3 answers
Allyson
Student
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2
Questions
Asked
664 views
Do you have to be an expert in math to be a biochemical engineer?
#math #engineering
Login to comment
3 answers
Kay Schmidt
Manager
11
Answers
Dousman, Wisconsin
Updated
Kay’s Answer
No, you do not have to be an "expert" in Math to be a biochemical engineer.
However, you need to be GOOD at math, and willing to work at it and learn throughout both your education and in the workforce.
Solving problems and constantly learning are 2 tremendous benefits of a career in engineering.
However, you need to be GOOD at math, and willing to work at it and learn throughout both your education and in the workforce.
Solving problems and constantly learning are 2 tremendous benefits of a career in engineering.
thanks a lot i mean i'm not bad at math it's just not my favorite.
Allyson
Allyson, I came across your follow-up to Kay and wanted to share that it means a lot for our volunteers when you share a note of thanks. They take time out of their busy day to share thoughtful career advice. So I want to say thank you for your thank you note :) ! PS- You're doing a great job exploring different careers, asking good questions, and showing appreciation to those who help along the way. Keep up the good work!
Kay, it's great to see you on CareerVillage.org! Happy holidays to you and yours.
yoonji KIM, Admin
Douglas Lemmo, P.E.
Consultant, Owner at Power Generation Consulting Services
132
Answers
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Updated
Douglas’s Answer
Hi,
I am a Mechanical Engineer, not a Biochemical Engineer, but I think I can help with your question since the question of Engineering and Math gets asked a lot and I do not think the requirements for Bioengineering are much different than for the other branches of Engineering with respect to math. Engineers do not need to be EXPERTS in math nor do they need to be in love with math but, they need to be able to do math for a couple of reasons: First, the study of math helps to train your mind to think logically. Thinking logically is extremely important for any engineer because it usually is the key to solving problems (which sometimes involves calculations), so you need to take all of the math classes you can in high school - and be comfortable with them. By that I mean just pass them. You do not need all As, a few Bs can sneak in, but you can't get all Cs and expect to do well in engineering. The math classes will continue in college and will be advanced classes which means you need a good math foundation. The second reason that you need to be able to do math is because at times while either problem solving or designing, you may have to figure things out (calculations) and you may not have a computer program to do that for you OR you may be developing a computer program to perform some task and need to understand what the program is suppose to do.
To determine if Engineering in general or Bioengineering specifically is right for you, I suggest that you Google these two subjects and then Google colleges that offer Bioengineering or other types of engineering to get an idea of what their requirements are for the classes that you will need to take. There is a lot of information on the Internet about Engineering. Or you could contact the Admissions Department of a few colleges that you might like to attend to see what their entrance requirements are for the degree that you would like to attain.
Good Luck,
Doug
I am a Mechanical Engineer, not a Biochemical Engineer, but I think I can help with your question since the question of Engineering and Math gets asked a lot and I do not think the requirements for Bioengineering are much different than for the other branches of Engineering with respect to math. Engineers do not need to be EXPERTS in math nor do they need to be in love with math but, they need to be able to do math for a couple of reasons: First, the study of math helps to train your mind to think logically. Thinking logically is extremely important for any engineer because it usually is the key to solving problems (which sometimes involves calculations), so you need to take all of the math classes you can in high school - and be comfortable with them. By that I mean just pass them. You do not need all As, a few Bs can sneak in, but you can't get all Cs and expect to do well in engineering. The math classes will continue in college and will be advanced classes which means you need a good math foundation. The second reason that you need to be able to do math is because at times while either problem solving or designing, you may have to figure things out (calculations) and you may not have a computer program to do that for you OR you may be developing a computer program to perform some task and need to understand what the program is suppose to do.
To determine if Engineering in general or Bioengineering specifically is right for you, I suggest that you Google these two subjects and then Google colleges that offer Bioengineering or other types of engineering to get an idea of what their requirements are for the classes that you will need to take. There is a lot of information on the Internet about Engineering. Or you could contact the Admissions Department of a few colleges that you might like to attend to see what their entrance requirements are for the degree that you would like to attain.
Good Luck,
Doug
Andrew Au
Professor of Mathematics & Statistics, Retired
178
Answers
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
The key to this question is the definition of being an expert in mathematics. No, you do not need to be a mathematician to be a biochemical engineer. However, you do need a level of competency and proficiency in mathematics at least up to STEM-track Calculus I and Calculus II, and preferably Differential Equations and Linear Algebra, in engineering.
It should be appreciated that mathematics is the language of science and technology. Therefore, the deeper the knowledge in mathematics, the better we are in understanding and problem-solving in science and technology.
It should be appreciated that mathematics is the language of science and technology. Therefore, the deeper the knowledge in mathematics, the better we are in understanding and problem-solving in science and technology.