Ph.D. - Biosystems Engineering Auburn University - College of Engineering

Why this degree?

The purpose of this degree program is to produce graduates who are able to identify new discoveries and apply engineering analyzes to develop sustainable solutions to complex engineering problems. An additional goal is to produce graduates who conduct independent cutting-edge research in biosystems engineering and that can clearly communicate research findings to technical and non-technical audiences.

What can you expect?

Students will be able to specialize in the following areas: metabolic engineering, precision agriculture, off-highway vehicle engineering, food and process engineering, biological engineering, biomass and biofuel products, and ecological engineering.

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You are eligible to apply if:

In general, students with an MS degree in engineering are eligible to apply to the biosystems engineering PhD program. Since eligibility for students with non-engineering MS degrees is handled on a case-by-case basis, applicants in this category should contact the graduate program coordinator, Sushil Adhikari.

The Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering requires a minimum of 60 semester hours of graduate-level course work beyond the bachelor’s degree. The total number of credit hours that may be transferred from another accredited institution toward a doctoral degree must be less than 50 percent of the credit hours listed on the Plan of Study. Students must take a qualifying examination (written and oral) administered by the student’s advisory committee that tests the student’s knowledge and competence in the proposed research area and in the general field of biosystems engineering. The student advances to Ph.D. candidacy after the successful completion of the qualifying examination. The PhD student will conduct independent research and prepare a dissertation. After completion of the dissertation, the student must pass a final oral examination defending his/her dissertation.

• BSEN 8990 Research and Dissertation (Minimum)
• BSEN 6250 Deterministic Modeling for Biosystems
• BSEN 7950 Seminar
• Select 6 Credits of Other BSEN Courses (@6000-8999)*
• Select 15 Credits of Engineering Courses (@ 6000-8999)*
• Select 3 Credits of Statistics or Related Courses (@6000-8999)*
• Select 22 Credits of Other Courses (@ 6000-8999)*

*Specific courses are approved by the student advisory committee