Agricultural and Biological Engineering

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Dr. Kirk Schulz, Dean

Dr. Roger L. King, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies

Dr. William Batchelor, Department Head and Graduate Coordinator

100 Agricultural Engineering Building

662-325-3280

contact: abe_head@abe.msstate.edu

Graduate study is offered in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering leading to the degree of Master of Science in Biological Engineering or a Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering.  Major areas of study are: agricultural machinery systems, precision agriculture, animal waste management, sustainable design, pesticide applications and protection, bioenvironmental systems, seed processing and storage, aquacultural systems, and agricultural modeling.  The department has several major research laboratories including: remote sensing (the Kimbrough Precision Agriculture and Remote Sensing Engineering Laboratory), water quality and environmental engineering, and cotton ginning (the MAFES/ABE Mini-Gin, a fully operational cotton gin).   A limited number of graduate research and teaching assistantships are available.

Admission Criteria—Prerequisites for admission into the graduate program include all the general requirements of the Office of Graduate Studies, an undergraduate engineering degree (or remedial engineering course work), completion of the GRE general test and the submission of scores, and identification of a departmental professor who is willing to serve as research director for the master’s or Ph.D. project.  International students must obtain a TOEFL score of 550 or higher. 

Program of Study and Completion Requirements—The Master of Science in Biological Engineering requires 24 credit hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate degree, at least one-half of which must be from 8000 level courses or above, and six or more credit hours of research/thesis.  Required courses are ST 8114, one credit hour of ABE 8921, or ABE 8931, and at least one other graduate course from the Agricultural and Biological Engineering course listing.  A thesis and an oral comprehensive examination in defense of the thesis are required.  Doctoral students are required to take or have credit in a graduate level math course, complete a minimum of 60 credit hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate degree, at least one-half of which must be from 8000 level courses or above, including at least two credit hours of ABE 8911, ABE 8921, or ABE 8931.  Twenty hours of research, a preliminary examination, a dissertation, and an oral examination in defense of the dissertation are required.  

Provisional Admission—If a student does not fully meet the admission requirements of the program, it may be possible for that student to be provisionally admitted.  If provisionally admitted, the student must attain a 3.00 GPA on the first nine hours of graduate courses at Mississippi State University .  If a 3.00 GPA is not attained, the student may be dismissed from the graduate program. 

If a student applying to the M.S. program does not have an undergraduate degree in engineering, the student will be required to complete or have previous credit in 51 hours of engineering, mathematics, and physical science courses.  The student will be granted contingent admission until the course requirement has been satisfied.  Similarly, a student applying to the Ph.D. program must have a B.S. or M.S. degree in engineering.  The same set of courses will be required before the student is fully admitted into the Ph.D. program.

Academic Performance—Unsatisfactory performance in the graduate program in Agricultural and Biological Engineering is defined as any of the following:  failure to maintain a B average in attempted graduate courses after admission to the program, a grade of U, D, or F in any one course, more than two grades below a B, failure of the preliminary exam (Ph.D. students only), failure of the research defense, unsatisfactory evaluation of a thesis or dissertation, or failure of a required component of the program of study.  Any one of these, or a combination of these, will constitute the basis for review for possible dismissal.  The graduate coordinator will review the record, along with the student’s graduate committee, and take a final course of action, which will be immediate dismissal or the establishment of a probationary period in which corrective action must take place.  Appeal of dismissal can be made by submitting a written appeal statement to the department head.  If the dismissal is upheld by the department head upon the student’s appeal, the student can then submit a written appeal to the dean of the College of Engineering . 

Graduate Courses—Course prerequisites are noted in parentheses.

Biological Engineering:

ABE 6111      Biological Engineering Principles Laboratory (co-requisite: ABE 4812). 1 hour

ABE 6122      Biological Engineering Practices Laboratory. 2 hours

ABE 6413      Biological Control Systems (ABE  4312, MA 2913). 3 hours

ABE 6423      Bioinstrumentation  II (ABE 3413 or graduate standing). 3 hours

ABE 6453      Cotton Ginning Systems and Management. 3 hours

ABE 6483      Introduction to Remote Sensing Technology (graduate standing or consent of instructor). 3 hours

ABE 6513      Dynamics of Aging (ZO 1023). 3 hours

ABE 6523      Biomedical Materials (ABE 3813 or CHE 3413 or ME 3403). 3 hours

ABE 6533      Rehabilitation Engineering (senior standing in College of Engineering ).3 hours

ABE 6613      Biomechanics (EM 2413 and ME 3403). 3 hours

ABE 6624      Experimental Methods in Materials Research (CHE 3413 or ABE 3813). 3 hours 

ABE 6803      Biosystems Simulation. 3 hours

ABE 6812      Principles of Engineering Design. 2 hours

ABE 6821      Practices of Engineering Design (ABE 4812). 1 hour

ABE 6863      Seed Conditioning Machinery (Same as AGN 6233). 3 hours

ABE 6990      Special Topics in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. 1-9 hours

ABE 7000      Directed Individual Study. 1-6 hours       

ABE 8000      Research/Thesis. 1-6 hours

ABE 8314      Corrosion of Biomedical Implants. 4 hours

ABE 8501-8531    Journal Reviews in Biomedical Engineering. 3 hours

ABE 8801      Clinical Experience for Biomedical Engineering (graduate standing in the Biomedical Engineering Program and consent of  instructor).1 hour

ABE 8911      Agricultural and Biological Engineering Seminar. 1 hour

ABE 8921      Agricultural and Biological Engineering Seminar. 1 hour

ABE 8931      Agricultural and Biological Engineering Seminar. 1 hour

ABE 8990      Special Topics in Agricultural and Biological Engineering. 1-9 hours

ABE 9000      Research/Dissertation. 20 hours

Agricultural Engineering Technology:

ABE 6163      Agricultural Machinery Management (ABE 1863). 3 hours

ABE 6263      Soil and Water Management (ABE 2873). 3 hours

ABE 6383      Building Construction (EG 1143).3 hours

ABE 6473      Electrical Application (ABE 1863). 3 hours