Detailed CCNY Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. Program Requirements

Last updated 02/05/2024

To complete the Ph.D. degree in the Biomedical Engineering (BME) program, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

1)Satisfactory completion of 36 credits of approved graduate coursework and 24 credits of Dissertation Research (BME J99xx). A minimum 3.3 grade point average (GPA) in five core BME areas must be achieved before scheduling the First (Qualifying) Examination.

2)Satisfactory completion of the First (Qualifying) Examination, which is a presentation of the dissertation research area that highlights key problems in the field.

3)Satisfactory completion of the Second Examination, which is a defense of the research proposal.

4)Satisfactory completion of the Final Examination, which is a defense of the Ph.D. dissertation.

The detailed expectations for each of these four requirements are outlined below.

 

BME Ph.D. Course Requirements

 

Completion of Any Necessary Undergraduate Courses

For entry into the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Engineering, it is suggested that the following undergraduate courses be completed. Prior to commencing graduate coursework, the BME Ph.D. Advisor will prepare a proposed curriculum that may include courses from the list below if any have not been completed; these courses are usually taken before any graduate courses and do not count towards the required 36-credit total.

Courses Normally Taken as an Undergraduate in Biomedical Engineering:

(City College courses satisfying the requirements are given in parentheses)

2 semesters of physics (PHYS 20700 & 20800)

2 semesters of chemistry (CHEM 10301 & 10401)

1 semester of organic chemistry and/or biochemistry (CHEM 21000 or CHEM 26100 or CHEM 30002)

1 semester of physiology (BIO 32100  or BIO 24700)

1 semester of cell and molecular biology (BIO 22900) recommended, not required

3 semesters of calculus (MATH 20100, 21200, 21300)

1 semester of differential equations (MATH 39100)

1 semester of linear algebra and vector analysis (MATH 39200)

1 semester of thermodynamics (ENGR 23000 or ChE 22900)

1 semester of transport phenomena (ChE 34100) or fluid mechanics (ME 35600)

1 semester of electrical circuits (BME 20500 or ENGR 20400)

1 semester of linear systems analysis (BME 30500)

1 semester of engineering mechanics (statics) (ME 24600)

1 semester of mechanics or strength of materials (ME 33000)

 

Transfer of Credits from a Master's Degree Program

Students entering the Ph.D. program with a master's degree may transfer up to 30 graduate level credits with a grade of “B” or higher if the coursework is similar to the courses listed below for the BME Ph.D. program. Courses considered for advanced standing must have been taken within the five-year period preceding matriculation at City College. To request transfer of credits, fill out a transfer credit form available in the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs, and also linked here and at the bottom of this page. An official transcript from the master's degree institution must be included, and a description of the courses may be requested. The BME Ph.D. Advisor must approve the transfer of credits and sign the form before the student submits it to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs. The advisor may consult with the graduate committee on which courses can count toward the requirements. Note that the transferred credits need to match the program requirements in detail to count toward changes in level and graduation. The request for transfer of credits should be made before the end of the second semester in the program. After the transfer request is made, students should confirm on their online account that the credits were transferred successfully.

 

Completion of 36 Credits of Ph.D. Coursework (note students who began the program in Fall of 2017 or prior must complete 48 credits of coursework)

Once any necessary undergraduate courses are completed, students must complete 36 credits of graduate coursework in four areas, as outlined below. Students who have transferred credits from a master's degree may use equivalent courses taken as part of their master's degree to satisfy the requirements. Students are expected to have completed at least 30 course credits after their 5th semester (or after the 2nd semester if they entered the program with an M.S. degree).

 

(a) Biomedical Engineering Courses (at least 12 credits).

While students are encouraged to take as many BME courses as possible, a minimum of 12 credits of

BME courses must be taken. See the BME core course requirements below for the GPA requirement.

