Biotechnology is the use of biological knowledge to develop new processes and products for use in industry, health, agribusiness and other areas of human technology. Biotechnology advances can be based on knowledge from biological sciences, chemical sciences, physical sciences or engineering. Because of this, the major is not tied to a particular discipline area. The binding concept is that of developing technology from basic discipline knowledge in at least one area. For example, agricultural biotechnology will normally involve some core crop and food technology, molecular biotechnology will normally involve some core molecular biology and chemical biotechnology will normally involve some core chemistry together with some biological science.

The Biotechnology major has a number of streams and integrates knowledge from a variety of scientific disciplines. Students will complete a sequence of specialist subjects in a discipline area and by the end of the major should have developed a detailed knowledge of that area and an appreciation of its biotechnological applications. The major provides students with opportunities to gain practical experience in the laboratory and to develop skills in problem-solving and the analysis, interpretation and communication of scientific data that will prepare them for the workplace.

After following this major with a Master of Engineering, you’ll be all set to enjoy a rewarding career as a biomedical engineer.

• Biomedical engineers work in a range of industries, including biotechnology, health services, medical devices and pharmaceuticals. With expert knowledge and insight, they can also pursue roles in communications and management, finance, business analysis, project management and more