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Ph.D. Degree Plans

In May 2026, the Biomedical Engineering Department updated the Ph.D. curriculum.


All continuing students will be placed on the previously established historical curriculum. Details can be found on the BME@TAMU Graduate Student Canvas Community.


All students entering summer 2026 and after will be placed on the NEW curriculum below.

Entering Ph.D. program from bachelor's in any degree field (Pathway 1a):

*Effective for all students who entered summer 2026 and after

Courses:
96 hours beyond B.S.
  • 12 hrs – Graduate BMEN courses
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
  • 9 hrs – Graduate General Electives
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
    • May use BMEN or non-BMEN courses
    • May use up to 2 hours of BMEN 684
  • 3 hrs – BMEN 674 (Communications), spring only
  • 2 hrs – BMEN 681 (two, one-hour seminars), fall and spring terms
  • Research as required (BMEN 691)
  • Additional requirements:
    • 3 hours on the degree plan must come from an approved Life Science Elective
    • 3 hours on the degree plan must come from an approved math/statistics course

Entering Ph.D. program from master's in non-engineering degree field (Pathway 1b)

*Effective for all students who entered summer 2026 and after

Courses:
64 hours beyond M.S.
  • 12 hrs – Graduate BMEN courses
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
  • 9 hrs – Graduate General Electives
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
    • May use BMEN or non-BMEN courses
    • May use up to 2 hours of BMEN 684
  • 3 hrs – BMEN 674 (Communications), spring only
  • 2 hrs – BMEN 681 (two, one-hour seminars), fall and spring terms
  • Research as required (BMEN 691)
  • Additional requirements:
    • 3 hours on the degree plan must come from an approved Life Science Elective
    • 3 hours on the degree plan must come from an approved math/statistics course

Entering Ph.D. program from master's in an engineering field other than biomedical engineering (Pathway 2)

*Effective for all students who entered summer 2026 and after

Courses:
64 hours beyond M.S. 
66 hours beyond M.Eng.
  • 12 hrs – Graduate BMEN courses
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
  • 3 hrs – Graduate General Electives
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
    • May use BMEN or non-BMEN courses
    • May use up to 2 hours of BMEN 684
  • 3 hrs – BMEN 674 (Communications), spring only
  • 2 hrs – BMEN 681 (two, one-hour seminars), fall and spring terms
  • Research as required (BMEN 691)
  • Additional requirements:
    • 3 hours on the degree plan must come from an approved Life Science Elective
    • 3 hours on the degree plan must come from an approved math/statistics course

Entering Ph.D. program from master's in biomedical engineering (Pathway 3)

*Effective for all students who entered summer 2026 and after

Courses:
64 hours beyond M.S. 
66 hours beyond M.Eng.
  • 6 hrs – Graduate BMEN courses
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
  • 3 hrs – Graduate General Electives
    • May use up to 3 hours of BMEN 685
    • May not use any hours of BMEN 681
    • May use BMEN or non-BMEN courses
    • May use up to 2 hours of BMEN 684
  • 3 hrs – BMEN 674 (Communications), spring only
    • Waived if master's was earned in BME@TAMU
  • 2 hrs – BMEN 681 (two, one-hour seminars), fall and spring terms
  • Research as required (BMEN 691)

Entering Ph.D. program via M.D./Ph.D. (Pathway 4)

*Effective for all students who entered summer 2026 and after

Courses:
64 hours 
  • 6 hrs – Graduate BMEN courses
    • May use up to 3 hours of BME 685
    • May not use BMEN 681
  • 3 hrs – Statistical Elective
  • 2 hrs – MSCI 620 (two, one-hour journal clubs)
  • 2 hrs – BMEN 681 (two, one-hour seminars), fall and spring terms
  • Research as required (BMEN 691)
  • Dr. Carolyn Cannon or another member from the medical sciences Graduate Professional Committee must be a member of the student's Ph.D. advisory committee.

Additional Degree Plan Information for all Ph.D. Students

  • May use up to 6 hours of upper-level undergraduate coursework (400 level only) on degree plan with approval of chair/committee.
  • Upper-level courses must come from a major that is outside of the student’s previous undergraduate (or master’s) level major.
  • Undergraduate coursework required for leveling may not be applied to a graduate degree plan.

Additional expectations for all Ph.D. students

Other Requirements:
  • Qualifying Exam
  • Proposal Defense/Preliminary Exam
  • Dissertation and defense
  • Prereqs/Leveling Courses as required
  • Annual Evaluation due in May each year
Advisory Committee:
4-member minimum with composition defined below:
  • BMEN Faculty Advisor / Chair
  • Co-chair may be outside of BMEN faculty
  • 2 Faculty with primary appointments in BMEN
  • 1 Faculty with appointment outside BMEN
Note: The hour requirements reflected in these degree plans represent the minimum departmental requirements. Students may elect to take more courses and/or the student’s committee or chair may require more hours than what is listed on these degree plans.