The BIG B.S. + M.S. Program

The college offers a combined B.S. + M.S. program in Bioengineering designed to lead to a Bachelor of Science degree as well as a Master of Science Degree in five years. The ideal plan route for the M.S. portion is Plan II (Comprehensive Exam) as it tends to follow the five year timeline . However, the program permits students to elect Plan I ( Research Thesis), if applicable. It is important for students who elect to do Plan I (Thesis) to possess a satisfactory amount of research previous to their M.S. year.  Students are highly encouraged to discuss their possibilities of pursuing the M.S. degree through Plan I with their Advisor. Students must notify the Graduate Advisor of Enrolled Students (Dr. Hyle Park, hylepark@engr.ucr.edu) which of these two options they wish to pursue within their first quarter in the program. Any changes from one Plan to the other must be discussed with and approved by both the Graduate Advisor of Enrolled Students and the student's Research Advisor. 

Plan I (Research Thesis)

• designed primarily for students who intend to pursue a Ph.D. 
• at least 24 of the 36 units required must be graduate-level courses 
• a maximum of 12 units from BIEN 297 and BIEN 299 may be used towards the 36 unit requirement 
• a significant level of research is required 
• students should begin research as soon as possible
• Thesis Defense:  Completion of a thesis has two components: submission of a written document approved by the thesis committee AND a passing of a thesis defense. 

Plan II (Comprehensive Exam) 

• designed primarily for students who do not intend to pursue a Ph.D. 
• normative time for completion is 1 year
• at least 18 of the 36 units required must be graduate-level courses 
• units from BIEN 297 and BIEN 299 may not be used towards the 18 unit requirement 
• Written MS Exit Exam:  Students will take a comprehensive exam that is related to 1 of the 5 research focus area selected. Exams will be administered at the end of Spring Quarter. If a students fails the exam, they will be granted the opportunity to retake the exam prior to the start of the Fall Quarter. No more than 2 attempts to pass the exam are allowed

*The last two technical electives (8 units) taken during the B.S. portion of the overall degree may be used toward the 36 unit requirement at the 100+ level. 

Am I Eligible ?

Choose the scenario that best describes you: 

I am a First-Time Applicant to UCR 

In order to be considered for admission into the program, you must :

• complete and submit a UC Undergraduate Application 
• possess a cumulative high school GPA above a 3.6 
• complete the Entry Level Writing Requirement before matriculation 
• have sufficient mathematics preparation to enroll in calculus in your first quarter as a Freshman

I am Currently a Undergraduate Student at UCR 

In order to be considered for admission into the program, you must :

• complete and submit a M.S. Application in Bioengineering during your undergraduate senior year. An application fee wavier is available ONLY to current B.S. + M.S. students.
• possess a cumulative GPA above a 3.4 
• possess a cumulative GPA above a 3.2 for ALL math, science, and engineering courses 
• have a minimum combined GPA above 3.2 in the following courses: BIEN 105, BIEN 110, BIEN 120, AND BIEN 125
• must meet the general prerequisites of the M.S. degree program

* The GRE is no longer required to apply to the M.S. in Bioengineering program