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Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering

Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering

Overview

Northeastern University’s Bioengineering Program provides a broad-based, interdisciplinary engineering curriculum that offers a rigorous yet flexible education. The goal of the curriculum for the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Bioengineering is to provide students with a broad understanding of the quantitative analysis of biological systems and a deep expertise in an area of engineering of their choice.

Innovative Curriculum

Students begin their education by acquiring a common base of knowledge in engineering that includes fundamental science and mathematics; instrumentation, measurement and imaging skills; quantitative physiology; and biomechanics. In the more advanced courses, students learn to design and analyze biomolecular systems from the viewpoint of multiple disciplines, to understand the dynamical behavior of natural and synthetic bioelectrical networks, and the processing and separation of biological materials.

After completing the Bioengineering Core, students choose one of three bioengineering concentrations to focus on: Cell and Tissue Engineering, Biomechanics, or Biomedical Devices and Bioimaging. General electives are available to complement their engineering knowledge with valuable courses in the arts, languages, social sciences, public health, business, broader engineering and computer science disciplines, and related fields.

The Bioengineering curriculum culminates in a two semester-long capstone design project in the senior year. In this project, students are asked to apply their knowledge and experience to a real-world design problem and develop feasible solutions.

The Accelerated Master’s Degree PlusOne program allows current undergraduate students to accelerate the attainment of the master’s degree by applying graduate credits taken as an undergraduate toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Current students apply to enroll in the PlusOne program. Students attain their bachelor’s degree followed by a PlusOne year to complete the master’s degree.

Students currently earning a BS in Bioengineering can select from the below MS degree PlusOne pathways.

BS in Bioengineering PlusOne PathwaysAdditional Prerequisites
PlusOne in Bioengineering
PlusOne in Chemical EngineeringCHME 2308
PlusOne in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Concentration in Water, Environmental, Coastal SystemsCIVE 2331, CIVE 2334, CIVE 2340
PlusOne in Civil Engineering, Concentration in Construction Management
PlusOne in Civil Engineering, Concentration in Structures
PlusOne in Civil Engineering, Concentration in Transportation
PlusOne in Cyber-Physical Systems
PlusOne in Data Analytics Engineering
PlusOne in Data Architecture and Management
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Communication, Control, Signal ProcessingEECE 2150, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, EECE 2520, EECE 3468*
*May be replaced with another probability course
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Computer Networks and SecurityEECE 2150, EECE 2160, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, and two of the following: EECE 2322 (with EECE 2323), EECE 2540, or EECE 2560
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Computer Systems and SoftwareEECE 2150, EECE 2160, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, and two of the following: EECE 2322 (with EECE 2323), EECE 2540, or EECE 2560
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Computer Vision, Machine Learning, AlgorithmsEECE 2150, EECE 2160, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, and two of the following: EECE 2322 (with EECE 2323), EECE 2540, or EECE 2560
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Electromagnetics, Plasma, OpticsEECE 2150, EECE 2160, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, EECE 2530, EECE 2531
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Microsystems, Materials, DevicesEECE 2150, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, and one of the following: EECE 3393, EECE 3410, or EECE 4524 (with EECE 4525)
PlusOne in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Concentration in Power SystemsEECE 2150, EECE 2412, EECE 2413, EECE 2520
PlusOne in Energy Systems
PlusOne in Engineering & Public Policy
PlusOne in Engineering Management
PlusOne in Environmental Engineering
PlusOne in Human Factors
PlusOne in Industrial Engineering
PlusOne in Information Systems
PlusOne in Mechanical Engineering, General Concentration
PlusOne in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Concentration
PlusOne in Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics Concentration
PlusOne in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics Concentration
PlusOne in Mechanical Engineering, Thermofluids Concentration
PlusOne in Operations Research
PlusOne in Robotics, Mechanical Engineering Concentration
PlusOne in Software Engineering Systems
PlusOne in Telecommunication Networks

Concentrations

Students accepted to the Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering program have four concentrations from which to choose.

Experiential Learning

Experiential learning is the heart of a Northeastern education, combining rigorous coursework with hands-on experience in the classroom, in the lab, and in the field—locally and abroad. With our signature cooperative education (co-op) program, students typically gain six months of work experience integrated as part of the educational program. Both five-year, three-co-op and four-year, two-co-op program options are available.

Ella Strzegowski (Bioengineering E’23) embarked on a co-op at Moderna in the fall of 2021, just as the company was applying for its biologics license and COVID-19’s Omicron variant was tearing through the population. Her experience placed her at the epicenter of covid-related research even as the virus—and the world’s response to it—changed by the day.

Program Contacts


Lee Makowski
Lee Makowski
Professor and Chair,  Bioengineering & Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Professor,  Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Affiliated Faculty,  Electrical and Computer Engineering

Image and signal processing as applied to biophysical data designed to answer fundamental questions about the molecular basis of living systems, and progression of Alzheimer's Disease

Academic Advising

For support with academic questions, contact the academic advisor assigned to this program.

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review Degree Requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to pay for your education. Finally, review Admissions Information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

Student News

Congratulation NSF GRFP Recipients

Congratulations to the current students and alumni who are recipients of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Awards. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science. Name Baccalaureate Institution Current Field of Study Current Institution Award Offered Attari, Adel Wael (ChE E’19) Northeastern University Life Sciences – Cell […]

Opening Doors for the DeafBlind Community

Bioengineering student Nick Scaperdas, E’24, is working with a group of students from the Sherman Center’s Generate program to develop a doorbell that can be used by DeafBlind individuals.

Bioengineering an Impact with ‘Give a Hand’

Isabela Castillo, an undergraduate bioengineering student, started the Give a Hand club on campus, which develops prosthetic hands for those in need and works in collaboration with Enabling the Future, a global network of volunteers making medical devices.

BioE Students Granted Provisional Patent for a Breast Implant Design that Mimics Natural Bodies

Breast implants in the 21st century provoke images of popular culture beauty icons, but their importance surpasses societal status throughout the worlds of biomedical engineering and plastic surgery. Last Spring, an NU Bioengineering student group realized a gap in the market of breast implants. They worked together to create an implant that mimics natural bodies and recently received a provisional patent for the design.