Application Deadlines
Please note, the deadline for Fall 2023 complete applications, including all transcripts, letters, test scores, and statements, is January 13, 2023. The preferred deadline is December 15, 2022, for best consideration for financial support and an application fee waiver. Spring admissions are rare, and any applicant seeking consideration for spring must have a letter of support from a current, primary Fischell Department of Bioengineering faculty member.
Minimum Admission Requirements
Admission to the Graduate Program in Bioengineering requires a bachelor’s degree in a science or engineering discipline from an accredited undergraduate institution. Applicants with degrees in non-engineering disciplines, such as biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics, are expected to have the following prerequisite courses: Calculus I, II, III and Differential Equations. These courses would ideally have been completed by the time of application, but they may also be in progress.
Required Materials
As required by the Graduate School, all application materials are to be submitted electronically:
- Graduate application
- Transcripts
- Statement of research goals and interests
- Personal History Statement (optional; view essay instructions here)
- Letters of recommendation
- Non-refundable application fee ($75) for each program to which an applicant applies
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional.
GRE and TOEFL scores are sent electronically from ETS. Please use institution code 5814. The department code is not important.
The University of Maryland downloads IELTS scores that have been transmitted to our e-download account. IELTS test takers should contact their IELTS test center directly to request electronic test scores be sent to the following IELTS e-download account:
University of Maryland - The Graduate School
The Graduate Building
2123 Lee Building
College Park, Maryland 20742
Please note: The Graduate School does not accept paper IELTS test report forms.
Please keep in mind that scores are not downloaded or sent instantly, so please request your score report well in advance. For more information about the University of Maryland's English language proficiency requirement, please visit the
Graduate School webpage.
Application Instructions
Applications are submitted online via the Graduate School website. When creating your application account, ensure that your name matches the name listed on your official, government-issued identification (e.g., passport).
When you are filling out the online application you will see several tabs that ask for different information—detailed below.
After responding to all required and relevant items, you may submit your application.
- Application Type: Degree
- Level of Study: Masters or Doctoral
- Intended Program of Study: Bioengineering (BIOE), Ph.D. or M.S.
Enter your cumulative GPA for all schools attended as listed on your transcript. International students should not convert their GPA to the 4.0 scale, instead selecting the appropriate grading scale.
Upload your statement of purpose, resume/CV, and if you choose, optional personal history statement (via the Supplementary Application upload field). Disregard any other items as these materials will not be considered as part of the application.
Add a minimum of three recommendation providers. Once entered, the system will send an automatic notification email with the sender identified as "University of Maryland, College Park – Graduate School."
We recommend that you contact these individuals in advance to ensure the provider will be willing to write a letter of recommendation.
- If you need to make any changes after you have submitted the application, you must contact the Graduate School at gradschool@umd.edu.
- For any technical difficulties with the online application, please contact gradschool@umd.edu.
- For all other questions relating to the application process, please contact the department at bioe-grad@umd.edu.
Admission decisions are generally based on quantitative metrics (GPA, GRE, and TOEFL scores), letters of recommendation, statement of research goals, as well as previous research experiences, especially archival publications.
Completed applications are reviewed by an admissions committee in each graduate degree program. The recommendations of the committees are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, who will make the final admission decision. Students seeking to complete graduate work at the University of Maryland for degree purposes must be formally admitted to the Graduate School by the Dean. To ensure the integrity of the application process, the University of Maryland authenticates submitted materials through TurnItIn for Admissions.
International applicants must also take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. The University of Maryland's institutional code for score reporting is 5814. No department or major code is needed. Please allow at least 2 weeks for score reporting to the institution.
