Bioengineering, BSE
Bioengineering is a multidisciplinary area where the engineering sciences interface biology, biomedical sciences, and medicine, to advance human health. Bioengineering brings together the creation of new knowledge and understanding of biological systems through engineering analysis and experimentation, with the application of engineering design and practice principles for the development of devices, processes, methods and biotechnologies to improve medical practice and health care delivery.
For more information: https://www.seas.upenn.edu/prospective-students/undergrad/majors/bioengineering/
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2026 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.
Curriculum
BSE Degree Requirements
Below are the requirements for the BSE degree for students entering in Fall 2020 and beyond. This reflects a total of 37 course units. To see how courses can be scheduled out for the full four years, see the BSE sample curriculum.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | ||
| BE 1000 | Introduction to Bioengineering | 0.5 |
| ENGR 1050 | Introduction to Scientific Computing | 1 |
| BE 2000 | Introduction to Biomechanics | 1 |
| BE 2200 | Biomaterials | 1 |
| BE 2700 | Bioengineering Laboratory Principles | 1 |
| BE 3010 | Bioengineering Signals and Systems | 1 |
| BE 3060 | Cellular Engineering | 1 |
| BE 3090 | Bioengineering Modeling, Analysis and Design Laboratory I | 1 |
| BE 3100 | Bioengineering Modeling, Analysis and Design Laboratory II | 1 |
| BE 3500 | Introduction to Biotransport Processes | 1 |
| BE 4950 | Senior Design Project | 1 |
| BE 4960 | Senior Design Project | 1 |
| BE Elective (4000 or 5000 level) | 2 | |
| SEAS Engineering (EUNG) | 2 | |
| Math and Natural Science | ||
| MATH 1400 | Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| MATH 1410 | Calculus, Part II | 1 |
| ESE/ENM 2030 | Linear Algebra with Applications to Engineering and AI | 1 |
| or ENM 2400 | Differential Equations and Linear Algebra | |
| ENM 3750 | Biological Data Science I - Fundamentals of Biostatistics | 1 |
| or ENGR 3440 | Answering Questions with Data, for Everyone | |
| PHYS 0140 | Principles of Physics I (without laboratory) | 1 |
| PHYS 0141 | Principles of Physics II (without laboratory) | 1 |
| CHEM 1012 | General Chemistry I | 1 |
| or CHEM 1151 | Honors Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 1101 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | .5 |
| CHEM 1102 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | .5 |
| CHEM 1022 | General Chemistry II | 1 |
| or CHEM 1161 | Honors Chemistry II | |
| BIOL 1121 | Introduction to Biology - The Molecular Biology of Life | 1 |
| BIOL 1123 | Introductory Molecular Biology Laboratory | .5 |
| BIOL 3310 | Principles of Human Physiology | 1 |
| General Electives (including Ethics and Writing) 1, 2 | ||
| Select 2 Social Science courses | 2 | |
| Select 2 Humanities courses | 2 | |
| Select 1 Social Science or Humanities course | 1 | |
| Select 1 Social Science, Humanities, or Technology in Business & Society course | 2 | |
| Free Elective 3 | ||
| Select 3 free elective courses | 3 | |
| Total Course Units | 37 | |
- 1
Must include a Writing Seminar from the list below:
WRIT 0020 (H), WRIT 0021 (SS), WRIT 0100 (H),WRIT 0110 (H), WRIT 0120 (H), WRIT 0130 (H), WRIT 0140 (H), WRIT 0150 (H), WRIT 0160 (SS), WRIT 0170 (SS), WRIT 0220 (TBS), WRIT 0230 (H), WRIT 0250 (H), WRIT 0260 (H), WRIT 0270 (H), WRIT 0280 (SS),WRIT 0300 (H), WRIT 0310 (TBS), WRIT 0320 (-), WRIT 0330 (H), WRIT 0340 (SS), WRIT 0370 (SS), WRIT 0380 (SS), WRIT 0390 (H), WRIT 0400 (TBS), WRIT 0410 (H), WRIT 0480 (SS), WRIT 0490 (H), WRIT 0500 (SS), WRIT 0550 (SS), WRIT 0570 (H), WRIT 0580 (H), WRIT 0590 (SS),WRIT 0650 (TBS), WRIT 0670 (H), WRIT 0680 (H), WRIT 0730 (H), WRIT 0740 (TBS)- 2
One of the General Electives must fulfill the Ethics Requirement. Options include:
- EAS 2030 Engineering Ethics
- BIOE 4010 Introduction to Bioethics or BIOE 4020 Conceptual Foundations of Bioethics
- HSOC 1330 Bioethics or HSOC 2457 History of Bioethics
- LGST 1000 Ethics and Social Responsibility or LGST 2200 International Business Ethics
- NURS 3300 Theoretical Foundations of Health Care Ethics or NURS 5250 Ethical Aspects of Health and Technology
- PHIL 1342 Bioethics or PHIL 4330 Metaethics
- 3
Penn Engineering undergraduates may not use courses on this list toward their degree:
- ASTR 0001
- CHEM 1011
- CIS (CSE)
- EAS 5030 (SEAS UG students may register for EAS 4030 for TBS credit)
- EAS 5050 (SEAS UG students may register for EAS 3010 for TBS credit)
- Education (inter-session courses)
- MATH 1300, MATH 1700
- MCIT courses
- Military Science
- Naval Science (except NSCI 1020, NSCI 2010 , NSCI 2020, NSCI 3010, NSCI 4010, NSCI 4020)
- Organizational Dynamics (DYNM) courses
- PHYS 1100, below PHYS 0140 (except PHYS 0050, PHYS 0051)
- Statistics below 4300 (Note: effective Fall 2021 STAT 4050 and STAT 4220 can only be used as free electives)
- Perelman School of Medicine (MED courses)
- Wharton Global Youth Pre-Baccalaureate courses
- The Green Program (TGP) study abroad
Degree Concentrations
Students may select one of nine concentrations.
On This Page
Degree Concentrations
Students may select one of nine concentrations.
Concentrations are not required, but are intended to provide students with the option to obtain a more focused education in a particular field of study or sub-topic within a given field. To satisfy the requirements for a concentration, students must select at least 4 courses from any of the categories listed below. At least two courses must be from Bioengineering.
Biomedical Data Science and Computational Medicine
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Biological Data Science II: Data Mining Principles for Epigenomics | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Networked Neuroscience | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering | ||
| Biological Data Science II: Data Mining Principles for Epigenomics | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Networked Neuroscience | ||
| Artificial Intelligence | ||
| Database and Information Systems | ||
| Machine Learning | ||
| Big Data Analytics | ||
| Molecular Modeling and Simulations | ||
| Foundations of Data Science | ||
| Statistics for Data Science | ||
| Introduction to Bioinformatics | ||
or CIS 5350 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | |
or MTR 5350 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | |
| Biological Data Analysis | ||
| Fundamentals of Computational Biology | ||
or CIS 5360 | Fundamentals of Computational Biology | |
or GCB 5360 | Fundamentals of Computational Biology | |
| Advanced Computational Biology | ||
| Seminar in Advanced Application of Statistics | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Biomedical Devices
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Medical Devices | ||
| Medical Device Development * | ||
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Applied Medical Innovation I * | ||
| Applied Medical Innovation II * | ||
| Biomicrofluidics | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics for Precision Medicine | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Medical Devices | ||
| Medical Device Development * | ||
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| From Biomedical Science to the Marketplace | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Applied Medical Innovation I * | ||
| Applied Medical Innovation II * | ||
| Biomicrofluidics | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics for Precision Medicine | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Electrical Circuits and Systems | ||
| Feedback Control Design and Analysis | ||
or MEAM 5130 | Feedback Control Design and Analysis | |
| Introduction to Micro- and Nano-electromechanical Technologies | ||
| Introduction to Mechanical Design * | ||
| Machine Design and Manufacturing | ||
| Design of Mechatronic Systems | ||
| Product Design | ||
or OIDD 4150 | Product Design | |
| Design for Manufacturability | ||
| Introduction to Robotics | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Cellular/Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Self-Assembly of Soft Materials | ||
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Principles, Methods, and Applications of Tissue Engineering | ||
| Principles of Biological Fabrication | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| Principles and Engineering of Cell Signaling | ||
| Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Self-Assembly of Soft Materials | ||
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Principles, Methods, and Applications of Tissue Engineering | ||
| Principles of Biological Fabrication | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| Principles and Engineering of Cell Signaling | ||
| Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems | ||
| Introduction to Polymers | ||
or MSE 4300 | Introduction to Polymers | |
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Design for Manufacturability | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
or BE 5850 | Materials for Bioelectronics | |
| Structure and Function of Biological Materials | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Biomedical Imaging and Radiation Physics
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Biomedical Image Analysis | ||
| Fundamental Techniques of Imaging | ||
| Techniques of Magnetic Resonance Imaging | ||
| Physics of Medical / Molecular Imaging | ||
| Advanced Biomedical Imaging Applications | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Optical Microscopy | ||
| Biomedical Image Analysis | ||
| Fundamental Techniques of Imaging | ||
| Techniques of Magnetic Resonance Imaging | ||
| Physics of Medical / Molecular Imaging | ||
| Advanced Biomedical Imaging Applications | ||
| Image-Based Anatomy | ||
| Radiation Biology | ||
| Modern Optics | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Systems and Synthetic Biology
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Principles of Biological Fabrication | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| Principles and Engineering of Cell Signaling | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering | ||
| Principles of Biological Fabrication | ||
| Multiscale Modeling of Chemical and Biological Systems | ||
| Developmental Engineering of Tissues | ||
| Principles and Engineering of Cell Signaling | ||
| Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | ||
| Laboratory in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering | ||
| Principles of Genome Engineering | ||
| Advancements and Applications in Genome Editing and Engineering | ||
| Engineering Biotechnology | ||
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Mechanics of Macromolecules | ||
| Biological Foundations for Bioengineering and Biotechnology: Genomics and Omics Technologies | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Neuroengineering
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Introduction to Neuroengineering | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Networked Neuroscience | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
| Advanced Systems Neuroengineering | ||
| NeuroAI - A Principled Understanding of the Human Brain | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Introduction to Neuroengineering | ||
| Brain-Computer Interfaces | ||
| Theoretical and Computational Neuroscience | ||
| Networked Neuroscience | ||
| Materials for Bioelectronics | ||
| Advanced Systems Neuroengineering | ||
| NeuroAI - A Principled Understanding of the Human Brain | ||
| Cognitive Neuroscience | ||
or PSYC 1230 | Cognitive Neuroscience | |
| Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology | ||
or BIOL 2110 | Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology | |
| Neural Systems and Behavior | ||
or BIOL 5110 | Neural Systems and Behavior | |
| Neurobiology of Learning and Memory * | ||
| Cellular Basis of Learning and Memory * | ||
| Computational Neuroscience Lab | ||
| Electrical Language of Cells | ||
| Systems Neuroscience | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Multiscale Biomechanics
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Biomechanics and Biotransport | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Continuum Tissue Mechanics | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering | ||
| Biomechanics and Biotransport | ||
| Rehab Engineering and Design | ||
| Continuum Tissue Mechanics | ||
| Biomechatronics | ||
| Musculoskeletal Biology and Bioengineering | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Therapeutics, Drug Delivery & Nanomedicine
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Nanoscale Systems Biology | ||
or CBE 5550 | Nanoscale Systems Biology | |
or MEAM 5550 | Nanoscale Systems Biology | |
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
| Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems | ||
| Select 2 additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering | ||
| Nanoscale Systems Biology | ||
or CBE 5550 | Nanoscale Systems Biology | |
or MEAM 5550 | Nanoscale Systems Biology | |
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
| Principles of Drug Delivery and Controlled Release Systems | ||
| Drug Discovery and Development | ||
| Stem Cells, Proteomics and Drug Delivery - Soft Matter Fundamentals | ||
| Drug Delivery Systems: Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine | ||
| Total Course Units | 4 | |
Immune Engineering
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Select 2 courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials | ||
| Immunology for Bioengineers (students cannot count both BIOL 4004 and BE 4260/BE 5260 towards concentration) | ||
or BE 5260 | Immunology for Bioengineers | |
or BIOL 4004 | Immunobiology | |
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Select two additional courses in: | 2 | |
| Independent Project in Bioengineering *** | ||
| Bioengineering III: Biomaterials | ||
| Immunology for Bioengineers (students cannot count both BIOL 4004 and BE 4260/BE 5260 towards concentration) | ||
or BE 5260 | Immunology for Bioengineers | |
or BIOL 4004 | Immunobiology | |
| Immune Engineering | ||
| Quantitative Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Modern Biotechnology for Engineers | ||
| Immune Mechanisms | ||
| Immunopathology | ||
| Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics | ||
or CAMB 6090 | Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics | |
| Introduction to Vaccine Development | ||
Footnotes
- *
Students may count only one of the asterisked courses per concentration.
- **
Students may only “double count” TWO courses for multiple concentrations.
- ***
Students may only count one Independent Study (BE 4900 or BE 4920).
BSE Sample Curriculum
Below is a sample curriculum outlining classes taken for the four years of the BSE degree. This sample reflects the degree requirements for students entering Fall 2020 and beyond. When making your schedule, keep in mind that electives need to be selected to fulfill distributional requirements in BE, Engineering, SSH, and free categories, according to the e-CPG. Premeds should visit the Premed Office website to be sure they are choosing the right electives.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Course Units | |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus, Part I | 1 |
| CHEM 1012 or CHEM 1151 | General Chemistry I or Honors Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 1101 | General Chemistry Laboratory I | .5 |
| PHYS 0140 | Principles of Physics I (without laboratory) | 1 |
| BE 1000 | Introduction to Bioengineering | 0.5 |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| MATH 1410 | Calculus, Part II | 1 |
| CHEM 1022 or CHEM 1161 | General Chemistry II or Honors Chemistry II | 1 |
| CHEM 1102 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | .5 |
| PHYS 0141 | Principles of Physics II (without laboratory) | 1 |
| ENGR 1050 | Introduction to Scientific Computing (or CIS 1200 or higher) | 1 |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENM 2400 | Differential Equations and Linear Algebra or Linear Algebra with Applications to Engineering and AI or Linear Algebra with Applications to Engineering and AI | 1 |
| BE 2000 | Introduction to Biomechanics | 1 |
| BIOL 1121 | Introduction to Biology - The Molecular Biology of Life | 1 |
| BIOL 1123 | Introductory Molecular Biology Laboratory | .5 |
| Social Science 1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.50 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENM 3750 | Biological Data Science I - Fundamentals of Biostatistics or Answering Questions with Data, for Everyone or Statistics for Data Science or Statistical Inference | 1 |
| BE 2200 | Biomaterials | 1 |
| BE 2700 | Bioengineering Laboratory Principles | 1 |
| Social Science 1 | 1 | |
| Humanities 1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 3310 | Principles of Human Physiology | 1 |
| BE 3090 | Bioengineering Modeling, Analysis and Design Laboratory I | 1 |
| BE 3010 | Bioengineering Signals and Systems or Cellular Engineering or Introduction to Biotransport Processes | 1 |
| Humanities 1 | 1 | |
| Free Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| BE 3500 | Introduction to Biotransport Processes | 1 |
| BE 3060 | Cellular Engineering | 1 |
| BE 3100 | Bioengineering Modeling, Analysis and Design Laboratory II | 1 |
| Free Elective | 1 | |
| Social Science or Humanities 1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Engineering 2 | 1 | |
| BE 4950 | Senior Design Project | 1 |
| BE Elective (4000 or 5000 Level) | 1 | |
| SS, H, or TBS 1 | 1 | |
| Free Elective | 1 | |
| Course Units | 5.00 | |
| Spring | ||
| BE 4960 | Senior Design Project | 1 |
| Engineering 2 | 1 | |
| BE Elective (4000 or 5000 Level) | 1 | |
| SS, H, or TBS 1 | 1 | |
| Course Units | 4.00 | |
| Total Course Units | 37.00 | |
- 1
In the Social Sciences and Humanities category, one course must fulfill the writing requirement; one must fulfill the ethics requirement.
A list of approved Writing Seminars can be found in the SEAS Undergraduate Handbook.
Ethics Requirement Options:
- EAS 2030 Engineering Ethics
- BIOE 4010 Introduction to Bioethics or BIOE 4020 Conceptual Foundations of Bioethics
- HSOC 1330 Bioethics or HSOC 2457 History of Bioethics
- LGST 1000 Ethics and Social Responsibility or LGST 2200 International Business Ethics
- NURS 3300 Theoretical Foundations of Health Care Ethics or NURS 5250 Ethical Aspects of Health and Technology
- PHIL 1342 Bioethics or PHIL 4330 Metaethics
- 2
Engineering Electives (Engineering XXXX) in the Engineering Category can be fulfilled by any course that counts as Engineering per the handbook. Please note that EAS (Engineering and Applied Science) courses DO NOT count as Engineering.