Graduate FAQ

Applications are reviewed after the submission deadline. Top applicants are then selected and invited to visit the department to interview with the faculty and meet current graduate students.

Our visit weekend is in early March. Our visit weekend is structured to allow applicants to hear about the BE program & faculty research areas, meet our current students, and see their work.

Additionally, prospective students will get the opportunity to present some of their own undergraduate research and participate in faculty interviews as well as get a feel of the BE and MIT community.

Minimum requirements to qualify for the visitation weekend vary every year with the applicant pool. The BE department is interested in applicants who have excelled in their previous research and academic endeavors, and who bring a diversity of thought and experience to our student body.

A strong applicant has a demonstrated interest and excitement for research, an academic grounding in the quantitative and life sciences, and enthusiastic support from previous mentors. Applicants should be able to identify faculty within BE whose research aligns with their scientific interests.

We do not require that students have had a certain undergraduate major to apply to BE. We encourage students with a science, math, or engineering background to apply. We recommend that students include both biochemistry and cell biology in their undergraduate curriculums, or demonstrate familiarity with these disciplines through their previous research experiences.

Please see the Graduate Application page.

The BE Application Assistance Program (BEAAP) is a volunteer-based, student-run program which provides assistance to BE applicants who do not have high levels of support in the graduate application process. Applicants are paired with a graduate student mentor who can answer questions about BE and MIT and provide feedback on application materials. If you are interested in participating in BEAAP, check out the Application Assistance Program page for the interest form and more details.

BEAAP is intended to support applicants who may not have had the same opportunities and support in the graduate admission process as other students. Students applying for BE’s PhD program for the current admissions cycle are prioritized for participation in BEAAP. Applicants from peer institutions are considered for mentorship after early pairing is complete only if mentor capacity remains (see application for details).

The admissions committee is looking for students with demonstrated excitement for and experience in research, a strong background in the quantitative and life sciences, and a diversity of thought and experience. Letter writers should be able to speak to those traits, with strong emphasis on research experience. Reference letters may also include complementary material to your application (e.g. lack of life science coursework on the transcript can be complemented by a strong reference letter describing your research experience in a life sciences lab). Writers that know you well and can speak to your potential for success in our program will provide particularly strong references.

A strong applicant is one that has shown a demonstrated interest and excitement for research, an academic grounding in the quantitative and life sciences, and enthusiastic support from previous mentors.

Please see the Graduate Application page

A strong applicant is one that has shown a demonstrated interest and excitement for research, an academic grounding in the quantitative and life sciences, and enthusiastic support from previous mentors.

We consider each application holistically, taking into consideration all aspects of the application and how it fits with the BE department’s mission.

If you have specific questions about the application process, please contact the BE Academic Office at be-acad@mit.edu. If you have questions about BEAAP or receiving application assistance, please contact beaap@mit.edu.

The Department of Biological Engineering has a Communication Lab that provides resources and tips that can help create effective presentations and writing. They also have advice about writing a successful personal statement.

We do not require students to have had a certain undergraduate major to apply to BE. We do encourage students with a science, math, or engineering background to apply.

A strong applicant is one that has shown a demonstrated interest and excitement for research, an academic grounding in the quantitative and life sciences, and enthusiastic support from previous mentors.

No, but in order for an application to be competive, the applicant needs to demonstrate an aptitude for research. If invited to attend the Visit Weekend in March, the applicant will present a poster on a research topic of their choice.

We recommend that students include both biochemistry and cell biology in their undergraduate curriculums, or demonstrate familiarity with these disciplines through their previous research experiences.

We do not require students to have had a certain undergraduate major to apply to BE. We do encourage students with a science, math, or engineering background to apply.

We do not require students to have had a certain undergraduate major to apply to BE. We do encourage students with a science, math, or engineering background to apply.

Yes.

No.

• IELTS: Overall band ≥ 7
• TOEFL iBT: Overall score ≥ 100
• Duolingo English Test (DET): Overall score ≥ 135

MIT requires all international applicants to demonstrate a minimum English language proficiency needed to succeed in graduate school. Nearly all international applicants will be required to submit English Proficiency Test scores to complete their MIT graduate application(s).

