Bioengineering, BS

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Contact Info

Bioengineering Department

Nguyen Engineering Building, 3300
4400 University Drive,
MS 1G5
Fairfax, VA 22030

Phone: 703-993-5846

Email: bioeng@gmu.edu

Develop new treatments for burn victims using pharmaceutical nanofilm. Help amputees regain mobility with sensor-equipped prostheses that respond to nerve impulses. Bioengineering applies engineering tools and approaches to solving problems in biology and medicine. Pursuing your BS in Bioengineering at Mason Engineering offers the opportunity to experience the cutting edge of medical technology. This dynamic field capitalizes on rapid advances in high-tech bioinformatics, as well as unprecedented growth in biological science. Students can expect challenging coursework in physical and computational science as they pursue a bachelor's degree. After graduation, they're competitive for entry- level positions in the biomedical industry or admission to graduate school or medical school.

Find degree requirements in the university catalog.

Program Requirements

Bioengineering, BS

Please see the University Catalog for complete program requirements and policies, and discuss all program plans with an academic advisor.  Certain courses may fulfill multiple requirements across the Mason Core general education program, the college or school, and/or the specific program.

Bioengineering, also referred to as biomedical engineering, is the application of engineering tools and approaches to solve problems in biology and medicine. It is a broad and growing field that draws upon rapid advances in technology and computation, as well as on unprecedented growth in basic biological understanding.

The educational objectives of the Bioengineering undergraduate program are the following:

  • Alumni electing to work after graduation (for example, in industry or government) will contribute to the development or application of new products or processes that are of benefit to society.
  • Alumni electing to continue their formal education will have completed their studies, or will have made demonstrable progress toward an advanced degree in their chosen profession.
  • Alumni will communicate and perform effectively as members or leaders of multi-disciplinary teams.
  • Alumni will continue to enhance their skills and knowledge in a quest for further professional development.

In addition to the program outlined below, the Department of Bioengineering offers an Honors Program that creates a community of outstanding scholars in bioengineering who share a commitment to learning, service, and leadership.  The Program is based on the bioengineering curriculum, and is distinct from the University Honors Curriculum.

Degree Requirements (120-135 credits total)

Mason Core General education program required for all undergraduate students.

College Requirement(s) n/a

Major Requirements (99-113 credits)

Bioengineering (29 credits)

Biology (7-8 credits)

And one of the following:

Computer Science (4 credits)

Mathematics and Statistics (20 credits)

Physics (8 credits)

Engineering (2 credits)

Communication (3 credits)

Concentration in Biomedical Signals and Systems (BMSS) (29 credits)

This concentration requires successful completion of the following courses:

Chemistry (4 credits)

Computer Science (3 credits)

Choose one of the following:

Economics (3 credits)

Electrical and Computer Engineering (3 credits)

Physics (4 credits)

Technical Electives (12 credits)

 Choose 12 credits from the following technical electives:

Students may choose to substitute one of the 3 credit technical electives with one of the following:

Note: Students may substitute  CHEM 211 - General Chemistry and  CHEM 212 - General Chemistry for  PHYS 262 - University Physics III, PHYS 263 - University Physics III Laboratory, and CHEM 251 - General Chemistry for Engineers.

Concentration in Bioengineering Healthcare Informatics (BHI) (31 credits)

This concentration requires successful completion of the following courses:

Bioengineering (3 credits)

Chemistry (3 credits)

Computer Science (3 credits)

Economics (3 credits)

Health Administration & Policy (6 credits)

Information Technology (3 credits)

Technical Elective (9 credits)

Students may choose to substitute one of the 3 technical electives with one of the following sets of courses:

Concentration in Bioengineering Prehealth (BMPH) (43-44 credits)

This concentration requires successful completion of the following courses:

Biology (7-8 credits)

And one of the following:

Chemistry (18 credits)

Computer Science (3 credits)

Electrical and Computer Engineering (3 credits)

Psychology and Sociology (6 credits)

Technical Electives (6 credits)

Additional Mason Core (18 credits)

  • Written Communication (6 credits)
  • Literature (3 credits)
  • Fine Arts (3 credits)
  • Western Civilization/World History (3 credits)
  • Global Understanding (3 credits)

Students must complete all Mason Core requirements not fulfilled by major requirements.  BENG 492 and BENG 493 are approved to meet the Synthesis requirement.

Total: 120-136 credits

Opportunities

Upon graduation, bioengineers pursue graduate degrees or enter the job market in research and development, regulatory affairs, product engineering management, technical sales, or big data management in government and health care industries.

The vast majority of bioengineering majors are pursuing and earning opportunities while developing research or professional experience through external summer internships at NASA, NIH, Naval Research Laboratory, and companies in the greater Washington area. Internal research and educational opportunities are offered with the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) and a new BENG 499  (GMU-INOVA Applied Neurotech) class in collaboration with INOVA hospital.  

Students gain additional technical experience with a capstone senior design project, mentored in classrooms and labs by external advisors and/or faculty with active research that has been funded by federal and private sources.

The department also offers study abroad options through Engineering World Health (Guatemala) and Carlos III University (Madrid, Spain). The experience in Spain gives bioengineering students complete class transfer possibilities during their junior or senior year. Classes are conducted in English.

The department offers concentrations in the following areas:

  • Biomedical Signals and Systems
  • Bioengineering Health Care Informatics
  • Bioengineering Pre-Health
This information is being provided here for your planning purposes only. For official catalog information, please refer instead to the official George Mason University Catalog Website at http://catalog.gmu.edu.
This information is being provided here for your planning purposes only. For official catalog information, please refer instead to the official George Mason University Catalog Website at http://catalog.gmu.edu.
This information is being provided here for your planning purposes only. For official catalog information, please refer instead to the official George Mason University Catalog Website at http://catalog.gmu.edu.