College of Agriculture & Natural Resources│College of Engineering Department of Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering

The program is available under both Plan A (with thesis) and Plan B (without thesis).

Requirements for Master of Science Degree in Biosystems Engineering*

Excerpt(s) from Official Academic Programs Catalog - Program Code 0502

Requirements for both Plan A and Plan B

• A total of 30 credits in 400 and 800 level courses. At least 20 of the 30 credits must be at the 800 level.
• BE 815, BE 820, BE 835, and BE 892.

Additional Requirements for Plan A

• Complete at least 6 (and no more than 8) credits of the 30 credit total requirement with BE 899 (Master's Thesis Research) credits.
• Pass a final oral examination over the written thesis.
• Provide to the major professor, and to the department, a copy of the thesis.
• Submit at least one paper (based on MS thesis) to a refereed journal before scheduling the oral examination in defense of the thesis.

Additional Requirement for Plan B

• The student must pass an examination over the course work and project in the student's approved graduate program.
• Provide to the department a bound report on the graduate program.

*Consult the BE Graduate Handbook (August 2023 version) for additional details.

Dual Bachelor's-Master's Degree in Biosystems Engineering

Bachelor of Science Degree in Biosystems Engineering
Master of Science Degree in Biosystems Engineering

The Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering welcomes applications from current MSU junior/senior undergraduates pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in Biosystems Engineering. Admission to the Dual Bachelor's-Master's program allows students to apply up to 9 credits from the undergraduate program toward the Master of Science degree in Biosystems Engineering. Students will work with a faculty advisor to identify qualifying course work (400-level or above). Courses must be taken at MSU or another postsecondary, accredited institution of comparable academic quality. The number of approved credits, not to exceed 9, are applied toward both the Bachelor's degree and the Master's degree in Biosystems Engineering. Students must be admitted to the Linked Bachelor's-Master's program before taking any credits that they intend to use toward the Master's degree.

Admission applications must be submitted at least one academic year before graduation. For example, students expecting to finish the undergraduate program in a Spring semester should apply during the prior Spring semester. Students expecting to finish the undergraduate program in a Fall semester should apply during the prior Fall semester. Admission to the program requires a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 3.5 and an approved program of study for the Master of Science degree in Biosystems Engineering at the time of admission. Students should identify and work with a faculty advisor in order to develop their graduate program plan.  

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Admission to the program requires:

1) A 3.5 GPA & Junior status
2) A complete Dual BS/MS Program application including:

a) Your application submitted at least 1½ semesters before graduation (complete this in consultation with an identified faculty advisor)
b) Your completed graduate program application
c) Your BS course program plan by semester
d) Your MS course program plan by semester

Application form

The completed Dual program application form can be sent to Ms. Kate Balgoyen, Graduate Program Assistant. Questions should be directed to Dr. Yan Liu, Graduate Program Director