Skip to main content
NCSU Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering
BAE Home > grad > grad degree

Doctoral (PhD) Program

A PhD student on graduation day

View a list of completed
BAE Dissertations

We couldn't be prouder...

Look where our
Graduate Alumni
have gone...

About Earning a PhD

The BAE Department offers a program of study for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree. The PhD degree is for those students who are interested in a career in research. Only serious students need apply. You will have to write a proposal for your dissertation topic and present it to your advisory committee. You will probably be called upon to defend it in the preliminary examination. The prelim is both written and oral and is administered by the advisor and advisory committee. Once the prelim is passed, the student is admitted to candidacy and permitted to work on the dissertation. The dissertation should be an original contribution to the literature in a field in Biological and Agricultural Engineering. The PhD candidate must finally successfully defend the dissertation in a final oral examination administered by the advisory committee.

Course Requirements: The PhD requires a minimum of 72 hrs beyond the BS. You may count 36 hours from your MS if obtained from NCSU without a break. Otherwise, only 18 hrs are allowed to count from your MS. You will be required to declare a minor.

For details see the BAE Graduate Manual

PhD Admission Requirements:

For admission to full graduate status in the PhD program, the department requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 in an MS program in an engineering field and a demonstration of the ability to conduct research.

Exceptions will be considered after deliberations by members of the Graduate Faculty in the field of interest, the Graduate Studies Committee, the Director of Graduate Programs and the Department Head. Under normal circumstances, students are not admitted to the PhD program in provisional status. The graduate catalog outlines basic requirements for PhD admission. Please refer to the BAE graduate manual for further information on BAE admission requirements (Transfer credits, GRE testing, Graduate Status Types, Minor Requirements, Final Examinations, Deadlines, etc.).