FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S) BEFORE AND AFTER THE APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED AND BEFORE THE DECISION RENDERED
Should I apply for the MS or for the PhD? Applicants can apply either to the MS or the PhD degree program with the BS degree in hand since the BS degree is the basis of admission for both degree programs. Applicants interested in doing research in one or more of the BME fields should apply to either the MS (Thesis Plan) program or the PhD. Applicants not interested in conducting research should apply to the MS (Comprehensive Examination Plan) program.
Can I call or email you about my qualifications so you can inform me of my chances of being admitted before I file the application and pay the application fee? BME IDP staff cannot provide feedback regarding applicant qualifications and admission eligibility. Only BME faculty participate in admission decisions after they have received and reviewed a completed admission file, which occurs after the application fee has been paid. Historical approximate minimum GPA and GRE scores (given only for information, and has no relevance and bearing on future admission decisions): GPA GRE 2007: 3.30 700 Quant. 500 Verbal 4.5 Analytical 2006: 3.50 700 Quant. 500 Verbal 4.5 Analytical 2005: 3.40 680 Quant. 480 Verbal 4.0 Analytical
What GRE scores are considered strong scores for admission consideration? The BME IDP faculty considers all components of an application when making an admission decision and not only one component of the file. Historical minimum and average GRE scores: 2007: 700 Quant. 2006: 700 Quant. 2005: 480 Quant. 500 Verbal 500 Verbal 480 Verbal 4.5 Analytical 4.5 Analytical 4.0 Analytical
For the letters of recommendation, is it required that the recommendation form that should accompany the letter of recommendation by completed and submitted by the recommender? It is preferred but not required that the recommendation form be submitted along with the letter of recommendation from you recommenders as we realize that it is sometimes
difficult to get that form to your recommender. However, as posted on our website, www.bme.ucla.edu, the preferred way to have your recommenders submit their recommendations in your behalf is through our automated system. The electronic systems provides for a quick, efficient, and confidential avenue for your letters to arrive. As soon as you remit the application fee, an encrypted email message is immediately sent to all of you recommenders requested a recommendation. As soon as your recommender responds to the email request, it is received in the Department the following day and your online application status is immediately updated for your viewing. The electronic automated system will continue to contact your recommenders periodically until the recommendation is received.
Do I need to complete all prerequisites before I apply? Prerequisites, as listed on the BME website, should be completed before undertaking coursework. Applicants are held responsible for acquiring prerequisite knowledge as they are not monitored for completion by the BME program.
Is the deadline to apply the same each year? Yes. Each year, the deadline to apply for admission falls on December 15th even if that day falls on a Saturday or Sunday. When the 15th falls on a weekend, all materials should arrive at the BME IDP office on the following Monday.
What if all my material does not arrive in the Department before the deadline?
The administration will do everything possible to get the late materials in the files as soon as possible, however material received after the deadline cannot be guaranteed to be included for evaluation.
I went on-line and completed all of the fields of the application but did not receive an acknowledgement or received any type of feedback from UCLA or from the BME IDP program. What did I do wrong? An application is not acknowledged as being received until the application fee is paid. UCLA will send via email messages of incomplete applications and an acknowledgement of its completion as soon as payment is received. The BME program will also contact you via email verifying receipt of the application after payment is received.
What if I apply to the PhD degree program and do not get admitted? Students applying for admission to the PhD program may be rejected for one of the following reasons: unacceptable qualifications or no commitment of financial support. Even given acceptable qualifications, admission to the PhD program does not occur without evidence of financial support for the student. The financial support is primarily provided in one of two ways: 1) selected PhD applicants may be offered financial support by the BME program for their first year; 2) PhD applicants who have been selected by a BME faculty to join his/her lab and will officially commit support for the student’s first year. Applicants who apply to the PhD program who are deemed academically qualified for admission but are not offered financial assistance by the BME program or selected for BME faculty lab placement are offered admission to the MS degree program (Comprehensive Examination plan) as a default. If the admitted student subsequently succeeds in finding a lab and obtains a funding commitment and the student passes the PhD preliminary exams, transfer to the PhD program may proceed.
