Options for higher studies abroad.

What options do I have for further studies? Does it make sense to enrol in an undergraduate program abroad majoring in Biology? Or shall I go for a Masters Degree in Biomedical Engineering? I haven't studied any Biology for 5-6 years.

• I am an undergraduate, currently in the third year of my studies majoring in Computer Science and Engineering in India. I have been involved in a few projects in Biomedical Engineering department of my institute. I haven't made any significant contribution, but I have developed this affinity for Biological Sciences. I have a GPA of 7.3. Also, is Computational Biology a viable option too?

• Answer:

  I stopped taking biology after the tenth standard,and didn't take it in college or during my master's program. I was able to move into a biological field (computational neuroscience) without too much difficulty. Biology is a hot area these days, so one danger is that there may be too many people in the field, and too few research/academic opportunities. I suggest you work with your strengths, and make sure you have plenty of mathematical and coding skills. You can then apply those skills in a graduate program in fields like systems biology, bioinformatics, genetics, neuroscience, and biomedical engineering. And if you can't find openings in biology, those skills will be useful in the corporate world. Doing an undergraduate degree in the US is extremely expensive, so going for graduate school can make more sense. But it depends on the specifics of your situation.