Can I major in Electrical Engineering and Biology?

[Jazmine]

Can I major in Electrical Engineering and Biology and become a Biomedical engineer? I want to be a Biomedical engineer but the school I am going to only has environmental, electrical, and mechanical.

 

[dkotschessaa]

Disclaimer: I'm not experienced in any of this, but I did some searching.

I went straight to job openings to see what they were looking for:https://www.monster.com/jobs/q-biomedical-engineer-jobs.aspx

They often say something like (minimum) B.A. in Biomedical Engineering "or equivalent." I think the emphasis is more on the engineering than the biology, but it looks like a double major would at least have you taking the right courses. Many of these are looking for a master's. Maybe do your double major for bachelor's and then seek graduate studies elsewhere?

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Many folks in the biomed engineering fields transition with undergrad degrees in Mech E or EE. Many employers prefer graduates from the quality Mech E and EE programs than from specific Biomed E programs, some of which have a reputation for being less rigorous.

You should also have a chance at your school to broaden your experience with internships and/or working in the lab or research program of a faculty member in the Mech E or EE departments. See which of them may be doing work related to Biomed E. Add that to a Mech E or EE degree, and you should be good to go.

 

[Choppy]

I often see questions of the type "I want to study X but my school only offers Y" posted in these forums. I can understand that there are pressures to go to a certain school - scholarships, close to home, family expectations, etc. But it's important to take some time to really question why you are at the school you've chosen if they don't offer the program you want and consider changing schools if another program the aligns better with your long-term goals is offered elsewhere.

That said, of the biomedical engineers that I know, most came through electrical streams in their undergraduate studies. None had a second major as biology. That's not to say that learning biology would be a hindrance. I think it would help immensely. But from what I've observed the BMEs tend to pick up the biology they need in courses designed specifically for them.