Curriculum
The Bioengineering curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad exposure to engineering applications in biology and healthcare, and at the same time provide students with depth in specific content areas such as mechanics, transport, materials science, and bioinstrumentation. Engineering and design principles are integrated at many steps into applications to biology and healthcare. Below is a sampling of our courses. Supplementing these offerings are courses in physics, chemistry, biology, social sciences, and the humanities.
Core Courses taken by all Bioengineering Students
Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering
Analysis of Physiological Systems
Bio-continuum mechanics
Bio-thermodynamics
Introduction to Bioengineering Research and design
Biomedical Instrumentation
Clinical Correlations
Data Analysis and Experimental Design
Capstone Design Course
Laboratories in Physiological Systems and Instrumentation
Options
Other required courses are determined by the option area you select. The option area is designed to give a depth of knowledge relevant to Bioengineering in the area of most interest to you. Our option areas are named after more traditional engineering fields to give an idea of what type of course you will be taking. Additional courses required for each option area are:
Bioengineering with Chemical Engineering Option
Organic Chemistry
Bio-transport Phenomena
Bio-fluid mechanics
Reaction Kinetics
8 credits of Chem E option electives
Bioengineering with Mechanical Engineering Option
Matrices
Dynamics
Bio-fluid mechanics
Mechanical Response to Engineering Materials
Mechanical Design or Biomaterials
6 credits of M E option electives
Bioengineering with Electrical Engineering Option
Circuits and Devices
Electrical Circuit Design
Electromagnetics or Digital Signal Processing
Medical Imaging
6 credits of E E option electives
Bioengineering with Material Science Option
Organic Chemistry
Quantum Physics
Intro to Material Science
Materials Characterization
Intro to Polymers
Biomedical Materials
Biomaterial Surfaces
Sample course schedule
Health Professions Preparation
Bioengineering can be used to prepare for a career in the health professions (medical, dental etc.) and in fact 25-30% of our graduates do pursue a professional health degree. Preparing yourself for the health professions application process can be accomplished with a minimum of extra course work by planning ahead and careful elective selection. Below are some guidelines for scheduling and helpful information if you are planning to apply to a professional health program. Remember there is much more to being a successful candidate than a high GPA!
Some helpful resources:
Guidelines specific PSU Bioengineering students
Scheduling recommendation for PSU Bioengineering
The Penn State Health Professions office and website
Concurrent Major with Mechanical Engineering
A special arrangement has been made with the Mechanical Engineering Program to accommodate those Bioengineering students interested in a concurrent major with Mechanical Engineering. This is a special arrangement because both majors are enrollment controlled. Students must be first admitted to Bioengineering through Entrance to Major, and then they may apply to add Mechanical Engineering as a concurrent major. A sample course plan which accommodates the requirements for both majors in nine semesters and an application are available as PDFs.
Curriculum Plan for those starting at other Campus Locations (pdf)