BME I2000: Cell and Tissue Engineering

BME I2200: Cell and Tissue Transport

BME I2300: Translational Nanomedicine

BME I3000: Neural Engineering and Applied Bioelectricity

BME I3110: Biofluid Mechanics

BME I4200: Organ Transport and Pharmacokinetics

BME I5000: Medical Imaging and Image Processing

BME I5100: Biomedical Signal Processing

BME I7000: Laboratory in Cellular and Molecular Engineering

BME I7100: Cell and Tissue Mechanics

BME I7300: Cell and Tissue-Biomaterial Interactions

BME I7700: Microfluidic Devices in Biotechnology

BME I8000: Bone Physiology and Biomechanics

BME I9000: Skeletal Soft Tissue Physiology and Biomechanics

BME I9400: Special Topics in Machine Learning

BME I5600: Cell Mechanotransduction

BME I6000: Advanced Biomaterials

ENGR I7500: Poroelasticity

BME I6100: Intellectual Property, Regulation, and Quality Assurance (course permission required by MTM Program Director)

BME I9300: Scientific Ethics

BME I0003: Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering

BME I0000: BME Seminar*

Any new or once-offered graduate course with the "BME" course code

The Scientific Ethics course (BME I9300), is a 1-credit course that is required for all PhD students. In addition, students have to register for at least 1 credit of BME I0000 Biomedical Engineering Seminar, which consists of weekly speakers from the BME field. All Ph.D. students are required to attend the BME seminar for their entire duration of study, regardless whether they are registered for the course.

*Students who are following the previous curriculum of 48 course credits and 12 Doctoral Research credits may take BME Seminar, BME I0000, up to three times for credit. Students following the current curriculum may take BME Seminar more than once for credit with approval from the BME PhD Advisor (students usually can take a second seminar for credit counting to the 36 credit course work, provided they present their research at least once during a seminar session).

 

(b) Biomedical Sciences Courses (at least 6 credits)

BME I4300: Physiology for Engineers**, a 6-credit course, is required (see BME core course requirements below).

BIO V1401: Cell Biology

PHYS V3800: Biophysics

BIO V2301: Neuroscience

BME I6400: Translational Challenges in Diagnostics, Devices, and Therapeutics

MEDS I7100: Translational Challenges in Medicine (course permission required by MTM Program Director)

MEDS I8200: Translational Research Design (course permission required by MTM Program Director)

Students should check relevant CCNY and CUNY listings for additional courses.

 

(c) Mathematics Courses (at least 6 credits)

At least two math-related courses must be taken, from the following partial listing (see the BME core

course requirements below for the GPA requirement):

ENGR I1100: Introduction to Engineering Analysis

ENGR I1400: Applied Partial Differential Equations

PHYS V0100: Mathematical Methods in Physics

BIO V8101 Mathematical Biology Lecture (3 credits) and BIO V8102 Mathematical Biology Lab (3 credits) ***

ENGR I1500 Introduction to Numerical Methods

ENGR I1700 Finite Element Methods in Engineering

ENGR I7500: Poroelasticity

ENGR I4200: Continuum Mechanics

 

(d) Engineering Courses Other than Biomedical (at least 3 credits)
NOTE: This portion of the curriculum is being phased out. The 3 credits will be moved to Elective Courses. This is pending approval by the GSoE and the CUNY Board of Trustees.

At least one engineering course in a field other than BME must be completed. However, this may also be satisfied with:

BME I6100: Intellectual Property, Regulation, and Quality Assurance (course permission required by MTM Program Director)

BME I9400: Special Topics in Machine Learning
 

(e) Elective Courses (at least 9 credits)
NOTE: This portion of the curriculum is being increased to be 12 credits, after removal of the "Engineering Courses Other than Biomedical" category. This is pending approval by the GSoE and the CUNY Board of Trustees.

Any graduate courses can be taken from the categories above to complete a total of 36 course credits.


 

Completion of 24 Credits of Doctoral Dissertation Research (note students who began the program in Fall of 2017 or prior must complete 12 credits of Doctoral Dissertation Research)

Each student must complete 24 credits of the variable-credit course BME J99xx Doctoral Dissertation Research (xx = number of credits (01-12)). The course is usually taken when a student is finishing coursework and preparing for the Second Exam. To register for the course, request permission from the PhD Advisor and then register on CUNYfirst. The course instructor is the PhD Mentor of the student. 1-12 credits of BME J99xx may be taken in one semester. For satisfactory progress, the grade for BME J99xx should be “SP” or “P” [Note that if additional credits are needed to maintain full-time status, a “WIU” or Weighted Instructional Unit variable credit course may be taken – see below for details.]
For more detail on when to register for J99xx, WIU or K9000 (dissertation supervision), see the corresponding section below.

 

BME Core Course Requirements

In order to take the First Examination (the Qualifying Exam), students must obtain a minimum grade point average of 3.3 in five core graduate courses. This GPA requirement is designed to ensure that all Ph.D. students have a sufficient understanding of the core biomedical engineering fundamentals to pursue advanced study and professional career opportunities.

