Bioengineering
The undergraduate experience in Bioengineering combines a rigorous engineering foundation with the flexibility to explore interests across disciplines. Grounded in Penn Engineering and enriched by the broader University of Pennsylvania, students can shape a path that aligns with their goals, whether through research, cross-school study, or preparation for careers in medicine, industry, or graduate education. With strong advising and hands-on learning, the program empowers students to take ownership of their academic journey and apply engineering to improve human health.
Our undergraduate students do hands-on, interdisciplinary work. From designing and building electric circuits to dissecting tissues, from examining the mechanical properties of bone to purifying solutions by dialysis, our students have access to laboratory facilities with state-of-the-art equipment and opportunities. Lab courses are heavily project-based, and students learn modeling, analysis, and design techniques involving physiological studies, instrumentation and circuit design, medical device development, biomechanics, biomaterials, microfluidics, and cell engineering.
The undergraduate curriculum in Bioengineering is built on a demanding engineering foundation designed to push your analytical and quantitative limits. However, this rigorous core is purposefully paired with a flexible framework that actively encourages exploration across disciplines.
This course investigates the application of statics and strength of materials to soft and hard biologic tissues. The course will cover simple force analyses of the musculoskeletal system and introduces the fundamentals of the mechanics of materials including axial loading, torsion and bending and their application to biomechanics. The lecture and recitation will be complemented with hands-on examples emphasizing connections between theoretical principles and practical applications.
In this course, students will study the social, political, environmental and economic context of engineering practice. Students will develop an analytical toolkit to identify and address ethical challenges and opportunities in the engineering profession, including studies of risk and safety, professional responsibility, and global perspectives. The course will begin with a foundation in the history of engineering practice and major Western ethical and philosophical theories. Students will then apply this material to both historical case studies, such as Bhopal, the NASA Shuttle Program, and Three Mile Island, as well as contemporary issues in big data, artificial intelligence, and diversity within the profession. Students will consider how engineers, as well as governments, the media, and other stakeholders, address such issues.
The biological cell is a complex machine and its function is at the root of all physiology and many pathologies. Recent advances in molecular and cell biology enable the redesign of cell function. This course aims to develop a quantitative understanding of cell function, and how we might go about changing cell function through intelligent redesign. The course covers topics ranging from receptor binding and endocytosis, cell adhesion and motility, cell function in the immune system, systems and synthetic biology, genetic knockdown and manipulation using CRISPR and gene therapy, and strategies for immunotherapy including chimeric antigen receptor therapy (carT).
Group design projects in various areas of bioengineering. Project ideas are proposed by the students in the Spring semester of the Junior year and refined during the Fall semester. The course guides the students through choosing and understanding an impactful biomedical problem, defining characteristics of a successful design solution to eliminate or mitigate a problem or fulfill a need, identifying and prioritizing constraints, creatively developing potential design solutions, iteratively refining design options, defining and implementing an optimal solution , and evaluating how well the solution fulfills the need. Final oral and written reports are required. Also emphasized are teamwork, project management, time management, regulations/standards, and effective communication. Seniors in BE or Department Permission.
Bioengineering Undergraduate Student Spotlight
The University of Pennsylvania Bioengineering undergraduate experience prepares students to be innovators. The undergraduate trajectory of senior Yerahm Hong (BE ’26) exemplifies what a Penn Bioengineering education is designed to achieve. While her recent receipt of the prestigious Rose Undergraduate Research Award highlights her individual brilliance, her academic journey showcases how the Penn Bioengineering experience […]
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Popular first destinations for recent bioengineering undergraduates include positions at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Epic Systems, McKinsey & Co., and the University of Pennsylvania. Others have entered graduate programs and medical school.
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