Prospective Students

Please review this website, and our program listing in Stanford University Bulletin.

Review the details of our curriculum and summary descriptions of core and affiliated faculty. You should also do web searches to find the faculty websites and check out their most recent publications on PubMed. 

Students pursuing careers at the intersection of technology and medicine can enroll in a variety of related Stanford programs ranging from physics to engineering to biology. Situated within the clinical departments of Radiology and Radiation Oncology, the BMP program uniquely integrates novel technical developments in radiation therapy, imaging, and molecular diagnostics with the unique challenges of clinical medicine.

Students do up to 3 rotations the first year in labs chosen through mutual agreement by the student and the faculty member.

Students who successfully complete  the BMP PhD program will be capable of pursuing careers in academia, clinical medicine, and industry.  Graduates will be competitive for faculty positions in nationwide medical physics programs, as well as in related university departments including Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Radiology, and Radiation Oncology. In addition, a variety of industrial positions at companies developing medical and imaging technologies would be available to graduating doctoral students. They may, for example, work for a Fortune 500 company like General Electric, a large-cap company like Varian Medical Systems, or a publicly traded company like ViewRay. All of these companies have a substantial need for Ph.D. scientists in biomedical physics as they provide unique expertise in translational medical imaging and medical therapy that is distinct form their engineering colleagues. Medical companies developing imaging, radiation therapy, and molecular diagnostics, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and non-medical companies with a focus on technology development could each exploit the unique skill set of BMP graduates. Examples include Siemens Healthcare, Philips Healthcare, Canon Medical Systems, Bruker, Accuray, Elekta, IBA Worldwide, Bayer, Guerbet, Hologic, Genentech, Agilent, and Google Health. Trainees may also find professional opportunities in the federal government working at either the NIH or FDA, both of which seek scientists with the precise training provided by our program. Additional career opportunities would be available at the intersection of tech and medicine by way of local start-up companies and consulting firms.

Only you know enough about your circumstances to make this decision. We encourage all applicants to consider their personal and career goals, their background and abilities, financial constraints, and reasonable alternatives, before applying.

This is a very important decision, so it is worth your time to explore and consider your options carefully. Stanford Biomedical Physics is very interdisciplinary; if admitted, you will be able to pick research supervisors from among multiple faculty having a wide range of research interests. You should select a PhD program on the basis of your background, your interest in a particular curriculum, your fit with the program's research, and your career plans. In general, we recommend apply to BMP if you are primarily interested in the application of novel developments in radiation physics, imaging science, and molecular imaging to solve clinical problems. See also the next few FAQs.

No. You are limited to one PhD application per academic year.  The Biomedical Physics PhD program is distinct from degrees offered by other Stanford programs such as Biosciences, Bioengineering, and Electrical Engineering. Therefore, it is important to decide which program best fits your background and career goals. Note that if you are accepted into another program, you are welcome to take BMP courses.

Review our website to see if our program is a good fit with your goals. The specifics depend on the degree program to which you are applying. You can find instructions for each degree under Prospective Students.

Applications to the PhD program are accepted each autumn from (roughly) mid-September to late November/early December for admission the following Autumn. For details of timing for the other degree programs, see their respective webpages. All PhD applications are reviewed together, so there is no competitive advantage in applying early; however, we very strongly recommend that you not wait until the last minute (or day).

No. We do not accept applications to the PhD program out of the normal cycle, as it causes problems both for admission’s process which is coordinated with the other Stanford programs and for arranging funding.

No.

We are unable to answer that question for specific applicants. The BMP admissions committee considers many factors, including grades, letters of recommendation, the personal statement, prior research experience, life circumstances, and fit with our program. The decision is based on a composite of these elements in the context of all the applications we receive each cycle. You should also note that admission to our program, especially for the PhD, is very competitive, so it is to your advantage to make sure your application is as strong as you can make it in all of the listed dimensions.

Stanford requires a TOEFL score (if needed) of greater than or equal to 100. If your score is below 100 and you are accepted, Stanford requires that you retake the exam to achieve that threshold. Unfortunately, we cannot make exceptions to this rule. See here.

We typically have around 100-200 applications submitted.

You need to submit the main application before the deadline.

Unofficial test scores (TOEFL) and unofficial transcripts should arrive before the deadline. Your unofficial transcripts and test scores will be validated when your official ones are received by the University, which can occur after the admissions deadline.

Outside of that, we strongly recommend against late applications, including letters of recommendation. We start reviewing applications immediately after the deadline closes. Incomplete applications will be reviewed, but incomplete applications are unlikely to be as strong as the complete ones, placing you at considerable disadvantage in an already very competitive application process.

