Bioengineering researchers study regenerating damaged cardiac tissue. (Photo by Noah Berger)

Bioengineering

Overview
Degree requirement
Degree worksheet

You’re equally intrigued by electronics and biology. Or you want to invent revolutionary biocompatible medical implants. Or you’re interested in the intersection of information technology and pharmaceutical development. Or any number of the infinite possibilities that come from applying engineering to biological systems. Bioengineering is a growing discipline, and much work in this area involves research and development. Genetics, nanotechnology, medical devices and tissue engineering are just a few of the many professional outlets for bioengineers. Some students even use their degrees as launching points for careers in management, business or law.

Why choose Berkeley?

Contact

Department of Bioengineering
306 Stanley Hall # 1762
Berkeley, CA 94720-1762
(510) 642-5833
bioeng@berkeley.edu

Because our bioengineering programs are ranked among the top in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. Because our major features small, specialized upper-division courses in multiple concentration areas — biomedical devices, biomedical imaging, cell and tissue engineering and computational and synthetic biology — as well as significant interaction with professors. Because we collaborate with such institutions as UCSF and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and we connect with the larger Bay Area biotech industry. Our faculty research specialties include bioinstrumentation, biomaterials and nanotechnology, cell and tissue engineering, computational biology, and systems and synthetic biology. And the department offers many opportunities for undergraduate research.

Sound interesting? Learn more about the Department of Bioengineering.

Microscopic models of the human heart

CellScope Loa

Engineering Student Services
120 Grimes Engineering Center
Berkeley, CA 94720
ess@berkeley.edu
(510) 642-7594

Department Contacts

Degree worksheet: 2026

Undergraduate programs and degree worksheets from previous years are available through the Undergraduate Guide archive.

Course	Fall	Spring
Freshman Year
BIOENG 10 – Introduction to Biomedicine for Engineers	4	–
CHEM 1A+1AL – General Chemistry, or CHEM 4A – General Chemistry and Quantitative Analysis¹	5	–
CHEM 3A+3AL – Chemical Structure and Reactivity, or CHEM 12A – Organic Chemistry¹	–	5
MATH 51 – Calculus I	4	–
MATH 52 – Calculus II	–	4
PHYSICS 7A – Physics for Scientists and Engineers	–	4
Seminars: BIOENG 26 – Introduction to Bioengineering, and BIOENG 25 – Careers in Biotechnology²	1	1
Reading & Composition Part A Course³	4	–
Reading & Composition Part B Course³	–	4
Total	18	18
Sophomore Year
BIOENG 11 – Engineering Molecules 1	–	3
ENGIN 7 – Introduction to Computer Programming and Numerical Methods, or COMPSCI 61A – Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs	4	–
MATH 53 – Multivariable Calculus	4	–
MATH 54 – Linear Algebra and Differential Equations	–	4
PHYSICS 7B – Physics for Scientists and Engineers	4	–
Engineering Course⁴	–	3-4
Humanities/Social Sciences Courses^2,3	3-4	3-4
Total	15-16	13-15
Junior Year
Bioengineering Fundamentals⁵	4	4
Engineering Course⁴	3-4	–
Upper Division Technical Topics⁶	3-4	3
Upper Division Technical Topics (also an Engineering Course)^4,6		3
Humanities/Social Sciences Course^2,3	–	3-4
BIOENG 100 – Ethics in Science and Engineering, or Humanities/Social Sciences Course (with Ethics Content)^2,3	3	–
Total	13-15	13-14
Senior Year
Bioengineering Lab Course⁷	4	–
Upper Division Technical Topics (also an Engineering Course)^4,6	3-4	–
Bioengineering Design Project or Research⁸	3-4	–
Bioengineering Upper Division Courses⁹		8
Free Electives¹⁰	3-4	7
Total	13-16	15

Notes

* A minimum of 120 units is required for graduation.

¹CHEM 4A and 12A are intended for students majoring in chemistry or a closely related field. Note: Prerequisites to CHEM 12A include CHEM 1B or CHEM 4B.

²This requirement may be completed at any time in the program.

³The Humanities/Social Sciences (H/SS) requirement includes two approved Reading & Composition (R&C) courses and four additional approved courses, with which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. R&C courses must be taken for a letter grade (C- or better required). The first half (R&C Part A) must be completed by the end of the freshman year; the second half (R&C Part B) must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. The remaining courses may be taken at any time during the program. See engineering.berkeley.edu/hss for complete details and a list of approved courses. Consult the Ethics Content List for a list of approved courses with ethics content.

⁴Students must complete a minimum of 48 engineering units. See concentrations for recommendations. The 48 units of engineering courses cannot include: any course taken on a P/NP basis; courses numbered 24, 39, 84; BIOENG 100; CHMENG 185; COMPSCI 70, C79; DATA C104; DESINV courses (except DESINV 15, 22, 23, 90E, 190E); ENGIN 68, 125, 157AC, 170 series, 180, 183 series, 184, 185, 187, 195 series; INDENG 95, 172, 185, 186, 190 series, 191, 192, 195; MECENG 191AC, 190K, 191K. There is no limit to the number of letter-graded research units that can be applied to the 48 engineering units.

