Biological Engineering
Biological engineers must not only understand biology, but also important topics that surround entire living systems, such as food, air, and environment. Because of this, biological engineers span a broad range of industries, from medical doctors to water quality specialists to biocontaminant sensor designers.
Biological engineers can design a new device to help premature infants breathe, research new ways to clean up pollution that harms fish and wildlife, create a method to ensure dietary supplements are safe and effective, develop a sensor that detects anthrax, or apply computer and satellite technology to agriculture.
Example Areas of Study
- Biomedical / Premed – Designing systems to save people’s lives and improve health and happiness. For example, designing implantable devices such as artificial hips or pacemakers, designing dialysis machines, or advancing technology to better diagnose diseases.
- Bioresource – Capturing and managing the benefits from natural resources, such as utilizing natural bacterial processes to convert dangerous waste products into beneficial soil; or providing safe and plentiful food by plant and animal production while minimizing the impact on our environment.
- Ecological – Designing systems to understand and meet the needs of humans and their natural environments by properly designing systems to prevent damage or repair damaged ecological systems.
- Food and BioprocessEngineering – Designing equipment and processes to manipulate plant, animal and microbial materials into consumer products. For example, genetically modifying bacteria to produce drugs; producing nutritious, safe, and tasty microwavable dinners; or designing equipment to monitor our food supply to protect us from terrorism.
BENG at University of Arkansas
- Design Studio – Our students do real-world projects that teach hands-on application of engineering design as well as enhance teamwork and communication skills.
- Ties to the Medical Community – The UA BENG program is partnered with Washington Regional Medical Center to provide our premed and biomedical students
real-life experiences and projects that enhance their qualifications for medical school. - Faculty Interaction – Our BE faculty provide a friendly environment inside and outside the classroom. Small class sizes, personal attention, and an open-door policy enhance your learning experience.
- Student Organizations – As a BENG student at the UofA, you can join our student professional society -- BESC. As a member, you can meet other BENG students by way of community service projects, such as hospital volunteerism, Habitat for Humanity projects, and professional development activities.
- Accreditation – Our BENG program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Success stories:
“Getting a degree in Biological Engineering has enabled me to get a job assessing and solving real world environmental problems. The faculty and staff are very supportive and encouraging and have opened many doors. The curriculum is challenging, but also rewarding and worth the hard work.”
--Amy Cotter, Arkansas Dept. of Environmental Quality
“I am extremely satisfied with my degree in Biological Engineering. I am currently doing cutting edge biomedical research working on the development and production of alternatives to antibiotics. My undergraduate experience has allowed me to jump right into the fast paced world of biotechnology and begin contributing to the development of new technologies.”
--Chris Pixley, University of Arkansas
“Getting to perform hands on design and field work is what stood out the most to me in the Biological Engineering department. There is such a benefit to receiving a BE degree because of the broad knowledge learned from the biological aspects to the mechanical aspects.”
-Scott Dennis, Riceland Foods
Some other recent employers of our graduates include US Environmental Protection Agency, M&M Mars, USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service, Intel, Hi-Tech Engineering, Tyson, and Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ). Graduates choosing to further their education have been accepted into graduate programs such as Johns Hopkins, Yale, UC-San Diego, UT-Austin, and University of Minnesota.
