Online Bioengineering Master’s Degree
Overview
Healthcare and engineering are among the most in-demand career fields, so it’s no surprise that bioengineering, a relatively new discipline that combines the two fields, is taking off.
Similar to computer engineers who design and build computer components, students earning their master’s in bioengineering online learn how to create and manipulate cells, tissues, and pharmaceuticals, among other skills.
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Coursework
| Example courses | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robotics | |||||||||
| Systems physiology | |||||||||
| Neural interfaces and bionic limbs | |||||||||
| Physiology and tissue engineering | |||||||||
| Soft tissue biomechanics | |||||||||
| Regenerative medicine | |||||||||
| Drug discovery and design | |||||||||
Students enrolled in a bioengineering master’s program should anticipate a rigorous curriculum laden with organic sciences such as molecular and cellular biology, cardiovascular physiology, and neurodynamics, as well as courses such as drug discovery and design.
Given the math and science skills needed to succeed at this level, many graduate bioengineering programs require that students have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, such as public health, engineering, biology, or chemistry.
That doesn’t mean applicants with a liberal arts degree are out of luck. Some programs will consider students with nonscientific degrees if they’ve racked up work experience in the field and completed prerequisite courses such as calculus, chemistry, biology, and physics prior to enrolling.
Job Outlook
| Median salaries* | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical equipment and supplies manufacturer | $81,000 | ||||||||
| Biomedical engineer | $81,500 | ||||||||
| Pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturer | $82,800 | ||||||||
| Scientific research and development consultant | $88,300 | ||||||||
*per the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
Graduates with a master’s degree in bioengineering often go on to work as biomedical engineers—one of the fastest growing occupations, with a projected growth rate of nearly 72 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Other career paths include developing and manufacturing pharmaceuticals, designing medical devices, and conducting clinical research.
Median salaries for employees with a master’s in bioengineering range from $81,000 for those working in medical equipment manufacturing to $88,300 for grads working in scientific research and development, according to BLS data.
