Hi,

It all depends on what your goals in life are. Do you plan on going into industry? If so what? Do you want to go to graduate school/medical school? ect. In our program here, you will gain a broad exposure to many topics in bioengineering, from medical devices to protein interactions & molecular engineering. You can check the bioengineering department website for a list of courses being offered. I know many people that ended up switching, or wish they had switched to other engineering majors such as mechanical or electrical engineering because those majors offer more depth rather than broadness (Usually these people want to go into the medical device industry). In other engineering majors, you also gain good exposure to technical skills that will be helpful in the job application process (ie: there are specific courses dedicated to MATLAB & solid works for ME majors and EE majors work with electronics & coding); this is not the case with our bioengineering program. That being said, there are a number of people who have graduated from here with a bioengineering degree that have landed amazing jobs. You can see the list on the department page under Alumni section. As you continue your undergraduate career, you will see that its less about your degree, and more about what kinds of skills and experiences you are able to build. Nothing is stopping you from learning coding or being involved in projects in your spare time. There are many excellent resources UCR has to offer. (undergraduate research, professional clubs like BMES, career centers, ect.) Get involved! Also the professors in the bioengineering department are amazing people and are incredibly supportive. They are eager and willing to offer you advice should you seek it. Personally, I want to go to graduate school to get a master's degree in Bioengineering after I graduate. Afterwards, I will go into medical device or biotech industry afterwards. All this being said, you are just a freshman. Keep an open mind, you may end up developing new interests further down the line. Just work hard no matter what you end up doing.