<p>For someone who wants to work in the biotechnology industry, in CA, and wants to study in CA (probably the U.C. system), is it best to enter as a bio major or chem major (not in a UC engineering school), do quite well, go to grad school, to be competitive as a job candidate?</p>
<p>Or would it be better to try to get into the best bioengineering undergraduate program possible, at a UC or even USC or Cal Poly? (The Unweighted GPA is not competitive for admissions to Berkeley's Engineering school. The UC weighted GPA is quite good, though.) This is not a 'chances' question but an academic-to-job-track question. I have read some of the threads (many heated) on bioengineering (such as comparing JHU, UCSD, UW, etc.). Not interested in any school-bashing, just how to direct him in terms of strategy: i.e.., college admissions.</p>
<p>In general, he is a match for UCD and probably UCSD, in terms of general admission. Reach for UCB in sciences, slight reach for UCLA.</p>
<p>You would be good either path. It depends on where your interest lies. Do you want to do research, where a chemistry or biology degree will be helpful? Or do you have an applied science/engineering mind?</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>BTW, UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry has a relatively new major called "Chemical Biology"...The publication link below has info on the college and the major's it offers.</p>
<p>Also depends on what's offered in a particular biomedical engineering program. Most of them have one or more focus areas, e.g equipment , imaging, prosthetics, materials, biomolecular engineering, etc. Usually there are core biomedical engineering course requirements, and then electives to meet the requirements of each focus area. So the coursework, research, etc. could vary alot among different schools, and within a particular school. At the nanoscale/ biomolecular engineering level, the coursework is more like biochem/ moelcular biology than hardcore mechanical/electrical engineering.</p>
<p>I understood the OP to be asking about bioengineering rather than biomedical engineering, which is a different subject and involves a lot of mechanical engineering.</p>
<p>As between biology, chemistry and bioengineering, the latter is more specialized and could provide a job at the bachelor's or master's level - providing that you want to work in engineering as opposed to more fundamental science. For the latter you will need at least a master's and preferably a Ph.D., to be employable as anything other than a high-level technician.</p>
<p>So you need to consider whether you are interested more in engineering or in lab science.</p>
<p>I've been working in biotech in San Diego since the mid-80s, and based on my experience I'd say that either one can work. Partly it depends on what the student enjoys and what sort of job the new graduate will be seeking -- Pilot Plant & Manufacturing? R&D? Clinical or Regulatory? Management?</p>
<p>I have a Ph.D. in Immunology from UC Davis and have spent most of my biotech career in R&D and more recently in Clinical Research.</p>