College of Engineering

Biological and Systems Engineering

Overview

• The Biological Systems Engineering program integrates biology, chemistry, and physics with engineering to solve engineering problems associated with the environmentally sound production, processing, and utilization of renewable resources. The curriculum differs from other engineering programs in that it focuses on the sustainable production and management of natural resources and biological materials. The curriculum includes a minimum of 10 hours of biology and chemistry and prepares graduates for a variety of engineering careers. Biological systems engineering graduates are typically employed by environmental consulting firms, state and federal agencies, universities, and food processing, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries.
• The overall educational goal of the Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) program is to graduate biological systems engineers to support sustainable production, processing, and utilization of biological materials and to protect natural resources. The BSE Program seeks to prepare its graduates to become successful in their chosen career path. Specifically, the BSE Program seeks to prepare its graduate:
  1. to solve engineering problems using the fundamental principles of science, mathematics, and engineering;
  2. to engage in life-long learning and professional development;
  3. to be effective communicators and team members; and
  4. to function in a professional and ethical manner.
• The Biological Systems Engineering program at Virginia Tech is designed to provide a strong, broad-based engineering education with opportunity for limited specialization utilizing the 33 credits of electives available in the curriculum. Using these electives, BSE students may specialize in one of the two formal options offered by the department: Land and Water Resources Engineering or Bioprocess Engineering. In addition, the program may also be used as a pre-med or pre-vet program.
• The Land and Water Resources Engineering Option is designed for students interested in a career in environmental protection and natural resources management. Biological, chemical, and engineering principles are applied to the wise use, conservation, and management of natural resources, particularly land and water. The option is unique in that it addresses nonpoint sources of pollution (pollution from land disturbing activities such as agriculture, construction sites, mining, etc.) that are now responsible for more than half of the water quality problems in the United States. To pursue the Land and Water Resources Engineering Option, students must have junior standing and have completed BSE 2105, 2106. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in each course comprising the required 19 hours of the Land and Water Resources Engineering Option and an overall average of 2.0 or better in these courses. The required courses for the Land and Water Resources Engineering Option include:

  BSE 3305: Land & Water Resources Engineering
  BSE 3306: Land & Water Resources Engineering
  BSE 4304: NPS Pollution Modeling & Management
  BSE 4344: Geographic Information Systems for Engineers
  CEE 3104: Introduction to Environmental Engineering
  CSES 3114: Soils
  CSES 3124: Soils Lab

• Those who complete the requirements of this option will have Land and Water Resources Engineering Option noted on their transcript.
• The Bioprocess Engineering Option is tailored for students interested in the design and development of equipment and processes for environmentally responsible manufacturing of value-added products such as food, feed, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, chemicals, polymers, and other biological products from renewable biological materials. To pursue the Bioprocess Engineering Option, students must have junior standing and have completed BSE 2105, 2106. Students must receive a grade of C- or better in each course comprising the required 25 hours of the Bioprocess Engineering Option and an overall average of 2.0 or better in these courses. The required courses for the Bioprocess Engineering Option include:

  BIOL 2604: General Microbiology
  BIOL 2614: General Microbiology Lab
  BSE 3524: Unit Operations in Biological Systems Engineering
  BSE 4524: Biological Process Plant Design
  BSE 4504: Bioprocess Engineering
  BSE 4514: Industrial Processing of Biological Materials
  BSE 4544: Protein Separation Engineering
  BSE 4604: Food Process Engineering
  CHEM 3615: Physical Chemistry

