The Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABEN) program prepares men and women for careers requiring application of physical, biological, and engineering sciences to solve problems that involve living systems. Agricultural and biosystems engineers provide engineering for the necessities of life.

Agricultural and biosystems engineers are uniquely qualified to use their knowledge of mathematics, biological and physical sciences, and engineering principles to solve problems relating to the production, handling, and processing of biological materials for food, feed, fiber, and fuel, the preservation of natural resources and environmental quality, and the design and production of machine systems. A major in agricultural and biosystems engineering can serve a broad range of career interests and can provide excellent career opportunities for men and women from diverse backgrounds.

Agricultural and biosystems engineering integrates engineering topics, engineering design, and biological sciences in a single program with two concentrations; agricultural engineering and biosystems engineering. The two concentrations are described in more detail below. A wide range of electives in related disciplines can be used to complement the disciplinary course work and to prepare for specific career interests. Students select courses with the assistance of a faculty adviser. Faculty also assists students with professional development, career planning, and job placement.

Historical records indicate that E.S. Keene was appointed Agricultural Engineer with the Agricultural Experiment Station in 1892, two years after the North Dakota Agricultural College (NDAC) was established. R.C. Miller organized the Agricultural Engineering Department as a degree granting department at NDSU (NDAC at the time) in 1924-25. The first BS degree in Agricultural Engineering was granted in 1931. The first MS degree in Agricultural Engineering was awarded in 1933. In 1980, an interdisciplinary Ph.D. program was established as a component of the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA). In June, 2002, a Ph.D. program in ABEN was approved by the State Board of Higher Education (SBHE).

The Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (ABEN) program at North Dakota State University is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, 111 Market Place, Suite 1050, Baltimore, MD 21202-4012 - telephone: 410-347-7700. The most recent accreditation visit was in 2006. There are currently about 70 undergraduate students enrolled in the program. The program requires a minimum of 133 semester credit hours of course work. In addition to the technical engineering education and training, emphasis is also placed on the development of communication skills and being a team player. Emphasis is also placed on teaching engineering design by using real engineering projects from industry. Cooperative Education experiences are very much encouraged. There are many opportunities for Cooperative Education internships both in and out of North Dakota.

Career Information

• Biosystems Engineering concentration

  • Graduates in biosystems engineering integrate engineering, biology and chemistry in a variety of applications. Graduates may work in careers with the following goals; develop innovative green products and industries; convert bio-based resources to food, fuel, and other renewable products; design new generations of devices or systems for biological systems; and control biological systems for natural resource protection, waste remediation, and ecosystem restoration. Graduates may work with industries to create new and improved processes through the innovative use of microorganisms, plant and animal cells, and enzymes or they may develop sensors, control systems and computer models to monitor and control biological processes occurring in industry or the environment. Graduates with a biosystems engineering concentration may also pursue a professional or graduate degree in engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, management, or law.

  • Possible career opportunities and employers include:

    • Food, biofuels, and bio-products industry: Cargill, ADM, ConAgra, Kellogg, General Mills

    • Biotechnology: Genencor, Novozymes, Monsanto, DuPont

    • Renewable energy: Poet, Abegoa, US Bioenergy, VeraSun Energy, ADM

    • Government agencies: Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, North Dakota Department of Health

    • Opportunities also exist in pharmaceuticals, consulting engineering firms, etc.

• Agricultural Engineering concentration

  • Career opportunities for graduates in agricultural engineering are many and diverse. Graduates may work for companies and agencies that: design, develop, test, and manufacture agricultural power and machine systems; handle, store, process and enhance or protect the quality of agricultural commodities and processed products; design environmental control and housing systems for plant and animal production; design equipment and systems for processing, manufacturing, distribution and quality protection of food products; manage air, land and water resources; design and manage crop irrigation systems, and develop electrical and electronic applications for agricultural problems. Graduates with an agricultural engineering concentration may also pursue graduate degrees in engineering, business, or law.

  • Possible career opportunities and employers include:

    • Power and machine systems: John Deere, Caterpillar, Bobcat, Case-New Holland, Vermeer, Polaris, and Cummins Engine Co., Toro

    • Process plant engineering: ADM, Cargill Inc., Hormel, Kellogg, Jenny-O

    • Natural resources management: Natural Resources Conservation Service, North Dakota State Water Commission, North Dakota Department of Health, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, consulting firms

    • Electric/electronic power systems: rural electric cooperatives, Basin Electric, Ottertail Power Co., Pedigree Technologies

Scholarships and Financial Resources

Extra Curricular Activities

• Varied extra curricular programs are available to students majoring in agricultural and biosystems engineering. One professional student organization is the North Dakota Student Engineering Branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) - the society for engineering in agricultural, food and biological systems. The honorary societies are Alpha Epsilon (agricultural and biosystems engineering), Tau Beta Pi (engineering), and Phi Kappa Phi (general university). Members of the Student Engineering Branch of ASABE take an active part in the annual Agricultural Technology Exposition, interact with speakers, go on field trips, participate in departmental picnics, compete in the annual AEM Report national competition, compete in the international quarter-scale tractor pull and design competition and are involved in public service and social activities.

Preparation

• High School students preparing for a major in agricultural and biosystems engineering in either the agricultural engineering or the biosystems engineering concentration should complete three or more units of mathematics at the level of algebra I and above, four units of English, three units of laboratory science, and three units of social studies. It is best for transfer students to enter the program at the end of their freshman year; however, good students with a pre-engineering background can complete the curriculum on schedule by transferring after two years at another college.

A Well-Equipped Teaching Facility

• The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering is housed in its own building.   Laboratories are furnished with equipment typically used in industry and research, such as personal computers that are networked to the University's computing facilities and to the Internet, Pro-E and AutoCAD software, data acquisition systems, biomaterials handling and processing equipment, environmental measurement equipment, controllers, and analog and digital test equipment. The ABEN building is also home to the Bio-imaging and Sensing Center. This is a state-of-the-art lab with imaging and sensing equipment to solve multidisciplinary problems associated with biological systems. The department also occupies the NDSU Pilot Plant, with facilities and equipment for producing and analyzing biofuels, food products, and other renewable products. ABEN class size is usually fewer than 25 students which allows for close faculty-student interaction.