What Can I Do With a Major In Biological Engineering?

• Connect with Kyle Chiu, your Career Consultant.
• Connect with your Academic Advisors.
• School of Chemicals, Materials and Biomedical Engineering
• If you're considering Pre-Health career paths, connect with the Pre-Professional Advising Office.

CAMPUS ORGANIZATIONS

• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) • Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES) • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) • Society of Women Engineers (SWE) • National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) • Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
• Find additional clubs and organizations here. 

ADDITIONAL TRAINING

Certificates: Certificate in Infectious Diseases • Undergraduate Certificate in Immunology • Disability Studies Certificate • Undergraduate Certificate in Global Health • Undergraduate Certificate in One Health • Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health Data Fluency

Minors: Applied Biotechnology • Biology • Biomedical Physiology • Cellular Biology • Environmental Health Science • Environmental Soil Science • Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences • Food Science • Genetics • Geography • History of Science, Medicine, and Engineering • Microbiology • Pharmaceutical Sciences

To learn more about working for the federal government, review our Federal Careers page.

Possible Career Paths for Biological Engineering

• Biomedical Engineer: Bridge the medical engineering disciplines by providing an overall enhancement of healthcare. Design and build innovative designs (artificial limbs and organs, new-generation imaging machines, advanced prosthetics, and more) and improve processes for genomic testing, or making and administering drugs.  

  Key focus areas include: biomedical electronics, biomechatronics, bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, biomechanics, bionics, cellular, tissue, and genetic engineering, clinical engineering, medical imaging, orthopaedic bioengineering, rehabilitation engineering, systems physiology, bionanotechnology, neural engineering 

• Biological Engineer: Apply engineering practice to problems and opportunities presented by living things and the natural environment. Areas include environmental protection and remediation, food/feed production, medicine and plant-based pharmaceuticals and packing materials.

• Tissue Engineer: Develops functional 3D tissues, combining scaffolds, cells, and/or bioactive molecules. Develop, recover, and repair damaged tissues or entire organs. 

• Research and Development Engineer: Support the new product development critical to the survival and growth of medical device companies, in the industry. In academia, a PhD is usually required for faculty positions that involve research in an academic settings or, in industry medical device companies, a PhD may also be required for higher-level research positions. 

• Product Development Engineer: Design and develop manufactured products, including medical devices, and combine artistic talent with market research on product use, marketing, and materials to create the most functional and appealing product design. 

• Field Service Engineer: Create, install, and repair technology-related equipment and support a variety of systems, including biomedical equipment. Perform repairs and installs on-site at the customer's place of business. 

• Quality Control Engineer: Test processes and products and determine whether they meet the set standards for functionality, reliability, and durability. Create strategic plans to enhance business processes and boost production input. Ensure the quality of services and products produced by the organization. 

• Technical Sales Specialist: Use technical expertise and in-depth scientific knowledge of the technology to help prospective customers solve business problems, execute creative sales campaigns, and promote company products.  

• Process Design Engineer: Specialize in directing and implementing capital projects for companies and create processes to meet budgets and project goals. Oversee continuous improvement efforts for companies, usually working full-time in an office setting. 

• Process Safety Engineer: Assess the safety of processes and identify potential risk factors to make sure operations are safe. Analyze equipment for safety aspects and design machinery that allows for safe and efficient operation. Contribute to safety measures and regulations related to equipment. 

• Nanosystems Engineer: Design, develop, or supervise the production of materials, devices, or systems of unique molecular or macromolecular composition, applying principles of nanoscale physics and electrical, chemical, or biological engineering. 

• Engineers in Natural Resources/Environmental Systems: Determine crop water requirements, design irrigation systems; agricultural hydrology principles (controlling drainage, soil erosion, effects of sediment on stream quality); water control structures (reservoirs, floodways, channels). 

• Engineers in Power Systems & Machinery Design: Design advanced equipment (food processing, crop spraying, agricultural commodity/waste transport, turn and landscape maintenance) that makes it more efficient and less damaging of natural resources. 