• Those who complete the requirements of this option will have Bioprocess Engineering Option noted on their transcript.
• Recognizing the importance of "hands-on" experience in engineering education, instructional laboratories are included in over half the courses in Biological Systems Engineering. These laboratory courses are designed to enhance understanding of theoretical concepts through hands-on activities. In addition to providing a strong and broad-based engineering education, the program emphasizes computer, communication, team work skills, and design experience. The department participates in the Cooperative Education Program, which gives qualified students valuable work experience while pursuing an undergraduate degree.
• Design and teamwork experiences are integral parts of the program. In the second year, students are required to complete a yearlong design project. Students work in teams to design, build, and test a solution to an assigned design problem. Throughout the junior year, students acquire knowledge and analysis skills required for successful and professional engineering design through course assignments. The senior year design sequence gives students a comprehensive design experience in which they utilize much of the knowledge they have acquired through their other courses. Students work in teams to solve "real-life" engineering problems.
• The relatively small class sizes in Biological Systems Engineering promote excellent interaction between faculty and students. Mentoring begins early in the second year when each student is assigned a faculty advisor who follows the student's progress through graduation.
• The bachelor of science in biological systems engineering is offered through the College of Engineering and accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The department has 15 endowed scholarships for students enrolled in Biological Systems, and students are also eligible for College of Engineering and other university scholarships.
• In addition to the undergraduate degree program, programs of study leading to master of engineering, master of science, and Ph.D. are available in the department. The BSE department also participates in the Five-Year Bachelor/Master's Degree program. Through this program, undergraduate students with a GPA of 3.5 or above can apply for admission to the Graduate School upon completion of 75 hours of undergraduate study. If admitted, students may apply up to twelve hours of graduate coursework to both their graduate and undergraduate degree requirements. This program provides students an opportunity to complete both a bachelors and master's degree in BSE within five years.

Biological Systems Engineering Program (BSE)

(This program applies to students graduating in 2005.)

Second Year		Third Year
First Semester	Credits	First Semester	Credits
ESM 2104: Statics	3	BSE 3134: Biological Systems Eng. Seminar	1
Math 2224: Multivariable Calculus	3	BSE 3154: Thermodynamics of Biological Sys.	3
Phys 2306: Foundations of Physics I	4	ESM 3024: Fluid Mechanics	3
Biol 1105: Principles of Biology	3	ECE 3054: Electrical Theory	3
BSE 2105: Introduction to BSE	2	BIOL 2604&2614: General Microbiology & Lab or CSES 3114&3124: Soils & Soils Lab	4
EF 2314: Engineering Problem Solving w/ C++	2	CHEM 3615: Physical Chemistry or BSE 3305 Land & Water Res. Engr.	3
EF 2344: Computer-Aided Drafting	1		17
	18
Second Semester	Credits	Second Semester	Credits
ESM 2304: Dynamics	3	BSE 3504: Transport Processes in BSE	3
Math 2214: Differential Equations	3	ISE 2014: Engineering Economy	2
ESM 2204: Mechanics of Deformables	3	BSE 4004: Instrumentation & Exp. Mechanics	3
Biol 1106: Principles of Biology	3	BSE 3524: Unit Operations in BSE or BSE 3306: Land & Water Res. Engr.	3
BSE 2106: Introduction to BSE	2	Technical elective	3
CHEM 2514 or 2565: Organic Chemistry	3	Electives1	3
	17		17
Fourth Year
First Semester	Credits	Second Semester	Credits
BSE 4125: Comprehensive Design Project	2	BSE 4126: Comprehensive Design Project	2
BSE 4404: Design of Machinery Systems	3	BSE elective	3
BSE elective	3	Technical elective	3
STAT 4604: Stat. Meth. for Engrs. or STAT 4705: Probability & Statistics for Engrs.	3	Engineering topics elective	3
Technical elective	3	Electives1	3
Electives1	3		14
	17

¹ These electives must include six credits each from Core Areas 2 and 3; one credit from Core Area 6; and three credits from Core Area 7 (the Area 7 course may double count with Area 2 or Area 3, or with a qualifying technical elective).

In addition to university policy, for graduation, a student must obtain an overall GPA of 2.0 or better in all BSE courses and a C- or better in all required BSE courses including BSE 2105, 2106, 3134, 3154, 3305 (if taken), 3306 or 3524, 3504, 4004, 4125, 4126, 4404 and the 6 hours of required BSE electives.

• Eligibility for continued enrollment: upon having attempted 72 hours (including transfer, advanced placement, advanced standing, and credit by examination), "satisfactory progress" toward a B.S. will include the following minimum criteria: having a grade point average of at least 2.0; passing the following: BSE 2106, Phys 2306, Math 2224, 2214.

Undergraduate Course Descriptions (BSE)

2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.

3134: BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING SEMINAR
Critical review of technical and professional articles on current topics in Biological Systems Engineering. Development of oral presentation and technical writing skills. Contemporary ethical, professional, and global issues in Biological Systems Engineering. Pre: 2106. (2L,1C)

3144: INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL FOR BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
The application of instrumentation and control methods to biological systems. Includes discrete components and theory of operation, transduction, signal amplification, noise suppression, digital and analog control with computer interfacing, actuation, and remote telemetry of signals. Pre: ECE3054. (2H,3L,3C) II.

