What Engineering Is Best for the Biotech Industry?
Behind nearly every breakthrough in healthcare, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and biotechnology are engineers.
From wearable health monitors and robotic surgical systems to lifesaving medical devices and advanced drug manufacturing processes, engineering plays a critical role in improving human health. Read on to explore several engineering degrees you could get that can directly connect to a career in biotechnology.
How engineering impacts the biotech industry
Biotechnology is the use of living systems, biological processes, and advanced technologies to improve health, develop medicines, create medical devices, and solve biological challenges.
Modern biotech companies rely on teams of engineers with different specialties working together. Engineers contribute to nearly every stage of the work, including:
- Design and Development: Creating medical devices, prosthetics, surgical robots, pharmaceuticals and biomaterials.
- Manufacturing: Making medicines, materials and equipment at scale.
- Analysis: Looking at biological data, investigating therapies and processes to ensure effectiveness and find new possibilities with AI.
- Systems: Developing automated surgical systems, lab and equipment manufacturing systems.
Choosing an engineering institution like Oregon State gives students the hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and real-world problem-solving needed to innovate the next generation of life-improving technologies.
Bioengineering
Best for students who want the most direct path into health and biotechnology.
Bioengineering combines engineering principles with biology and medicine to create technologies that improve human health. Students study engineering fundamentals alongside biology, chemistry, physiology, and biotechnology.
At Oregon State, bioengineering students explore areas such as biomaterials, tissue engineering, biomedical devices, machine learning for health applications, biomechanics, and neuroengineering. They get noticed by biotech firms even while still in school. In 2025, undergrad Leah Byrne followed her interests in healthcare research and development to Genentech for a three-month internship.
Biotech Career Examples:
- Biomedical Engineer
- Medical Device Development Engineer
- Tissue Engineering Specialist
- Biomaterials Engineer
- Clinical Systems Engineer
- Bioprocess Engineer
- Research and Development Engineer
- Regulatory Affairs Engineer
Chemical engineering
Best for students interested in pharmaceuticals, drug manufacturing, and biotechnology production.
Many biotech companies depend on chemical engineers to scale scientific discoveries into products that can be safely manufactured and distributed.
Chemical engineers work on bioprocessing, pharmaceutical production, drug formulation, and manufacturing systems.
Oregon State researchers are developing technologies related to bioprocessing, biosensors, medical diagnostics, and biotechnology applications. Undergraduates are encouraged to participate in biotech research with the support of programs like the Johnson Internship. Chemical engineering undergraduate student Isaiah Bennett helped test a sensor that measures the concentration of antiepileptic drugs in saliva.
Biotech Career Examples:
- Bioprocess Engineer
- Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Engineer
- Process Development Engineer
- Fermentation Engineer
- Drug Product Engineer
- Quality Systems Engineer
Electrical and computer engineering
Best for students interested in medical technology, sensors, and healthcare electronics.
Electrical and computer engineers are helping transform healthcare through wearable electronics, medical imaging, biosensors, neural interfaces, and diagnostic devices. Oregon State researchers are developing biosensors, wireless medical devices, health diagnostics, bioinformatics systems, and precision health technologies. Professor V John Mathews recently worked with Epitel Inc. to improve algorithms for their wearable device that detects and monitors seizures. And professor Matthew Johnston heads a lab focused on miniaturizing traditional lab equipment into portable, wearable devices.
Biotech Career Examples:
- Medical Device Engineer
- Biosensor Engineer
- Neural Engineering Specialist
- Medical Imaging Engineer
- Embedded Systems Engineer
- Healthcare Technology Engineer
Computer science and artificial intelligence
Best for students interested in data, software, and digital healthcare technologies.
Biotechnology generates massive amounts of data. Engineers with expertise in software, machine learning, and artificial intelligence help researchers understand genetic information, discover new drugs, and improve patient outcomes.
Computer science skills like computational biology and machine learning are increasingly important areas within modern bioengineering and health technology research. Oregon State assistant professor Morgan Giers co-founded the startup company Spine By Design to leverage predictive modeling, machine learning, and advanced imaging to bring precision and personalization to spinal treatment.
Biotech Career Examples:
- Bioinformatics Engineer
- Health Data Engineer
- Machine Learning Engineer
- Computational Biologist
- Digital Health Software Engineer
- AI Research Engineer
Mechanical engineering
Best for students interested in medical devices, robotics, and product design.
Mechanical engineers design and build physical systems that improve healthcare. Their expertise in mechanics, manufacturing, materials, and design makes them valuable contributors across the biotech industry.
Mechanical engineering research at Oregon State includes robotics, advanced manufacturing, materials, and product development, all of which have applications in healthcare and biotechnology. For example, mechanical engineering student Lara Rupnawar participates in robotics studies focusing on improving the medical experience of children and veterans with disabilities.
Biotech Career Examples:
- Medical Device Design Engineer
- Rehabilitation Engineering Specialist
- Biomechanical Engineer
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Product Development Engineer
- Surgical Robotics Engineer
Putting it all together
If your goal is to make people healthier through technology, there is no shortage of opportunities in biotech.
Bioengineering offers the most direct path into medical and biotechnology careers, but it is far from the only option. Chemical engineers help manufacture life-saving therapies. Electrical engineers create medical devices and biosensors. Computer scientists use artificial intelligence to unlock new discoveries. Mechanical engineers develop innovative healthcare technologies.
The biotech industry succeeds because engineers from many disciplines work together to solve some of humanity's most important challenges. The best engineering major for biotechnology is ultimately the one that aligns with your interests, strengths, and the type of impact you want to make.
If you are excited about improving lives through innovation, biotechnology offers countless ways to combine engineering with meaningful work that can change the future of human health.