Bioengineering

Overview

The interdisciplinary Bioengineering program at Northeastern University is designed for (1) students with a BS in engineering or physics who would like to continue or move their careers in the direction of bioengineering; (2) students who would like to strengthen their academic credentials/portfolios prior to applying to medical school; and (3) workers in the biotech industry who would like to strengthen their technical background, broaden future employment opportunities, and/or re-direct their specific expertise.

Career Outlook

Bioengineering is a rapidly growing sector of the engineering profession. The aging of the U.S. population and the nationwide focus on health issues will help drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers. Recent high-profile reports on high rates of failure in artificial hips underline the critical need for improved engineering and materials design of long-lasting devices.

The MS in Bioengineering will provide significant opportunities for student research. Bioengineering research enjoys strong support from multiple government agencies. NIH has historically led all other agencies in budget increases and today consumes roughly 50% of all nondefense research spending. Healthcare spending expanded from 6% of the GDP in 1960 to 15% in 2000 and is projected to reach 20% by 2021, in part due to the aging of the baby-boom generation.