<p>A high school student asked me for advice today about which major he should pursue for pre-med. He is interested in either quantitative biology or biological engineering but wants a major that provides him applicable skill for conducting research during medical school and residency. He was very clear that he was not asking about Biomedical Engineering (BME). </p>
<p>While I am very encouraged with the integrative pedagogical approach within the quantitative biology curriculum, I really don't know enough about biological engineering to advise the student. I looked at MIT's and Utah State's curricula for biological engineering. They both made a lot of sense for a pre-med student who wants strong cell biology instruction and the foundation to conduct cell and receptor based research once in medical school and residency. Nevertheless, I have found several curricula under Agricultural departments which seem to diverge away from MIT's functional model. </p>
<p>Here are my questions: does the biological engineering degree provide a student the practical knowledge to understand, construct, and conduct research at the cell and/or receptor level? How difficult is it to find a job in that field once a student graduate with a degree? Lastly, is this field similar to BME, such that you learn a little about everything but you never develop an expertise on any one subject?</p>
<p>ABET does have different major-specific accreditation criteria for “bioengineering and biomedical engineering” and “biological engineering”:</p>
<p>[ABET</a> - Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs, 2012 - 2013](<a href=“http://www.abet.org/DisplayTemplates/DocsHandbook.aspx?id=3143]ABET”>http://www.abet.org/DisplayTemplates/DocsHandbook.aspx?id=3143)</p>
<p>Penn State offers both, and describes the difference between its majors (which are ABET accredited):</p>
<p>[Bioengineering</a> compared to Biological Engineering ? Biological Engineering Major ? Penn State University](<a href=“Why Change to Biological Engineering? — Undergraduate — Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering”>Why Change to Biological Engineering? — Undergraduate — Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering)
[Accredited</a> Programs details](<a href=“http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=414]Accredited”>http://main.abet.org/aps/AccreditedProgramsDetails.aspx?OrganizationID=414)</p>
<p>Thanks for the links. I’ve done some more research on the major and it seems pretty clear that the programs at Stanford, MIT and Caltech differ significantly from the programs offered by other universities. I think the degree is so new that the big 3 research institutions are directing the degree in a new direction; away from agricultural.</p>
<p>There is a poster named cellardweller who provided me with a lot of perspective on biological engineering. </p>
<p>I had very different questions than you do though, so you might want to PM him directly.</p>
<p>Thank you classicrockerdad. I will do that for sure.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.abet.org/uploadedFiles/Accreditation/Accreditation_Step_by_Step/Accreditation_Documents/Current/2014_-_2015/E001%2014-15%20EAC%20Criteria%2010-26-13.pdf[/url]”>http://www.abet.org/uploadedFiles/Accreditation/Accreditation_Step_by_Step/Accreditation_Documents/Current/2014_-_2015/E001%2014-15%20EAC%20Criteria%2010-26-13.pdf</a> (page 8) describes the major-specific ABET accreditation criteria for bioengineering / biomedical engineering and biological engineering.</p>
<p>The bioengineering / biomedical engineering “curriculum must prepare graduates with the ability to make measurements on and interpret data from living systems, addressing the problems associated with the interaction between living and non-living materials and systems.” See page 23 of the document for a proposed change to the criteria.</p>
<p>The biological engineering “curriculum must prepare graduates to apply engineering to biological systems.”</p>