Program Description

The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering offers graduate study leading to the M.S. degree and it participates in the Engineering Ph.D. program. In the Ph.D. program, students may specialize in agricultural and biosystems engineering for their dissertation research.

The program emphasizes solving problems of agricultural production, food and value-added processing, and environmental resources management. Advanced work may involve specialized training in the following areas: irrigation engineering and management, food engineering, value-added processing, bioprocessing, agricultural machine systems, machine vision and intelligent systems, post-harvest handling and storage of biological materials, agricultural hydrology, soil and water resources management, agricultural structures and bioenvironmental management.

Admissions Requirements

The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering graduate program is open to all qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. To be admitted with full standing to the program, the applicant must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree in engineering or have taken the equivalent of the basic undergraduate engineering courses from an educational institution of recognized standing.
2. Show potential to undertake advanced study and research as evidenced by academic performance and experience.
3. At the baccalaureate level, have earned a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 or equivalent.
4. Applications should be submitted to the Graduate School, preferably before April 15 of the upcoming academic year. However, applications will be considered at any time they are submitted.

Official transcripts (having an appropriate seal or stamp) of all previous undergraduate and graduate records must be received by the Graduate School before the application is complete. When a transcript is submitted in advance of completion of undergraduate or graduate studies, an updated transcript showing all course credits and grades must be provided prior to the initial registration at NDSU.

Three letters of recommendation are generally required before action is taken on any application. Personal reference report forms are available from the Graduate School.

The TOEFL examination is required of international applicants if English is not their native language. A minimum score of 550 (paper test) or 213 (computer test) must be achieved.

Financial Assistance

Research assistantships are available. Applicants are considered on the basis of scholarship, potential to undertake advanced study and research, as well as financial need. To be considered for an assistantship, a completed Graduate School application, official transcripts and three letters of reference, as well as a TOEFL score for international applicants, must be submitted to the Graduate School.

Degree Requirements

The M.S. degree requires completion of an approved plan of study, during which an overall GPA of 3.0 or better must be maintained. Master of Science candidates not on assistantship support may choose a comprehensive study option. An oral examination covering the research-based paper or thesis and the academic subject matter is required. Candidates for the Ph.D. are required to take a preliminary written and oral examination directed to academic subject matter and a final oral defense of a research-based dissertation. Plans of study are developed to meet both disciplinary requirements as well as special interests of the student.

Graduate Faculty

Leslie F. Backer, M.S.
North Dakota State University, 1972
Research Interests: Crop Quality and Processing

Lowell A. Disrud, M.S.
Kansas State University, 1969
Research Interests: Hydrology, Soil and Water Resources Management

Kenneth J. Hellevang, Ph.D.
North Dakota State University, 1989
Research Interests: Post Harvest Technology

Vernon L. Hofman, M.S.
North Dakota State University, 1969
Research Interests: Power and Machinery

Suranjan Panigrahi, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 1992
Research Interests: Machine Systems, Machine Vision, Artificial Intelligence

Thomas S. Scherer, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 1986
Research Interests: Soil and Water Resources Management

Dean D. Steele, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 1991
Research Interests: Irrigation and Environmental Engineering

Dennis P. Wiesenborn, Ph.D.
Rice University, 1989
Research Interests: Food and Added Value Process Engineering