Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Ph.D. in Biomedical and Chemical Engineering
Rochester, USA
PhD
DURATION
3 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 41,424 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Key Summary
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The biomedical and chemical engineering Ph.D. program provides you with the knowledge, training, and expertise to tackle important problems in the industry, academia, government, and health care.
In the biomedical and chemical engineering Ph.D. program, you will complete a number of classes in your first two years of study, including foundational courses with other engineering doctorate students, discipline-specific courses within biomedical and chemical engineering, and elective courses you select with your research advisor. You will complete a research thesis project with your faculty advisor in their lab and may have the opportunity to complete a complementary industrial co-op or internship. You will graduate from the program as a highly-skilled researcher who is well-positioned to be a leader in the next generation of engineers who will help tackle the challenging and complex problems facing our society.
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op
Cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study
Graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available yearly, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Experiential Learning
Internships
You may apply for internships in the industry or at one of the national laboratories that align with your thesis research. Internships provide an opportunity for hands-on research experience, professional networking and can serve to advance your thesis work. In addition, you may identify research opportunities at the National Labs Career Fair, an annual event hosted by RIT that brings representatives to campus from the United States’ federally-funded research and development labs.
Plan of Study
The curriculum for the biomedical and chemical engineering Ph.D. program provides the knowledge and skills to develop successfully independent researchers.
Core Courses: Core courses, which are usually completed during the first two semesters of the program, serve as a foundational preparation for elective courses. They develop your core competency skills for research, introduce the research landscape in biomedical and chemical engineering, and help prepare you for the qualifying exam.
Discipline Concentration Elective Courses: The discipline concentration elective courses provide a rigorous education in the field of research in biomedical and chemical engineering. Students may choose elective courses in consultation with the dissertation and research advisor, and from courses offered by the department of biomedical engineering and the department of chemical engineering.
Focus Area Elective Courses: Focus area elective courses provide the flexibility for you to engage in trans-disciplinary learning. In consultation with your dissertation and research advisor, you will select graduate-level elective courses offered by any of the departments in the Kate Gleason College of Engineering. In addition, and subject to the program director’s approval, you may choose graduate courses offered by any of the RIT colleges.
Qualifying Exam: You will complete a qualifying exam at the end of your first year of study. The exam evaluates your aptitude, potential, and competency in conducting doctorate-level research. Through written documentation and a presentation of your work, you will critically review a recent peer-reviewed journal article in your field and propose a creative extension of the work.
Dissertation Proposal and Candidacy Exam: You will present and defend a dissertation proposal to your dissertation committee typically during your third year of study. The proposal provides the opportunity for you to elaborate on your research plans and to obtain feedback from your dissertation committee on the direction and approach of your research.
Research Review Meetings: Research review meetings provide comprehensive feedback regarding your dissertation research progress and expected outcomes prior to the defense of your full dissertation.
Dissertation Presentation and Defense: You will prepare an original, technically rigorous, and well-written dissertation that describes your research body of work and novel contributions that have resulted from your doctoral studies in biomedical and chemical engineering. You will present and defend your dissertation and its accompanying research to your dissertation committee.