Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 University Catalog 
    
2022-2023 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Biological Engineering: BioEnvironmental Engineering Concentration, BSBE


About the Program

This Biological Engineering Concentration prepares students to work with bioprocessing manufacturers, including food and pharmaceutical industries, look for innovative environmental controls, waste processing, and water treatment to meet corporate sustainability goals and to comply with increasingly strict governmental regulations. The engineering rules-of-thumb and design heuristics based on past practices that have been the standard in municipal wastewater treatment design are less applicable to treating the highly variable waste stream characteristics of specialized industries. In addition, there exists a high potential for identifying value added products from these water streams. 

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. Students in this program earn a Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering, (BSBE). 

Some of the factors that contribute to Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue University being a top ranked program: 

  • Multiple opportunities for interaction with faculty in laboratories and in classes 
  • Student Competitions, Clubs, Global Experiences 
  • Personalized advising and attention from faculty 
  • Practical curriculum for industrial careers 
  • Great opportunities for internships and undergraduate research. 
  • Numerous departmental scholarships 
  • Excellent placement record and starting salaries

Watch a video and take a look at some senior projects.  We hope to see you in ABE soon!

 

The Biological Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Biological Engineering Major Change (CODO) Requirements  

Degree Requirements


129 Credits Required

Departmental/Program Major Courses (60 credits)


BioEnvironmental Engineering Concentration Courses (21 credits)


Supplemental Information


Click here for Biological Engineering Supplemental Information  .

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (65-75 credits)


First-Year Engineering Requirements (29-39 credits)


Click here for First-Year Engineering  requirements.

  • Requirement #1 - Intro to Engineering I (2-4 credits)
  • Requirement #2 - Intro to Engineering II (2-4 credits)
  • Requirement #3 - Calculus I (4-5 credits) (satisfies Quantitative Reasoning for core) 
  • Requirement #4 - Calculus II (4-5 credits) (satisfies Quantitative Reasoning for core) 
  • Requirement #5 - Chemistry I (4-6 credits) (satisfies Science #1 for core)
  • Requirement #6 - Physics (4 credits) (satisfies Science #2 for core)
  • Requirement #7 - First-Year Engineering Selective (3-4 credits)
  • Requirement #8 - Written and Oral Communication (6-7 credits) (could satisfy Written Communication, Information Literacy or Oral Communication for core)

Click here for Pre-Agricultural and Biological Engineering  Requirements.

Other Departmental Requirements (36 credits)


Electives (0-4 credit)


  • Electives - Credit Hours: 0.00-4.00

College of Agriculture & University Level Requirements


Courses Not Applicable in Undergraduate Plans of Study - The following courses are not applicable as credit toward graduation in any College of Agriculture baccalaureate degree program: CHM 10000; ENGL 10000, 10900, 11100; ENGR 19100, 19200, 19300; MA 11100, 12300, 13300, 13400, 15100; 15555, PHYS 14900; STAT 11300, 11400; and all General Studies courses except GS 49000 - Discovery Park Undergraduate Research.  Credits earned in one of the following course - MA 15200, 15300, 15400 or MA 15800 - may be used as an unrestricted elective in the College of Agriculture undergraduate plans of study, but may not be used as a Mathematics and Sciences elective.



University Requirements


University Core Requirements


For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.
  • Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
  • Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
  • Information Literacy (IL)
  • Oral Communication (OC)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
  • Science #1 (SCI)
  • Science #2 (SCI)
  • Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
  • Written Communication (WC)

Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement:


The Civics Literacy Proficiency activities are designed to develop civic knowledge of Purdue students in an effort to graduate a more informed citizenry.

Students will complete the Proficiency by passing a test of civic knowledge, and completing one of three paths:

  • Attending six approved civics-related events and completing an assessment for each; or
  • Completing 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship and Engagement that use C-SPAN material and completing an assessment for each; or
  • Earning a passing grade for one of these approved courses (or transferring in approved AP or departmental credit in lieu of taking a course)

For more information visit the Civics Literacy Proficiency website.



Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


Program Requirements


17-18 Credits


16 Credits


17 Credits


16 Credits


16 Credits


18 Credits


Fall 4th Year


17 Credits


Spring 4th Year


12-16 Credits


Notes


  • Students must have a graduation index of 2.0
  • Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student.

World Language Courses


World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor.

ASL-American Sign Language ARAB-Arabic CHNS-Chinese FR-French
GER-German GREK-Greek (Ancient) HEBR-Hebrew (Biblical) HEBR-Hebrew (modern)
ITAL-Italian JPNS-Japanese KOR-Korean LATN-Latin
PTGS-Portuguese RUSS-Russian SPAN-Spanish  

 

 
 
 

 

 

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.  Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful.  These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program”. 

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.