• Engineers in Structures & Environment: Design animal housing, storage structures, greenhouses with ventilation systems, temperature and humidity controls, structural strength appropriate for climate and purpose; systems for storing, reusing, recovering, and transporting waste products. 

• Food and Bioprocess Engineers: Versatile career path that applies to virtually all other engineering specialty areas (ex. Geographic information systems, global positioning systems, machine instrumentation and controls, electromagnetics, “bioinformatics”). 

• Engineers in Forest Engineering: Solve natural resource and environment problems in forest production systems and related manufacturing industries. 

• Engineers in Energy Systems: Identify and develop viable energy sources – biomass, methane, vegetable oil, etc.; develop energy conservation strategies to reduce costs and protect the environment. 

• Engineers in Aquacultural Engineering: Design farm systems for raising fish and shellfish; specialize in water quality, biotechnology, machinery, natural resources, feeding and ventilation systems, sanitization 

• Engineers in Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering: Design equipment for transplantation, control systems for temperature, humidity, and ventilation; plant biology issues (hydroponics, tissue culture, seedling propagation methods). 

Other Job Titles: Biomedical Equipment Technician, Research Assistant/Specialist/Professional, Medical Assistant, Product Development Associate, Mechanical Engineer, Quality Assurance Tech, Laboratory Technician 

O*NET Online – The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations.  

My Next Move – An interactive tool for students and job seekers to learn more about their career options.  

Occupational Outlook Handbook – The OOH is a career resource offering information on the hundreds of occupations that provide most of jobs in the United States.  

Vault – Vault.com provides in-depth intelligence on what it’s really like to work in an industry, company, or profession – and how to position yourself to land that job.  

Candid Career – This resource provides you with access to thousands of informational video interviews with real professionals through an easy-to-use website.  

UGA Mentor Program – Connect with a mentor (alumni, faculty, staff) to research and explore industries and careers. Research industries and careers by connecting with a mentor for a quick chat or formal 16-week mentorship through the UGA Mentor Program.  

Interstride - Interstride is an interactive tool for both international and domestic students to enhance their international experience and employment potential. The platform consists of job-listings, hiring trends, employer information, self-assessments, and up-to-date immigration guidance. 

Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers an inside look at jobs and companies through "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees and job seekers.  

Steppingblocks - Research your future career with real-world stats about your major, your interests, and your dream job title with career and education searches designed to find your best path based on millions of others. It’s data-powered career exploration for doers like you.

General  

• Handshake (scroll down to the bottom of the page; login with your UGA MyID and password)
• LinkedIn (this popular networking site also has a job board!) 
• Idealist (non-profit jobs) 
• USAJobs (federal jobs) 

Major/Career Specific

• Institute of Biological Engineering
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Career Center
• Biomedical Engineering Society Career Center Job Board
• American Society of Safety Professionals Career Advancement Center
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers Jobs Connection
• BioSpace
• ORISE Zintellect Opportunity Catalog
• Engineering Jobs, Job Source, Technical Jobs
• Engineering Jobs 
• Engineering.com Jobs
• Career Cast: IT & Engineering Job Board
• Agricultural Engineering Positions
• Environmental Job Board

BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEER-FRIENDLY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• Institute of Biological Engineering • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers • American Society of Safety Engineers • Biomedical Engineering Society • National Society of Professional Engineers • Society of Manufacturing Engineers

ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

• American Academy of Environmental Engineers • American Institute of Chemical Engineers • American Society of Civil Engineers • American Society of Mechanical Engineers • American Society of Naval Engineers • Association for Computing Machinery • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers • Institute of Industrial Engineers • Institute of Transportation Engineers • National Academy of Forensic Engineers • National Society of Black Engineers • Society of American Military Engineers • Society of Automotive Engineers • Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers • Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers • Society of Petroleum Engineers • Society of Women Engineers

COMPANY & SALARY RESEARCH - Career Bliss • GlassDoor • Salary.com

LINKEDIN GROUPS - Join LinkedIn groups that are relevant to your career interests.  To search, select "groups" & type in your keywords.  Review the groups that professionals in your field of interest have joined & consider joining those as well. To login, visit the LinkedIn main page.