⁵Choose courses from the approved Bioengineering Fundamentals list. See concentrations for recommendations.

⁶Students must complete a minimum of 36 units of upper division Technical Topics courses. Choose courses from the approved Technical Topics list. See concentrations for recommendations. Up to 8 units of research (BIOENG H194 and/or BIOENG 196) can be included in this total. The 36 units of upper division Technical Topics cannot include BIOENG 100, 153, 253, any other seminar-style courses or group meetings, or any course taken on a P/NP basis.

⁷Choose course from the approved Bioengineering Lab list. See concentrations for recommendations.

⁸Choose course from the approved Bioengineering Design Project or Research list. See concentrations for recommendations.

⁹Students must complete a minimum of 24 units of upper division Bioengineering courses, including at least two Bioengineering Fundamentals courses, one Bioengineering Design Project or Research course, and one Bioengineering Lab course. See concentrations for recommendations. Up to 4 units of research (BIOENG H194 and/or BIOENG 196) can be included in this total. The 24 units of upper division Bioengineering courses cannot include BIOENG 100, 153, 253, any other seminar-style courses or group meetings, or any courses taken on a P/NP basis.

¹⁰Free electives can be any technical or non-technical course, any course of your interest offered by any department; there are no restrictions. Free electives may be necessary in order to obtain the minimum 120 units for graduation.

Course	Fall	Spring
1st and 2nd Semesters
Seminars: BIOENG 26 – Introduction to Bioengineering, and BIOENG 25 – Careers in Biotechnology¹	1	1
BIOENG 11 – Engineering Molecules I	–	3-4
ENGIN 7 – Introduction to Computer Programming for Scientists and Engineers, or COMPSCI 61A – Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs	4	–
Engineering Course²	4	–
Bioengineering Fundamentals³	4	4
Engineering Course²		4
BIOENG 100 – Ethics in Science and Engineering, or Humanities/Social Sciences Course (with Ethics Content)^1,4	3-4	–
Humanities/Social Sciences Course^1,4	–	3-4
Total	16-17	15-17
3rd and 4th Semesters
Bioengineering Upper Division Courses⁵	4	4
Upper Division Technical Topics⁶	4	4
Upper Division Technical Topics (also an Engineering Courses)^2,6	4	4
Humanities/Social Sciences Courses^1,4	3-4	3-4
Total	15-16	15-16
5th Semester**
Bioengineering Lab Course⁷	4
Bioengineering Design Project or Research⁸	4
Engineering Course	4
Total	12

Notes

* A minimum of 120 units is required for graduation.

**Transfer students who would like to enroll for a fifth semester must contact their ESS Adviser to change their degree term.

¹This requirement may be completed at any time in the program.

²Students must complete a minimum of 48 engineering units. See concentrations for recommendations. The 48 units of engineering courses cannot include: any course taken on a P/NP basis; courses numbered 24, 39, 84; BIOENG 100; CHMENG 185; COMPSCI 70, C79; DATA C104; DESINV courses (except DESINV 15, 22, 23, 90E, 190E); ENGIN 68, 125, 157AC, 170 series, 180, 183 series, 184, 185, 187, 195 series; INDENG 95, 172, 185, 186, 190 series, 191, 192, 195; MECENG 191AC, 190K, 191K. There is no limit to the number of letter-graded research units that can be applied to the 48 engineering units.

³Choose courses from the approved Bioengineering Fundamentals list. See concentrations for recommendations.

4The Humanities/Social Science (H/SS) requirement includes two approved Reading & Composition courses and four additional approved courses, with which a number of specific conditions must be satisfied. Reading & Composition parts A and B must be completed by no later than the end of the sophomore year. The remaining courses may be taken at any time during the program. See engineering.berkeley.edu/hss for complete details and a list of approved courses. Consult the Ethics Content List for a list of approved courses with ethics content.

⁵Students must complete a minimum of 24 units of upper division Bioengineering courses, including at least two Bioengineering Fundamentals courses, one Bioengineering Design Project or Research course, and one Bioengineering Lab course. See concentrations for recommendations. Up to 4 units of research (BIOENG H194 and/or BIOENG 196) can be included in this total. The 24 units of upper division Bioengineering courses cannot include BIOENG 100, 153, 253, any other seminar-style courses or group meetings, or any courses taken on a P/NP basis.

⁷Choose course from the approved Bioengineering Lab list. See concentrations for recommendations.

⁸Choose course from the approved Bioengineering Design Project or Research list. See concentrations for recommendations.

The easiest, most convenient way to track your progress toward your degree requirements is to use a degree worksheet, with guidelines specific to your year of admission. You should bring your worksheet with you whenever you meet with your Engineering Student Services or faculty adviser. From your ‘My Academics’ page on CalCentral, use the ‘Semesters’ section to help complete your worksheet. When available, you can also use the Academic Progress Report to help update your degree worksheet.

Bioengineering: 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 I 2025 | 2026

If you would like to receive these documents in an alternative, accessible format, please contact eng-ada@berkeley.edu.