 

At least one course must be taken from each of the core groups 1-4 below:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Core Group 1 - Mathematics
BIO V8101 Mathematical Biology***
ENGR I1100: Introduction to Engineering Analysis

ENGR I1400: Applied Partial Differential Equations

ENGR I4200: Continuum Mechanics

ENGR I7500: Poroelasticity

PHYS V0100: Mathematical Methods in Physics

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Core Group 2 - Signals and Images

BME I3000: Neural Engineering and Applied Bioelectricity

BME I5000: Medical Imaging and Image Processing

BME I9400: Special Topics in Machine Learning

BME I5100: Biomedical Signal Processing

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Core Group 3 - Mechanics

BME I7100: Cell and Tissue Mechanics

BME I2200: Cell and Tissue Transport

BME I8000: Bone Physiology and Biomechanics

BME I9000: Skeletal Soft Tissue Physiology and Biomechanics

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Core Group 4 - Tissues and Materials

BME I2000: Cell and Tissue Engineering

BME I6000: Advanced Biomaterials

BME I7000 Laboratory in Cellular and Molecular Engineering

BME I7300: Cell and Tissue Biomaterial Interactions

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

and in addition, all students are required to take BOTH courses from Core Group 5

Core Group 5 - Physiology and Ethics

BME I4300: Physiology for Engineers**

BME I9300: Scientific Ethics

 

To calculate the grade point average for the five core courses add up the numerical grade for each course (excluding the 1 credit Ethics course) and divide by 5 (where A+ = 4.0, A = 4.0, A- = 3.7, B+ = 3.3, B = 3.0, etc.)]. If a student takes more than one course in a group and one grade is higher than the other, the higher grade will be used when calculating the core course GPA. Students who have taken equivalent courses as part of a master’s degree at another institution may use the grades from the equivalent courses. Otherwise the courses must be taken at City College. Students with a GPA below 3.3 in the five core courses will only be allowed to take the First Examination (the Qualifying Exam) in extraordinary circumstances. Under these conditions, the student should submit a written petition, including a letter from the research mentor, to the Department requesting an exemption from the GPA requirement. Petitions will be considered by the entire faculty and will only be granted if the student can demonstrate extraordinary circumstances (e.g., a major illness during the first year of graduate study). Petitions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and should be submitted as soon as possible so that decisions can be made in a timely manner.

 

** This course is currently taught as a two part course over two semesters with 3 credits each: BME G4301 (Fall only) and G4302 (Spring only) Physiology for Engineers I and II (offered alternate academic years).

 

*** BIO V8201/2 Biostatistics I/II (6 credits) has not been offered at CCNY for many years. This course is currently taught as BIOL 78001 Mathematical Biology: Lecture (3 cr.) with BIOL 78002 Mathematical Biology: Lab (3 cr.), at the Graduate Center. When you request an ePermit to take this course at the CUNY Graduate Center, be sure to provide BIOL V8201 (Mathematical Biology: Lecture) and BIOL V8102 (Mathematical Biology: Lab) as the equivalent courses here at CCNY so that the credits transfer automatically. It is preferred and recommended that should you wish to take Mathematical Biology, that you take BOTH the lecture and lab component. (Note: addition for the Mathematical Biology Lecture course to core course group # 1 is pending approval by GSoE & CUNY Board of Trustees)


 

Teaching Requirement

PhD students are required to serve as Teaching Assistant (TA) at least once as part of their Fellowship. This can happen at any point during the program. More typically, PhD students will serve as TA several times over the five years of their PhD training. Note: Teaching requirements should be completed prior to taking the second exam.

 

First Examination (the Qualifying Exam)

 

Scheduling of the First Exam:

Once the core course GPA requirement has been met, the student must submit the First Exam Scheduling Form (tinyurl.com/BMEFirstExam) to schedule the First Exam. Students who enter the Ph.D. program with solely a bachelor’s degree should complete the First Exam before they are one week into their fifth semester in the program (i.e., by the time they have completed two years in the program). Students who enter the Ph.D. program with a master's degree are recommended to complete the First Exam before they are one week into their third semester in the program (i.e., by the time they have completed one year in the program). By this time students are expected to have completed 30 credits. Students who would like to schedule their First Exam beyond the stated time must provide a reasonable explanation for the delay when they submit the First Exam Scheduling Form, which still must be submitted within the time period stated above. Not being able to complete the core courses because of scheduling issues should not delay scheduling of the exam. If the First Exam is not passed before the student has completed 45 credits (36 course credits and 9 research credits), permission must be obtained from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs  to continue in the program.