We realize that the application process is anxiety provoking, and it is natural to be concerned about the possibility of information missing from your application or wondering where you are in the application ranking. After the formal deadline, if something has changed, you may email the updated information to us. We ask, though, that you refrain from contacting us to request routine updates about your status. If your application is deficient in some way, we will contact you. However, you will have to wait for interview invitations and the final admission decisions on schedule.

Just email the additional materials to our Contact Address.

Yes. We anticipate some of our students will have gotten other degrees, worked in industry, or had other relevant experiences before entering the BMP program.

While we understand that situation is disappointing, we are not able to provide individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Due to time constraints, we are not able to accommodate all requests to meet one-on-one with our faculty prior to submitting an application, give individual tours, or meet to provide guidance about applications, the admissions process, and career planning.

We only interview a limited number of applicants. Top candidates for our PhD program will be invited out to visit us during the application process. We will contact you by mid-January if we want you to come for an interview. Note that the interview process is quite extensive; you will interview with multiple faculty and students, tour our campus, and meet with many of our current students in social settings.

Our faculty members receive many emails and requests for information. Unfortunately, they are unable to respond to all such contacts. Please email specific questions about the admissions process to us at our Contact Address.

Generally, we only admit PhD students whose funding is pre-arranged by the BMP program or outside scholarship. There is more information about funding here. As part of the admission process, we will bring your application to the attention of the appropriate faculty. Just to be clear, you apply to the BMP program; you do not apply to individual faculty labs.

Generally, yes. However, you can't count the same course towards two different degrees. If you have extra units from a prior degree or a currently active degree program, then those units can count towards a BMP PhD if you are admitted. The total number of units required for the relevant BMP degree does not change.

No. We anticipate accepting students from diverse backgrounds, including those with undergraduate training in physics, engineering, biomedical sciences, and computer science.

If you have already identified a possible research mentor, then you are one step ahead. However, be advised that even if admitted, there is no guarantee that that professor would have space in their lab, have appropriate funding, or be a good interpersonal match with you. In general, we recommend that you apply to Stanford BMP because your interests align well with our overall program philosophy and emphasis.

We currently only offer a PhD program.

No. Our faculty believe that the PhD must be obtained on-campus, with full-time involvement.

Yes.

Transferring credit means using credit for courses taken outside of Stanford to reduce the number of credits taken at Stanford.

For the PhD degree: Yes. The PhD requires 135 units, of which 90 units must be taken at Stanford during the PhD program. Thus, you could transfer credits taken elsewhere or taken at Stanford in another graduate program. More information is here.

No. The GRE General Test score is not required and will not be considered if submitted. We do not require any GRE Subject Test scores.

TOEFL scores are required by Stanford University of all applicants whose first language is not English. There are some complications and exceptions. See the official Stanford policy for details. If you take the test near our application deadline, email the unofficial scores to us as soon as possible; the official scores can arrive after the deadline. Stanford requires a TOEFL score (if needed) of greater than or equal to 100. If your score is below 100 and you are accepted, Stanford requires that you retake the exam to achieve that threshold. Unfortunately, we cannot make exceptions to this rule. See here.

No. Stanford only accepts the TOEFL.

We welcome applications from international applicants. International applicants follow the same application process as other applicants, with additional rules and requirements listed here. 1)  You need to hold a four-year bachelor’s degree in order to apply. The exact requirements vary by country and are listed on the Office of Graduate Admissions International Applicants page. 2) Applicants whose first language is not English must submit an official test score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Stanford accepts only ETS (Educational Testing Service) scores. We accept MyBest scores but at this time we are not accepting TOEFL Essentials test scores (see Stanford Graduate Admission Required Exams webpage). 3) We do not advise applicants about visas. The Bechtel International Center has information about how to maintain visas for international students. The US State Department has information about student and exchange visitor visas.

No.

Tuition and other fees for Academic PhD programs are set by Stanford University. The most up-to-date listing is on the Stanford Registrar's website.

All BMP PhD students who maintain satisfactory academic progress receive full financial support (tuition and a living stipend) for the duration of their doctoral program.

The fee for applying for admission to any graduate program at Stanford is $125. However, the Biomedical Physics graduate program is committed to increasing the diversity of biomedical research and Stanford University. We will offer application fee waivers to a limited number of candidates. Preference is given to low-income, first generation and underrepresented minority students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

The SF Bay Area is expensive. Many graduate students choose to live on campus for convenience and to minimize costs. Please refer to Stanford's Housing Office for more information.

Send us email (Contact Us). We are busy keeping all the machinery behind the scenes running smoothly, but we try to respond to every inquiry within one to two business days. It is much better to email us questions directly rather than asking us if you can call.