Undergraduate Degree Programs

Explore our Majors

VIDEO

OVERVIEW 

SUMMARY


Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org/

The Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is an organization with a mission of serving the public through promotion, innovation, and advancement of quality education in fields including technology and engineering. ABET’s strategic plans include accreditation of educational programs and provides assurance that a program meets the quality standards in the profession for which the program prepares graduates to enter a global workforce. At UC San Diego, Bioengineering (BS), Bioengineering: Biotechnology(BS), and Bioengineering: BioSystems (BS) have a relatively heavy emphasis on engineering, whereas Bioengineering: Bioinformatics (BS) has a relatively heavy emphasis on basic sciences.

WASC Accreditation

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) is the regional organization providing umbrella accreditation for UC San Diego through its Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities. UC San Diego has been accredited by WASC since 1964.

Department & Major

Fall 2020 Enrollment

2019/2020 Degrees Conferred

BENG Total

612

152

Bioengineering

185

47

Bioengineering: Biotechnology

228

54

Bioengineering: Bioinformatics

108

19

Bioengineering: BioSystems

91

32


2023-2024 Undergraduate Course Offerings (Tentative)

Descriptions for the below courses can be found in the UC San Diego General Catalogue

Course Prerequisites View only List

 

FALL 2024
  Course Instructor
BENG 1 Introduction to Bioengineering Khojah
BENG 2 Introductory Computer Programming and MATLAB Khojah
BENG 100 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Bioengineers Taylor
BENG 110 Musculoskeletal Biomechanics McCulloch
BENG 119A Design Development in Biomechanics Taylor
BENG 122A Biosystems and Control Cauwenberghs
BENG 126A Design Development in Bioinformatics Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 127A Design Development in Molecular Systems Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 128A Design Development in Genetic Circuits Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 129A Design Development in Cell Systems Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 133 Numerical Analysis and Computational Engineering Mali
BENG 135 Biomedical Signals and Systems Contijoch
BENG 139A Design Development in Molecular Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 141 Biomedical Optics and Imaging Lal
BENG 147A Design Development in Neural Engineering Taylor
BENG 148A Design Development in Cardiac Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 149A Design Development in Vascular Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 161A Bioreactor Engineering  Fraley
BENG 162 Biotechnology Laboratory Mali
BENG 166A Cell and Tissue Engineering  Sah
BENG 169A Design Development in Tissue Engineering Taylor
BENG 179A Design Development in Bioinstrumentation Taylor
BENG 183 Applied Genomic Technologies Zhong
BENG 187B Bioengineering Design Project: Development Taylor
BENG 196 Bioengineering Industrial Internship Engler

 

Winter 2025
  Course Instructor
BENG 1 Introduction to Bioengineering Sah
BENG 112A Soft Tissue Biomechanics Valdez-Jasso
BENG 119B Design Implementation in Biomechanics Taylor
BENG 120 Organic Chemistry Structural and Design Principles Huang
BENG 123 Dynamic Simulation in Bioengineering Palsson
BENG 126B Design Implementation in Bioinformatics Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 127B Design Implementation in Molecular Systems Bioengineering  Taylor
BENG 128B Design Implementation in Genetic Circuits Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 129B Design Implementation in Cell Systems Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 130 Biotechnology Thermodynamics and Kinetics Subramaniam
BENG 139B Design Implementation in Molecular Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 140A Bioengineering Physiology Silva
BENG 147B Design Implementation in Neural Engineering Taylor
BENG 148B Design Implementation in Cardiac Bioengineering Taylor
BENG 152 Biosystems Engineering Laboratory Taylor
BENG 161B Biochemical Engineering Huang
BENG 168 Biomolecular Engineering Khojah
BENG 169B Design Implementation in Tissue Engineering Taylor
BENG 179B Design Implementation in Bioinstrumentation Taylor
BENG|CSE|BIMM 181 Molecular Sequence Analysis Pevzner
BENG 186B Principles of Bioinstrumentation Design Cauwenberghs
BENG 187C Bioengineering Design Project: Implementation Taylor
BENG 189 Physiological Systems Engineering Contijoch
BENG 191|BENG 291 Senior Seminar I: Professional Issues in Bioengineering Lal
BENG 195 Teaching (BENG 1 UGIAs) Sah
BENG 196 Bioengineering Industrial Internship Engler

 

Spring 2025
  Course Instructor
BENG 100 Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Bioengineers Alexandrov
BENG 102 Molecular Components of Living Systems Chapelin
BENG 103B Bioengineering Mass Transfer Fraley
BENG 112B Fluid and Cell Biomechanics Shi
BENG 125 Modeling and Computation in Bioengineering Hasty
BENG 130 Biotechnology Thermodynamics and Kinetics Kravets
BENG 134 Measurements, Statistics, and Probability Smarr
BENG 140B Bioengineering Physiology Cabrales
BENG 160 Chemical and Molecular Bioengineering Techniques Aguado
BENG 172 Bioengineering Laboratory Cabrales | TBD
BENG|CSE|BIMM 182 Biological Databases Bafna
BENG 186A Principles of Biomaterials Design Kwon
BENG 186B Principles of Bioinstrumentation Design Aran
BENG 187A Bioengineering Design Project: Planning Taylor
BENG 187D Bioengineering Design Project: Presentation Taylor
BENG 193 Clinical Experience in Bioengineering Engler
BENG 196 Bioengineering Industrial Internship Engler

 

What it Means if a Major is in “Selective” Status in the Department of Bioengineering

Entering Freshman FA24

 

Beginning with the Summer 2025 continuing student application cycle, students admitted to UCSD as first-year students will be able to apply to the Bioengineering majors once per year (between Summer and Fall quarters).  Note that space will be limited and acceptance to these majors is not guaranteed. Transfer students are unfortunately not eligible to apply as continuing students as time to degree would be impacted. For more information about the admission process and criteria please see the UC San Diego Selective Majors Page.

All 4 majors in the Bioengineering department are “selective,” meaning the demand for these majors exceeds capacity and enrollment is limited

Students interested in applying to the Bioengineering department must complete a set of screening courses (depending on which major you wish to apply for) prior to applying:

  • Bioengineering and Bioengineering: Biotechnology: BILD 1 (biology); CHEM 6AB; MAE 8 (MatLab); Math 20ABC; Physics 2AB.
  • Bioengineering: Bioinformatics: BILD 1; CHEM 6AB; CSE 11 (or CSE 8A and 8B); MATH 20ABC; PHYS 2AB.
  • Bioengineering: BioSystems: CHEM 6AB; MATH 20ABC; PHYS 2AB.

All screening courses must be taken for a letter grade. If you have met some of the courses by Advanced Placement (AP) work, please be advised of the following: A minimum of 3 courses listed must have been completed at UC San Diego. If students can not meet this 3-course minimum due to prior credit, students may offer grades for MATH 20D (Differential Equations), MATH 18 (Linear Algebra) or MATH 20E (Vector Calculus) until the 3 course minimum has been met.

 

Entering Freshman FA23

 

As an entering Freshman, if you either apply but are not accepted into the "selective"  major directly from high school, OR if you didn't initially apply to one of those majors, you will be able to apply "one time only" to one of the four "selective" majors in the first week of school in the subsequent fall quarter, as you begin your Sophomore year as a “Continuing” student. 

If applying to the Bioengineering (BS) or Bioengineering: Biotechnology (BS) majors you must have already completed the following 9 lower division courses obtaining a grade of “C-“or above, before the start of your fall quarter, Sophomore year.

