Applying BME w/o an engineering background

[RunRickyRun]

I have a BS in biology from a very good liberal arts school (one of the 'Little Ivies') where virtually no engineering courses were offered (we didn't have a single comp sci course--a shame). My GPA is 3.5, and my GRE is 170Q/165V. The only remotely engineering-ish courses I've taken are 2 semesters of physics and 2 semesters of calculus, all of which I did well in. Most bioengineering programs list as prerequisites diff eq, multivariable, which I know next to nothing about, and a host of physics courses I'm even less familiar with. But they also may say something like 'if you don't have all the prereqs, we'll consider you on a case by case basis.'

 

I've always been a good math student, and had a knack for comp-sci in the limited exposure I've had to it. I feel confident that given the opportunity, I could catch up, but will a good program even give me a serious look?  If I do get in, will I be totally out of my depth?

 

Thanks for your help!!

 

[bsharpe269]

Are you looking at masters programs? I think that you would at least need to do the prereqs which could even be done at your local community college probably. If you can take diffyq and multivariable calc and possibly a couple more math or comp sci courses then I think you could probably handle the work.

[bobbyDukes]

That's an impressive quant score, so that may work to your favor. Differential equations and Multivariable Calculus are fundamental in any engineering curriculum and will be absolutely essential if you are to pursue a graduate engineering degree. If you choose not to take these courses your best bet would be to contact potential BME faculty directly, as  not having these courses will likely filter you out in the admissions process. You could always look into biology programs focused on applications, maybe even parter up with a BME professor somewhere down the line.

 

So I would say your chances are slim without some kind of "in" with the program or a faculty member.

[RunRickyRun]

Are you looking at masters programs? I think that you would at least need to do the prereqs which could even be done at your local community college probably. If you can take diffyq and multivariable calc and possibly a couple more math or comp sci courses then I think you could probably handle the work.

 

Thanks for the advice, it's certainly something I'm considering, along with taking some courses locally this year. From what I hear, BME MS and MEng programs are more for people who plan on going in to industry, whereas PhD programs are more for folks looking to go into academia. This isn't necessarily a negative for me, but I wanted to hear if other people had been having that experience.

 

Thanks again!

[Plissken]

I was in a similar boat. BS in molecular/cell biology, a couple years research experience and publications in the biomedical industry, no exposure to programming or anything related to engineering except two semesters of calculus, two semesters of calc-based physics, general chemistry (which touches on a lot of topics from thermodynamics), and I'm guessing my two semesters of statistics didn't hurt. A couple years after graduating and being lost, I finally decided I wanted to get into mechanical engineering to work in biomechanics/human-inspired robotics/assistive devices/dynamics of locomotion/mechatronics. I took multivariable calculus and differential equations, did well on the GRE, was accepted to several well-ranked ME Masters programs, and am currently attending one of those.

 

Assuming the rest of your application is stellar, I think it's absolutely possible for you to get into a solid BME program. However, you will almost certainly have to take differential equations and multivariable calculus--linear algebra wouldn't hurt either--before anybody will seriously consider your application; many programs may require additional remedial coursework. Moreover, although it will vary from program to program and faculty member to faculty member, I think it's very unlikely you will get into a PhD program without any experience in engineering. An MS may be a necessary stepping stone.

 

Look for research-based MS programs, as these will make for a natural transition to a PhD program.

 

To answer your final question, yes, you will be out of your depth at first unless you take a lot of basic engineering courses and get a solid amount of coding experience before enrolling. I'm in my second year and still feel overwhelmed at times, and though the learning curve was incredibly steep, I'd say I've caught up reasonably well. Not quite caught up to my peers, but getting there.

Edited October 5, 2014 by Plissken