If I apply to and get admitted to the MS program, can I apply to the PhD program while I am doing MS coursework during the program? An MS student who succeeds in finding a lab with a funding commitment, and, after passing the PhD preliminary exam, admission to the PhD program is straightforward.
Can I complete the Master degree in one year? Yes.
Can I select more than one field on the Department Application? Applicants for both the (MS Thesis Plan) and PhD programs can select more than one field on the Department Application. MS (Comprehensive Examination Plan) can only apply to one field but have the option to change fields as often as they want up to the beginning of classes.
Can I apply to more than one major at UCLA?
UCLA does not allow applicants for graduate programs to apply to more than one major unless the UCLA Department offers a concurrent degree program. The BME IDP does not offer a concurrent degree program at this time.
I’m in international applicant and as part of my application requirements, I must submit an official bank statement showing that I have sufficient funds to matriculate at UCLA to cover a one year period. Does this form need to be submitted before my application can be reviewed? No. Your application will be reviewed without having to submit the official bank statement. However, the Form I-20 required to obtain your student visa allowing you to matriculate at UCLA will not be sent to you until the official bank statement showing that you have sufficient funds to matriculate for one year at UCLA is received. What if the official bank statement indicate that I have no funds or only partial funds to provide for my studies for one full academic year? If you do not have funds to provide for your registration and non resident tuition and living expenses for one academic year, you will need to secure a fellowship, TA, or GSR, or all three that will total the amount of funds that you will need to provide for your studies for one year. This information will be forwarded to the UCLA Graduate Admissions Office who will use this information to release Form I-20. If the funding that is awarded to you from one or more of the aforementioned sources do not arrive to the amount that you need to cover your expenses for one academic year, you will need to submit an official financial statement showing that you have enough funds to cover the balance of those educational expenses. For example, the total amount a single student international student applicant is required to have to provide for one academic year of study at UCLA for 2008-2009 has been estimated to be $44,377.00. If you are awarded a fellowship, and/or TA or GSR that does not equate this amount….. TA: Fellowship: GSR: Total Award: Amount Needed: Amount Required on Financial Statement: $3,000 $5,000 $6.000 ________ $14,000 $44,377 $30,377
When will I get a decision on my application for admission? Decisions on applications are delivered via email only after the BME IDP faculty have reported to the administrative office to review and make a decision recommendation on the applications. Decisions begin to be delivered in early March through April. Since April 1st is the national deadline for schools to make admission decision on applications, all applicants are guaranteed an admission decision by April 1st.
Why can’t an admission decision be made right away? Since the BME IDP faculty is large (over 80 member participants currently), sufficient review time is made available to allow the faculty to view the applications.
When do I need to respond to my admission offer? Although we do not indicate a date that an admitted applicant needs to respond to the offer in the letter of admissions because there is not deposit required, UCLA holds to the national deadline of April 15th for applicants to respond to schools on their decision to attend or not to attend that school. Do you have an admission quota? The BME IDP does not hold to an admission quota.
If I send in my application early, will it get priority review? No application receives a priority review. All applications, whether complete or incomplete, are submitted for faculty review after the application deadline of December 15th.
Who reviews the applications and how are the reviews conducted? The BME IDP faculty review applications and consider prior academic achievement, standardized test scores, letters of reference, research experience, and the statement of purpose. Does my application get reviewed even if it’s incomplete? After the December 15th deadline, all complete and incomplete applications are submitted for review. If application materials are received after the December 15th deadline, the material is immediately filed in the application. Late added material cannot be guaranteed a full review.
Does one component of the application weigh more heavily than another in the review process? The faculty consider all components of the application when reviewing an application for admission.
Can I still apply to BME if I do not have a BS degree in Engineering, Life Science, or Physical Science? UCLA does not allow applicants for graduate programs to apply to more than one major unless the UCLA Department offers a concurrent degree program. The BME IDP does not offer a concurrent degree program at this time.
