thesis committee will orally examine the student based on the student's coursework and research focus.

M.S. Project Option: 

The student must orally present a proposal for their project research approximately 3 months prior to their final semester's last day of classes. The student's project committee will orally examine the student based on the student's coursework and project focus.

M.S. Coursework Option: 

The student must complete a written and/ or oral comprehensive exam during the final semester of residence at UVM that will be based on their completed coursework.