Admissions

Admissions

The Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering offers the graduate program in Medical Engineering leading to the following degree:

Degree in Medical Engineering »

Please visit the Graduate Admissions website for important dates, and complete information about the graduate admissions process.

To apply for admission to the graduate program in the Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, you must submit an application, available through the Graduate Admissions Office. Students are not normally admitted to work towards the M.S. degree. However,the M.S. degree may be awarded to a student along the way toward a PhD degree, provided Institute and Option requirements are met.

The admission to the program is very competitive. Every year, we receive a very large number of applications for graduate studies at Caltech, and we can admit only a limited number of applicants, with an acceptance rate typically less than 10%. We look for students with strong preparation in traditional engineering disciplines (including but not limited to electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, material science and engineering, and engineering/applied physics) with strong interest in medical applications. An outstanding four-year undergraduate program in mathematics and sciences could also serve as a suitable background.

Admissions decisions are made by the MedE faculty, and are determined both by the research opportunities in the applicant's area of interest, and the competitiveness of the applicant's grades, class standing, previous research experiences, three letters of recommendation, and ability to pursue creative and independent research at the intersection of engineering and medical sciences. For students applying for 2022-2023 academic year admissions, the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) will not be required in Medical Engineering. Personal interviews will be arranged whenever it is appropriate and necessary.

Application Deadline

The application deadline is December 15. Please visit the Caltech Graduate Studies website for important dates, and further information about the admissions process.

On the application form, please make sure to indicate your interest in bioengineering and also your research preference either in the Cherng Department of Medical Engineering (with more emphasis on medical device engineering) or the Biological Engineering Department (with more emphasis on biology). If an applicant is interested in both areas of bioengineering, he or she is welcome to list both departments in their applications.

Financial Support

We expect to provide annual financial support, tuition and stipend, to all admitted students. And, a number of fellowships will be awarded to selected entering students at the Department, the Division, and the Institute levels.

We also strongly encourage entering students to apply for external fellowships such as those awarded by the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Hertz Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

For further information about graduate study in the Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, please contact:

Christine C. Garske
Options Manager
Andrew and Peggy Cherng Dept of Medical Engineering
Office: 125 Moore Laboratory
MC 136-93
Pasadena CA 91125
Office Phone: 4820
[email protected]