You are automatically exempt from the English Language Proficiency (ELP) test requirement for international applicants if you meet one or both of the following criteria:

1. Your primary language is English
   • Primary language is defined as your first language learned and spoken in your family home.
2. Within the last 5 years, you attended an English-speaking university for 3-4 years and attained an undergraduate (or equivalent) degree from that university in one of the following countries:
   • Australia
   • Canada
   • Ireland
   • New Zealand
   • United Kingdom
   • United States

If you meet one or both of the above criteria, you will be automatically exempted from providing English proficiency test scores. 

The IELTS/TOEFL needs to be current.

No.

There is no minimum GPA required to be able to apply. The pool of applicants typically has an average GPA of 3.8-3.9 out of 4.0.

The pool of applicants typically has an average GPA of 3.8-3.9 out of 4.0.

You are free to utilize AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) in the preparation of your statement of objectives and personal statement, however, we discourage you from relying too heavily on them. These emerging writing tools may be effective at improving grammar and structure, but can depersonalize the tone of your writing and occasionally produce erroneous or contradictory content. In preparing your essays, keep the following in mind: this year, due to the wide availability of these tools, the evaluation of your statements will focus more heavily on elements that are not trivially generated via AI, such as descriptions of your research experiences, specific elements that draw you to our program, and formative aspects of your lived experience.

Applications to the department close on December 1st, at 11:59 PM.

It is strongly recommended that all parts of the application are uploaded by the December 1st deadline. Please be aware that your application will not be reviewed until it is complete.

A scanned copy is sufficient for review purposes. If you are invited to attend our Visit Weekend in March, you will need to submit an official copy before your visit.

There are no specific guidelines but an understanding of the BE department’s mission and a demonstrated interest and excitement for research would be helpful. The average length is between 1-3 pages.

The decisions will go out by late January or early February.

You can check your status online. If your application is complete, then you can consider your application under review. Decisions will go out by late January or early February.

No.

If there are significant changes to your application from the prior year, then you may apply again.

The average length of a BE Ph.D is 5.5 years.

Students may choose to be co-advised by faculty outside of the department, but all BE students must also be co-advised by a BE faculty member.

The choice of research advisor is made at the end of the first semester of study. The department gives graduate students time to find an advisor that best matches the student’s research interests. Included in this process are research presentations by each faculty member as well as informal rotations, if desired.
 
Contacting faculty or potential advisors before applying does not give an advantage to your application. However, if you have specific questions for particular faculty members, you can contact them.

The program requires 6 subjects, though more may be taken at the suggestion of the student’s advisor. See Ph.D. Course Requirements for more info.

All MIT Biological Engineering PhD students are fully funded for tuition, health insurance, and a stipend either through a Research Assistantship, Teaching Assistantship or a fellowship. Until advisor selection at the end of the first semester, students are supported by a departmental fellowship. After this period, the selected advisor provides support through appropriate research accounts.

The Graduate Student Council at MIT tracks average stipend levels across departments (Note: the stipend is paid in addition to tuition and health insurance).

For more detailed information regarding the cost of attendance, including specific costs for tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing and food as well as transportation, please visit the SFS website.

Most students find the stipend to be sufficient for their expenses. The Department assesses the stipend annually to address inflation and the cost of living in the area.

The stipend is only intended to support one person, but there are students who support spouses and/or families on the stipend. The greater Boston area has a high cost of living. The Graduate Student Council at MIT surveyed students and composed a cost of living analysis, but individual expenses vary. For instance, students with loans would need to incorporate those costs into their budget.

Graduates of the BE PhD program have gone on to a wide range of careers. Many of our alumni go on to academia or the biotech/pharmaceutical industry, however many also enter the fields of consulting, venture capital, and government research.

To learn more about our graduate students, visit the Graduate Life page or visit the BE Graduate Board website.

At the visit weekend, prospective students will have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of current graduate students.

In a very few specific instances transfer credit has been accepted.

No.

No.

No.

Yes.

No.