ETS has informed me that my GRE/TOEFL scores were sent to UCLA’s BME IDP a long time ago but when I check my application status on-line, although it indicates at the bottom of the screen that the report has been received, the GRE/TOEFL field at the top of the screen indicates the opposite. Why does this discrepancy exist? UCLA’s Office of Graduate Admissions’ database only provides for the receipt of GRE and or TOEFL scores transmitted via electronic tape. The receipt of scores via paper transmission, which only occurs at the Department level, does not provide for the automatic update of this field. For this reason, the receipt of these scores via paper transmission is posted in the “COMMENTS” field at the bottom of the on-line application status screen when the paper scores are received in the Department or Program. Please consider this entry as having officially received your scores by the BME IDP and having fulfilled this admissions requirement.
My recommenders never received a digital request to recommend. What do I do? If your recommenders have not received a digital notification from the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (HSSEAS), it’s either because you overlooked paying the application fee or they have misplaced it. If the latter, please notified the BME IDP Admissions Officer at nadeau@ea.ucla.edu providing him with your name and your 9 digit I.D. number and he will re-send the recommendation request. Is it ok for my recommenders to send a digital recommendation and then another letter in paper form? The preferred way to submit the letter of recommendation is digitally but if your recommender insists that he or she sends it via snail mail, this is also acceptable.
Why is it so important that I have my schools send 2 official copies of transcripts from all post secondary schools attended? The importance of having all of your postsecondary schools forward two official copies of your transcripts is because one set is retained in the Department and the second set is forwarded to UCLA’s Graduate Admissions Office upon your admission.
Do I need to send in a transcript from a school where I took only a few courses? It is required that two official copies of transcripts are forwarded to the BME IDP from all postsecondary schools attended regardless of the number of units achieved.
If the schools that I attended after secondary school sent me official transcripts in a sealed envelope, can I forward them to UCLA’s BME IDP program and have them considered official? Yes.
Will my transcripts in sealed envelopes that indicate “Issued to Student” be considered as official? Your transcripts will be considered official even if they arrive with the inscription “Issued to Student” as long as they are received in the sealed envelope issued by the school.
I already have a Master degree, will this help shorten my second Master? An applicant who already has a Master degree cannot get a reduction of quarters. All courses for the second Master degree must be completed.
Will the fact that I already have a Master degree help my chances of being accepted? The basis of admission for the Master and PhD degree programs is the BS degree, not the Master degree and it does not directly increase the chance of being admitted. However, having the additional credential is sometimes taken into consideration.
I already have a Master degree in Biomedical Engineering/Bioengineering. Will I need to repeat courses for my second Master or PhD in Biomedical Engineering if the courses are identical?
Courses that have been completed satisfactorily at the graduate level at a former institution do not need to be completed, however, a substitute course, approved by the Chair of Academic Affairs on the Study Plan, can apply towards graduation requirements.
I have a BS in Biomedical Engineering. Upon reviewing the curriculum for the Master, I saw that I had a lot of the same courses. Will I need to repeat them? Some of the BME courses are cross listed with undergraduate courses. In these cases, if the course has been satisfactorily completed at the undergraduate level, it is possible to get the course waived and have it replaced with another course upon approval by the Chair of Academic Affairs on the Study Plan.
I did not do so well in undergraduate school but did exceptionally well in graduate school. Will the fact of doing well in graduate school help me get admitted? The basis of admission for both the Master and the PhD is the BS degree, however, the faculty consider all facets of the admission dossier when making an admission decision.
When I look at my application status on line, it indicates that I need the Department Application. What does that mean? In addition to the on-line graduate application for admission, the BME IDP requires it’s own and separate application that requests information not contained on the graduate admissions application such as field options if it’s more than one, GPA in the major, and for PhD applicants, publications, poster presentations, journals, etc.
