Bioengineering
From The Unofficial Guide to Engineering
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What is Bioengineering?
Bioengineering is the application of traditional engineering techniques to problems in biology and medicine. This exciting new field pulls together ideas and technology from the different fields of engineering and applies those ideas to living systems. Biomedical engineers work with health care professionals such as physicians, nurses, therapists, and technicians while performing a wide range of capacities: designing instruments, devices, and software, utilizing various technical sources to develop new procedures, and conducting research needed to solve clinical problems.
What careers are available in Bioengineering?
Employment opportunities for bioengineers are available at a wide variety of places, including universities, hospitals, research facilities for educational and medical institutions, federal regulatory agencies, and the private sector. In the private sector, bioengineers may create designs requiring an in-depth understanding of living systems and technology. In the hospital, bioengineers may advise on the selection and use of medical equipment, as well as supervising its performance testing and maintenance. They may also build customized devices for special health care or research needs. In research institutions, bioengineers supervise laboratories and equipment, participating in or directing research activities in collaboration with other researchers with such backgrounds as medicine, physiology, and nursing. Some bioengineers are technical advisors for marketing departments of companies and some are in management positions. There are also many bioengineers with advanced training in other fields. For example, many also have an M.D. degree, thereby combining an understanding of advanced technology with direct patient care or clinical research.1
Bioengineering at Berkeley
The Department of Bioengineering combines the resources of Berkeley and UCSF to educate future practitioners of bioengineering, biology, and related disciplines through cross-disciplinary research.
Program
The Bioengineering program allows students to tailor their upper division classes to prepare specifically for graduate school, medical, dental, or optometry school, or immediate employment upon graduation. Students in the Department of Bioengineering follow a lower-division curriculum similar to other Engineering departments. The program provides a foundation biological sciences in addition to emphasizing physics and mathematics.. Upper division classes are more focused in combining advanced courses in engineering, physical and biological sciences, and/or mathematics and statistics. Some courses have clinical content, while others must have statistical or biological content. The Bioengineering core course offerings fall into eight specialization areas, which include:
