Suggestions for applying to BME graduate school with Civil Eng background [international now senior at US university, 3.368 college GPA]

Chance Me / Match Me
1

Demographics

  • International student
  • State/Location of residency: Senior student of University of Houston in Houston, TX.
  • Major: Civil Engineering, Cullen College, University of Houston
  • Other special factors: 2+2 joint program between University of Houston and Dalian Maritime University.

Intended Major(s)

GPA, Rank, and Test Scores

  • College GPA: 3.368/4
  • Class Rank: 16 for 25% (UH doesn’t have ranking, this is from DMU)

Awards

Third-Class Merit-based Scholarship for Outstanding Students, awarded by Bank of

China Limited 2022-2023 Academic Year(Top19 in DMU students ranking)

Third-Class Merit-based Scholarship for Outstanding Students, awarded by Bank of

China Limited 2023-2024 Academic Year (Top19 in DMU students ranking)

Dean’s List 2024Fall Semester (GPA higher than 3.5 in UH)

The Simon Yee on Chow Endowed Scholarship 2024-2025 Academic Year

Extracurriculars
Lab May, 2025-Present (prospect)

Department of Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Engineering

Conduct Python coding for data analysis in atmospheric fluid dynamics.

Gained foundational knowledge in log-law, Reynolds stress, friction velocity, and Obukhov length.

Upcoming research plan:

Apply machine learning methods (Isolation Forest, One-Class SVM) in Python.

Test algorithms on benchmark datasets, then apply to multi-frequency atmospheric data (0.5s-5 min).

Detect anomalous periods, assess physical interpretation, and distinguish real phenomena from measurement errors.

Schools

University of Virginia Biomechanical Engineering for Health

UW Biomechanics and Mobility

Rutgers Biomechanics and Biofabrication

U of Maryland Computational Bioengineering & Bioinformatics / Medical Devices & Technology (Still didn’t make a decision that choose which one)

Boston University Decision & Control/ Biomechanics and Mechanobiology

Northeastern University Biomechanics and Mechanobiology

So far, I have reviewed the programs of these schools. If you have any experience regarding the application process and admission chances, I would be very grateful if you could share it with me. Besides, I haven’t made up my mind yet whether to apply for BME or not. I haven’t studied chemistry since high school, but I have learned biology. During my college years, I was majoring in civil engineering. I hope you can share your insights on the difficulty of the study and the employment directions and prospects.

2

In the US, job openings are likely most plentiful in civil engineering out of all the engineering fields. In contrast, BME is one of the worst (if not the worst) of the engineering disciplines for job availability.

Looking at your extracurriculars, I wouldn’t guess that you have an interest in BME. What is drawing you to do graduate studies in BME?

Are you wanting to return to your home country? Are you hoping to work in the US after graduation? Do you dislike civil engineering? Have you taken the FE exam yet?

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Really appreciate to your reply. Because I don’t want to study pure traditional engineering. I feel that future employment will be difficult, so I am actively seeking more opportunities. So I came across the BME field.
At present, I still want to stay and work in the US. Civil engineering is still something I enjoy quite a lot at present. I prefer the structural approach. I really enjoy the courses and work related to CAD drawing and some modeling. I plan to start preparing for the FE exam after the application process ends next year.

4

Unfortunately, that is getting increasingly difficult. With current job market conditions, sponsorship is harder to secure, and OPT rules may also change.

I’m not sure a BME degree would make it significantly easier to find a sponsoring employer. If you had to return to your home country, which of these career paths would you pursue - Civil Engineering or BME?

3 Likes
5

I have already changed my plan. I will continue studying in Civil Engineering.That will be hard if I work back my home country. Whatever CE or BME.

6

It might be hard in your home country, but it could be impossible in the US.

You need to do a little research into what it takes to get a valid work visa here before you get ahead of yourself.

7

What level of degree are you thinking of? MS/coursework, MS/thesis, or PhD?

I think given your background, GPA, and civil degree, you have very little to zero chance at any of these schools for either the MS/thesis or PhD. For the MS/coursework you would be full pay, and someone might take a chance on you. Civil to BME is a big leap, though, and you haven’t done the undergraduate work that will prepare you for graduate-level classes in BME. Like the others on this thread, I would urge you to think carefully about this plan.