Bioengineering

Baskin School of Engineering
335 Baskin Engineering Building
(831) 459-2158
http://www.soe.ucsc.edu

Program Description

Bioengineering focuses on the application of engineering tools and techniques to the problems of medicine and the biological sciences. The UCSC program in bioengineering, through its participating faculty and departments, provides students with inspiration and quality education in the theory and practice of bioengineering.

The UC Santa Cruz B.S. in bioengineering program prepares graduates for a rewarding career at the interfaces between engineering, medicine, and biology. UCSC bioengineering graduates will have a thorough grounding in the principles and practices of bioengineering and in the scientific and mathematical principles upon which these principles and practices are built; graduates will be prepared for further education (both formal and informal) and for productive employment in industry.

Bioengineering is a particularly broad discipline, involving issues at many different levels. To guide students in their study, the faculty have developed three concentrations:  bioelectronics, biomolecular, and rehabilitation. Bioelectronics is an ideal concentration for students interested in the interfacing of organisms with electronic instrumentation or implants. Biomolecular is an ideal concentration for students interested in drug design or biomolecular sensors. Rehabilitation is an ideal concentration for students interested in developing technology to aid the human experience.

In the UCSC bioengineering B.S. program, many undergraduates work on faculty research projects, analyzing ideas, developing technologies, and discovering new approaches. Areas include biomolecular sensors and systems, nanoelectronic implants, assistive technologies for the elderly and disabled, bioinformatics, microfluidics, nano-scale biotechnology, and other areas at the junction between engineering, medicine, and the life sciences. More information about bioengineering research and undergraduate research opportunities can be found on the web at www.cbse.ucsc.edu, biomedical.ucsc.edu, marcmbrs.ucsc.edu, surf-it.soe.ucsc.edu, and graddiv.ucsc.edu/ucleads.

The program is sponsored by the departments of biomolecular engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, and molecular, cell, and developmental biology, with additional participating faculty in the departments of applied mathematics and statistics, community studies, chemistry and biochemistry, philosophy, physics, and psychology.
The program has extensive course requirements in mathematics, science, and engineering, and students potentially interested in bioengineering as a major should contact the School of Engineering Advising Office (advising@soe.ucsc.edu) before enrolling in any courses at UC Santa Cruz.

Bioengineering students may continue their research and studies at UC Santa Cruz in the graduate programs of the collaborating department and other departments. Programs and application information may be found at http://www.graddiv.ucsc.edu.

Courses for Nonmajors

The bioengineering program does not sponsor any courses. However, the program recommends the following courses to nonmajors interested in bioengineering. Computer Engineering 80A, Universal Access: Disability, Technology, and Society (T6-Natural Sciences or Social Sciences); Biomolecular Engineering/Philosophy 80G, Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society (T5-Natural Sciences or Humanities and Arts); and Biomolecular Engineering 5, Introduction to Biotechnology (Introduction to the Discipline, Natural Sciences/Engineering). Students planning careers in medicine should consider Biology 89, Clinical Health Care: Organization and Financing (IS). Students are also advised to consult the program discussions of the collaborating departments for additional possibilities related to bioengineering.

Admissions Policy

Admission to the major is selective. First-year applicants may receive direct admission at the time they apply to UCSC, based on their high school record and test scores.
Admission to the bioengineering major after a student has entered UCSC is based on performance in courses offered by the School of Engineering and the Division of Physical and Biological Sciences (the SOE GPA). An SOE GPA of 2.5 or better is expected at the time of major declaration. Progress in the major and ability to complete the major within campus limits will also be considered.

After the first year, at least six courses required for the major, and any associated laboratories, must be completed prior to declaration. Required courses are listed below.

Transfer Students

Transfer admission will be based on GPA and the level of completion of lower-division requirements. Most importantly, transfer students should have completed articulated calculus and differential equations, as well as at least three of the four other introductory areas (programming, biology, chemistry, and physics). Students may satisfy the bioethics requirement if they have completed a suitable ethics course at their community college.

