Biological Engineering

The PhD in Engineering Science with a concentration in Biological Engineering is the terminal degree in this field which includes bioprocess, biotechnological, biomechanical, agricultural, bioenvironmental engineering and related areas. An individualized program of study must be developed for each student in consultation with their graduate advisory committee, including at least four members of the graduate faculty. The major professor (advisory committee chair) must be from Biological and Agricultural Engineering, and the general requirements for the PhD-ES must be satisfied.

At least 54 credit hours of course work beyond the bachelor’s is required and at least half (27) of those credits must be at the 7000 level. Students with a master’s degree in Biological Engineering or a related field can transfer up to 24 credits with approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. BE 7500, as well as an advanced course in math (3 credits, 4000 or 7000 level) or statistics (4 credits, 7000 level) is required, and a proposed plan of study and dissertation proposal must be completed and approved by the committee by the beginning of the second semester of full time study, or before 9 credit hours are completed. A minimum of 12 credits must be taken in the BE Program and at least half those credits must be at the 7000 level.

Doctoral students must pass a general exam per Engineering Science and graduate school guidelines. This exam may include oral and written components at the discretion of the committee. At least six hours of dissertation research (BE 9000 or equivalent) is required and a dissertation must be produced and approved by the committee. The final examination is an oral defense of the dissertation.

Monitoring of the PhD program in the BE concentration will be done by the BAE department. Graduate coordinator faculty and staff will monitor students, maintain records, schedule exams and otherwise work with the Engineering Science faculty and staff to follow the status and success of all students in the program. Historical data of students in the PhD program advised and/or supported by BAE faculty suggests a completion rate of between 2-3 PhD graduates per year over the last 5-10 years, and an expected graduation rate of PhD students of at least 2 per year for the next 3-5 years, or until the PhD in Biological Engineering is approved. Further information is available upon request.

Suggested Coursework for PhD Concentration in Biological Engineering

BE 4303 Engineering Properties of Biological Materials
BE 4305 Engineering Entrepreneurship I
BE 4306 Engineering Entrepreneurship II
BE 4323 Biomechanics for Engineers (co-listed as IE4465)
BE 4332 Molecular Methods in Biological Engineering
BE 4335 Tissue Engineering
BE 4340 Food and Bioprocess Engineering
BE 4341 Biological Reactor Systems Design
BE 4342 Sugar Process Engineering
BE 4352 Transport Phenomena in Biological Engineering
BE 4380 Aquacultural Engineering
BE 4383 Natural Resource Engineering
BE 7304 Advanced Natural Resource Engineering
BE 7340 Advanced Food Engineering and Biotechnology
BE 7350 Advanced Instrumentation and Control for Biological Engineering
BE 7361 Biological Reactor Systems for Agricultural Waste Treatment
BE 7381 Advanced Aquacultural Engineering

Other topic areas may include: Biochemical Engineering; Environmental Engineering; Industrial and Ergonomic Engineering, Biomechanical Engineering or related areas. Suggested courses in these areas follow:

Chemical Engineering:

CHE 4260 Biochemical Engineering
CHE 4263 Environmental Chemodynamics
CHE 7110 Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering

Environmental Engineering:

EVEG 4125 Environmental Transport Processes
EVEG 4139 Lakes Management and Modeling
EVEG 4154 Sustainability Engineering
EVEG 4159 Design of Natural Systems for Wastewater Treatment

Civil Engineering:

CE 7135 Advanced Topics in Biodegradation
CE 7145 Biological Treatment of Recirculating Systems in Aquaculture
CE 7180 Water Quality Simulations
CE 4730 Risk and Reliability in Civil and Environmental Engineering

Industrial Engineering:

IE 4461 Human Factors Engineering
IE 7461 Ergonomics in Work Design
IE7464 Work Physiology
IE 7465 Occupational Biomechanics
IE 7466 Human Interaction with Computers
IE 7467 Cognitive Ergonomics