For the first two years, undergraduates in the department of bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign fulfill core chemistry, mathematics and physics courses. After upper-level life biomedical and biochemistry courses in the junior year, seniors take capstone courses in bioengineering and biophysics. Students also develop a track component of courses through which they study an area of bioengineering in depth. Students can join the UIUC student chapter of the Biomedical Engineering Society to network with other students and faculty and participate in outreach projects as well as bioengineering projects for the annual Engineering Open House. UIUC Bioengineering hosts eight different research labs, including ones in bioimaging and micro and nano technologies, in which students can work with faculty on research or take classes.
The department of bioengineering does not accept transfer students. The admissions office judges applicants on their own academic merits. No minimum GPA or SAT scores are required. Incoming freshmen must have completed four years of English, 3.5 years of mathematics and two years of social and laboratory sciences. In 2009, 61 percent of the admitted students were in the Top 10 percent of their high school class.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Department of Bioengineering
1304 West Springfield Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
217-333-1867
illinois.edu
Biological engineering undergraduates at Purdue University can choose from one of four tracks: cellular and biomolecular engineering; bioprocess and bioenergy; food process engineering; and pre-med. With a core life science curriculum and training in how to analyze biological systems, Purdue's biological engineering degree well prepares premedical students, who do not have to take additional credits to qualify to enter most medical programs after graduation. Students can also pursue one of two five-year dual degrees, a combination Bachelor of Science and Master of Science for advanced biotechnology or two Bachelor's of Science degrees in engineering and either biochemistry or pharmaceutical sciences.
Purdue University admits applicants on an individual basis. Grades in courses related to biological engineering matter as much as overall GPA or SAT scores. As of 2011, all applicants must have taken four years of high school math and have taken laboratory science and English grammar and literature courses.
Purdue University
Agricultural & Biological Engineering
225 S. University St.
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765-494-1162
purdue.edu
While pursuing their degree, biological engineering undergraduates at Iowa State University spend their first two years fulfilling the general core requirements that chemical engineering students in the same department also complete. They can organize their electives following the department's general industrial or graduate school preparation suggestions or according to those for biochemical or biomedical engineering. Students can also take advantage of the summertime Biological Materials and Processes Research Experience during which they work with graduate students and faculty on research projects, take short courses and attend workshops. ISU's research strengths include biocatalyst and separation engineering and bioinformatics.
No minimum GPA, SAT or ACT score is necessary for admission to ISU. Applicants should have four years of English, three years of mathematics and laboratory science, and two years of foreign language and social science.
Iowa State University
Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
2114 Sweeney Hall
Ames, IA 50011
515-294-7642
cbe.iastate.edu