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2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Biosystems Engineering: Ecological Engineering Emphasis Area, BS
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 Return to: College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
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Program Description
Biosystems engineering is the field of engineering most closely allied with advances in biology. Biosystems engineers apply engineering design and analysis to biological systems and incorporate fundamental biological principles to engineering designs to achieve ecological balance.
The Biosystems engineering program emphasizes two main areas - sustainable bioprocess engineering, with its basis in microbiology, and ecological engineering, with its basis in ecology. Bioprocess engineering focuses on the sustainable production of biorefinery compounds - biofuels, nutraceuticals, bioactive molecules, and biomaterials - using metabolic pathways found in nature and green processing technologies. Ecological engineering focuses on the design of sustainable communities utilizing low-impact development strategies such as bioretention basins, rainwater harvesting, and bioswales for stormwater retention, treatment, and management. Both emphasis areas interface with ecologically-sound food and energycrop and feedstock production systems.
Biosystems engineers lead teams to:
- Design bioprocesses and systems for biofuels (biodiesel, hydrogen, ethanol), biopharmaceutical, bioplastics, and food processing industries
- Develop ecological designs (permeable pavement, bioswales, green infrastructure) to integrate stormwater management into the landscape
- Integrate biological sustainability into energy, water and food systems
- Provide engineering expertise for agriculture, food processing, and manufacturing industries.
Biosystems engineering graduates are highly qualified to pursue graduate studies in biosystems engineering, biomedical engineering or ecological engineering fields, or medical or veterinary school.
Additional information is available from the departmental offices or at: https://www.clemson.edu/cecas/departments/eees/index.html.
The Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Biological and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria. Visit the Biosystems Engineering program’s website to learn about the Program Educational Objectives and Student Outcomes.
Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s Program
Under this plan, students may reduce the time necessary to earn both degrees by applying graduate credits to both undergraduate and graduate program requirements.
Undergraduate students in Biosystems Engineering may begin a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering and Science or Master of Science Degree in Biosystems Engineering while completing the BS degree.
Students are encouraged to obtain the specific requirements for the dual degree from the academic departments involved as early as possible in their undergraduate program. See Academic Regulations in this catalog for enrollment guidelines and procedures.
Second Semester
- Ecological Engineering Requirement 3 Credits 5
- Ecological Requirement 3 Credits 6
- General Education Requirement 6 Credits 3
- Global Sustainability Requirement 3 Credits 7
Footnotes
1 The combination of ENGR 1050 and ENGR 1060 or the combination of ENGR 1510 and ENGR 1520 may be substituted for ENGR 1020 .
2 Depending on a student’s Clemson Mathematics Placement Test score, MATH 1040 and MATH 1070 may be substituted for MATH 1060 ; or the student may be required to take MATH 1050 before enrolling in MATH 1060 .
3 See General Education Requirements . Three General Education credits must also satisfy the South Carolina REACH Act Requirement. See the South Carolina REACH Act Requirement in the Academic Regulations section.
4 ENGR 1640 or the combination of ENGR 1070 , ENGR 1080 , and ENGR 1090 may be substituted for ENGR 1410 .
5 Select any BE, CE or EES course at the 3000 level or higher, excluding BE 4990 or other Creative Inquiry courses.
6 Select any BIOL, ENSP, FOR, HORT, MICR, PES or WFB course at the 3000 level or higher, excluding Creative Inquiry courses.
7 Select any 3000-level course from the Sustainability Minor course list that also fulfills three credits of the Global Challenges General Education Requirement.
NOTES:
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If a student has completed all of the courses listed in the General Engineering core, in order to register for a complete schedule, they may need to consider registering for courses required in the engineering degree program they intend to pursue. Students should see the list of possible courses in the Major Specific Coursework section of the General Engineering Program entry. Major specific coursework is coursework outside the General Engineering core that will count towards an engineering major once a student has officially changed their major. Note that not all courses will count towards every engineering major. The courses listed in the Major Specific Coursework should not be considered alternatives or substitutes for the courses listed in the General Engineering core. If a student takes one of these other courses in place of the courses specifically listed in the General Engineering core, they could delay their eligibility to transfer from General Engineering into one of the degree-granting programs in engineering.
- In addition to institutional requirements, candidates for a BS degree in Biosystems Engineering are required to have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher in all engineering courses taken at Clemson. Undergraduate and graduate courses taught in the following rubrics are used in the calculation of a student’s engineering GPA (eGPA): AMFG, AUE, BE, BIOE, BMOL, CE, CES, CHE, CME, ECAS, ECE, EES, EG, EM, ENGR, ESED, IE, ME, and MSE. All attempts of these courses with grades of A, B, C, D, F, and I are included in the calculation. Grades of CE, CR, FGD, FGF, NP, P, SCD, SCN, SCP, TR, and W are NOT included in the calculation.
- The following courses must be completed with a grade of C or better: CE 2010 , CE 2080 , CE 3410 ; CH 1010 ; ENGL 1030 ; ENGR 1020 (or ENGR 1050 and ENGR 1060 or ENGR 1510 and ENGR 1520 if substituted for ENGR 1020 ) and ENGR 1410 (or ENGR 1640 or ENGR 1070 , ENGR 1080 and ENGR 1090 if substituted for ENGR 1410 ); MATH 1060 , MATH 1080 , MATH 2060 , MATH 2080 ; ME 2010 (if substituted for CE 2010 and CE 2080 ); and PHYS 1220 and PHYS 2210 .
- Depending on a student’s math placement, they may be invited to take part in the General Engineering Learning Community where they complete the following courses: ENGR 1000 , ENGR 1010 , ENGR 1100 , ENGR 1110 , ENGR 1510 , ENGR 1520 , and ENGR 1640 . The combination of ENGR 1510 and ENGR 1520 may be substituted for ENGR 1020 . ENGR 1640 may be substituted for ENGR 1410 .
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