Mission
The mission of Penn State's undergraduate and graduate programs in Bioengineering is to educate students in the deep and broad integration of engineering and biology to enable them to become world-class engineers who contribute to social and economic development through innovative solutions of problems in medicine and the life sciences. The foundations of this educational mission are the uniquely trained faculty and specialized facilities by which Bioengineering leads cutting-edge research in fundamental biology, medical device design, and disease diagnosis with their ultimate translation from academia to society. It is the long term goal of Bioengineering to serve as the nucleus of engineering activities in the life sciences at Penn State and use its leadership to broaden the impact of bioengineering activities locally, nationally, and internationally by collaborations with other disciplines, clinicians, industrial developers, and policy makers.
Accreditation (ABET)
At Penn State Bioengineering we aim to continually integrate engineering science and fundamental principles of engineering math and design with applications to biology and healthcare. As such our mission is in line with the mission of the main accreditation board for engineering education, ABET.
In addition, we aim to offer students a wide range of opportunities to explore research, design, industry employment, and to gain international experience while completing the bachelors of science degree. If you are a prospective student, we encourage you to explore around this page to learn more about our undergraduate program. For current students, we hope you find many helpful links to current opportunities in Penn State Bioengineering.
This program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc., 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012; 410-347-7700; www.abet.org.
Career Opportunities
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The job market for students with a B.S. degree in Bioengineering is rapidly growing as advances in the biomedical sciences impact healthcare. Considering the healthcare industry constitutes almost 15 percent of our gross national product, there are many opportunities for graduates with the specialized training offered at Penn State. We anticipate with the seamless integration of engineering and life science offered through our curriculum, and the opportunity to concentrate in transport phenomenon, mechanics, instrumentation, or biomaterials, graduates will have an advantage over traditional engineers to assume positions of leadership in the biomedical industry. Students are also well prepared to begin a deeper exploration of their interests in graduate school, or to apply their bioengineering skills directly in the clinical setting by going onto medical schools.
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Students can expect industry positions in a wide variety of areas including product development and manufacturing, quality control, clinical liaison and regulatory application and compliance. For example, graduate placements have included: Industry/ Government: Merck and Co., Johnson and Johnson, Regeneron, Abiomed, Boston Scientific, Stryker Medical, US Army Test Center, NIH. Students have also gone onto graduate schools to earn Masters and PhD degrees at institutions such as Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins, and University of Wisconsin or Medical Degrees at Georgetown, Univ of Pennsylvania, Univ of Maryland, Northwestern, and many others.
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To enable students to succeed in their bioengineering careers we have outlined the following program educational objectives and educational outcomes.
Program Educational Objectives
The Bachelor of Science program in Bioengineering aims to create world-class engineers who after graduation, will contribute to social and economic development through the application of engineering to the solution of problems in medicine and biology.
Within three to five years after graduation, graduates will be:
- Employed in industry positions which include, but are not limited to, research and development, manufacturing, quality assurance and sales and marketing, or,
- Enrolled in graduate school, continuing education, or other professional development programs related to biomedical sciences and engineering, or
- Enrolled in medical school, dental school, or other health-related professional training programs.
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Program Outcomes
- Upon graduation for the Bioengineering program, students will have:
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- An ability to apply knowledge of advanced mathematics, (including differential equations and statistics), science, and engineering to solve problems at the interface of engineering and biology
- An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data from living and non-living systems
- An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability
- An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams
- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems
- An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
- An ability to communicate effectively
- The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context
- A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in, life-long learning
- A knowledge of contemporary issues
- An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice
- An understanding of physics, chemistry, and of physiology at molecular, cellular and organ levels
- An ability to address problems associated with the interaction between living and non-living materials and systems
Curriculum
The undergraduate curriculum consists of a core of common courses taken by all bioengineering students. In the first year, students receive their first exposure to the world of bioengineering through a seminar course designed to explore the foundations of bioengineering.
In the sophomore year, in addition to math and physics, students begin their exposure to the life sciences by taking an entry-level course in physiology and an associated lab course to gain hands-on experience with living organs, tissues and cells. A first exposure to molecular and cell biology is also given, but with a quantitative focus and informative mathematical examples.
The junior year begins with the foundations of continuum mechanics as applied to solid and fluid systems to gain an understanding of the mechanical properties of tissues, such as muscle and bone, and the viscous properties of fluid, such as blood. Students also get a first course in linear systems analysis similar content to electrical engineering but with applications to the control of physiological systems. A parallel lab course introduces students to computer simulation of physiological systems. The principles of thermodynamics are presented with applications to living systems. The third year also includes an exposure to fundamentals of the design of medical instrumentation and to further studies on the physical properties of tissues and their function.
During the senior year, students begin to integrate many of their engineering and life science experiences into a study of the design of medical devices. A first-hand exposure to the application of medical devices to combat various disease processes is given in collaboration with clinical faculty at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This experience is followed by a senior year design course that aims to integrate much of the student's prior educational experiences.
Throughout the curriculum, students are expected to strengthen their engineering and physical science skills by selecting one of four different option tracks within which specialized advanced courses, and their prerequisites, are taken. Each option area consists of a sequence of eight courses (20-21 credits) of prescribed course work. See links at left for more option information.
Undergraduate Handbook
This handbook details department policies and procedures in many areas for example, use of ROTC credits, petitions for course substitution, and procedures governing the honors thesis. Link