Biological Engineering (BS): Bioprocessing Engineering Concentration
The BE curriculum is jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering and combines the fields of engineering, biology, chemistry, and agriculture. The Biological Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org. BE graduates are qualified to become registered professional engineers by passing the appropriate examinations and upon completing the engineering experience requirements. Specific curriculum requirements are available online.
BAE faculty, in concert with program constituencies, has developed the following undergraduate program objectives. Within the first five years following graduation, NC State's Biological Engineering graduates will:
- Excel in their careers by applying their engineering knowledge, critical-thinking skills, systematic approach to problem solving, and innovation to improve biological and agricultural systems;
- Work effectively both independently and as part of professional teams and demonstrate leadership potential in project management;
- Display professionalism, ethics, equity, and inclusivity in the practice of engineering to safeguard life, health, and public welfare;
- Communicate effectively in a professional environment; and
- Be engaged in life-long learning and professional development.
Plan Requirements
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| E 101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 2 | 1 |
| E 115 | Introduction to Computing Environments | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 2 | 4 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 100 | Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Technology | 1 |
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY 205 & PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Fundamentals of Economics | ||
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BAE 200 | Computer Methods in Biological Engineering | 2 |
| CE 214 or MAE 206 | Engineering Mechanics-Statics 2 or Engineering Statics | 3 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| PY 208 & PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 202 | Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering Methods | 4 |
| CE 215 or MAE 208 | 2 or Engineering Dynamics | 3 |
| MA 341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| MAE 201 | Thermal-Fluid Sciences | 3 |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BAE 302 | Transport Phenomena | 3 |
| BAE 321 | Bioprocessing Engineering Fundamentals | 3 |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| MB 352 or MB 354 | General Microbiology Laboratory or Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| CE 282 or MAE 308 | Hydraulics or Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| BAE 305 | Biological Engineering Circuits | 4 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 401 | Sensors and Controls | 3 |
| BAE 322 | Introduction to Food Process Engineering | 3 |
| CE 225 or MAE 214 | Mechanics of Solids or Solid Mechanics | 3 |
| ST 370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BAE 451 | Engineering Design I | 2 |
| Bioprocessing Engineering Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Science and Civilization | ||
| Ethical Dimensions of Progress | ||
| ENG 331 or ENG 333 | Communication for Engineering and Technology or Communication for Science and Research | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 425 | Industrial Microbiology and Bioprocessing | 3 |
| BAE 452 | Engineering Design II | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Analytical Methods in Engineering Design | ||
| Fundamentals of Hydrology for Engineers | ||
| Structures & Environment | ||
| Hours | 8 | |
| Total Hours | 112 | |
- 1
A grade of C or higher is required.
- 2
A grade of C- or higher is required.
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| GEP Courses | |||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | ||
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | ||
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | ||
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | ||
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | ||
| GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement) | |||
| World Language Proficiency (verify requirement) | |||
| Total Hours | 16 | ||
Bioprocessing Engineering Elective
| Code | Title | Hours | Counts towards |
|---|---|---|---|
| BAE 528 | Biomass to Renewable Energy Processes | 3 | |
| BEC 436 | Introduction to Downstream Process Development | 2 | |
| BEC 463 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BEC 485 | cGMP Downstream Operations | 2 | |
| BEC 488 | Animal Cell Culture Engineering | 2 | |
| BEC 536 | Introduction to Downstream Process Development | 2 | |
| BEC 563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BEC 585 | cGMP Downstream Operations | 2 | |
| BIT 463 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| BIT 563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| CHE 435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 | |
| CHE 463 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| CHE 488 | Animal Cell Culture Engineering | 2 | |
| CHE 563 | Fermentation of Recombinant Microorganisms | 2 | |
| ISE 311 | Engineering Economic Analysis | 3 | |
| TE 435 | Process Systems Analysis and Control | 3 |
Semester Sequence
This is a sample.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| E 101 | Introduction to Engineering & Problem Solving 1 | 1 |
| E 115 | Introduction to Computing Environments 1 | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 100 | Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Technology | 1 |
| CH 221 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CH 222 | Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| PY 205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 3 |
| PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Fundamentals of Economics | ||
| Introduction to Agricultural & Resource Economics | ||
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BAE 200 | Computer Methods in Biological Engineering | 2 |
| MAE 206 or CE 214 | Engineering Statics 1 or Engineering Mechanics-Statics | 3 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| PY 208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II | 3 |
| PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 1 |
| CH 223 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CH 224 | Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 202 | Introduction to Biological and Agricultural Engineering Methods | 4 |
| MAE 208 | Engineering Dynamics 1 | 3 |
| MA 341 | Applied Differential Equations I | 3 |
| MAE 201 | Thermal-Fluid Sciences | 3 |
| BIO 183 | Introductory Biology: Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BAE 302 | Transport Phenomena | 3 |
| BAE 321 | Bioprocessing Engineering Fundamentals | 3 |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| MB 352 or MB 354 | General Microbiology Laboratory or Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| MAE 308 or CE 282 | Fluid Mechanics 1 or Hydraulics | 3 |
| BAE 305 | Biological Engineering Circuits | 4 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 401 | Sensors and Controls | 3 |
| BAE 322 | Introduction to Food Process Engineering | 3 |
| MAE 214 or CE 225 | Solid Mechanics 1 or Mechanics of Solids | 3 |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| ST 370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| BAE 451 | Engineering Design I | 2 |
| Bioprocessing Engineering Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Science and Civilization | ||
| Ethical Dimensions of Progress | ||
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| ENG 331 or ENG 333 | Communication for Engineering and Technology or Communication for Science and Research | 3 |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BAE 425 | Industrial Microbiology and Bioprocessing | 3 |
| BAE 452 | Engineering Design II | 2 |
| BAE Elective | 3 | |
| GEP Interdisciplinary Perspectives | 2 | |
| GEP US Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Total Hours | 128 | |
- 1
Must be completed with a grade of C- or higher.
Career Opportunities
BE students learn to solve a wide variety of engineering problems and will have opportunities for specialization though selection of a specific concentration. Scientific and engineering principles are applied: to conserve and manage air, energy, soil and water resources; to manage, protect and restore natural ecosystems; to understand and utilize biological, chemical and physical processes for the production and conversion of biomass to bio energy; to analyze, understand and utilize mechanical properties of biological materials; to design and develop machinery systems for all phases of agricultural and food production; to design and evaluate structures and environmental control systems for housing animals, plant growth, and biological product storage; to develop improved systems for processing and marketing food and agricultural products; and to design sensor-based instrumentation and control systems for biological and agricultural applications.
Graduates of the BE curriculum receive a Bachelor’s of Engineering in Biological Engineering, qualifying them for positions in design, development, and research in industry, government and public institutions. The curriculum also prepares students for post-graduate work leading to advanced degrees. Typical positions filled by recent BE graduates include: stream and wetlands restoration project manager; product design; development and testing engineer; plant engineering and management; engineering analysis and inspection for federal and state agencies; engineering consultant and research engineer. Entry-level salary ranges for BE graduates are similar to those of Civil, Industrial, and Mechanical Engineering graduates.
The BAET curriculum provides graduates opportunities in technical analysis, application and evaluation of agricultural production systems and environmental systems. The curriculum’s flexibility enables students to specialize technologically in agriculture, the environment, or business management. Careers include technical jobs in production agriculture, environmental systems, agribusiness sales and service, and agricultural extension.
Career Titles
- Stream and wetlands restoration project manager
- Product designer
- Development and testing engineer
- Plant engineering and management
- Engineering analyst and inspector for federal and state agencies
- Engineering consultant
- Research engineer
Learn More About Careers
NCcareers.org
Explore North Carolina’s central online resource for students, parents, educators, job seekers and career counselors looking for high quality job and career information.
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Browse the Occupational Outlook Handbook published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to view state and area employment and wage statistics. You can also identify and compare similar occupations based on your interests.
Career One Stop Videos
View videos that provide career details and information on wages, employment trends, skills needed, and more for any occupation. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Focus 2 Career Assessment (NC State student email address required)
This career, major and education planning system is available to current NC State students to learn about how your values, interests, competencies, and personality fit into the NC State majors and your future career. An NC State email address is required to create an account. Make an appointment with your career counselor to discuss the results.
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
Career Cornerstone Center-Engineering
National Society of Professional Engineers