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2026-2027 University Catalog
Biological Engineering, BSBE
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About the Program
The BS program in Biological Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission’s General Criteria and the Program Criteria for Biological and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.
Overview:
Biological Engineering applies engineering principles to biological systems to address challenges in health, food, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology energy, and sustainability. Curriculum Highlights: - Integration of biology and engineering principles
- Core engineering skills: mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and computational modeling
- Specialized applications: bioprocessing, biomaterials, cellular and molecular engineering
- Hands-on experience through labs, design projects, and research
- Optional concentrations in Bioenvironmental, Cellular and Biomolecular, Food and Biological Processing, and Pharmaceutical Processing
- Emerging technologies: synthetic biology, bioinformatics, biotechnology, biomanufacturing, and renewable bioenergy
Career Opportunities:
Graduates work in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, food and agricultural processing, environmental engineering, and biomedical fields. Emerging opportunities include synthetic biology, biomanufacturing, bioinformatics, renewable bioenergy, tissue and organ engineering, and biodefense. Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering Biological Engineering Major Change (CODO) Requirements Degree Requirements
129 Credits RequiredBiological Engineering Major Requirements (54-63 credits)
Required Major Courses (45-54 credits)
Other Departmental Requirement Total (79-86 credits)
Pre-ABE Requirements (29-39 credits)
All courses in this area must have a C- or higher. *Upon successful completion of Pre-ABE curriculum , students are eligible to enter their preferred engineering major within ABE. For alternative paths to ABE majors, please visit First-Year Engineering and/or speak with an ABE advisor. Other Departmental Requirements (46-47 credits)
Electives (0-1 credits)
- Electives - Credit Hours: 0.00-1.00
GPA Requirements
- A GPA of 2.0 is required for all Baccalaureate degrees.
College of Agriculture Core Requirements
Students in College of Agriculture majors must complete the College of Agriculture Core Requirements. These may be satisfied or double‑counted with certain degree requirements. Consult your advisor to determine how best to meet core requirements in your plan of study. For a complete listing of College of Agriculture Core Course Selectives, visit the College of Agriculture Website Transfer Credit Policy
If you are interested in registering for a course offered by a different institution, please review the information on the Purdue Office of the Registrar Transfer Credit website. * If you are an incoming transfer student, please review the above Transfer Credit website and then work with your academic advisor to determine exactly how your previous courses might transfer. University Requirements
University Core Requirements
For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the University Senate Website. - AI Working Competency (UCC: AI)
- Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (UCC: BSS)
- Human Cultures: Humanities (UCC: HUM)
- Information Literacy (UCC: IL)
- Oral Communication (UCC: OC)
- Quantitative Reasoning (UCC: QR)
- Science #1 (UCC: SCI)
- Science #2 (UCC: SCI)
- Science, Technology, and Society (UCC: STS)
- Written Communication (UCC: WC)
Civics Literacy Proficiency Requirement
To obtain the Civics Literacy credential, all Baccalaureate degree seeking students will complete the Civics Literacy Podcast pathway - Complete 12 podcasts created by the Purdue Center for C-SPAN Scholarship & Engagement that use C-SPAN material and pass the required quizzes per episode. After the pathway has been successfully completed, students will take the Civics Literacy knowledge test. Civics Literacy does not impact a student’s GPA or bear any financial costs. More details about each pathway and how to complete the requirement can be found on the Civics Literacy Student Dashboard in myPurdue. Upper Level Requirement
- Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level (30000+) courses.
- Students should be able to fulfill most, if not all, of these credits within their major requirements; there should be a clear pathway for students to complete any credits not completed within their major.
Pre-Requisite Information
For pre-requisite information, log in to mypurdue.purdue.edu and click here. Sample Plan of Study
The sample plan of study outlines how a student may meet degree requirements. There may be other course options available. Students plan and register for their courses with the collaboration of their academic advisors. Fall 1st Year
- Requirement #1 - Intro to Engineering - Credit Hours: 2.00-4.00
- Requirement #3 - Calculus I - Credit Hours: 4.00-5.00
- Requirement #5 - Chemistry - Credit Hours: 4.00-6.00
- Requirement #8 - Written or Oral Communication - Credit Hours: 3.00-4.00
Spring 4th Year
- ABE 55800 - Biological Engineering Design II Credit Hours: 3.00
- Biological Engineering Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- International Understanding Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Additional International Understanding or Interpersonal Development Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
- Human Cultures: Humanities Selective - Credit Hours: 3.00
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. Consultation with an advisor may result in an altered plan customized for an individual student. The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion. Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. |
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