FAQs

Applications for the GMI program open on October 1 of each academic year. The first round due date for GMI applications is December 31. Following December 31, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until January 31. 

• October 1: Applications Open
• December 31: First Round/Priority Application Deadline
• January 31: Final Application Deadline
• Mid to late January: Virtual Interviews
• Mid February: In-person campus visit
• Late February: Admissions decisions sent
• Late May: Orientation and Summer program start

Alumni of the Rice University MBE in Global Medical Innovation have been placed into competitive jobs, primarily in new product development and clinical specialist roles at large medical device companies, including Medtronic, Abbott, Boston Scientific, Smith & Nephew, Stryker, BD, GE Healthcare, Cook and Baxter. Other Alum have gone on to roles in medtech entrepreneurship, medical school or residency, further graduate studies, or placement in competitive roles in healthcare consulting. You can find many of our alumni on LinkedIn.

There are no restrictions on MBE GMI students working on or off campus. Students in the GMI program recognize the value of internships for helping to secure a full-time position and many students pursue internships in the fall and spring semester.

GMI students have a special opportunity to serve as Design Mentors for the Bioengineering department’s senior capstone experience. This is a paid yearlong experience that allows GMI students to step out of the role of designer and into the role of advising others on design. Students have reported that this experience ultimately makes them better designers on their own projects.

The Texas Medical Center offers many opportunities for students to work in the medical technology industry. Historically students have secured internship positions at local companies like the TMCi Center for Device Innovation, Texas Heart Institute, Fannin Innovation Studio, and other local startups.

Explore our students’ past and current projects.

GMI students participate in two yearlong projects, one which is an engineering design project, and the other a business project.

Outcomes of the engineering design project are that students end with an alpha prototype that is handed over to the project partner at the end of the year.

Outcomes of the business project are that students develop a pitch that is made to a group of potential investors. In this class students all have the opportunity to, and some have chosen to move forward with their ideas as businesses. Examples of this include Rhythio and Starling Medical.

At Rice University, Master’s students working on projects own the IP they generate, as long as the project funding is not from a project client, an industry partner, or a grant mechanism. When students develop IP and seek to commercialize it, they are encouraged to and assisted with setting up licensing deals for IP that is owned by sponsoring entities or develop that IP on their own. Either pathway is viable for spinning out a startup if they choose to do so.

Yes! Please consider the Global Medical Innovation program if you are interested in a career in the medical technology industry. Students accepted to the Global Medical Innovation program do not exclusively come from an engineering background. All students are required to complete prerequisites in Biology, Human Physiology and Statistics. If applicants do not have these prerequisites, they must complete them before graduating; courses can be completed before starting the program, or while at Rice.

Historically, students with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), medical, business, or industrial design backgrounds have excelled in this program.

The tuition for the Professional Master’s program in the School of Engineering changes slightly each year. To learn the tuition for the upcoming academic year, please visit the General Announcements for Rice. Search “Professional Master’s in Engineering”.

Most Professional Master’s programs in the United States offer few options for financial assistance in the form of fellowships and scholarships. The Global Medical Innovation Master’s of Bioengineering does not offer scholarships but does maintain an active list of fellowships and funding mechanisms to help students offset the cost of graduate education. Please consider the following options:

• National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship
• Improving Access to Career and Educational Development
• DOD SMART

The Rice University Office of Financial Aid does not offer scholarships to students in the Global Medical Innovation MBE concentration, but there are loan options and payment plans available for consideration. Visit their website for resources and additional information.

The Global Medical Innovation MBE program is a competitive program, however, we consider each application holistically and on a case-by-case basis. The minimum GPA is a 3.0.

The average GPA for the class of 2020 was 3.75.

The GRE is no longer required for all MBE program applicants.

The first round deadline is December 31 for priority consideration for the GMI program. Additional applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until January 31.

The Global Medical Innovation MBE program offers a visit day in the spring for candidates to whom an in-person interview has been extended.

To visit Rice campus on your own schedule, please navigate to visit.rice.edu for more information.

Applicants can stay connected with the Department of Bioengineering on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn. Find GMI program-specific updates and news on Instagram and Twitter.

Yes, the application process requires an initial Zoom Interview and an in-person interview, if invited, with members of the selection committee.

Yes, the Summer Costa Rica program has a program fee. The fee is determined yearly based on cost to the program. The fee covers airfare, lodging, ground transportation, some meals, and other miscellaneous costs while abroad. Students will be provided with detailed information about the program and costs after their interview in January.

There are a number of housing options available in the area surrounding Rice University. Please visit https://graduate.rice.edu/admissions/after-admission/housing for details.