Graduate School

Upon graduation, many Biological Engineering Graduates have chosen to take a path other than industry — Graduate School. Approximately 40% of the graduating class of BE’s decide to attend one of the Graduate School options or Medical School. Graduate school programs include, but aren’t limited to the following:

• Masters of Engineering – The Masters of Engineering degree (commonly referred to as MEng) is a 1-year degree in which the student develops technical expertise in his or her field of choice. The student will also take additional classes, with a course credit requirement of 30 credits and all courses at the 5xxx level or above. Many BEE students choose this degree to advance their professional career.  Here is a link to our department MEng page.

• Masters of Science – The Masters of Science degree (referred to as MS) is generally a two-year degree in which the student partakes in a research-based project.

• Masters of Engineering & MBA – The Masters of Engineering & MBA is a dual graduate degree in which a student earns not only a MEng, but also a business degree known as MBA.

• The Doctor of Philosophy – The Doctor of Philosophy (commonly referred to as PhD) is a research intensive graduate program that lasts between 5-7 years.

Graduate Schools attended by alumni include, but aren’t limited to, Carnegie Mellon, KAUST, Duke University, University of Rochester, Cornell University, Stanford University, SUNY Stony Brook, New York University, and Caltech.

For more information concerning Graduate School, please feel free to visit their website at http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/.

Professional School

Upon graduation, many Biological Engineering graduates have chosen to go for a professional degree in human or veterinary medicine.

Medical School

Gaining admission into medical school is easily a daunting task.  However, majoring in biological engineering can make a world of difference for a student who is also an aspiring doctor. As a biological engineer, you enroll in courses identical to those of a normal pre-medical student, yet the supplemental insight that you acquire can provide a valuable edge.  Engineering classes such as biofluid mechanics and the biomedical lab courses will provide you with an enhanced understanding of how all the biological systems work and how innovative technology can be incorporated into the solutions of medical problems.   Technology is increasingly integrated into all aspects of medicine, and with a background in how the surgical tools are designed, or how to model blood flow throughout the body, you are better equipped to relate the causes of diseases and problems with their solutions.  The best physician is one who understands all aspects of medicine, and with a major in biological engineering, you will not only become well versed in all aspects of biology and chemistry, but also in how the devices and tools you use are designed in order to achieve their purpose.

Veterinary School

The Biological Engineering degree can be a strong starting point for practice and research in veterinary medicine (DVM, PhD).  The course material in veterinary school builds on the molecular techniques, tissue mechanics, and basic mechanical engineering that you will get in this program.  If interested in this career route, it is important to choose schools you are interested in early to ensure you take all the required courses.  You will also need to spend many hours working with practicing veterinarians to qualify.  For PhD programs, they like to see that you have done research, and combined PhD/DVM programs will be looking for projects that have some hands-on animal aspects to them.

Business School

(To be added)

Law School

The analytical skills from the engineering coursework can greatly contribute to success in law school. Law school focuses on many of the skills central to the engineering field, such as the ability to approach a problem from multiple perspectives and to analyze issues in a methodical manner. A law degree provides BEE students with many career opportunities, including work in patent law and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory law. One of our recent alumni is currently working at a large law firm in Washington, D.C. with a focus on patent litigation. Other alumni have been seen to go into environmental law.