3154: THERMODYNAMICS OF BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
Fundamental concepts, first and second laws, psychrometrics applied to plant and animal environments, introduction to Gibbs energy, and application of calorimetry to gain basic understanding of energy flow in a biological system. Pre: MATH 2214. (3H,3C)

3305-3306: LAND AND WATER RESOURCES ENGINEERING
3305: Surface and groundwater hydrology, soil physics, irrigation principles, nonpoint source pollution control, land surveying. 3306: Erosion and sediment transport; transport and fate of nutrients, pesticides and pathogenes; design of wetlands, detention facilities and other management practices for rural and urban nonpoint source pollution control; design of small dams and reservoirs. Pre: 2106. Co: CSES3114, ESM 3024. (2H,3L,3C)

3414 (CEE 3414): DESIGN OF WOOD STRUCTURES
Wood as an engineering material, loads, structural lumber, glulam, plywood, design of single structural elements, combined stress design, fastener design, truss design, pole and post-frame structures, shear wall, and diaphragm design. Pre: CEE3404. (3H,3C) I,II.

3494: ADVANCED WELDING TECHNOLOGY
Techniques in welding that include gas, submerged metal arc, metal inert gas, pulsed arc, and tungsten inert gas welding. Design of welding structures, fundamentals of heat treatment, and plasma arc cutting. Consent required. Pre: ISE2214. (3L,1C) I.

3504: TRANSPORT PROCESSES IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
Introduction to material and energy balances in biological systems. Fundamentals of heat and mass transfer in biological systems. One and two dimensional conduction, convection, and diffusion of thermal energy and mass. Heat and mass transfer rates, steady and unsteady state conduction, convection, diffusion; design of simple heat exchangers. Application of these topics and fluid mechanics to fluid handling, bacterial growth, plant nutrient uptake, enzymatic reactions. Pre: 3154, ESM 3024. (3H,3C)

3514: PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Physical characteristics and physical properties to include mechanical, thermal, and electromagnetic properties of whole and processed biological products are studied. Laboratory methods for measuring physical properties are included. Pre: ESM3024. (2H,3L,3C) II.

3524: UNIT OPERATIONS IN BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Unit operations for processing biological materials including heat exchangers, evaporation, drying, mixing, homogenization, extrusion, phase and multi-phase separation, and size reduction. Laboratory hands-on experience in various unit operations. Co: 3504. (2H,3L,3C)

4004 (ESM 4004): INSTRUMENTATION & EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS
Introduction to instrumentation. Data analysis: uncertainty, error and statistical concepts. Devices: digital multi-meters, oscilloscopes, power supplies, and function generators. Circuits: ballast circuits, wheatstone bridges, operational amplifiers, and transistors. Principles of data acquisition. Fourier analysis. Measurements of velocity, pressure, strain, displacement, forces and accelerations. Laboratory and design projects. Pre: (ESM 2204, ESM 2304, ESM 3015) or (ESM 3024, ECE 3054). (2H,2L,3C)

4125-4126: COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN PROJECT
4125: Identify and develop and engineering design project using the team approach; use of literature resources to define project objectives and approach; present project proposal in a professional written and oral manner; engineering ethics, professionalism and contemporary issues. 4126: Complete a comprehensive design project using the team approach and make professional presentations of the final design. Completion of 96 hours and overall GPA of 2.0 or better. Pre: (3306 or 3414 or 3524). 4125: (1H,3L,2C) 4126: (6L,2C)

4144: BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS SIMULATION
Study of modeling techniques and application of these techniques to reaction kinetics, crop growth, and systems analysis. Emphasis is on development of basic understanding of methods for defining and evaluating interrelationships between parameters in a biological system. Pre: 3504. (3H,3C) I.

