Food and bioprocess engineers develop and manage equipment and systems that process and distribute food and other biologically based materials. They are required by the food industry to help develop processes that add value to food products. These processing technologies are designed to improve the storage life and marketability of food products, reduce their transportation costs, handle processing wastes, and develop alternative uses for biological materials. (For example, newspaper and soy flour are used to make the construction material EnvironTM, and corn stalks can be used to make chemical absorbent pads.)
The food industry makes up one of the largest segments of our nation’s economy and continues to enjoy steady growth due to the ever-changing needs of consumers and increased awareness of nutritional and environmental issues. Food and bioprocess engineers play a vital role in meeting this need. From potato chips to microwavable entrees, food and bioprocess engineers continue to develop processes to convert raw materials from the farm to food products for the dining room table.
Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| Common Requirements | 53 | |
| Specialization Technical Electives | 43 | |
| Capstone | 5 | |
| Total Credits | 101 | |
Common Requirements
See Major Requirements.
Food & Bioprocess Engineering Specialization
This is a named option that will appear on the student's transcript upon completion.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 341 | Elementary Organic Chemistry (preferred) | 3 |
| or CHEM 343 | Organic Chemistry I | |
| M E 361 | Thermodynamics 1 | 3 |
| or CBE 310 | Chemical Process Thermodynamics | |
| M E 363 | Fluid Dynamics 1 | 3-4 |
| or CBE 320 | Introductory Transport Phenomena | |
| BSE 464 | Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Systems | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 18-20 | |
Food Engineering Track | ||
Bioprocess Engineering Track | ||
| Total Credits | 30-33 | |
Food Engineering Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FOOD SCI 301 | Introduction to the Science and Technology of Food | 3 |
| FOOD SCI/MICROBIO 325 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| FOOD SCI 532 | Integrated Food Manufacturing | 4 |
| BSE 364 | Engineering Properties of Food and Biological Materials | 3 |
| BSE 461 | Food and Bioprocessing Operations | 3 |
| Select one of the following BSE breadth courses: | 2-3 | |
| Land Information Management | ||
| Renewable Energy Systems | ||
| On-Site Waste Water Treatment and Dispersal | ||
| Intelligence and Automation in Agriculture | ||
| Biorefining: Energy and Products from Renewable Resources | ||
| Sediment and Bio-Nutrient Engineering and Management | ||
| Water Management Systems | ||
| Engineering Principles of Agricultural Machinery | ||
| Engineering Principles of Off-Road Vehicles | ||
| Small Watershed Engineering | ||
| Total Credits | 18-19 | |
Bioprocess Engineering Track
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MICROBIO 102 | General Microbiology Laboratory | 2 |
| or MICROBIO 304 | Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory | |
| BIOCHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| BSE 364 | Engineering Properties of Food and Biological Materials | 3 |
| BSE/ENVIR ST 367 | Renewable Energy Systems | 3 |
| BSE 460 | Biorefining: Energy and Products from Renewable Resources | 3 |
| BSE 461 | Food and Bioprocessing Operations | 3 |
| Select one of the following BSE breadth courses: | 2-3 | |
| Land Information Management | ||
| On-Site Waste Water Treatment and Dispersal | ||
| Sediment and Bio-Nutrient Engineering and Management | ||
| Water Management Systems | ||
| Engineering Principles of Agricultural Machinery | ||
| Engineering Principles of Off-Road Vehicles | ||
| Small Watershed Engineering | ||
| Total Credits | 19-20 | |
Technical Electives
See Major Requirements.
Capstone
See Major Requirements.
Four-Year Plan
Students must complete at least 125 total credits to be eligible for graduation.
Sample Biological Systems Engineering Four-Year Plan—Food and Bioprocess Engineering Specialization–BioProcess Engineering Track
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| MATH 2211 | 5 | MATH 222 | 4 |
| CHEM 1092 | 5 | BSE 170 or INTEREGR 170 | 2-3 |
| LSC 100 (or other COMM A) | 3 | BSE 310 | 3 |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 | MICROBIO 101 & MICROBIO 102 | 5 |
| 16 | 14-15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BSE 249 or CBE 250 | 3 | BSE 308 | 1 |
| BSE 270 | 3 | BSE 349 | 3 |
| MATH 234 | 4 | MATH 320 | 3 |
| CHEM 341 | 3 | INTEREGR 397 (or other COMM B) | 3 |
| E M A 201 | 3 | PHYSICS 202 | 5 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| M E 361 | 3 | BSE 364 | 3 |
| BSE/ENVIR ST 367 | 3 | BSE 365 | 3 |
| BIOCHEM 501 | 3 | BSE 508 | 2 |
| STAT 324 | 3 | M E 363 or CBE 320 | 3-4 |
| Humanities | 3 | Technical Electives | 3 |
| CALS International Studies | 3 | ||
| 15 | 17-18 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BSE 380 | 3 | BSE 460 | 3 |
| BSE 461 | 3 | BSE 464 | 3 |
| BSE 509 | 3 | BSE Breadth Requirement | 3 |
| Technical Electives | 2-3 | Elective Courses | 9 |
| Humanities | 3 | ||
| 14-15 | 18 | ||
| Total Credits 125-128 | |||
- 1
MATH course dependent on placement score and transfer credit evaluation.
- 2
If CHEM 103 & CHEM 104 are taken in place of CHEM 109, it is suggested to take CHEM 103 in the fall semester and CHEM 104 in the spring semester of the first year and move MICROBIO 101 & MICROBIO 102 to the first semester of the second year.
Sample Biological Systems Engineering Four-Year Plan—Food and Bioprocess Engineering Specialization–Food Engineering Track
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| MATH 2211 | 5 | MICROBIO 101 | 3 |
| CHEM 1092 | 5 | BSE 170 or INTEREGR 170 | 2-3 |
| LSC 100 (or other COMM A) | 3 | BSE 310 | 3 |
| Humanities | 3 | MATH 222 | 4 |
| Ethnic Studies | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15-16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BSE 249 or CBE 250 | 3 | BSE 308 | 1 |
| BSE 270 | 3 | BSE 349 | 3 |
| MATH 234 | 4 | MATH 320 | 3 |
| CHEM 341 | 3 | PHYSICS 202 | 5 |
| E M A 201 | 3 | CALS International Studies | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| FOOD SCI 301 | 3 | BSE 364 | 3 |
| FOOD SCI/MICROBIO 325 | 3 | BSE 365 | 3 |
| BSE 380 | 3 | BSE 508 | 2 |
| M E 361 or CBE 310 | 3 | M E 363 or CBE 320 | 3-4 |
| STAT 324 | 3 | Technical Electives | 3 |
| 15 | 14-15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| FOOD SCI 532 | 4 | BSE 464 | 3 |
| BSE 461 | 3 | Humanities | 3 |
| BSE 509 | 3 | BSE Breadth Requirement | 3 |
| INTEREGR 397 (or other COMM B) | 3 | Technical Elective | 3 |
| Technical Electives | 3-4 | Elective Courses | 6 |
| 16-17 | 18 | ||
| Total Credits 125-128 | |||