Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, PhD

The objectives of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering graduate program are to develop and strengthen:  

1. the ability to plan and conduct research and design involving the application of engineering science to biological and agricultural systems.  

2. an understanding of mathematical, physical, and biological sciences that enables critical assessment of scientific literature in these and related fields.  

3. the skills required to use precision instruments, techniques and computers in research and design.  

4. the ability to make sound engineering and management decisions.  

5. the ability to teach college level courses in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, particularly at the doctoral level.  

Admission Requirements 

Admission into the Ph.D. graduate program of the Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Department requires the concurrence of the Department Graduate Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Department Chair, and the availability of an advisor for the student. The Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Graduate Committee reviews the applicant’s previous graduate record, three letters of recommendation, resume, statement of professional objective, and transcripts with special emphasis given to the science and mathematics area. The department requires a minimum grade point average of 3.2 on all previous graduate work for unconditional admission. Exceptions to these requirements are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the materials described above. Ph.D. students are admitted into candidacy after they have successfully completed the Qualifying Exam. 

Degree Requirements  

Graduate students will combine courses in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, other engineering fields, the physical sciences, and the biological sciences to develop a program of study that facilitates these objectives. The advanced degrees, however, are primarily research degrees awarded for significant creative research accomplishment, not for the completion of a specified number of courses. Therefore, the program normally concentrates on a strong dissertation problem completed under the supervision of the graduate faculty of the department.