4304: NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION MODELING AND MANAGEMENT
Concepts, principles and application of modeling and monitoring for assessment and management of nonpoint source pollution. Design and implementation of monitoring systems. Concepts of modeling agro ecosystems and land use impacts on hydrologic/water quality response of upland catchments. Model selection, calibration, validation, and application for comparative analysis. Screening models using Geographic Information Systems. Case studies in current watershed management issues, with a focus on agricultural waste and nutrient management, using existing field and watershed models. Pre: 3306. (2H,3L,3C)

4314: IRRIGATION ENGINEERING
Engineering principles involved in irrigation and drainage theory and practices are presented. Emphasis is placed on measurement of soil and water properties, techniques for estimating water requirements, irrigation scheduling and design, operation and management of various irrigation systems. Requirements of surface and subsurface drainage systems also will be studied in detail. Pre: 3304. (3H,3C)

4324: NONPOINT SOURCE POLLUTION
Engineering aspects of the sources and magnitudes of nonpoint source pollution, major causative factors, and control techniques. Emphasis on hydrologic factors, erosion, atmospheric deposition, adsorption and degradation of pollutants in soil, disposal of agricultural wastes, and management for the control of urban and agricultural nonpoint source pollution. Pre: CEE3104. (3H,3C)

4344: GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS FOR ENGINEERS
Conceptual, technical, and operational aspects of geographic information systems as a tool for storage, analysis, and presentation of spatial information. Focus on engineering applications in resource management, site selection, and network analysis. Laboratory work and senior standing required. (2H,3L,3C) II.

4394: WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
Social, economic and engineering principles of water supply and sanitation in developing countries as affected by climate, cultural and sociological factors, and material and financial resources. Pre: CEE3104. (3H,3C) II.

4404: DESIGN OF MACHINERY SYSTEMS
Functional analysis and engineering design and selection of machinery components and systems for agricultural, food, and processing applications. Design, sizing, and selection of components, power units (internal combustion engines and electronic motors), transmission devices (belts, chains, gears, hydraulics, and drivelines), material handling devices, (pumps, fans, and conveyors), and agricultural equipment (tillage, planting and chemical applications). Pre: ESM2204, ESM 2304, ESM 3024, BSE 3154. (2H,3L,3C)

4424 (ME4434): FLUID POWER SYSTEMS AND CONTROLS
Design and analysis of industrial and mobile hydraulic systems. Hydrostatic transmissions. Electrohydraulic servovalve characteristics and use in precise position and speed control application. Characteristics of pumps, motors, valves, and activators illustrated in laboratory exercises. Pre: ESM3024 or ME 3404. (2H,3L,3C) II.

4504: BIOPROCESS ENGINEERING
Study of the engineering concepts for biological conversion of raw materials to food, pharmaceuticals, fuels, and chemicals. Emphasis is placed on enzyme kinetics and technology, bioreaction kinetics, analysis, and control of bioreactors and fermenters, and downstream processing of bioreaction products. Pre: (3504, BIOL 2604, CHEM 2514 or CHEM 2535, CHEM 3615 or CHEM 4615). (3H,3C) II.

4514: INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS
Principles of industrial processing of biological materials. Surveys the major food processing and biopharmaceutical industries and the major processing steps involved in the production of vegetable oils, starch, corn sweeteners, biofuels, protein, dairy products, meat and poultry, seafood, fruits and vegetables, and biopharmaceuticals. Economics, safety, environmental, and quality control factors involved in the processing of biological materials. Pre: (3524, 4604). (3H,3C)

4524: BIOLOGICAL PROCESS PLANT DESIGN
Engineering principles for design of systems for processing biological materials into primary and secondary products. Delivery, scheduling, storage requirements, economic analysis. Process control and instrumentation of bioprocessing plants. Pre: (4004, 4504, 4604). (3H,3C)

4544 (CHE 4544): PROTEIN SEPARATION ENGINEERING
Concepts, principles and applications of various unit operations used in protein separations. Properties of biological materials, such as cells and proteins, and their influences on process design. Design of processes for protein purification based on the impurities to be eliminated. Concepts and principles of scale-up of unit operations. Case studies in practical protein recovery and purification issues, with a focus on enhanced protein purification by genetic engineering. Protein purification process simulation and optimization using process simulation software. Pre: 3504 or CHE 3144. (3H,3C)

4604: FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING
Analysis and design of food processing operations including thermal pasteurization and sterilization, freezing, extrusion, texturization, and mechanical separation. Pre: 3504, 3524. (3H,3C)

4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.

4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.

4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.

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