Biological Systems Engineering

Overview

Biological Systems Engineering, or BSE, connects biology, chemistry, and engineering to solve complex, critical problems in sustainability, environmental protection, and human health. Graduates from the BSE program are poised to lead in the rapidly expanding fields of biotechnology and ecological engineering to address societies grandest challenges and needs now and into the future including nature-based solutions for protecting our water resources, detection and prevention of human diseases, and food, pharmaceutical, and bioplastic production.

Our program has two major options: Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) and Ecological Engineering (EcoE). Both majors share a core set of courses including biology, chemistry, math, physics, data science, and engineering design. 

Both the ecological engineering (EcoE) and biological systems engineering (BSE) majors provide skills and training to solve pressing societal, ecological, and environmental challenges. EcoE majors focus on using a holistic, systems approach to sustainable design. Required courses in the EcoE major that are not required in the BSE major include ecology, soils, green engineering, and environmental life-cycle assessment. While EcoE majors follow a more structured curriculum, students majoring in BSE have the flexibility to choose from a variety of curricular pathways, including environmental health engineering, biotechnology, food engineering, ecological engineering, and health professions. Both majors enable graduates to make meaningful impacts on challenges involving natural resources and biological systems.   

BSE’s graduates are employed in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, energy, and food industries as well as government agencies, environmental consulting firms, and non-profit organizations.  BSE graduates also succeed in professional schools such as medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine, and as graduate students in a variety of disciplines, including biomedical, chemical, and civil engineering.

The below images demonstrates biological and environmental interactions across scales.

Curriculum:

The Department of Biological Systems Engineering offers a Bachelor of Science in Biological Systems Engineering (BS BSE). Courses are focused on microbiology, thermodynamics, transport processes, fluid mechanics, and engineering analysis. Students can select from two majors within the degree program. Review the University Catalog to see the required coursework.

The degree is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET for engineering.

Interest Areas and Related Degrees/Minors

The undergraduate BSE program provides courses and experiences related to the following areas within biological systems engineering: biotechnology; environmental health engineering; food engineering; health professions; and ecological engineering. A short description of each area and related degrees and minors are provided below to enhance your major exploration experience.

Biotechnology
Living materials - from microorganisms to plants - and their products are critical to health and nourishment. Biotech engineers combine biology and engineering to create vaccines, bio-based plastics, proteins, and other biologically-based materials and to design processes for their scaled-up production.
Related Engineering Degrees: Biomedical Engineering | Chemical Engineering | Computer Science | Material Science and Engineering
Related Degrees: Biochemistry | Chemistry | Nanoscience | Sustainable Biomaterials | Systems Biology
Related Minors: Biomedical Engineering | Chemistry | Green Engineering | Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Environmental Health Engineering
Our well-being and quality of life are profoundly impacted by environmental factors such as the purity of our water and air. Environmental health engineers identify environmental hazards and design systems-based solutions that are best suited to specific physical, ecological, and socio-economic circumstances.
Related Degrees: Chemistry | Crop and Soils Sciences | Environmental Policy and Planning | Environmental Science | Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Nanoscience | Water
Related Minors: Chemistry | Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences | Environmental Policy and Planning | Environmental Science | Geographic Information Science | Green Engineering | Philosophy, Politics, and Economics | Public and Urban Affairs | Science, Engineering, and Law | Watershed Management

Food Engineering
Are you interested in how healthy and tasty foods are made? If your answer is “Yes,” this area of BSE might be a great fit for you. Food engineers create efficient and sustainable processes that produce and package safe, nutritious, appetizing, and appealing food, from staples to snacks.
Related Engineering Degrees: Chemical Engineering
Related Degrees: Biochemistry | Food Science and Technology
Related Minors: Food Science and Technology | Green Engineering | Philosophy, Politics, and Economics | Viticulture

Health Professions
Our program provides a robust curriculum that serves as excellent preparation for placement tests and advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine. Our biotech faculty provides engineering research and analysis opportunities to prepare our graduates to be future leaders in health innovation.
Related Engineering Degrees: Chemical Engineering
Related Degrees: Biochemistry | Biology | Chemistry | Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise | Systems Biology
Related Minors: Biology | Biomedical Engineering | Chemistry | Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Ecological Engineering
Water is essential to all life, and one of our greatest ongoing global challenges is ensuring adequate and clean water resources. BSE graduates are at the cutting edge of technologies and sustainable practices that safeguard our streams, rivers, and groundwater resources for all who will depend on them.
Related Engineering Degrees: Civil Engineering
Related Degrees: Crop and Soils Sciences | Environmental Informatics | Environmental Policy and Planning | Environmental Science | Geoscience | Landscape Architecture | Meteorology | Water
Related Minors: Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences | Environmental Policy and Planning | Environmental Science | Geographic Information Science | Geosciences | Green Engineering | Philosophy, Politics, and Economics | Public and Urban Affairs | Science, Engineering, and Law | Watershed Management | Wetland Science

Getting Involved

Honor Society – Alpha Epsilon
Professional Society – American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE)
Student Organizations
Study Abroad
Undergraduate Research

Additional Opportunities:
Accelerated Masters Program
Scholarships and Grants
Student Engagement

Career Resources

Our Engineering Career Resource provides you with all of the most frequently used career information websites in one place for ease of access. This list includes links to VT First Destination Post Grad Report, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Department of Defense, and many more. 

Quick Facts

• Our four-year graduation rate is over 70%, one of the highest in the College of Engineering.
• BSE’s robust academic scholarship program provides need-based and merit-based support to approximately 30% of our undergraduate students, with awards of up to $14,000 per academic year.
• Our students are diverse in ethnicity and economic background, and we have the highest percentage (60%) of female students in the College of Engineering.
• As one of the smaller engineering programs, we enjoy a low faculty-to-student ratio and a strong tradition of community.
• BSE faculty provide students with research opportunities in numerous fields from vaccine development to stream and environmental restoration.
• Our supportive and engaged academic advising is tailored to individual goals, including the areas of course planning, internships, study abroad programs, and job opportunities.
• Over 80% of our students are involved in experiential learning outside of the classroom including internships, co-ops, research experiences, and study abroad.
• Our graduates’ first employers include large corporations, government agencies, private industries, graduate programs, and medical schools.
• 92% of graduates have job or graduate school placements within 6 months of graduation, with salary ranges in industry from $50,000 to $80,000.