Master of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering

Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABENG) offers students the opportunity to gain expertise in several areas that relate to the world's most important sociotechnological and sustainability challenges including energy, environment, crop/food production and health. Specific focus areas include agricultural machinery, mechatronics, remote sensing, natural resources, water quality, climate change, fermentation, food production, food safety, biological and agricultural bioproducts, life cycle analysis and techno-economic analysis. The ABENG M.S. degree is research based and requires a thesis.
Excellent facilities, including equipment and instrumentation, are available for research. Extensive additional fabrication and characterization equipment and facilities are available through Penn State institutes and user facilities including the Institutes of the Environment and Energy, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Materials Research Institute, Materials Characterization Laboratory, Nanofabrication Facility, Institute for CyberScience, PA Housing Research Center, Center for Food Manufacturing, USDA Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Lab, Mushroom Research and Demonstration Facility and a 1,500-acre agricultural research center for cooperative work with agronomic and horticultural production systems as well as animal production systems.

Completion of an undergraduate degree in agricultural or biological engineering or in another related engineering discipline is required for direct admission to the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Graduate Program. Students need at least a 3.0 (4.0 base) junior/senior grade-point average to be considered for admission.

A student with an undergraduate degree in a non-engineering field can be admitted to the M.S. program on a provisional basis, pending the completion of a number of additional credits to be specified on an individual basis. These additional credits will not count towards the M.S. degree requirements. The provisional status continues until completion of the engineering undergraduate requirements in mathematics, physics, engineering sciences and any additional required 400-level Biological Engineering courses. Upon completion of these preparatory courses with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0, the student will be admitted to the graduate program.

International applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the Internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisaaional admission, enrollment, and, if necessary, remedial course work. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Revised TOEFL PBT July 2017 and later 60