Careers in bioengineering

Our graduates can be found in businesses, research organisations and health services around the world.  The sectors in which Bioengineers work include:

• Medical Technology Industry
• University Research Departments
• Medicine and Healthcare
• Business Start-Up
• General engineering
• Computing and Information Technology
• Finance and Professional Services
• Management Consultancy
• Teaching

Biomedical engineers can be found in companies and organisations across the world researching and developing new products and technologies to treat or diagnose a wide range of disease and health conditions.  Projects can range from the design of implant devices to replace joints affected by osteoarthritis to the development of assistive technology for elderly people, or the use of new biomarkers in the early detection of diseases. Imperial Bioengineering graduates have gone on to apply machine learning and other complex analytical tools to huge patient datasets to discover new patterns in disease progression. Biomedical engineers work with clinicians and other scientists to expand knowledge and practice in the use of new technologies in patient care.

Graduates from Bioengineering are also working with companies on Medical Device Regulation, making sure that products from R&D departments are safe and effective.  Or you may work in sales and marketing, ensuring that the best new medical technologies reach health services, doctors, nurses, and their patients.

Many students of our undergraduate and taught MSc courses continue to study on PhD programmes which typically last for 3-4 years.  During your undergraduate programme you will identify topic areas which particularly interest you and at the same time you will get a better understanding of your subject strengths. 

Our students are working on PhD projects at universities around the world, many at Imperial College, others are at Oxford or Cambridge or ETH in Switzerland or at universities in the USA or Singapore or in other European countries.  You can find out more about the range of possible Bioengineering research work at Imperial College on our website.

At the end of a PhD programme you may choose to continue with an academic career or enter the biomedical engineering industry, as described above, or follow other career paths.

Each year a number of Bioengineering undergraduate students successfully secure places on Graduate Entry into Medicine programmes.  There are a number of these programmes around the UK and internationally. A number of these programmes are delivered at universities, both in the UK and internationally and they provide an opportunity to undertake intensive medical training for graduates from a range of disciplines.

Other graduates enter the NHS Clinical Scientist Training Programme which offers a wide range of career options including Clinical Engineering, Radiography, Bioinformatics.  Graduates on this programme follow a part-time MSc programme related to their specialism.

Over the last few years a number of Bioengineering graduates have set up their own businesses.  Sorin Popa, a 2014 graduate, set up StentTek, a company producing a new tool for dialysis.  Two 2015 graduates established Neurofenix producing a new rehabilitation tool for stroke and spinal injuries patients.  Others have set up companies whose products do not relate to Bioengineering including ThirdEye Labs, applying machine learning to retail.

Whilst at Imperial College you will come across lots of business start-up programmes and competitions which will help you develop skills, refine ideas and help you in finding a business partner and investors.

Each year a small number of our graduates find work in general engineering companies. 

For example one 2016 graduate now works for Jaguar Land Rover on their graduate training programme.   Another is working in product development for Philips Consumer Lifestyle and another for Bosch in their consumer electronics division.  Working in other areas of engineering would depend on the pathway and projects chosen by students.

Imperial College’s Careers Service has strong links with a wide range of engineering companies, some of which attend the annual Engineering Careers Fair.

Working in computing and information technology is a popular career choice for many of our graduates.  Every business and organisation depends on computing technology to store and safeguard information, promote and sell products and services to consumers and businesses, or to process and analyse data. 

You will acquire Matlab and C++ programming skills on our programmes and depending on the courses you choose, your projects and personal interest you could develop a range of computing eexpertise in a range of areas including machine learning, mobile phone apps and robotics. 

Graduates may work for a small company utilising skills they already have. In addition many large employers recruit STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) students into computing roles and offer training in the languages and systems they need.  

You might work for a bank, securing their IT systems and minimising risk or developing mobile phone apps for their customers.  You could be developing investment software using machine learning used by a range of companies investing clients’ money.  Or you could be working for a management consultancy advising clients on their IT infrastructure.

Many banks and financial services firms (i.e. accountancy, tax, actuarial and investment advisory services) recruit Bioengineers each year, seeking the analytical, quantitative, and problems solving skills which you can bring.  Companies recruiting Bioengineering graduates (or any graduates), into these roles offer structured training programmes and the opportunity to gain professional qualifications.  You might work for an investment bank such as Goldman Sachs or Credit Suisse where you could be involved in mergers and acquisitions or stock market floats or risk assessment.  Or you might work for KPMG or Deloitte auditing company accounts or advising companies about taxation.

Other professional services roles include working as a Patent Attorney, protecting inventions and new scientific discoveries. Or you might retrain as a solicitor after your degree course and specialise in intellectual property work, for example dealing with patent infringement.

The banks, financial services and patent attorney firms visit Imperial’s campus every year to present their recruitment plans and attend careers fair.

Management consultancies such as Accenture or Boston Consulting also value the analytical, quantitative, and problems solving skills which you can bring.  Management Consultancies advise companies and organisations about efficiency and business strategy.

A specialist area of management consultancy is called Life Science Consultancy. This involves advising medical technology and life science companies about the market for a proposed new device or drug including pricing, market access, and regulatory requirements.

Our graduates are working in most of the large management consultancy firms. Most of the larger management consultancy firms also visit Imperial’s campus each year and present their recruitment plans to students

Engineering students can train to teach maths and physics in UK schools and there is considerable demand for teachers in these subject areas. 

Teaching is a demanding and rewarding career which offers you the opportunity to share you subject knowledge and enthusiasm with young people. 

Whilst at Imperial you may have the opportunity to teach on a summer schools programme.  Or you may offer private tuition in maths and physics to school pupils.  Both are excellent ways of gaining the experience you would need to be accepted onto a teaching programme.

There are a number of further study options following a undergraduate degree in bioomedical engineering. Whether its masters, PhD, medical or law programme you are interested in you have lots of options.

Robert Ferguson is the Industrial Liaison Manager in the Department of Bioengineering.  Robert works with our students on career choice and planning.  He brings a wide range of biomedical engineering companies to visit the Department each year to present their recruitment plans to students.  Robert also organises our annual Bioengineering Careers Fair, an event unique in the UK, where increasing numbers of companies visit to recruit our students.

Please feel free to contact Robert to discuss your career plans:
Email: robert.ferguson@imperial.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7594 6371


Imperial College Careers Service
Imperial’s Careers Service offers a wide range of services and resources to help our students find work or further study.  You can find out more about Imperial’s Careers Service from their website.