Bioresource engineering utilizes the physical and biological
sciences in solving problems related to plants, animals, food, wastes,
and our natural environment. Graduates of this program have a unique
engineering education enabling them to apply the rapid advances being
made in the biological and environmental sciences for the benefit of
mankind. This program prepares students for immediate employment as
practicing engineers with industrial companies, government agencies and
private consulting firms, for international service, or for additional
study at the graduate level.
The objectives of the curriculum are:
- to prepare students to apply their creativity in solving
complex engineering design problems, to approach unstructured problems,
to synthesize and design potential solutions, and to evaluate the
impact of their solutions within the broader context of society;
- to train students on the collection, analysis, and
interpretation of data relevant to problems arising in the bioresource
and bioenvironmental engineering sectors;
- to enable students to develop the methodological and
computational skills with which to operate effectively within the
bioresource and bioenvironmental engineering sectors through training
in problem representation, abstraction, and validation;
- to prepare students to function as professionals in the
workplace by fostering their ability to form, facilitate, lead,
coordinate, and participate in teams as well as understand
organizational processes and behavior;
- to prepare students to effectively market their solutions in the context of written, oral, and electronic media;
- to provide students the skills and abilities to apply
current technology to solve bioresource and bioenvironmental
engineering problems;
- to sensitize students to the need for and to provide and
ability to accomplish lifelong growth within the bioresource and
bioenvironmental fields.
The curriculum currently includes an option in bioenvironmental
engineering. This option is concerned with maintaining the quality of
the natural environment. It involves the application of physical,
biological, and environmental sciences to land use and waste management
problems, air and water pollution, and the conservation of our natural
resources. The student gains an understanding of the requirements and
tolerances of natural, living ecosystems and the engineering expertise
needed to solve serious environmental problems facing our society. This
option is for the undergraduate student wanting to gain a full measure
of exposure and preparation to practice as a professional environmental
engineer following graduation.
Both four- and five-year
programs are available. Students normally matriculate into the
four-year program through the School of Engineering or enter the
five-year program through Cook College. The latter is a dual-degree
program resulting in two Bachelor of Science degrees, one from the
School of Engineering and one from Cook College. Both programs prepare
graduates for taking the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination
pursuant to becoming a licensed professional engineer.
