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Electrical Engineering Division of Engineering and Applied Science
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Joint Medical and Electrical Engineering Track at Caltech

The track was established by Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering and the Department of Electrical Engineering at Caltech in the Fall 2022. The single degree to be shown on the diploma is "Ph.D. in Medical and Electrical Engineering".

Admission to candidacy
To be recommended for candidacy for the Med-EE Ph.D. program, each student must do the following.

  • Complete a minimum of 156 units of courses. The MedE requirement of 21 units of MedE courses plus the EE requirement of 135 units must be met. Cross-listed MedE/EE courses can be double counted.
    • MedE course requirements
      • Complete the three-term seminar sequence, MedE 100abc (1 unit), with a passing grade.
      • Complete MedE 101 (9 units) with a passing grade.
      • Complete a 9-unit MedE course.
        • Biodevices: BE/EE/MedE 189ab (12 and 9 units), MedE 201 (9 units), MedE 202 (9 units), or MedE/EE 204 (9 units).
        • Biomechanics/Fluidics: MedE/BE/Ae 243 (9 units), ChE/BE/MedE 112 (9 units), or ChE 103b (9 units).
        • Biomedical Optics: MedE/EE 168abc (9 units each).
        • Medical Imaging: MedE/EE 268 (9 units).
      • All required courses must be taken for grades and passed with a grade no lower than C, except for those courses offered only for pass/fail.
    • EE course requirements
      • Complete 135 units total with no more than 30 units of pass/fail.
      • Complete 54 units of letter-graded EE courses numbered 100 or above towards the 135-unit requirement.
      • Complete 27 units of mathematics courses, with letter grade no lower than C. Many math-related courses can count towards the requirement after confirming with your advisor.
      • Complete 18 units of research in your field of interest directed by your advisor.
  • Pass the oral qualifying and oral candidacy exams of the Electrical Engineering department for students having chosen Electrical Engineering as the home department. Please refer to the MedE Section for the reciprocal requirement.

Thesis and final examination

The Med-EE Ph.D. thesis must be related to both options. The final thesis defense exam is conducted by a committee that is set up by the student and approved by the option representative of the home department. The committee must be composed of 2 members from each option. The committee must include the advisor, but another member of the committee must be selected as chair. The committee chair must be a Caltech Professorial faculty member. This final examination will be given no less than two weeks after the doctoral thesis has been presented in final form, and before its approval. This examination must be taken at least four weeks before the commencement at which the degree is to be granted. This thesis examination will be a defense of the doctoral thesis and a test of the candidate's knowledge in their specialized doctoral research area.