Feb 19, 2026  
2025-2026 Graduate Catalog 
    
2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

Biomedical Engineering, MSBE


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The Master of Science (MS) degree offered by the F. Joseph Halcomb III, MD, Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Kentucky seeks to provide students with multidisciplinary experience in basic research, design, development, and practice. The program emphasizes the application of engineering principles to problems in medicine and biology. Students receive educational and research opportunities through the facilities and faculty of the department and its ideal geographic proximity and close ties to other units across the University, ranging from engineering to basic science to clinical departments.

Two options are available:

  • MS thesis (Option A): 30 credits of course work plus a research thesis.
  • MS non-thesis (Option B): 31 credits of course work and a project report.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the general requirements of The Graduate School and are expected to hold a baccalaureate degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program or its equivalent. Applicants with baccalaureates in non-engineering disciplines are considered on a case-by-case basis and may need to take supplementary course work before official entry into the program; this can be determined by consulting the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).

Admission to the graduate program normally requires a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale on all graduate and undergraduate work, a statement of the applicant’s reasons for wanting to pursue graduate education in Biomedical Engineering, and letters of recommendation from three faculty members familiar with the applicant’s record. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required; however, submission of scores is recommended and may be helpful in evaluating your credentials. Satisfying the above requirements does not guarantee admission to the program; at the same time, admission decisions are based on a holistic review of the application without regard to minimum grade or score requirements alone. Applications are reviewed by a committee of BME Faculty on a rolling basis.

For further information, contact the DGS at bmedgs@uky.edu or visit https://bme.engr.uky.edu/academics-0/graduate-programs.

Degree Requirements

MS Thesis (Option A)


  • A 30-credit core curriculum plus a thesis on original guided research

MS Non-Thesis (Option B)


  • 31 credit hours of course work and a project report.
  • Enrollment in the non-thesis option must be requested within the first 9 credit hours of graduate course work and approved by the DGS.

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