Biology & Biomedical Engineering – Majors & Minors

Offered exclusively as a second major or as a minor, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology gives you an opportunity to augment your education in this technically-important field. If your first major is in chemistry or chemical engineering, you’ll find considerable overlap with your biochemistry and molecular biology courses. Students from other disciplines are also encouraged to participate, but will have to take more courses to complete the major.

To earn this second major, you’ll need 81 credit hours, including courses in organic chemistry, biochemistry, physical chemistry, and genetic engineering. Elective courses include subjects such as virology, cancer biology, and genomics and proteomics. For more details, see the Course Catalog.

If you love math and the physical sciences, have the analytical skills of an engineer and a life scientist’s understanding of biology, this master’s degree program may be your perfect fit.

The graduate program in biomedical engineering is truly interdisciplinary, including faculty from Biology & Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, and Optical Engineering.

The program is intended for students with a bachelor’s degree in any engineering discipline. Applications from students with different undergraduate majors are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis with the understanding that substantial additional undergraduate coursework may be required.

A minor in biology, biomedical engineering, or biochemistry and molecular biology will add another important dimension to your education, expanding your career potential and your understanding of the life sciences.

The Biology minor requires courses in cell structure and function, evolution and diversity, and additional courses in biology or related area. 

A minor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology requires courses in cell structure and function and three courses in general chemistry. Also, students must complete five additional courses that could include Mendelian and Molecular Genetics, Prokaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology, Eukaryotic Cell and Molecular Biology, Genetic Engineering, among others.