 

Content of the First Exam:

The BME Ph.D. Qualifying Exam is an evaluation of the candidate’s potential for Ph.D.-level research. The Exam consists of a written part and an oral part, both of which should present an outline of how the candidate will approach the development of her/his dissertation. The dissertation project need not be defined in detail at this point. Preliminary research results may be presented, but are not required. The presentation may be an overview of the proposed field of dissertation research, identifying a key problem in the field that will become the focus of the dissertation. Or, it may focus on a particular problem, giving enough background literature review that the importance of the problem to the proposed field can be described. This First Exam differs from the Second Exam in that the emphasis is on how the candidate will approach the development of their dissertation; it is not a detailed proposal for dissertation research. The written part of the First Exam should be reasonably short (about 20 pages, double-spaced) and should include an introduction to the research topic and relevant references. It may include a review and critical survey of pertinent literature, a discussion of physiological and/or clinical relevance, theoretical aspects including mathematical models / computer simulations if relevant, or a discussion of experimental aspects including alternative experimental methods as appropriate. The literature survey is not expected to be exhaustive, but should cover key papers relative to the dissertation topic. It is required that the student prepare this document on his/her own without editorial assistance from the student’s research mentor, other faculty and students, or any other person. Consultation with the student’s research mentor, other faculty and students, or any other person is permitted, but not on the creation of prose that will appear in the document. Submission of the document is a statement by the student that the student on his/her own created the document, referencing all the sources (printed literature, websites, personnel communications) employed in the formation and preparation of the document. The document will be used by the Examining Committee as a test of the student’s ability to communicate clearly and logically in written English as well as a test of his/her capacity to do Ph.D.-level research. The oral part of the First Exam will involve a presentation of the written document before the Examining Committee and a discussion with the committee of both the document and its presentation. Typically, the student will make a formal presentation with a duration of 15-20 minutes. This presentation will be used by the Examining Committee to evaluate the student’s ability to communicate clearly and logically in spoken English as well as a test of his/her capacity to do Ph.D.-level research. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of their general research topic including the physiological and/or clinical relevance and the underlying theory, experimental and mathematical techniques, and pertinent literature related to the field. If a student is not familiar with any background topic it should be so indicated and accompanied by a plan to remove the deficiency.

 

Examining Committee:

The Qualifying Exam committee will consist of three or more members. One of the committee members must be the student's research mentor, and at least two of the members must be members of the BME Department. The student must propose the committee members on the First Exam Scheduling Form. After approval by the BME Ph.D. Advisor, the student is responsible for scheduling the Exam with the committee members within the time period described above. The First Exam written document must be submitted to the committee AT LEAST one week before the oral exam. The chairperson of the Examining Committee, who will not be the student’s mentor, is responsible for quality monitoring and for properly conducting the exam.

 

First Exam Results:

The student is informed of the exam result immediately after the exam; the chairperson of the Examining Committee will then give the result to the BME Ph.D. Advisor, who will inform the Graduate Dean; this is the only way the student’s record will be properly updated. If a student fails the exam, they may petition the Examining Committee to repeat the exam once. After the First Exam is passed, the student moves from Level 1 to Level 2 if 45 credits (including course and research credits) have been completed and they submit the appropriate level change form to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs (linked here and at the bottom of this page).

 

Second Examination (Defense of the Research Proposal)

 

Scheduling of the Second Exam:

It is recommended that the Second Exam be scheduled as early into the student's research project as is feasible (see timeline below); it is usually done after the student has results from preliminary experiments or models and often after a manuscript has been submitted for publication. Note: Teaching requirements should be completed prior to taking the second exam.
The student must also provide the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs and the BME Ph.D. Advisor with the title of the research proposal, the date, time, and location of the exam, as well as the names and addresses of all the Examining Committee members at least four weeks before the exam (there are some blackout dates for the second and final exam, please see below under this paragraph). The Second Exam scheduling form is linked here and at the bottom of this page. It is also the student’s responsibility to sign up for an appropriate room for the Second Exam (usually ST-402 or ST-564). The written research proposal must be submitted to the Examining Committee and the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs AT LEAST two weeks before the exam. The BME Ph.D. Advisor should also be notified of the exam date so that the presentation date can be circulated to the department faculty, staff, and graduate students.

