Students enrolled in the Bioengineering program at the University of California, Riverside will have a broad preparation that will enable them to enter various fields such as biotechnology, biomedical engineering, and medicine. Biotechnology companies use modern knowledge of molecular and cellular biology to make a wide variety of products such as antibiotics, hormones (e.g. insulin), vitamins, detergent enzymes, vaccines, and drug delivery systems. Medical companies use current engineering advances to make pacemakers, imaging machines (e.g. MRI, ultrasound, CAT scans), diagnostic tools (gene chips, glucose meters) and tools for minimally invasive surgery. In addition, curriculum at the University of California Riverside provides the core courses for entry into most medical schools.

Wide ranging advances in fundamental molecular and cellular biology and the engineering sciences have led to the development of extensive new fields of discovery that bridge the biological and engineering domains. In the biological domain, genomics, proteomics, inhibitory RNA technology, pharmacodynamics and regenerative medicine are just a few of the areas that comprise modern biology. In the engineering domain, microfabrication, advanced computer systems, novel materials, and automated manufacturing are only some of the capabilities that characterize modern engineering practice. At the University of California Riverside, the Bioengineering student will be able to see, first-hand, the importance of bridging these two areas.