<p>i'm an applied math major and i'm interested in systems biology/bioengineering. i'm considering applying to phd programs in biology and chemistry (i've had a lot of both types of courses) but i've never really seen myself becoming a biologist / enjoying the study of pure biology. i'd like to do something more quantitative and practically relevant. i personally think it's getting better for a quant to go into biology these days as opposed to a pure biologist.</p>
<p>that being said, is it feasible for me to apply to phd programs in physics (condensed matter), electrical engineering (control systems), and/or biological engineering? what exactly are the requirements to apply to engineering grad school, specifically? do i need to take subject gre, what are the gpa requirements for top programs, etc.?</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>also throw computer science phd programs in there, too. i've had a lot of experience with theoretical problems in the field / i'm also a pretty good programmer.</p>
<p>If you're going to apply to PhD programs in some quant-y discipline with the intent of applying that discipline's toolkit to biology, it's worth figuring out which one you want. You'll spend a lot of time learning $DISCIPLINE, and you'll be working with a faculty member whose interest and expertise is in $DISCIPLINE and not the particular application.</p>
<p>That said, it shouldn't be hard to find biology applications in whatever you pick. It's the popular thing to do, and for good reason.</p>
<p>Bioengineering programs may sound like a good interdisciplinary option - and they can be, but research your departments carefully. Some of them go for breadth, while others are focused on a particular area, e.g. medical devices or systems biology. They will generally put you in a wet-lab for your PhD research, also.</p>
<p>I'm not an expert in hard sciences admissions, but I don't think the basics are that different - have some courses in the discipline, above a 3.5 is good, subject GRE is "recommended", etc.</p>
<p>thanks for the reply. i guess some of my confusion stems from the fact that i'm in a "do anything" sort of major. do people applying to engineering grad school usually apply to only one discipline in engineering?</p>
<p>From what I've seen, yes. Some schools won't even let you apply for more than one department per year.</p>