bioe undergrad faq v6dl_2011

8/6/2019 BioE Undergrad FAQ v6dl_2011

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Bioengineering Student Services Office, S165 Clark Center, 318 Campus Drive

Phone: 650-736-2254, Fax: 650-721-3088, Email: bioengineering @stanford.edu

ENGR-BS: BIOENGINEERING

Frequently Asked Questions and Inform ation for Undergradua tesInterested in the New B ioengineering Major

General Information :

ENGR-BS, Bioengineering is a new interdisciplinary undergraduate major offered by the Schoolof Engineering

What exactly is a bioengineer? Bioengineers are focused on advancing human health and promoting environmentalsustainability, two of the greatest challenges for our world. Understanding complex livingsystems is at the heart of meeting these challenges. The mission of Stanford's Department of

Bioengineering is to create a fusion of engineering and the life sciences that promotes scientificdiscovery and the development of new biomedical technologies and therapies through researchand education.

What type of classes do bioengineering students take? Bioengineering undergraduates at Stanford take classes from a variety of disciplines. Like allengineers, they must fulfill math requirements and science requirements. Students inBioengineering need to have a good background in biology and therefore must complete twoquarters of the Biology core and a biology lab class. They also need to have a solid background inengineering attained by completing core engineering classes. Finally, Bioengineering studentscan choose between several Bioengineering depth classes to focus in on areas that they areespecially interested in. Please refer to the Bioengineering Program Sheet in the 2010-11

Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs at http://ughb.stanford.edu to see acomprehensive list of classes required for Bioengineering students.

How is Bioengineering different from Biomechanical Engineering and BiomedicalComputation?The biomechanical engineering major combines mechanical engineering and biology while the biomedical computation major combines computer science and biology. Bioengineering drawson a broader base of engineering science with a quantitative perspective of biology at the core of the discipline.

What future career paths are open to Bioengineering students?Bioengineering students have a variety of career goals. Although the major is not usually recommended as a terminal degree, some students begin working in industry as engineersimmediately following graduation in areas such as medical device design, imaging, diagnosticsor biotechnology. Others choose to utilize their quantitative and problem solving skills in areassuch as consulting or finance. Most students intend to continue their studies beyond theirundergraduate degree. Some will choose to pursue a coterminal masters degree or enter adoctoral program in Bioengineering. The Bioengineering undergrad curriculum fulfills many premed requirements so many students attend medical school following graduation. Alternatively, law school and business school are less traditional but equally viable options. The


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Bioengineering curriculum provides quantitative skills and technological knowledge that are valuable in many different careers.

I have more questions about the program. Is there someone I can contact? If you have more questions about the program, please contact the Bioengineering StudentService Office at [email protected].

Declaring the Major

Who can declare?This option is open to Stanford underclassmen. Juniors interested in the major may have toextend their time on-campus to complete the degree requirements. Please review the degreerequirements to determine the pending courses that would be needed.

If I cant major in Bioengineering, what are other options? Alternatively, Stanford offers individually designed majors in engineering (IDMENs) where youcan determine your own engineering curriculum in a way that will allow you to study yourspecific interests. Please see Chapter 2 of the Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering

Programs for more information. We also have a coterminal degree available for outstandingStanford undergraduates who wish to complete a MS degree in bioengineering .

Can I minor in Bioengineering? We do not currently offer this option.

Is there an honors program? We do not currently offer this option.

Courses

What courses do I need to take to major in Bioengineering?

Please check the 2010-11 Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs, pages 66-67. What are the degree requirements?Please check the 2010-11 Handbook for Undergraduate Engineering Programs, pages 66-67.

Can I take the BIOE core before taking BIOE 80 (same as ENGR 80), Introduction toBioengineering, the new engineering Fundamental course? Yes, this is allowable.

Can I take the Hum Bio core in place of the Biology core? Not at this time. We require the Bio core since our BIOE core series is closely aligned with theBio core lecture series.

Do I need to take Chem 35 for this major? We do not require Chem 35.

Advising

How do I find an advisor in Bioengineering? On your declaration form, you will rank your top three advisor choices from the list provided.The Bioengineering Student Services Office will assign your advisor.


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time. Once you plan to petition for transfer credit or a course substitution, you should go aboutgetting approval as soon as you can.

Who is in charge of approving petitions?Petitions pertaining to math/science electives, STS requirements, and EngineeringFundamentals are handled by the School of Engineering, and should be submitted to the Officeof Student Affairs in 475 Huang, Rm. 135. Petitions pertaining to the engineering depth (core +specialty + electives) are handled by the Vice Chair of the BIOE department, and should besubmitted to the Bioengineering Student Services Office in S165 Clark. In the case of transfercredit, you will need to obtain approval from the Registrars Office (transactions are handled by the Student Services Center in Tresidder Union, 2 nd Floor) before submitting your petition inTerman or Clark.

How do I get approval for a course substitution for the engineering depth? Fill out a new program sheet including the new class which you wish to take. Fill out and attacha Departmental Petition to Deviate (download at http://ughb.stanford.edu) , including anexplanation of why you feel this course substitution is justified, and mentioning any relevantcourse information (i.e. class syllabus, note from the professor). The form must be reviewed andsigned by your advisor supporting the course substitution; also have him sign your new programsheet. Turn in your program sheet to the Bioengineering Student Services Office. The Vice Chair will review your petition; you will receive an email regarding approval or denial. DO NOT simply ask the Vice Chair whether he would approve a certain course without following these othersteps. He only grants approval after seeing how the course fits in the student's overall program,and if the student's advisor is okay with the change.

How do I get approval for a course substitution for math/science classes, the STS requirement,or an Engineering Fundamental? You can obtain petitions from the 2010-11 Handbook for Undergraduate EngineeringPrograms Website at http://ughb.stanford.edu . Petitions should be reviewed and signed by your BioE advisor and submitted to Darlene Lazar in 475 Huang Rm. 135.

I took the equivalent of the Math 40 series in high school but do not have AP or IB credits. Do Ineed to retake those classes at Stanford?No, you should not retake those classes. You should petition with the Office of Student Affairs inthe School of Engineering to waive those math classes.

bioe undergrad faq v6dl_2011

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