Honors in the Major

Bioengineering majors are awarded “Honors in the Major” and “Highest Honors in the Major” based on major GPA and on results of undergraduate research. Students with an SOE GPA of 3.7 in most cases receive Highest Honors. Students with an SOE GPA of 3.3 in most cases receive Honors. Students with particularly significant accomplishments in undergraduate research may be considered with a lower SOE GPA.

Disqualification Policy

Please refer to the School of Engineering section of this catalog for the School of Engineering’s Major Disqualification Policy.

Letter Grade Policy

The bioengineering program requires letter grading for all courses applied to the degree with the exception of two lower-division courses, which students may elect to take Pass/No Pass.

School of Engineering Policies

Please refer to the School of Engineering section of the catalog for additional policies that apply to all School of Engineering programs.

Materials Fee and Miscellaneous Fees

Please see the section on fees in the School of Engineering section.

Major Requirements

Advising and Elective Approval

Every major must have a bioengineering faculty adviser, assigned by the Baskin School of Engineering Undergraduate Advising Office, and with that adviser must formulate a program of proposed course work that meets the major requirements. All electives must be pre-approved by the Bioengineering Undergraduate Director.

Optional Courses for Majors

Bioengineering students planning a career in medicine may wish to take Biology 89, Clinical Health Care, which also satisfies the Introduction to the Discipline-Social Sciences (IS) general education requirement. Students desiring or needing an early introduction to the use of mathematics in engineering may wish to take Computer Engineering 8, Robot Automation, in their first quarter. Students pursuing the rehabilitation concentration may wish to include one or more psychology courses in their study plan.

Introductory Requirements, 16-17 courses
Mathematics 19A-B Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics
Applied Mathematics and Statistics 7/L Statistical Methods for the Biological and Environmental Sciences/Laboratory
Applied Mathematics and Statistics 10A and 20A Basic Mathematical Methods for Engineers I & II (3 units each); or Applied Mathematics and Statistics 10 and 20 Mathematical Methods for Engineers I & II; or Mathematics 24 Ordinary Differential Equations
Biomolecular Engineering 80G Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society
Chemistry and Biochemistry 1A, 1B/M, and 1C/N General Chemistry, or (with preapproval) courses completed elsewhere that enable enrollment in 108A/L
Chemistry and Biochemistry 108A/L or 112A/L Organic Chemistry/Laboratory
Biology 20A Cell and Molecular Biology
Biology 20B Development and Physiology
Physics 5A/L or 6A/L Introduction to Physics I/Laboratory
Physics 5C/N or 6C/N Introduction to Physics II/Laboratory

Two (three for rehabilitation concentration, see below) of:
Computer Engineering 12/L Computer Systems and Assembly Language/Laboratory; or
Computer Engineering 13/L Computer Systems and C Programming/Laboratory; or
Computer Science 12A/L Introduction to Programming/Laboratory; or
Computer Science 12B/M, Introduction to Data Structures/Laboratory; or
Biomolecular Engineering 160/L Research Programming for Biologists and Biochemists/Laboratory

Advanced Requirements, 5-6 courses
Either Biology 100 Biochemistry or Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 100A-B Biochemistry
Biomolecular Engineering 150/L Molecular Biomechanics/Laboratory
Electrical Engineering 101/L Introduction to Electronic Circuits/Laboratory
Computer Engineering 9 Introduction to Statics, Dynamics, and Biomechanics
Computer Engineering 185 Technical Writing for Computer Engineers

Bioelectronics Concentration
Electrical Engineering 103 Signals and Systems
Electrical Engineering 104/L Measurement and Instrumentation in Physiology
Three pre-approved upper-division courses selected with your faculty adviser in the area of bioelectronics.  Courses may include Electrical Engineering 212 Introduction to BioMEMS, 230 Implant Engineering, and new courses in development. 

Biomolecular Concentration
Biomolecular Engineering 5 Introduction to Biotechnology
Biomolecular Engineering 105 Genetics
Three pre-approved upper-division courses selected with your faculty adviser in the area of biomolecular engineering.  Courses may include Biomolecular Engineering 140/L Bioinstrumentation/Laboratory, 155 Biotechnology and Drug Development, and 110 Computational Biology Tools.

