Biological engineering
Master of Science
Engineer sustainable solutions
Biological engineering places you at the center of solving real-world challenges that matter. From the environment and human health to food systems and energy, the field focuses on what we call the four essences of life: exuberance, environment, edibles and energy. As a biological engineer, you’ll be part of a dynamic and growing field that blends science, technology and hands-on experience — working on everything from sustainable agriculture and clean energy to biotechnology, biomedical and environmental solutions.
With a Master of Science in biological engineering, you’ll gain expertise in advanced methods and tools to:
- Improve environmental quality
- Design and manufacture medical devices
- Fabricate biomaterials for medical and pharmaceutical applications
- Develop solutions for sustainable agriculture and energy
- Design equipment to harvest and process food
- Create new ways to produce alternative energy from biological feedstocks
Overview
Related Topics
Engineering for life
Application information
Applicants for the master's in biological engineering program must meet the following admission requirements:
- Education level: Bachelor's
- GPA: 3.0
- GRE: No
- TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo: 79/6.5/115 (for applicants whose education was completed in countries where English is not an official language)
- Letters of Recommendation: Two
- Other Requirements: No
Program availability
- Concentration: thesis
- Semester intake: Fall and Spring
- Eligible for international admission
- Deadlines: general application deadlines
Visit Graduate Admissions to learn more and start your application.
Contact information
Chemical and Biological Engineering contact:
Dev Shrestha
devs@uidaho.edu
Graduate Admissions contact:
graduateadmissions@uidaho.edu
208-885-4001
Find Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering faculty advisors.
Costs, funding and research
To learn how you can fund your graduate degree, check out the Graduate Funding page.
Visit Financial Aid to find detailed information about the cost of attendance.
Faculty provide funding through a variety of external agencies and industry partners. Contact our faculty to learn more about these funding opportunities or explore graduate fellowship programs.
Degree fit
This program could be a good fit if you:
- Hold an undergraduate degree in biological, chemical or a related engineering field
- Are passionate about human health, environmental sustainability, biotechnology, food systems or clean energy
- Want to develop innovative solutions using living organisms or their derivatives
A thesis is required for the M.S. biological engineering degree. A non-thesis M.Engr. in biological engineering is available as a non-thesis option.
Depending on your interests, your faculty adviser will help you develop a focused plan of study.
View current biological engineering courses
Catalogs are released each year with up-to-date course listings. Students reference the catalog released during their first year of enrollment. For catalog related questions, email registrar@uidaho.edu or call 208-885-6731.
Professional licensing
Completion of the program will count towards eligibility for the Professional Engineer's License (PE) to practice Engineering, which requires a four-year degree from an ABET-accredited school, four years of experience under a PE, and passing the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) and Principles of Practice in Engineering (PE) Exams.
Clubs and organizations
The College of Engineering offers 20+ clubs and organizations tied to international and national engineering organizations, including national competition teams.
Clubs and organizations related to biological engineering include:
- American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
- Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)
- Humanitarian Engineering Corps (HEC)
- National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
- Tau Beta Pi - Engineering Honor Society (TBP)
- Vandal Clean Energy Club
Career outcomes
Current job openings
1,333 in ID, WA, OR, MT and HIPotential careers and mid-career salaries
- Environmental Engineers
$113,307 - Biomedical Engineers
$123,460 - Quality Control Systems Managers
$119,478 - Conservation Scientists
$76,552 - Health and Safety Engineers
$111,114
* Career data provided by Lightcast.