Prospective Students

Biomedical Physics - an Emerging Interdisciplinary Field

Modern medical disciplines rely upon an ever-expanding arsenal of technology. This is particularly true of radiology and radiation oncology, which have provided clinical advances including x-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, radiation therapy, radiopharmaceutical therapy, and molecular imaging and diagnostics. The process of development and application of these technologies is a continuum that incorporates modern physics, imaging, signal processing, biostatistics and bioinformatics, and chemistry and molecular biology, all with an emphasis on meeting the needs of clinical medicine. Correspondingly, scientists in the fields of radiology and radiation oncology require a unique skill set to effectively innovate and implement novel technologies for the improvement of human health. This new Stanford PhD program seeks to train future generations of leaders in medical physics, imaging science, molecular imaging and diagnostics, allowing them to translate these new tools to address critical challenges in clinical medicine.

Admissions

The Biomedical Physics Program recognizes that the Supreme Court issued a ruling in June 2023 about the consideration of certain types of demographic information as part of an admission review. All applications submitted during upcoming application cycles will be reviewed in conformance with that decision.

The Biomedical Physics Program welcomes graduate applications from individuals with a broad range of life experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds who would contribute to our community of scholars. The review process is holistic and individualized, considering each applicant’s academic record and accomplishments, letters of recommendation, prior research experience, and admissions essays to understand how an applicant’s life experiences have shaped their past and potential contributions to their field and how they might enrich the learning community at Stanford.

Students are expected to enter with a series of core competencies in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics or engineering, and computing. Students entering the program are assessed by the examination of their undergraduate transcripts and research experiences. Specifically, the department requires that students have completed mathematics through multivariable calculus and linear algebra, and must hold, or expect to hold before enrollment at Stanford, a bachelor’s degree in engineering or physical science from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association. Applicants from institutions outside the U.S. must hold the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing. See minimum level of study required of international applicants.

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for predoctoral national competitive fellowships, especially those from the National Science Foundation. Applicants to the Ph.D. program should consult with their financial aid officers for information and applications.

The deadline for receiving applications is December 1, 2023. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Physics.

Further information and application instructions for all graduate degree programs may be obtained from Graduate Admissions.

Application Fee and Fee Waivers

The application fee is $125 and is non-refundable. You will be prompted to pay the application fee at the time you submit your application. The acceptable form of payment is via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, Discover, and Diners Club) or bank transfer from a U.S. checking account. If you do not have a credit card then you should make arrangements with a family member or friend to use theirs. Checks by mail are not accepted.

Fee Waivers

Applicants who need assistance with the application fee are encouraged to apply for a fee waiver. Priority for fee waivers is given to applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. International applicants who need assistance with the application fee are eligible to apply for the School-Based fee waiver. For a complete list of fee waiver options and eligibility requirements, please visit the Graduate Admissions website.

Please note that fee waiver requests are required to be submitted 10 business days prior to the application deadline (December 1 at 11:59:59 pm PST); so please plan accordingly.