Biomedical Engineering, Ph.D.

Program Requirements

The Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering requires 90 post-baccalaureate hours, which include the courses required for the M.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering. A student with a B.S. degree can enter the Ph.D. program directly; the student does not have to complete the M.S. thesis as part of the Ph.D. degree.  At the end of the program, the student will demonstrate excellence in scholarly research by authoring and successfully defending a Ph.D. Dissertation. 

During the Ph.D. program, the student is required to take a general examination in accordance with Graduate College requirements. For students entering with a B.S. degree, the general examination must be taken as soon as possible after the student has completed three semesters (not including the summer semester). For students entering with an M.S. degree, the general examination must be taken as soon as possible after the student has completed one semester (not including the summer semester).

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Coursework Requirements
BME 5971	Seminar in Biomedical Engineering Research (1 credit hour per semester for a total of 3 credit hours)	3
Four courses (12 hours) in biomedical engineering from an approved list 1		12
Two courses (6 hours) in life sciences from an approved list		6
Two courses (6 hours) in engineering, science, or math		6
One course in Statistics approved by Ph.D. advisory committee and signed by the Graduate Liaison		3
Dissertation Research
BME 6980	Research for Doctoral Dissertation	2-60
Additional Coursework		0-58
Total Credit Hours		90

¹

Must include 3 hours of physiology unless this requirement has been satisfied through prior undergraduate or graduate study (as determined by the Graduate Studies Committee). Students who have fulfilled the physiology requirement through prior coursework will not receive credit toward the degree for additional physiology courses taken at OU unless the SBME graduate liaison approves in advance.

Note: 

For students who hold a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma, the Ph.D. requires a minimum of nine (9) graduate credit hours beyond the M.S. The M.S. degree requires two courses in life sciences and two courses in engineering/science/math; the Ph.D. requires one additional life sciences course and two additional engineering/science/math courses beyond the M.S.

General Requirements for Doctoral Degrees

A student should expect to spend at least the equivalent of three full academic years beyond the bachelor’s degree to obtain the doctoral degree. During this period the student will take appropriate graduate coursework, successfully complete the general examination, and successfully defend and submit the final dissertation.

All coursework applied to the doctoral degree must carry graduate credit.

The doctoral degree requires at least 90 post-baccalaureate hours, including both formal coursework and hours of research.

The minimum hour requirement for a specific doctoral degree program cannot be waived.

No more than one-half of the credit hours, both OU and overall, excluding Research for Doctoral Dissertation (6980), may be S/U-graded coursework.

The student must be in residence at OU for at least two consecutive 16-week semesters during the pursuit of the doctoral degree while enrolled and engaged in coursework or research activities as prescribed by the major academic unit.

For more detailed regulations and requirements for Doctoral degrees, please consult the Graduate College Bulletin: http://www.ou.edu/gradcollege/forms/bulletin