  • MATH 20ABC (20AB = 2 courses in Calculus for Science & Engineering & 20C = Calculus & Analytic Geometry for Science & Engineering); 
  • CHEM 6A (General Chemistry I) and CHEM 6B (General Chemistry II);
  • PHYSICS 2A (Physics-Mechanics) & PHYSICS 2B (Physics-Electricity & Magnetism). PHYSICS 2AB are intended for physical science and engineering majors;
  • MAE 8 (MATLAB Programming for Engineering Analysis)
  • BILD 1 (Cell Biology).

If applying to the Bioengineering: Bioinformatics (BS) major, you must have already completed the following 9 or 10 courses, obtaining a grade of "C-" or above, before the start of your fall quarter, Sophomore year

  • MATH 20ABC (20AB = 2 courses in Calculus for Science & Engineering & 20C = Calculus & Analytic Geometry for Science & Engineering)
  • CHEM 6A (General Chemistry I) and CHEM 6B (General Chemistry II);
  • PHYSICS 2A (Physics-Mechanics) & PHYSICS 2B (Physics-Electricity & Magnetism). PHYSICS 2AB are intended for physical science and engineering majors
  • BILD 1 (Cell Biology)
  • CSE 11 (Introduction to Computer Science and Object-Oriented Programming: Java) or CSE 8A (Java) and CSE 8B (Java B). CSE 8A/B are equivalent to CSE 11.

If applying to the Bioengineering: BioSystems (BS) major, you must have already completed the following 7 courses, obtaining a grade of "C-" or above, before the start of your fall quarter, Sophomore year

  • MATH 20ABC (20AB = 2 courses in Calculus for Science & Engineering & 20C = Calculus & Analytic Geometry for Science & Engineering)
  • CHEM 6A (General Chemistry I) and CHEM 6B (General Chemistry II)
  • PHYSICS 2A (Physics-Mechanics) & PHYSICS 2B (Physics-Electricity & Magnetism). PHYSICS 2AB are intended for physical science and engineering majors.

If you have satisfied any of the required 9 courses by Advance Placement ("AP") in high school, the relevant "requirement" is satisfied and your GPA will be based on the other required courses (e.g., if you have AP credit for MATH 20A, your GPA will be based on the remaining 8 required courses)

If you have met some of the courses by Advance Placement (“AP”) work, please be advised of the following:
A minimum of 3 courses listed must have been completed at UC San Diego. If students can not meet this 3-course minimum due to prior credit, students may offer grades for:

  • MATH 20D (Differential Equations)
  • MATH 18 (Linear Algebra) or MATH 20E (Vector Calculus) until the 3 course minimum has been met.

Each fall quarter, a certain number (determined on an annual basis) of “Continuing” Sophomore students who apply will be selected to enter the “impacted” Bioengineering (BS); Bioengineering: Biotechnology (BS); Bioengineering: Bioinformatics (BS); or Bioengineering: Biosystems (BS) major. The selection process is entirely based on students having the highest GPA obtained in the 8-10 screening courses.

 

Entering Transfers

 

As an entering Transfer student, if you either apply but are not accepted into the "selective" major directly from community college or another 4-year institution, OR if you didn't initially apply to one of those majors, you will be unable to apply to either of the “selective” majors at a future time.

This applies to following:

 

Graduation

 

You Must Satisfy “Departmental Major” AND “College” Requirements

UCSD has a very unique “college system” comprising seven colleges differing in educational philosophies and with regard to the type and number of required General Education (GE) courses you must complete. 

  • Regardless of your major, you may be assigned to any of the six colleges.
  • Please review information about the seven colleges in the online UC San Diego General Catalog, to assist you in determining which college may be the “right fit” for you!

As shown on the bottom line of the “Flowchart” for each of the four majors in Bioengineering, there are 10 “open” slots for completion of 40 units [10 humanities and social science (“HSS”) courses], toward satisfaction of college requirements. 

  • Please note, that since some colleges require more than the 10 HSS courses, students in these colleges may take longer than 4 years to graduate. 
  • Students should consult with their colleges to determine which “HSS” (General Education) courses to take.