Why Bioengineering
A relatively young discipline, bioengineering combines engineering principles, technology, and biology to address human health and well-being. At Illinois, our faculty and students are solving real-world medical challenges in cancer, neuroscience, age-related diseases, and global health.
Many of our students decide to major in bioengineering because they are extremely bright, intellectually curious, and are interested in both medicine and engineering. A bioengineering degree gives you the analytical and problem-solving skills needed to pursue a range of career options, including:
- medical or dental school
- consulting
- medical device design
- patent law
- pharmaceuticals
- prosthetics
- computing
- entrepreneurship
- Healthcare equipment & technology
- Brain-computer Interfaces
- Imaging Technologies
Bioengineering undergraduates take classes in programming, mechanics, electronics, biology, chemistry, and materials science.
The Illinois Bioengineering program is known for its small class sizes and supportive community. Our students get to know their professors well and have opportunities to gain research experience, which often leads to well-paying summer internships in industry.