Institute for Biology, Engineering and Medicine (I-BEAM)
Master's Program Overview
Program Requirements
The following list is an overview of the requirements for the 3 program tracks for the Master of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering (BME). For more specific details, please refer to the Graduate Program Guidelines.
For All Tracks
- Credit for graduate level courses taken at Brown or elsewhere is not accepted or transferable.
- Do not register to audit a course. If you do, you will be charged for the course. An audited course does not count towards your degree.
- Do not register for BIOL 2230 or BIOL 2240: Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology Seminar Course. If you register for BIOL 2230 or 2240, you will be charged for the course, and it will not count towards your degree.
- A master's student taking 2 or more courses per semester is considered a full-time student. Any student taking 1 course per semester is considered a part-time student for that semester. Part-time status can have implications for student loan repayments and visa status of international students.
Deadlines and Links
For Incoming 2-year Master's Students
| Deadlines and Links | Dates |
|---|---|
| Registration for 1st semester | 8/29/2025 |
| Finalize 1st semester schedule (shopping period ends) | 9/16/2025 |
| Finalize choice of thesis advisor | 10/1/2025 |
| Registration for 2nd semester | 11/11/2025-11/18/2025 |
| Classes of the 2nd semester begin | 1/21/2026 |
| Finalize 2nd semester schedule (shopping period ends) | 2/3/2026 |
| Registration for 3rd semester | 4/14/2026-4/21/2026 |
For Concluding 2-year Master's Students
| Deadlines and Links | Dates |
|---|---|
| Finalize semester schedule (shopping period ends) | 9/16/2025 |
| Registration for final semester | 11/11/2025-11/18/2025 |
| Classes of the 2nd semester begin | 1/21/2026 |
| Confirm thesis committee or critique panel with Masters Program Director | 2/1/2026 |
| Finalize semester schedule (shopping period ends) | 2/3/2026 |
| Schedule defense | 2/27/2026 |
| Submit written thesis to committee or panel | Two weeks before YOUR defense |
| Apply to graduate | 4/17/2026 |
| Submit thesis to grad school | 5/1/2026 |
Before Coming to Brown
- Admitted Students Guide
- Finding a research advisor:
- Any of our core faculty or affiliated faculty can be a research advisor. The core faculty page can be sorted by research interests.
- Descriptions of projects recruiting Masters students are available from the Masters Program Director.
- Students can also search on Researchers @ Brown for other research interests.
- Students are encouraged to reach out to faculty ASAP to inquire about availability in their lab and setting up an interview.