Bioengineering

Our interdisciplinary Master of Science in Bioengineering is designed for (1) students with a BS in engineering or physics who would like to continue or move their careers in the direction of bioengineering; (2) students who would like to strengthen their academic credentials/portfolios prior to applying to medical school; and (3) workers in the biotech industry who would like to strengthen their technical background, broaden future employment opportunities, and/or re-direct their specific expertise.

• Concentration 1: Biomedical Devices and Bioimaging
  This concentration is appropriate for students interested in the design of biomedical devices, as well as biomedical imaging and signal processing.

• Concentration 2: Cell and Tissue Engineering
  The cell and tissue engineering concentration is appropriate for students interested in molecular, cell, and tissue engineering.
• Concentration 3: Biomechanics
  Students who join the biomechanics concentration will cover multiscale mechanics, including whole-body movement, mechanical properties of biomaterials, and fluid mechanics of physiological fluids.

More Details

The Master of Science in Bioengineering at Northeastern draws on faculty across the university and reflects the significant strengths of bioengineering research in multiple areas.

• Completed online application form
• $75 application fee
• Two letters of recommendation
• Transcripts from all institutions attended
• GRE is not required for terms starting during the 2021-2022 or the 2022-2023 academic years
• Statement of purpose
• Resumé
• TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo for international applicants

Once your application is submitted, received, and processed, you will be able to access your Application Status Check. If you are required to provide further information regarding your proficiency in English, you will be able to complete the requirement in several ways, depending on your familiarity with English, and the frequency with which you use English each and every day:

• Non-native English-speaking applicants will be required to submit official and valid results from one of the following English Language Tests:
  • C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English)
  • Duolingo English Test (DET)
  • IELTS Academic
  • PTE Academic
  • TOEFL Internt-based Test (CEEB Code: 3667) Northeastern will accept either the in-person version completed in a test center, or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• However, based on your academic environment and the primary instructional language in either your high school or university, you may be eligible for a waiver. All waivers must be submitted through your Application Status Check. For additional information and to determine whether or not you are eligible for a waiver, please read the section below on waiving the English proficiency requirement.

Please note: Northeastern’s Admissions Committee reserves the right to request proof of English language proficiency from any applicant, regardless of citizenship or first language, at any time during the evaluation process.

Bioengineering is a rapidly growing sector of the engineering profession. The aging of the U.S. population and the nationwide focus on health issues will help drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. Recent high-profile reports on high rates of failure in artificial hips underline the critical need for improved engineering and materials design of long-lasting devices.

Along with the demand for more sophisticated medical equipment and procedures, an increased concern for cost-effectiveness will boost demand for biomedical engineers, particularly in pharmaceutical and device manufacturing and related industries. Approximately 19,400 biomedical engineers were employed in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and employment in the field is expected to increase by 27 percent through 2022, much faster than the average across all engineering disciplines.

The MS in Bioengineering will provide significant opportunities for student research. Bioengineering research enjoys strong support from multiple government agencies. NIH has historically led all other agencies in budget increases and today consumes roughly 50% of all nondefense research spending. Healthcare spending expanded from 6% of the GDP in 1960 to 15% in 2000 and is projected to reach 20% by 2021, in part due to the aging of the baby-boom generation.

Biomedical advances are increasingly dependent on quantitative approaches as exemplified by bioengineering, and the general perception is that government support for this research will continue to rise. The energy crisis and global climate change threats have also fostered interdisciplinary research across bioengineering with other fields such as biofuel cells, bio-batteries, bioremediation, bio-carbon sequestration, etc., and many agencies such as EPA, DOE, DOD and DARPA support these research directions.

• 1.Create your application

  Submit your application through The Common Application or the Coalition Application (both are accepted). Once you have created your application, please select Northeastern University to directly submit your application to us. Application fee of $75 or need-based fee waiver* *Northeastern accepts need-based fee waivers from the Common Application, the Coalition Application, as well as organizations such as the College Board and ACT, or in a written request from a school official.

• 2.Submit all required materials

  Double check to make sure that you have submitted all required materials. Even if your application has been submitted, we cannot begin reviewing your file until all of your required materials have been received. For applicants applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission.

• 3.Check your application status

  Within seven days of applying, you should receive a confirmation email containing your Northeastern University ID number and instructions for setting up your Application Status Check account. To ensure all of the necessary documents have been submitted, and for updates or information about your application, visit your application status check.