Rehabilitation Concentration
Students in the rehabilitation concentration must complete Computer Engineering 12/L, Computer Engineering 13/L, or Computer Science 12A/L, and Computer Science 12B/M.
Computer Engineering 80A Universal Access:  Disability, Technology, and Society
Computer Engineering 131 Human-Computer Interaction
Three pre-approved upper-division courses selected with your faculty adviser in the area of rehabilitation engineering.  Students may wish to focus on systems or software for rehabilitation. Courses may include Computer Engineering 118/L Mechatronics/Laboratory, 167/L Sensing and Sensor Technology/Laboratory, and 232 Human Factors; or Computer Science 109 Advanced Programming. 

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement will normally be met within one to three courses already required for the major. For detailed information on this major’s DC requirement, consult your major adviser or see the 2010-11 general catalog.

Capstone Project, 2 courses
All bioengineering students complete a senior design project in bioengineering as part of a multidisciplinary team solving a current problem. Students may satisfy this requirement with research in a faculty laboratory, concurrent with 123A and 195, or by forming a student team to address a problem of interest and challenge within 123A and 123B. The project proposal must be approved by the bioengineering undergraduate director as a bioengineering project. (Satisfies the campus comprehensive requirement.)
Biomolecular Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering 123A Engineering Design Project I; Biomolecular Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering 123B  Engineering Design Project II; or Biomolecular Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Electrical Engineering 195  Senior Thesis Research

Exit Requirement
Students are required to submit a portfolio, exit survey, and exit interview. The portfolios must be turned in electronically by the last day of the quarter of graduation.
The portfolios will be reviewed quarterly by the bioengineering undergraduate committee and must include the following:

• The capstone project report
• A second project report of the student’s selection
• A one- to two-page overview of the two projects, the student’s contribution to them,
  and a narrative as specified at the submission site (http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/programs/beng/)
• Exit interviews are scheduled during the last week of the quarter.

Bioengineering Major Planners

The following sample academic plans show possible courses of study for a bioengineering major. Students should consider taking courses during the summer to ensure timely completion of the degree. Courses planned to be taken at institutions other than UC Santa Cruz require preapproval. The first plan follows the biomolecular concentration, the second plan follows the rehabilitation concentration and includes precalculus, and the third plan follows the bioelectronics concentration.

Plan Two
Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
1st (frsh)	gen ed (C1,T) AMS 3 BME 80G (T)	CMPE 80A (T) MATH 19A CMPE 12/L	gen ed (C2) MATH 19B CMPE 13/L
2nd (soph)	CHEM 1A PHYS 6A/L AMS 10	CHEM 1B/M CMPE 9 AMS 20	CHEM 1C/N PHYS 6C/N gen ed (IS)
3rd (jr)	EE 101/L CMPS 12B/M gen ed (IS)	BIOL 20A CHEM 108A/L elective	BIOL 20B BIOL 100 gen ed (IH)
4th (sr)	CMPE 131 Elective CMPE 185 (W)	CMPE 123A CMPE 233 (elec) gen ed (IH)	CMPE 123B BME 150/L gen ed (IH)

Plan Three
Year	Fall	Winter	Spring
1st (frsh)	gen ed (C1,T) Math 19A PHYS 5A/L	CMPE 80A (T) MATH 19B CMPE 9	gen ed (C2) AMS 10 PHYS 5C/N
2nd (soph)	CHEM 1A CMPE 12/L BME 80G (T)	CHEM 1B/M AMS 20 BIOL 20A	CHEM 1C/N BIOE 20B gen ed (IS)
3rd (jr)	EE 101/L CHEM 108A/L gen ed (IH)	EE 103 BIOL 100 gen ed (IS)	Elective BME 150/L gen ed (IH)
4th (sr)	EE 104 CMPE 185 (W) CMPS 12A/L	EE 123A elective AMS 7/L	EE 123B elective