Biomedical Engineering Schools in Oregon
If you’re ready to start a career in one of the most in-demand engineering subfields, it’s time to look into a biomedical engineering degree. There are three Oregon schools with biomedical engineering programs, located as far north as Portland and as far south as Corvallis. All three schools have Bachelor’s degree programs, and two schools also have Master’s-level programs. The average cost of tuition in Oregon is $6,500 per year, making your education very affordable. The average Oregon class has only 17 students, which is excellent for one-on-one professor interaction.
Education is the most important part of your biomedical engineering career. In order to create technology that affects how doctors treat and diagnose disease, you need a strong educational background in human physiology and engineering. You can get the education you need with a Bachelor’s degree. This degree is made up of 120 credits and generally requires four years of full-time study.
You may take courses in many different fields to learn everything you need to know as an engineer. Some of the classes you may take include Quantitative Physiology, Biomedical Nanotechnology, Thermodynamics, and Biosystems Simulation & Control.
Research is an important part of your education, but it also plays a huge role in the field of biomedical engineering. Even if you don’t conduct research as an undergraduate student, you’ll be expected to read research and know how it can be applied to your career.
There are many ways you can get hands-on experience as a biomedical engineering student. Most schools have dedicated engineering labs, and many schools have centers that are entirely dedicated to biomedical engineering. At Oregon State University, for example, you can work in the Radiation Center.
Tuition rates vary in Oregon, but since all the schools that have biomedical engineering programs are public colleges, tuition tends to be very affordable. Tuition at Portland Community College is very inexpensive; residents pay $88 per credit and non-residents pay $216 per credit. Oregon State University is considerably more expensive. Tuition is $8,538 per year for residents and $23,469 per year for non-residents.
No matter which Oregon school you decide to attend, you can apply for scholarships to help pay for tuition, room and board, and more. The Keith Foster Engineering Scholarship is worth $2,500, and it’s awarded to central Oregon students. The Columbia River Section of the Society of Women Engineers awards scholarships of $300 to $1,000 to female engineering students.
Before you can begin working as a biomedical engineer in Oregon, you have to get your license from the Board of Examiners for Engineering and Land Surveying. When you submit your application, you must pay a $210 exam fee. After taking and passing the Engineering Principles and Practice exam, you can get your license from the Board.
Throughout the duration of your career, you will be expected to keep up on changes in the field and work on your professional development. You may want to consider joining the Oregon Society for Healthcare Engineering. This group offers ongoing education courses that can help you learn about technological advances in the field. You can also attend networking events and get regular legislative updates.