Overview
The Master of Science in Biomedical Imaging Program is designed to provide STEM bachelor’s degree recipients with a comprehensive introduction to the physics, mathematics, radiochemistry, and engineering principles and methods that underly each of the major imaging modalities currently in use in clinical radiology and pathology. The Program is highly interdisciplinary and includes faculty members with expertise in physics, radiology, engineering, mathematics, radiochemistry, and pathology. Nearly all courses will be developed by faculty specifically for the Program.
The Master’s thesis portion of the program enables students to directly apply knowledge gained in the courses, either in one of the imaging research laboratories at Weill Cornell Medicine or Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, or with a faculty member devoted to clinical service and innovation. Graduates of the Program will be well positioned to secure jobs in academia, industry, and government, or further education in PhD or MD programs.
There has recently been tremendous growth in biomedical imaging research and clinical applications worldwide, and many faculty members participating in the Program are world leaders in the development of imaging biomarkers and their application to an extremely broad range of human diseases. Weill Cornell Medicine and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center are located on adjacent campuses, and together manage one of the most comprehensive inventories of imaging hardware and software in the world. These scanners will provide a hands-on training environment to students.
A unique feature of the Program is the two-track structure. While all students will enroll in the same courses, the Laboratory Track offers a traditional imaging research thesis project, while the Clinical Track offers a thesis project designed around innovations in the practice of Radiology.
Curriculum / Courses
The Program curriculum consists of individual courses in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), X-ray computed tomography (CT), ultrasound, and optical imaging. In addition, there are courses in machine learning, anatomy, health literacy for imaging scientists, a special topics seminar series, and career development in Biomedical Imaging. Advanced topics include image-guided therapeutic methods currently at the cutting edge of research and clinical use, such as magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), radiolabeled viral vectors for gene therapy, and magnetic resonance-guided radiation therapy (MR-LINAC).
Program features include:
- 24 months duration, full-time study
- cohesive interdisciplinary educational program
- individual mentored research project
- career development training
Imaging Resources
Both Weill Cornell Medical College and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center operate large, well-funded imaging research Core facilities that will be available to all students enrolled in the Program. At Weill Cornell, the Citigroup Biomedical Imaging Center and Microscopy and Image Analysis Core facilities support over 100 research groups and include MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, ultrasound and optical imaging for studies of human subjects, animal models of disease, and specimens. At Memorial Sloan-Kettering, the Animal Imaging Core provides investigators with unique capabilities for the noninvasive detection, localization, and characterization of primary and metastatic cancer cells in vivo in small animal models. This Core also contains MRI, PET, SPECT, CT, ultrasound and optical imaging scanners and offers image analysis services.
Program Requirements
The Program is designed for applicants holding a bachelor’s degree in physics, chemistry, mathematics or engineering. Applicants must have completed undergraduate-level coursework in multivariable calculus including Fourier analysis techniques, ordinary and partial differential equations, linear algebra, probability theory or statistics, and computer programming.
Admissions
We seek applications from students with diverse undergraduate degrees and welcome applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds. All application forms and supporting documents are submitted online. You will be asked to submit or upload the following:
- Personal Statement describing your background and specific interest in the MS-BI program.
- Résumé/C.V.
- Three letters of recommendation. Letters must be submitted electronically as instructed through the online application.
- Transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities:
- Domestic Transcripts - Unofficial transcripts from U.S. institutions may be submitted for application review. Official transcripts will be requested from accepted students prior to matriculation.
- Foreign Transcripts - Transcripts from institutions outside of the U.S., including Canada, must be transcribed and evaluated by World Education Services (WES), SpanTran, IEE or a similar evaluation service.
- If using WES, please select the WES Basic Course-by-Course evaluation and choose "Cornell University - Manhattan NY" as the recipient with "Weill Graduate School of Medical Sciences" as the School/Division and Graduate School Admissions” as the Department/Office name.
- Evaluations are accepted only from current members of the National Association of Credit Evaluation Services (NACES). Official course-by-course evaluations are required for application review.
- $80 application fee
- Results of the General Graduate Record (GRE) examination are optional. The Institution Code Number is 2119.
- Scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Duolingo English Test. Test scores are valid for two years after the test date. To see if you qualify for an exemption, see below.
- To submit your official TOEFL scores, please go to http://www.ets.org/toefl and request your scores to be sent to Weill Cornell Graduate School using code 2119. Please monitor your application to ensure that your scores are populated by ETS. Note: If you have taken the TOEFL iBT test more than once within the last 2 years, ETS will automatically include your MyBest scores along with the traditional scores from your selected test date. If you would like us to consider your MyBest scores, please write to let us know. While the Graduate School will consider your MyBest scores, individual programs may not accept them.
- IELTS scores are valid for two years after the test date. IELTS results must be submitted directly via e-delivery to “Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences.”
- Results for the Duolingo English Test are valid for two years after the test date. Applicants must submit their results directly through Duolingo to “Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences".
Tuition, Fees, and Scholarships
The student services website contains program-specific details on tuition and fees: https://studentservices.weill.cornell.edu/student-accounting/tuition-fees-program.
New scholarship opportunity: The Biomedical Imaging program is proud to announce the John Evans Professorship Endowed Tuition Assistance scholarship. This endowed tuition assistance scholarship was established to help support the professional development of two students enrolled in the master's program in Biomedical Imaging who have a financial need and to support diversity and inclusion in the field of Radiology/STEM as a path to reducing healthcare disparities. Find more information about this scholarship here: John Evans Professorship Scholarship
Please note that tuition and fees are set for the current academic year but are subject to change each year.
English Language Proficiency Exam
Exemptions
The English language proficiency requirement may be waived if an applicant meets at least one of the following criteria:
Citizenship/Permanent Residency
- If the applicant is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories (e.g., Puerto Rico), or a citizen of the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada, they are exempt.
- Applicants who are citizens of all other countries, including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, etc. are not exempt and must submit English language proficiency exam scores.
English-Language Instruction
- Applicants who, at the time of enrollment, have studied in full-time status for at least two academic years within the last five years in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand, or with English language instruction in Canada or South Africa, are exempt.
- Applicants must submit a transcript that shows they studied in one of the approved locations, and that the academic program was at least two years in length.
- Even if English was the language of instruction of the course or institution, it must have been in one of the eligible locations, otherwise the applicant is not exempt from the requirement.
Application Timeline & Deadline
Sept – Feb 1
The application site for Fall 2025 admission is open.
Priority deadline for applications: February 1, 2025.
Applications submitted after the priority deadline are reviewed on a rolling basis based on space availability until May 1.
Feb 1 – May 1
The application site for Fall 2025 admission is open.
We are still accepting applications for the Fall 2025 class. We are operating with a rolling admissions process at this point and encourage you to submit your application as early as possible to avoid potential seat capacity or timing restrictions.
Final deadline for applications: May 1, 2025.
May 1 - Sept
The application site for Fall 2025 admission is closed.
The application process for Fall 2026 admission opens in September 2025.
Program Address
Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
1300 York Ave. Box 65
New York, NY 10065
Phone: (212) 746-6565
Fax: (212) 746-5981
Upcoming Events
2024
Thank you for your interest in Weill Cornell Graduate School. We will be hosting virtual application workshops on the following dates:
- November 19 at 6pm EST
- December 17 at 6pm EST
- January 14 at 6pm EST
To register, please take a moment to complete the Qualtrics survey, and you will receive the Zoom link for the session.