Graduate Programs

Think and Do more with a graduate degree.

Department Resources: Current Graduate Student Resources | Department Graduate Manual | Contact our Student Services Coordinator

University Resources: Calendars | BAE Course Schedule | Course Catalog/Class Search | Plan Your Course Schedule

Master’s Degrees in Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Program and Career Focus The Master of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering (MS) is intended for students interested in advanced research in biological engineering. The MS degree is a thesis-based degree for those individuals who want to pursue an research-oriented degree beyond the Bachelor of Science. Students are required to write a thesis and defend it at the final oral examination. A minor is optional.

See NCSU Libraries’ repository of BAE Theses.
Concentrations Engineering – Admission to this concentration requires an engineering degree in biological engineering, agricultural engineering, or a related engineering discipline with a solid foundation in the engineering sciences.

Systems Analysis – Admission to this concentration does not require an engineering background.  Students who will be attracted to this concentration will have a strong background in science and mathematics, a methodical approach to problems, and an innate desire to understand how things fit together. Selection of the Biological and Agricultural Systems Analysis Concentration at the MS level will be appropriate for students with a BS degree in a STEM field that complements the expertise of the research faculty in this concentration such as microbiology, data science, computer science, or climate science. Students’ background would also include three semesters of calculus and at least three credit hours of math at or above the 400 level.
Areas of Specialization Choose your area of specialization:
Minimum GPA to graduate 3.0
Total hours to graduate 30 semester hours of graduate credit, six of which may be thesis research: Our research programs are diverse so selection of courses is decided by the student and committee to support the research project and interests/goals of the student.

The minor should complement the major coursework and must conform to the rules of the program offering the minor.
Required hours of 500-level courses or higher 20
Maximum hours transferred from NDS status at NCSU or from another institution 12
Program and Career Focus The Masters of Biological and Agricultural Engineering online degree is a distance education degree focused toward environmental and ecological engineering. Designed for the working professional, the flexible program has no advisory committee, no final exam and no seminar requirement.
Distance Education Yes

Are you interested in a Graduate Certificate? Learn more.
Minimum GPA to graduate 3.0
Total hours to graduate 30
Degree Requirements 20 of the 30 hrs must be at the 500 level or above. Three credits of math, biomathematics or statistics at the 400-level (or greater) are required. At least 60% of the courses on the Plan of Work must be BAE courses.
Maximum hours transferred from NDS status at NCSU or from another institution 12
About the Doctoral Program The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering is pursued by outstanding students with an intense interest in independent study and research.

It consists of advanced coursework, a written and oral comprehensive preliminary examination, extended and in-depth research, a written dissertation, and a final oral defense of the research.

See NC State Libraries’ repository of BAE Dissertations.
Concentrations Engineering – Admission to this concentration requires an engineering degree in biological engineering, agricultural engineering, or a related engineering discipline with a solid foundation in the engineering sciences.

Systems Analysis – Admission to this concentration does not require an engineering background.  Students who will be attracted to this concentration will have a strong background in science and mathematics, a methodical approach to problems, and an innate desire to understand how things fit together. Selection of the Biological and Agricultural Systems Analysis Concentration at the MS level will be appropriate for students with a BS and/or MS degree in a STEM field that complements the expertise of the research faculty in this concentration such as microbiology, data science, computer science, or climate science. Students’ background would also include three semesters of calculus and at least three credit hours of math at or above the 400 level.
Areas of Specialization
Minimum GPA to Graduate 3.0
Total Hours to Graduate 72 (54 for students with a previous master’s degree): Our research programs are diverse so selection of courses is decided by the student and committee to support the research project and interests/goals of the student.

A minor is required. The minor should complement the major coursework and must conform to the rules of the program offering the minor.
Residency Requirement 1 year

Master’s Degrees in Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Program and Career Focus With our certificate program, you can formally certify competency in environmental engineering with an emphasis on watershed management and restoration. Although not a graduate degree, this Graduate Certificate in Biological and Agricultural Engineering online program may satisfy many of your needs for professional development. Should you later decide that a formal graduate degree best suits your needs, then some course work from this program may transfer. However, successful completion of this program does not guarantee admission to a graduate degree program.

View the program website.
Distance Education YES
Program Objectives
  • Enable students and practitioners from many disciplines to study the technical and engineering aspects of design and analysis of environmental systems with an emphasis on the watershed-scale.
  • Provide students the opportunity to develop a solid foundation in engineering systems targeted at environmental issues, particularly related to non-point sources and their impact on water quality at the watershed-scale.
  • Provide practicing engineers and other professionals a source of graduate level engineering education in the environmental field.
Minimum GPA to complete 3.0
Total hours The Graduate Certificate requires 12 credits of coursework from a list of approved classes.  At least 9 credits must be from BAE courses. A grade of C- or better is required to receive credit for a course. To receive a graduate certificate, the student must have a minimum 3.0 GPA on all certificate coursework.

What else adds value to our degrees?