Bioengineering Notes

Alternatives to Bioengineering Degree Programs

Undergraduate students not enrolled in the Department of Bioengineering may still pursue study of bioengineering in either the College of Engineering (COE) or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). Undergraduates in the College of Engineering, or in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, may pursue the Bioengineering Minor for Engineering Students. For students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, we strongly recommend following the MCB (Molecular and Cellular Biology) B.S. degree program, with an emphasis in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, Biophysics, or possibly Physiology, and using electives to create a concentration of courses in engineering. Please consult with the Biological Sciences Advising Office in 127 Burrill Hall.

The choice of engineering or molecular and cellular biology (LAS) for study of bioengineering is up to the student. Those who desire an engineering degree must be in the College of Engineering. Students more interested in the biological sciences should be in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Students in either college may pursue a pre-med program which may require additional study beyond the degree program requirements.

Graduate students have the opportunity to pursue bioengineering research in many areas matching the wide-ranging interests of the bioengineering faculty.

We emphasize that bioengineering is a very broad field and that there are many paths to undergraduate and graduate study in bioengineering, as well as bioengineering careers. Many will find traditional degrees in engineering, with a biology minor, to be most effective; others will find it best in traditional life science degrees, with a concentration in engineering courses. We offer a formal bioengineering path to complement the previous two. All three of these paths are essential to the future of bioengineering; conversely, bioengineering needs students who have followed each of these paths.

Links to other web sites providing information that may be of interest.