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The Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences at Clemson University houses environmental engineering, biosystems engineering, and earth sciences in the same department. This prepares our students to tackle complex environmental problems in both engineered and natural systems in the 21st century.

Graduate Applicants: No Application Fee or GRE Required

Handbooks

Information on admission requirements, financial assistance, and academic policies and procedures can be found in the EEES Undergraduate and Graduate Handbooks.

Biosystems Engineering B.S.

Biosystems Engineering is the field of engineering most closely allied with advances in biology. BE emphasizes two main areas: bioprocess engineering - with its basis in microbiology, and ecological engineering -with its foundation in ecology. The field focuses on the sustainable production of biorefinery compounds (biofuels, bioactive molecules, and biomaterials) using metabolic pathways found in nature and green processing technologies.

Further, BE encompasses the design of sustainable communities utilizing low-impact development strategies (Bioretention basins, rainwater harvesting) for stormwater retention and treatment - and ecologically-sound food and energy-crop production. Scientific emphasis is shifting toward biosciences. Biosystems engineers apply engineering design and analysis to biological systems and incorporate fundamental biological principles into engineering designs to achieve ecological balance.

Career Paths

  1. Design bioprocesses and systems for biofuels (biodiesel, hydrogen, ethanol), biopharmaceutical, bioplastics, and food processing industries.
  2. Develop ecological designs (permeable pavement, bioswales, green infrastructure) to integrate water management into the landscape.
  3. Integrate biological sustainability concepts into energy, water and food systems.

Clemson offers a Bachelor of Science degree in biosystems engineering with two emphasis areas – bioprocessing and ecological engineering. Students are encouraged to complete a minor and participate in the Cooperative Education, Biosystems Engineering Intern, and/or Study Abroad Programs. Those interested in medical careers should consider graduate study and/or medical school.

Program Overview
  • Biosystems Engineering Curriculum

    First Semester Curriculum

    All General Engineering students take the same classes their first term, regardless of their intended major. Coursework in the second term varies. Students should consult with a General Engineering advisor to determine appropriate courses.

    • CH 1010 - General Chemistry (4)
    • ENGL 1030 - Composition and Rhetoric (3)
    • ENGR 1020 - Engineering Disciplines and Skills (3)
    • MATH 1060 - Calculus of One Variable I (4)
    • General Education Requirement - (3)

    B.S. Biosystems Engineering credit hours: 130

    2021-2022 Curriculum

    Biosystems Engineering Core Curriculum

    1. Basic Sciences - mathematics, physics and chemistry
    2. Engineering Sciences - statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, the strength of materials and electrical circuits
    3. Biosystems Engineering Analysis and Design - biological kinetics and reactor modeling, bioprocess design, watershed hydrology, and ecological engineering, including a team-structured senior engineering design course
    4. Applied Life Sciences - biology, microbiology, and organic chemistry and electives selected based on the student's concentration
    BE Student Handbook
  • Emphasis Areas

    B.S. Biosystems Engineering with Bioprocess Engineering Emphasis

    The bioprocess engineering area focuses on sustainable bioprocessing, the microbial conversion of compounds to produce high-value compounds using green processing techniques and biological treatment of wastes. This area includes the design of:

    1. Biorefineries to produce biofuels, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and biomaterials;
    2. Advanced extraction and separation technologies for bioproducts;
    3. Bioreactor systems designed for bioprocessing and waste treatment;
    4. Heat and mass transfer systems; and
    5. Instrumentation and process control systems.

    B.S. Biosystems Engineering with Ecological Engineering Emphasis

    Students who like engineering and are interested in the natural beauty of our planet and its resources will enjoy working in this focus area of biosystems engineering. This emphasis allows students to apply engineering and biological/ecological principles to the wise use, conservation and enhancement of our planet's water, land and air resources. Clemson’s undergraduate program in ecological engineering emphasizes prepares students for entry-level engineering jobs and graduate studies in biosystems engineering or other programs such as environmental engineering. There is an increasing demand for graduates in this area.

  • Program Educational Objectives

    The Biosystems Engineering program educational objectives for our graduates three to five years after graduation are as follows:

    1. Our graduates will advance the biosystems engineering profession or related fields through resilient engineering design, scientific innovation, program management or teaching.
    2. Our graduates will enhance our world through professional endeavors within sustainable biosystems engineering practice.
  • Accreditation and Student Outcomes

    The Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the General Criteria and the Biological and Similarly Named Engineering Programs Program Criteria.

    Clemson University Enrollment and Graduation Data

    Biosystems Engineering Program Outcomes

    Programs must be technically sound, academically rigorous, and structured to foster academic growth while indulging individual interests.Upon completion of the Biosystems Engineering program, a student will be prepared to enter the workforce confident that they have mastered the skills necessary to succeed. Graduates of the program will demonstrate the attainment of the following student outcomes:

    Graduates of the program will have:

    1. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics.
    2. an ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors.
    3. an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.
    4. an ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts.
    5. an ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives.
    6. an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.
    7. an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.
  • Applying to the B.S. Program

    Undergraduate Degree

    Students who wish to pursue the Biosystems Engineering degree will apply to Clemson as first-year students if they do not have college credit or if they earned college credit prior to high school graduation. Program applicants will begin in the General Engineering group before declaring their intended major. To begin the BE program, students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 or higher.

    Combined B.S./M.S. Degree

    Biosystems Engineering undergraduates at Clemson University may begin a Master's of Science (M.S.) degree program while completing their B.S. degree and use graduate courses to satisfy the requirements of both their undergraduate degree and an M.S. degree in either Biosystems Engineering or Environmental Engineering and Science. The BE undergraduate curriculum allows up to 8 credits of mutually acceptable graduate course credits to satisfy the requirements of both degrees. For all of the B.S./M.S. options we offer, please visit the B.S. to M.S. page.

    How to Apply

    Clemson University offers a Coalition Application, Clemson Application, and the Common Application. To learn more about the application process, deadlines, and requirements for applying to the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences College (CECAS), please review the First-Year Application Process.

    The GS6-Bachelor-to-Graduate Plan form will serve as your application to the graduate program – no additional application is required. However, while the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is not mandatory, some fellowship applications may require GRE scores.

EEES Home
Academic Calendar

The Department of Environmental Engineering & Earth Sciences at Clemson University houses environmental engineering, biosystems engineering, and earth sciences in the same department. This prepares our students to tackle complex environmental problems in both engineered and natural systems in the 21st century.

Graduate Applicants: No Application Fee or GRE Required

Handbooks

Information on admission requirements, financial assistance, and academic policies and procedures can be found in the EEES Undergraduate and Graduate Handbooks.