 

Important Dates:

 

Semester

Spring

Summer

Fall

Submit exam information to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs between these dates (four weeks before exam)

February 1st to April 15th

June 15th to July 15th

September 1st to November 15th

Exam Date

March 1st to May 15th

July 15th to August 15th

October 1st to December 15th

Level Change Deadline

February 5th

September 5th

September 5th

 

Content of the Second Exam:

In preparation for the Second Exam the student will develop a proposal that describes the dissertation research. In the Second Exam the student should demonstrate a strong understanding of previous work in their field and should present the work they have performed to date along with a plan for the research to be completed. The written part of the Exam, the research proposal, has no set format but it is suggested that students use the older format of an NIH grant proposal: Specific Aims - 1 page (required), Background & Significance ~4-5 pages (suggested), Preliminary data -5-6 pages (suggested), Methods and experiments - 10-15 page (suggested), References need to be included but do not count to the 25 page limit, use 11 point Arial or Helvetica, single spaced, 0.5 inch margins. The oral part of the Second Exam is a public defense of the written research proposal that consists of a seminar-type presentation (approximately 1 hour total time: a 30-40 minute talk with 20-30 minutes for questions). After general questions from the audience, everyone but the Examining Committee (and any additional faculty who choose to stay) leave the room and the student may be asked further questions. Then the student leaves the room while the committee deliberates.

 

Examining Committee:

At this stage the student's Examining Committee is usually called the Dissertation Committee because the same members usually serve on the Final Exam Committee. The committee consists of at least four members, including the student's research mentor. At least three of the members are preferred (but not required) to be from the BME Department, other CCNY engineering department, or other CCNY department (in this order) and often one member is from outside of CCNY (outside examiner recommended, but not required for second exam). Note that any students who are being mentored by an outside NYCBE member must have a CCNY co-mentor.

 

Second Exam Results:

The student is informed immediately after the exam whether they passed or not. Suggestions for changes in the scope of work may be given at this time. If a student fails the exam, they may petition the Examining Committee to take it again. After passing the Second Exam and completing all 36 course credits and 24 research credits, the student may petition the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs to move them from Level 2 to Level 3 and is considered a Ph.D. candidate. The level change form needed for a student to submit to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs is linked here and at the bottom of this page. At this time, the student may also request the Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) degree using the same form. The only remaining requirement is the Final Examination, and the student must register for BME K9000 Dissertation Supervision (1 cr.) and WIU I0006 Weighted Instructional Unit (6 cr.) for every semester until the dissertation defense. The instructor for BME K9000 course should be the student's Ph.D. mentor or the CCNY co-mentor if the Ph.D. mentor is a NYCBE faculty member and the instructor for WIU I0006 is usually the BME Ph.D. Advisor. Second examinations are public events open to the faculty of the school. Students may attend at the discretion of the Examining Committee chair. 

 

Final Examination (Defense of the Dissertation)

 

Scheduling of the Final Exam:

The defense of the dissertation is scheduled after all the research has been completed and the dissertation is completely written. The student must provide the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs and the BME Ph.D. Advisor  with the dissertation title, and the date, time, and location of the exam (the student must reserve a room), as well as the names and e-mail addresses of all the Examining Committee members at least four weeks before the exam (there are some blackout dates for the second and final exam, please see below under this paragraph). The Final Exam scheduling form is linked here and at the bottom of this page. The dissertation must be submitted to the Examining Committee and GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs AT LEAST two weeks before the exam. The BME Ph.D. Advisor should also be notified of the defense date so that the presentation date can be circulated to the department faculty, staff, and graduate students.

 

Important Dates:

 

Semester

Spring

Summer

Fall

Submit exam information to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs between these dates (four weeks before exam)

February 1st to April 15th

June 15th to July 15th

September 1st to November 15th

Exam Date

March 1st to May 15th

July 15th to August 15th

October 1st to December 15th

 

Content of the Final Exam:

The purpose of the Final Exam is to defend the Ph.D. dissertation. The format of the oral defense is similar to that of the Second Exam (see above) except that the focus is on the significance of the research results and the contribution of the student's work to the field. The written dissertation is organized into chapters and usually begins with a comprehensive introductory chapter summarizing the background and significance of the project and ends with a summary/conclusions chapter discussing the overall results and their significance. The middle chapters are usually presented as manuscripts already published, submitted for publication or to be submitted for publication (note that if a paper has already been published copyright permission must be obtained from the journal in which it was published). Students are advised to look at dissertations of recent graduates of the program for the overall format, and contact the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs for formatting information for the dissertation.

