Bachelor of Science in Bioscience Engineering
Bioengineers are engineers of living matter: in a unique way, they bring together knowledge of the biological world and of engineering science. The different science disciplines are thoroughly studied and interrelated. The programme offers a synthesis of chemistry and biology, while mathematics and physics are the stepping stone towards technology.
What
Bioengineers are engineers of living matter: in a unique way, they bring together knowledge of the biological world and of engineering science. A degree in engineering revolves around the thoroughness with which the different science disciplines are studied and interrelated. The Bioscience Engineering Programme offers a synthesis of chemistry and biology, while mathematics and physics are the stepping stone towards technology. That technological knowledge is always placed in a socio-ethical context and not merely used to support an increase in the production of biological processes. Increasingly, topics like quality, safety, sustainability and public health are given due attention. Initially, the programme focused on agriculture, soil, water, forest and nature management, and agricultural and food industry chemistry. Developments in research, industry and society, however, have gone hand in hand with the development of other fields of study: bioprocessing technology, environmental technology and cell and gene biotechnology. Bioengineers are well-equipped to meet the challenges of having to play a crucial role on a crossroads of several different disciplines such as technology, biology and biochemistry on the one hand, and environment, nature, agriculture, food and health on the other.
Remarks
To be able to enrol in this programme (starting in 2022-23), you must have taken a benchmark test.
For whom
Are you fascinated by everything that happens around you involving soil, air, water, animals and plants, and are you interested in pursuing an engineering profession? Are you keen to put that knowledge into practice by developing specific applications and solutions that can have a positive impact on our daily lives? If the answer to these questions is a resounding ‘yes’, then our Bioscience Engineering study programme will appeal to you! Studying Bioscience Engineering requires a talent for, and interest in, the exact sciences such as chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. A solid secondary school preparation is therefore crucial. Compared to other study programmes, our first year’s pass rate is quite high (59%). Yet Bioscience Engineering is not easy: it is an engineering programme, in which mathematics and physics invariably play a fundamental role. Generally speaking, a secondary school diploma with at least 6 hours/week of mathematics in its curriculum should be sufficient preparation. Absolute pronouncements on this matter, however, are impossible to make. If the emphasis in your secondary school curriculum was on sciences, your chances of success are good, too. Much depends on your motivation, intelligence and of course the amount of study time you can handle in the course of the academic year.
Structure
Bachelor
The Bachelor’s programme encompasses seven learning pathways leading to the acquisition of a set of competencies. In the third year, then, you choose a specialization. Upon graduating as a Bachelor of Bioscience Engineering, you will be able to:
- apply basic mathematical techniques for constructing and calculating mathematical models, and for data analysis;
- describe various problems physically and propose technological solutions;
- perform chemical analyses and describe the effects of the various (bio)chemical processes that are important to a bioengineer;
- describe the interactions between organisms and their (changing) environment based on a thorough understanding of living matter (cell, plant, animal, micro-organism) and the system of earth;
- act in a sustainable and ethical manner within society and its economic context;
- describe a problem in a process-oriented manner, translate this into a mathematical model, implement it into a programming language and build models with it;
- interact correctly with colleagues, conduct research in a sound academic manner, and report orally as well as in writing.
Master
After graduating from the Bachelor’s programme, you can map out your further study trajectory yourself. All Bioscience Engineering programmes are open to you. Our two-year Master’s programmes contain a specific set of mandatory course units relating to your choice of discipline. A wide range of elective course units, majors, a possible (industrial) work placement and the Master’s dissertation allow you to put together a curriculum according to your own interests. Another possibility is the Master in Bioinformatics: main subject Bioscience Engineering, which also results in the professional title of engineer. In this English-taught programme, you will be trained to apply, combine and integrate existing (bio)informatics tools and techniques for solving complex problems.
Labour Market
A degree in Bioengineering gives access to a wide range of career opportunities in a diversity of sectors: the industry, government, the services sector, education, research, foreign aid and international relations. Bioengineers mainly make a career in the industry, more specifically food industry, and the pharmaceutical, chemical and (environmental) technology sectors. More and more industries are using biological materials and processes to manufacture their products. Bioengineers have the perfect profile for this. The figures show that many bioengineers (with or without a PhD) usually end up in research, with technical or advisory positions coming second and third. Many bioengineers grow into management or consultant positions over time.
Find out where our graduates work (Dutch only).
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Multiperspectivism: we focus mainly on acquiring and applying life sciences and engineering knowledge (mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, environmental sciences, modelling and simulation, technology and sustainable development), and on mastering scientific/academic methodology. Taken together, these fields of study form the breeding ground from which creative knowledge workers slowly emerge in the ensuing Master’s programmes.
- Talent Development: we offer our students a broad training in several science disciplines, which allows for a degree of specialization from the third year onwards (Cell and Gene Biotechnology, Chemistry and Food Technology, Forest and Nature Management, Land, Water and Climate, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Technology). Throughout the first year, we offer additional support for a number of main course units, and towards a general study approach.
- Knowledge Creation: we place great store by a step-by-step acquisition of knowledge and engineering attitudes, and we encourage our students to (self-)reflect critically along the way. Our graduates receive a broad scientific education, and as such, can continue their training of becoming a specialized bioengineer in one of our eight Bioengineering Master’s programmes.
- Curriculum: our curriculum has a logical structure and focuses on the critical and problem-solving mindset and attitude that is expected from a bioengineer. This mindset and attitude require a fundamental knowledge of various disciplines. That is why mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and environmental sciences feature extensively in our curriculum, albeit with a strong focus on their uses in various bioengineering applications. The main subjects in the third year allow the student to specialize.
- Integration of theory and practice: our curriculum contains a large number of tutorials and practicals during which the theoretical knowledge from the lectures is studied in small groups. During practicals, the main focus is on critical thought and problem solving, training our students’ practical skills and paying attention to technological and social developments.
Strengths
- Surveys show that students are generally highly satisfied with our study programme.
- Our programme scores high satisfaction rates on the topics of “academic/scientific insights” and “research methods”. This optimally prepares graduates for the ensuing Master's programmes.
- Our programme places great store by sustainability: we devote a specific course unit to sustainable development in which we teach them the basics and enable them to reflect on the topic in various other course units.
- Room for practical experience: throughout the curriculum, we pay much attention to clarifying theoretical concepts by means of tutorials, laboratory experiments, PC exercises, field trips and company visits.
- Assessment: our students appreciate being well-informed about the assessment methods and contents. In that way, they know what to expect when they are preparing for the exams. Furthermore, the teaching staff is always available for personalized feedback on exams and assignments.
Challenges
- Monitoring the workload in the Bachelor's programme: the workload in the first two years is mainly caused by the great number of practicals and tutorials, while the third year contains several large group assignments. The assignment calendar needs continuous monitoring and adjusting during the teaching staff’s term meeting. Holding term meetings must ensure that the workload does not become too high.
- Feedback on continuous assessment: a consistent feedback policy is being developed for continuous assessment for all course units in the Bachelor's curriculum. This feedback is aimed at both content-related matters as well as the method of scientific reporting.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2017. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.
This information was last updated on 25/04/2022.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme.