Graduate
Turn your ideas into real-world solutions.
As a graduate student in FABE, you'll get exciting opportunities to work with world-class scientists and researchers in various fields including ecological engineering, agricultural water management and bioenergy. The low faculty-to-student ratio of approximately 1-to-6 allows a great deal of personalized interaction.
One of the greatest advantages to students in our department is an ability to tailor your programs to specific areas of interest which might have components of air quality management, agrichemical application technology, composting, food engineering and processing, greenhouse engineering, wastewater and solid waste management or watershed systems.
- 81.9% Increase in FABE research expenditures over the last five years
- 8th Graduate Biological and Agricultural Engineering programs (U.S. News and World Report)
Our department allows for one-on-one learning and research interactions between faculty and students. One of the greatest advantages to students in our department is their ability to tailor their graduate program to their specific areas of interest.
Students may pursue a master’s or doctoral degree. Degrees received will be in Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering. A plan of study is designed by the students along with their advisors with coursework coming from disciplines across campus. Students can choose from several specialization areas.
There are two master's options. The Plan A thesis requires a minimum of 30 credit hours which is a research based program. The Plan B (non-thesis) requires a minimum of 33 credit hours. The Plan B option is most frequently used when students are full time employees. The master's degree requires 15 credit hours (based on a semester system) of course work from disciplines that meet the needs of your research specialty, and a minimum of 15 credit hours of thesis research (FABE 6999). Outside of FABE, courses 4000 or higher and inside FABE 5000 or higher count toward your degree.
A PhD requires a minimum of 80 graduate credit hours beyond the BS degree of which 60 hours are for courses not including FABENG 8999.
The purpose of a combined program is to give outstanding students an opportunity to pursue, simultaneously, graduate and undergraduate degrees. Any undergraduate student who has completed a minimum of 90 semester credit hours has a minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA can apply. An undergraduate student in a combined program has the ability to finish their undergraduate degree while taking courses to begin a graduate degree by as much as a year. You must meet all requirements imposed by the Graduate School for combined BS/MS programs. Section II of the official Ohio State Graduate School Handbook contains up-to-date information about these requirements.
Specializations
Methods and equipment for safe and efficient application of agricultural chemicals.
Research focuses on air quality and bioenvironmental engineering control including measurement, modeling, and mitigation of indoor environment, air quality and emissions of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s).
The program provides graduates with knowledge and skills necessary to join the construction industry. Such knowledge and skills include construction methods, structural systems, contract administration, specifications, planning, estimating, scheduling, and evaluating project performance.
Automation for controlled environment plant production, robotics and mechatronics for bioprocesses.
Agricultural rescue, safety of agricultural equipment and horse-drawn vehicles on rural roads, grain handling safety, agricultural injuries, injury prevention, occupational health, and assistive technology for ag equipment.
Includes development of biorefinery processes for production of fuels, chemicals, polymers, and materials from lignocellulosic biomass, research into renewable energy systems and food and bioprocess engineering.
Ecological engineering is a new discipline created to design natural ecosystems for societal and environmental benefits.
Concentration on wastewater treatment, water supply, waste management, ecosystems for waste treatment.
Includes modeling hydrologic systems, drainage, water quality, remote sensing, soil erosion, irrigation, reservoir sedimentation, and the development of techniques to prevent or control water quality impacts.
Composting research includes research on the development of processes for urban and agricultural composting, compost contaminants, and investigations of microbial communities active in composts and during the composting process.
Food engineering is a multidisciplinary program which combines science, microbiology, and engineering education to prepare students for exciting careers in food and related industries.
Development, evaluation and implementation of strategies for managing drainage waters.