 

Examining Committee:

The Dissertation Committee is usually the same as the Examining Committee for the Second Exam with one additional member (there must be at least five members in the dissertation committee). In general, there should be at least four members from the CCNY faculty (from the student's department, other CCNY engineering department or CCNY department in that order) plus one committee member from outside of CCNY (required). Additional member(s) may be added if desired. The date for the defense has to be communicated to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs at least four weeks before the examination (See above “Important Dates” Table).

 

Final Exam Results: The student is informed immediately after the defense whether they passed or not. Any required changes to the dissertation are noted at this time. A student may pass with no revisions, minor revisions, or major revisions required. The student should submit a copy of the final version of the dissertation (after corrections are made) to all the Examining Committee members.

 

Depositing the dissertation: When the examining committee the final document has approved the dissertation document must be submitted to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs before you can receive your formal diploma. An approval of dissertation with signatures of the committee has to be submitted as well. A template for this page is available from the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs. You will also receive instructions there on the hardcopy and softcopy formatting and how to deposit the thesis with the librarian (on CUNY Academic Works). A guideline from the librarian on formatting and depositing including deadlines can be found here. Students must also complete a GSoE Doctoral Student Exit Survey which they can obtain from the Graduate Dean's office or use this form, as well as the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED).
Final examinations are public events open to the faculty of the School. Students may attend at the discretion of the Examining Committee chair. 
Please note that the date of the final examination does not constitute the graduation date - important dates related to the defense are listed below Moreover, students must “apply for graduation” on CUNYfirst in order to be awarded the degree.

 

Important Dates:

 

Semester

Spring

Summer

Fall

Apply for Graduation on CUNYfirst

See Academic Calendar for exact dates

opens early November

closes mid-February

opens early March

closes end of May

opens early August

closes early October

Exam Date

March 1st to May 15th

July 15th to August 15th

October 1st to December 15th

Dissertation Deposit Deadline

May 25th

August 25th

December 25th

Degree Conferral Date

June 1st

September 1st

January 1st (of the next year)

 

Satisfactory Progress:

In order to maintain satisfactory progress, students have to satisfy the following conditions: On a yearly basis, and no later than September 30th, the student shall meet with the Thesis Committee, composed of at least three Faculty of the department to evaluate progress and receive feedback on their research. To provide continuity, the committee is ideally the same as first and second exams committees and must include the Mentor. The committee will suggest the required format for this evaluation (a presentation, a written report, etc). The associated evaluation form should record at least satisfactory progress (see attachment linked here and at the end of this page). If other exams already took place or are scheduled between June-December (such as the 1st or 2nd exam, or the thesis defense),  then the yearly evaluation for satisfactory progress by September 30th can be waived.

Additionally, students have to receive at least an "SP" when taking BME J99xx or K9000 courses. “SP” grades must be changed to a “P” grade by the mentor when changing levels. Additionally, students must complete first and second exams following the schedule provided below.

 

 

Typical path for Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. students entering with B.S. degree

 

Academic

Milestone

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Year 5

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

To advance

level

must

complete

Level 1

45 credits (includes course and research credits) and 1st exam

Level 2

Must complete

36 course cr and 2nd exam

Level 3

Must complete

24 research cr and defend

Academic Advisor

Selection+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coursework

(36 credits)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BME seminar attendance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Exam*

(Qualifying exam)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dissertation Research

BME J99xx

(24 credits)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Exam

(Proposal defense)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dissertation

Research

BME K9000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Exam (Dissertation

defense)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+If not done before entering the program

*Minimum 3.3 grade point average required in five core BME courses before scheduling the First Exam

 

Typical path for Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. students entering with M.S. degree

 

Academic

Milestone

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

Fall

Spring

To advance level

must complete

Level 1

45 credits (includes

course and research credits) . and 1st exam

Level 2

Must complete

36 course cr and 2nd exam

Level 3

Must complete

24 research cr and defend

Academic Advisor

Selection+

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coursework

(6 or more credits)#

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BME seminar attendance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Exam*

(Qualifying exam)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dissertation Research

BME J99xx

(24 credits)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second Exam

(Proposal defense)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dissertation

Research

BME K9000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Final Exam (Dissertation

defense)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

+If not done before entering the program

*Minimum 3.3 grade point average required in five core BME courses before scheduling the First Exam

 

Progression through the Program

 

 

Note that the PhD stipend is contingent on timely progress on the through the Program.

