Undergraduate Studies
Undergraduate Admission
Individual departments at the University of Illinois do not process or mail out undergraduate application material. Undergraduate applications and notifications of admission are handled by the Office of Admissions and Records. Information regarding freshmen admission requirements can be found in the Apply section of the University of Illinois Admissions website.
Transfers
The Bioengineering Department does not accept transfer students. Students are only admitted during the year of their matriculation from high school.
We strongly encourage students to consider alternatives, including taking the Bioengineering Minor while majoring in one of the other engineering disciplines. We invite interested students to explore other opportunities within the Colleges of Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and ACES in addition to pursuing the Bioeningeering minor.
Undergraduate Advising
Undergraduate students are assigned a faculty advisor prior to registration for spring semester during their freshmen year. First semester freshmen advising, as well as advising for the Bioengineering minor and prospective students, is handled by Elizabeth Stovall in the Department Office, estovall@illinois.edu or 217-333-1867. Answers to frequently asked undergraduate questions can be found here Advising FAQ.
Undergraduate Curriculum
Bioengineering combines the analytical and experimental methods of the engineering profession with the biological and medical sciences to achieve a more detailed understanding of biological phenomena and to develop new techniques and devices. In keeping with the mission of the department, students successfully completing the undergraduate curriculum in Bioengineering will be prepared for professional careers in businesses related to medical diagnostics, prosthetic devices and implants, the pharmaceutical industry, and consulting in health-related fields, as well as, other positions in industry, commerce, education, and government; or to continue their formal education at a graduate school of their choice.
The curriculum is divided into four components. The largest component, that of the basic sciences, dominates the first two years of study. It includes mathematics, physics, and chemistry through biochemistry, and is capped with largely upper level life science classes. The Bioengineering component begins in the second term sophomore year; it imbues a quantitative approach employing engineering analysis and design to problems drawn largely from the life sciences. The third component is the concentration track in which each student develops depth in one area of bioengineering. The fourth component comprises the general education and free elective coursework that gives balance to a student's education. The Bioengineering component has a capstone design or research experience, a capstone life science course on the medical implications of bioengineering interventions, and a biomedical professionalism and ethics course.