What kind of financial aid can I expect? All PhD admitted applicants receive some type of funding regardless of nationality. Admitted applicants to the Master degree program find TA or Reader positions in one of UCLA’s 65 departments during the summer prior to the first quarter or for the second and third quarters after arriving on campus. To secure TA positions, international students are required to take and pass the TOP exam immediately upon arriving on campus. TA
positions provide monthly salaries plus registration fees but these positions do not pay non resident tuition for non resident students. Students who are US Citizens or Permanent Residents can also secure funding through FAFSA loans or by applying to one or more of the Graduate Divisions restricted fellowships posted on the on-line graduate admissions application website. International applicants are not eligible for loans.
If I get admitted and then for some reason I decide I cannot attend UCLA in the Fall, does UCLA have a deferral or postponement policy?
No. UCLA does not have a deferral or postponement policy. If you get admitted and then decide to no longer attend, you will need to reapply for the following term. If I get admitted to UCLA for a given term and do not show up for that term, what are the application requirements for applying in the future?
If you get admitted to UCLA, the application fee that you paid for the initial application is good for two consecutive admission cycles. In addition to the online graduate application for admission and the Department Application, all transcripts from work completed after the time of the initial application are required plus a new statement of purpose and an additional letter of recommendation. If I get admitted to UCLA, does UCLA require a deposit to secure my intention to register? No. UCLA does not require a deposit to secure your intention to register.
How does a prospective student get placed in a lab? Applicants can attempt to secure a lab by contacting one or more of the 75 member participants on the BME IDP posted on the BME website either at the time of application, during the summer after being admitted, or after the prospective student has arrived on campus. It is also possible to secure a lab through a faculty member who has a lab who is not on the BME IDP, but that faculty must join the IDP at a later date. Other applicants are selected to join a lab during the admissions process when a faculty has become interested in the applicant’s background when reviewing the application. Does UCLA’s BME IDP have lab rotations? UCLA’s BME IDP has lab rotations in a very limited number that are offered only to the highest recruited applicants in the country. Admitted applicants in a lab rotation are not directly funded by a specific PI nor are they committed to one. These new students are free to choose to enter and to leave labs of their choice. Funding for students in lab
rotations is awarded through the Graduate Division upon the Program’s recommendation. At the end of the first year, highly recruited new students are expected to find and secure a lab funded by a PI for the second year and the years that follow.
If I do not get admitted to UCLA, can I apply again and get reconsidered?
If you do not get admitted to UCLA, you can apply again the following year for reconsideration. You will need to submit a new application fee, a new online graduate admission application, a Department Application, a Statement of Purpose, transcripts for work completed after the initial time of application, and an additional letter of recommendation.
If have 2 Bachelor degrees, from which Bachelor degree do I report the jr/sr GPA and the GPA in the major? If you have 2 Bachelor degrees, report your jr/sr GPA from your first Bachelor degree. Report your GPA in the major in the courses from both Bachelor degree programs.
Will my application get reviewed if all I send in are unofficial copies of my TOEFL scores? Your application will be reviewed with unofficial copies of your TOEFL scores but the decision on your application will be postponed until the official report is received.
I am an international applicant and I sent in my financial statement but the application status continues to indicate it hasn’t been received. Why? The financial statement that you submitted has been reviewed and is considered unofficial.
What exactly is required of the financial statement for it to be considered as official for international applicant? Bank statements from international applicants are considered official when they contained a bank stamp.
What percentage of BME students are funded?
The percentage of BME students funded is tabulated each Spring quarter after the majority of students have succeeded in securing fellowships, TA and/or Readership positions, GSR positions, and other extramural funding. Considering all funding sources, approximately 90% of the students receive funding. What is the average student funding per capita?
The average student funding is approximately $28,000 annually per student.
What careers do graduates from the BME IDP go into?
The following is a chart that demonstrates where UCLA BME students end up after graduation:
Technical Sales Consultant 2% Lab Manager 2% Chemist 2% MD 3% Patent Agent 3% Product Manager 3% Research Assistant 5% Scientist 6%
Current Status of BME Alumni
Engineer 1 9%
Unemployed 6% Technician 8% Med School 8% Post Grad 1 6%
Post Doc 1 7%