 

Change of Levels: A student’s progression through the program is identified with Levels 1, 2, and 3:

Level 1: Incoming student taking coursework.

Level 2: Student has completed 45 credits (including including Dissertation Research) and

passed the First Exam.

Level 3: Student has completed all 60 credits(36 course credits and 24 research credits) and passed the Second Exam. At this stage the student is considered a Ph.D. candidate. Student must register for BME K9000 Dissertation Supervision (1 cr.) along with WIU I0006 Weighted Instructional Unit (6 cr.) every semester until completion of the degree. For a change of level to go into effect for a particular semester (along with the concomitant reduction of tuition), the requirements for the level change must be completed at the start of the semester (February 5th for Fall semester and September 5th for Spring/Summer semesters.). A change of PhD Level is done by completing a “Change of Level Request” form, which can be obtained here (and also linked below). Please drop off (e-mail) this form to the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs and copy the BME Ph.D. Advisor.

 

See more information regarding doctoral levels rules established by CUNY: https://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/legal-affairs/univers…

 

Obtaining Master's degree on the path to the Ph.D.: When a student moves from level 2 to 3 and becomes a Ph.D. candidate, you may apply for the M.Phil. degree utilizing the same level change form. Contact the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs for further details.

 

Tuition

 

Different levels are associated with different tuition payments. It is therefore important to make sure that the graduate advisor is notified as soon as a student has successfully completed their first and second exam using a “Change of Level Request” form. The deadline for a change of level to be reflected in reduced tuition payments is February 5th for the Fall semester and September 5th for the Spring/Summer semesters. Forms and deadlines are available from the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs. Tuition also differs significantly for in-state and out-of-state students. Out-of-state students are therefore strongly encouraged to communicate their new address to the Registrar as soon as they have moved to New York State.

 

When to register for credits other than course work (J99xx, WIU or K9000)

K9000-- Dissertation Supervision is the course that Ph.D. Students register after moving to Level 3. Level 3 means that the student has passed the First and Second Exams and has completed 36 credits of course work. Once a student is Level 3, K9000 is the only course they can register for (not including WIU credits). Only Level 3 students should be registered for K9000, Dissertation Supervision and the course is always for 1 credit.

 

WIU stands for Weighted Instructional Unit. This is not a course. WIUs are used in registration to account for student activities (i.e., teaching, research, etc.) that would allow the student to be classified full-time (7 or more credits) in situations when they cannot or do not have to be registered for a full course load.
Ph.D. Students at Level 2 and Level 3 must always be in full-time status. Foreign students must always be in full-time status regardless of their level. Students on a Fellowship are expected to be in full-time status as well. Level 1 Ph.D. students who are self-supported are basically the only Ph.D. Students that may be on part-time status. WIUs are used as needed to have students classified full-time on a given semester.
Because CUNYfirst cannot automatically classify Level 2 and 3 students as full-time, WIUs are used, in addition to the required coursework, to classify the students full-time. Students who have to register for WIUs register for as many units as they need to be full-time. It is very important to register these WIU credits or else you are withdrawn from the program.

 

Examples:

A student has enough remaining courses to take a full load, but the mentor asks them to carry a lower course load so they can concentrate on some aspect of research then they would add enough WIUs to their course load to be classified full-time (this is assuming that a student already completed all 24 BME J99xx research credits).
A student only needs one more course to complete the course requirements he would register the course and 4 WIUs to make the 7 credits that are required to be classified full-time.
A student has completed all 36 credits of course work and 24 credits of Dissertation Research but has not taken the Second Exam, that student has no other courses to register. Since the student must be in full-time status they would register for 7 credits WIUs (WIU I0007) and continue to do so until they pass the Second Exam and move to Level 3 (where they would register for BME K9000 and WIU I0006 instead).

