The world has tremendous need for solutions to problems related to the environment, energy, health, food, and sustainability. Biological systems are related to or at the heart of all of these issues. A biological engineer learns to design and analyze biological systems to develop innovative and practical solutions. Our B.S. graduates are well prepared for careers in the food industry, pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, and bioprocessing as well as entrance into graduate or medical school. Students may select a major and plan of study within biological engineering that is tailored to their specific career goals. Some areas of focus include:
Cellular and Biomolecular Engineering: This emerging field is expected to rapidly advance and open opportunities in biomanufacturing, drug design, human therapeutics, tissue and organ regeneration, bioenergy and biofuel production, bioremediation, and biodefense.
Bioprocess Engineering: This is rapidly becoming a critical forefront research area as advances in genetic engineering lead to new types of crops and new processing methods to create value added products.
Food Process Engineering: This is an interdisciplinary field that applies the basic sciences, mathematics, and engineering to convert agricultural commodities into edible foods and biological materials through various processing steps.
Watch a video and then take a look at some senior projects.
Applying
Biological Engineering is a major within the Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) Department. ABE faculty are members of both the College of Agriculture and the College of Engineering, and there are multiple entry paths for students who are interested in ABE majors.
First-time college students may apply to "Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Pre)" in the College of Agriculture or they may select "Engineering" in the College of Engineering, where they would begin in the First-Year Engineering program. The first-year curriculum is the same for each path.
Transfer students who have fulfilled the first-year requirements of this engineering program may apply directly to Biological Engineering in the College of Agriculture. Transfer students who have not met the first-year requirements may apply to Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Pre).
Points of Pride
Some of the factors that contribute to ABE being a top-ranked department (our program is one of the best in the world!) include:
- Small class sizes
- Student competitions, clubs, global experiences
- Individualized advising and attention by faculty
- Practical curriculum for industrial careers
- Great opportunities for scholarships and internships
- Excellent placement record and starting salaries