Program Overview

Biosystems Engineering Program

The Biosystems Engineering program offers a comprehensive education in the application of engineering principles to biological systems. The program covers a wide range of topics, including precision agriculture, farm machinery, agricultural buildings, and environmental engineering.

Course Descriptions

• BIOE 0222: Precision Agriculture- Technological Tools for Decision Making
  Precision agriculture is a philosophy of agricultural management that has been enabled by modern technology. This course will examine both the technology and the techniques that can be used to improve the efficiency of agricultural operations by decreasing costs, increasing profits, and decreasing hazards to the environment.
• BIOE 0600: Farm Machinery
  Operating principles of basic farm implements with emphasis on seed cleaning, seeding, tillage, haying, and harvest machines including their selection, adjustment, efficiency, and cost of operation with respect to test data.
• BIOE 0700: Agricultural Buildings and Environments
  Factors that impact the practicality of farm buildings. Components of buildings, including materials and construction techniques. Techniques of maintaining building environments to facilitate production and/or storage.
• BIOE 0710: Materials Handling and Electrical Controls
  Fundamental concepts and systems approach to storing, conditioning, moving, processing, and metering of agricultural produce. Principles and practices of fans, grain drying, dust control, and electrical supply.
• BIOE 2480: Impact of Engineering on the Environment
  Students will gain an understanding of overall sustainability of industrial activities, life-cycle and risk assessment techniques for sustainability, and design improvements to enhance environmental performance of engineered systems.
• BIOE 2590: Biology for Engineers
  The course introduces biological principles, including cell structure and function, metabolism, photosynthesis, and structure and function of systems in plants, micro-organisms, and animals, to provide Biosystems engineering students with the necessary knowledge to solve problems involving biologically centered systems.
• BIOE 2600: Plant and Animal Physiology for Engineers
  Plant and animal physiology as affected by environment for use in the design of agricultural machines, structures, and food processes for biological products; models of simulation of plant and animal growth.
• BIOE 2790: Fluid Mechanics
  This course introduces the fundamental principles of fluid flow in closed conduit and open channels. Case studies will demonstrate the importance of understanding fluid mechanics in designing water distribution systems for food production, processing, and water control within the environment.
• BIOE 2800: Solid Mechanics
  Introduction to the analysis of deformable bodies, namely the fundamental principles governing the response of solid materials to external loads.
• BIOE 2900: Biosystems Engineering Design 1
  An introduction to the professional discipline of Biosystems Engineering and the philosophy of systems thinking that is used by the Biosystems engineer.
• BIOE 3100: Agricultural Engineering Fundamentals for Agronomists
  The course will provide fundamental technical competencies from the discipline of agricultural engineering for the study of agronomy.
• BIOE 3270: Instrumentation and Measurement for Biosystems
  Engineers must frequently take measurements to inform their engineering decisions. This course introduces the basic theory and instrumentation involved in measuring physical quantities and imaging fundamentals.
• BIOE 3320: Engineering Properties of Biological Materials
  This course emphasizes the importance of understanding the properties of biological materials and the design of engineered systems.
• BIOE 3400: Design of Structural Components in Machines
  Design of structural components in machines; designing for axial tension and compression, connections for axial loadings, pinned trusses, bending, torsion, and combined loads; designing for welded connections; use of fluid power to enable movement of structural components.
• BIOE 3530: Engineering Fundamentals
  Principles of heat transfer, steam, psychometrics, fluid mechanics, material balances, electricity and refrigeration.
• BIOE 3590: Mechanics of Materials in Biosystems
  In this course students will be exposed to both the theory and physical behaviour of materials when subjected to loads.
• BIOE 3900: Biosystems Engineering Design 2
  An introduction to the use of reverse engineering to deduce design features from previously-designed products or systems.
• BIOE 4240: Graduation Project
  Either an independent or a directed study including at least one of: a comprehensive literature review, an experimental research project, or an engineering design problem.
• BIOE 4390: Unit Operations 1
  Equipment and systems used in handling, mixing, size reduction, separation and size enlargement of value-added food products.
• BIOE 4412: Design of Light-Frame Building Systems
  Light-frame buildings as a structural and environmental system; structural loads in building systems; energy (heat), moisture and air contaminants in building systems; built-environment for building occupants.
• BIOE 4414: Imaging and Spectroscopy for Biosystems
  The purpose of this course is to familiarize senior Biosystems Engineering students with the fundamentals of imaging and spectroscopy for biosystems.
• BIOE 4416: Topics in Biosystems Engineering
  This course will cover contemporary topics in Biosystems Engineering.
• BIOE 4420: Crop Preservation
  Biological and physical deterioration during storage. Methods of preserving and storing cereals, oilseeds, and other agricultural crops.
• BIOE 4440: Bioprocessing for Biorefining
  This course will provide students with an understanding of the principles involved in the design of proper conditions for processing of biomaterials for production of high-quality biofuels and bioproducts.
• BIOE 4460: Air Pollution Assessment and Management
  Air pollutant sources and characteristics, their impact on the environment, their behaviour in the atmosphere. Methods of sampling and measurement and the basic technological alternatives available for separation/removal and control.
• BIOE 4560: Structural Design in Wood
  Design using wood as a structural material in light-frame buildings. Consideration of design constraints associated with sawn lumber as well as based composite materials.
• BIOE 4590: Management of By-Products from Animal Production
  Topics covered include solid and liquid manure, manure characteristics, manure collection, storage, land application and utilization, biological treatment, design of equipment and facilities for manure handling.
• BIOE 4600: Design of Water Management Systems
  To introduce the basic theoretical principles in the design of irrigation and drainage systems.
• BIOE 4620: Remediation Engineering
  The theoretical basis for the engineering design of different remediation technologies to treat contaminated soil and groundwater will be introduced.
• BIOE 4640: Bioengineering Applications in Medicine
  This course surveys bioengineering applications and medicine from a clinical engineering perspective.
• BIOE 4650: Textiles in Healthcare and Medical Applications
  This course provides students with an introduction to medical textiles and healthcare products used in current practices, as well as fundamentals for designing textile products and devices that improve the health and quality of life of human beings.
• BIOE 4900: Biosystems Engineering Design 3
  An opportunity for the Biosystems Engineering student to practice fundamental engineering competencies in the preparation of a preliminary design for the client.
• BIOE 4950: Biosystems Engineering Design 4
  An opportunity for the Biosystems Engineering student to validate a conceptual solution to an engineering problem through fabrication and testing of a prototype.

Prerequisites and Requirements

Each course has specific prerequisites and requirements, which are outlined in the course descriptions. Students are expected to meet these requirements to enroll in the courses.

Research Areas

The Biosystems Engineering program covers a wide range of research areas, including precision agriculture, bioprocessing, environmental engineering, and biomedical engineering. Students have the opportunity to work with faculty members on research projects and gain hands-on experience in their area of interest.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Biosystems Engineering program have a wide range of career opportunities in industries such as agriculture, food processing, environmental engineering, and biomedical engineering. They can work as engineers, researchers, or consultants, and can also pursue graduate studies in their area of interest.