Incoming Students

Mandatory Trainings

During the summer prior to enrollment, incoming students will receive information regarding several mandatory trainings. These training include lab safety training modules (TANGO) and the Teaching Assistant training (TAPDP). A mandatory BME graduate student orientation will also be held during the first week of classes in the Fall quarter.


Lab Rotations

The majority of our incoming M.S. and Ph.D. students will participate in up to two lab rotations (during Fall and Winter quarters) before matching with their faculty research advisor before the start of Spring quarter.

We encourage incoming students to review the list of core and affiliate BME faculty and begin contacting faculty over the summer to discuss potential rotation projects. During the BME orientation, core and affiliate faculty will also give presentations on their current research projects and indicate how many new students they are able to match with.

For Ph.D. students, when securing a lab rotation, it is essential to discuss the advisor’s available funding. We do not recommend rotating with a faculty member who has limited or no funding to support you throughout the duration of the Ph.D. program.


First Year Coursework

Please consult the Plan of Study for your corresponding degree level and enroll in the required core coursework each quarter.

Elective courses must be graduate level courses. Electives taken outside the department will count for credit towards your degree, as long as the course is relevant to your intended research area. If you need assistance with enrolling in major restricted courses outside of the BME department, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator.


Course Substitutions/Waivers

If you have taken undergraduate coursework at UCI, which is equivalent to a required graduate core course or if you have taken graduate level courses at another University equivalent to a required graduate core course at UCI, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator to discuss course substitution or waiver options. Requests such as these are handled on a case-by-case basis and subject to the approval of the Department and the Graduate Dean.