 

How to register:

Students register these for these courses directly using their CUNYfirst account. International students, students on tuition waivers, and level 2 and 3 students need to be registered full time, which is minimum of 7 credits. WIU credits are to be registered under the name of the PhD Advisor (the single advisor for the BME program). The instructor for the J99xx and K9000 credits is your specific PhD Mentor (each student has her/his own mentor) - please be sure you select the correct course/section when registering. Note that prior to registration for any of these credits the student may need to be given permission to register for those credits. Please email the PhD Advisor (not your thesis mentor) to let them know which credits you would like to register for. They can then give you permission to register for those courses on CUNYfirst. Be sure to submit such requests per email to  bmephd@ccny.cuny.edu if you want them to be addressed in a timely manner.

 

Courses at the Graduate Center and/or any other CUNY College

Students may take graduate courses at the Graduate Center or any other CUNY senior college (e.g. Hunter). Registration is done on CUNYfirst and requires an E-Permit that has to be approved at several levels (BME Ph.D. Advisor, the Graduate Office and the Registrar Office in that order). Be sure to list an equivalent course at CCNY if one exists at the time that you request the ePermit. This makes transferring credits easier. The E-Permit process is handled by the Registrar's Office and unfortunately mistakes occur in assigning this approval chain, and sometimes approvers don’t act on a timely basis. It is advisable to initiate this VERY early in the previous semester (once course registration opens), and check in the E-permit system who the approvers are so you can follow up. If there are problems or questions the best is to follow-up with the Registrar's Office via email. Please copy the Advisor and the GSoE Office of Graduate Affairs on this communication. At present, students wishing to take courses at other universities for credits, have to pay the tuition of that institution and then transfer the credit. Alternatively, they may attempt to obtain instructor approval to audit the course, but in that case the credits can not be transferred. 
 

Courses at other institutions (non-CUNY)

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (MSSM)

Our BME PhD program has a consortium agreement with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (MSSM). Graduate students are also able to take courses at Mount Sinai, assuming they have

  • completed one semester at CCNY
  • received approval from the course director at MSSM
  • received approval from the Department Chair

The process is still new, but here is the interim SOP for students:

  1. Look at the MSSM schedule of classes: https://student.mssm.edu/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=CourseCatalog&rpt=1
  2. If you are interested in taking a course at MSSM, please inform Brian Aguilar Avila, Lucas Parra, and Mitchell Schaffler, and obtain approval.
  3. Obtain approval from the course instructor at MSSM.
  4. Once approval is obtained, complete this form: https://mountsinai.formstack.com/workflows/grove_application
  5. You will receive information from MSSM on how to register for their course and you would receive information from CCNY on how to register for a CCNY place-holder course.

Inter-University Engineering Doctoral Consortium (IUEDC)

Starting in Fall 2024 or Spring 2025, The City College of New York's Grove School of Engineering will join the IUEDC along with

  • New York University Tandon School of Engineering
  • Columbia University Engineering
  • Cornell Tech
  • New York Institute of Technology College of Engineering and Computing Sciences
  • Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied Science
  • Rutgers University School of Engineering
  • Stevens Institute of Technology Charles V. Schaefer Jr. School of Engineering and Science
  • Stony Brook University College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Students should be able to enroll in courses at other member institutions once the program is set up. More information is available on this press release.

 

Student Feedback, Comments, or Concerns

PhD students should feel welcomed to bring up any feedback, comments, or concerns regarding any aspect of the doctoral program, including coursework, to their mentor, PhD advisor, and/or department chair. If any issues arise, it is important to bring them up to our attention as soon as you can.

 

Student Resources (incomplete list)

The CCNY Counseling Center provides free and confidential services to all undergraduate and graduate students who are currently enrolled at City College. Services provided include screening and assessment, crisis intervention, individual short-term counseling, group counseling, referral and case management, and workshops.

Other mental health resources available for CUNY Students:

NYC WELL at 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355) for free, immediate, and confidential support for any mental health concern. NYC WELL is available 24/7 and can provide assistance in over 200 languages. You can also text WELL to 65173 or access the NYC WELL website at https://nycwell.cityofnewyork.us/en/ to chat with a counselor.

If you would like to immediately connect with a Crisis Counselor via SMS messaging, please text CUNY to 741741. The Crisis Text Line is a free and confidential service that assists in problem solving and safety planning during moments of crisis and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For Further Information - See Academic Advising Page

 

Important Files

Last Updated: 02/05/2024 15:20