University of Alberta offers PhD in Biomedical Engineering, a doctorate in Bio & Biomedical Engineering programme in Edmonton, Canada. The programme is delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 10,519 per year.
Also offered as: Master's Degree
At a glance
Degree:Doctorate
Field:Bio & Biomedical Engineering
Delivery: On Campus
International tuition: CAD 10,519 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
This PhD in Biomedical Engineering is a research-intensive doctorate spanning four specialization areas: Bionics and Biorobotics, Biomedical Imaging, Biomechanics, and Precision Health Design, with students building expertise in areas such as biomechanics, medical imaging, biomaterials, computational modeling, and systems biology. The degree requires at least four graduate-level courses and an orally defended dissertation embodying original research, and typically takes four to five years to complete across candidacy, research, and dissertation-defense milestones. Prospective students normally enter first through the biomedical engineering MSc program before transferring into the PhD, though applicants who already hold an MSc need only two further graduate courses; a supervising research professor must agree to accept the applicant before an application is submitted. The program is delivered on campus at the University of Alberta's Edmonton location, based in the Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering. It suits candidates aiming for research leadership in academia, industry, or entrepreneurship, whose research interests align with available faculty expertise and who are able to secure funding for doctoral study.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: Admission to the PhD in Biomedical Engineering normally proceeds through the department's MSc programme, with a supervisory agreement required before applying; applicants who already hold an MSc need only two additional graduate-level courses toward the PhD. The page defers GPA and prior-degree standards to the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies' general requirements. Required materials include three letters of reference, a curriculum vitae, and a one-to-two-page research proposal for thesis applicants. English Language Proficiency for thesis-based programmes: TOEFL iBT 100 overall with no skill area below 25, IELTS Academic 7.5 overall with no band below 7.0, PTE Academic 61 overall with no communicative skill below 60, CAEL 70 overall with no subtest below 60, or Duolingo English Test 120 overall with no integrated subscore below 100. Three intakes run each year: Fall (September, open 1 December, close 1 April), Winter (January, open 1 April, close 1 August), and Spring (May, open 1 August, close 1 December).
Application Details
Start Date:September, January and May
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply directly to the University of Alberta, not through a provincial service: for Fall 2027 entry the application window opens 1 October 2026 and the deadline for most programmes is 1 March 2027, though several limited-enrolment programmes close earlier (Juris Doctor, 1 December 2026; Dental Hygiene, 1 November 2026) or later (Bachelor of Design and BFA programmes, 1 May 2027); Spring and Summer 2027 admission also opens 1 October 2026, while Winter intake is limited to a few programmes. International applicants use the identical published dates and online application; the university states no separate international closing date. The 1 March deadline is firm and late applications are not accepted, but admission decisions are then issued on a rolling basis, and offers made before 1 April must be accepted by 1 May 2027. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
