2007-08 Undergraduate Catalog
Majors
Agricultural and biological engineering (ABE) applies engineering principles to the biological sciences to produce biofuels, food and fiber products and other agricultural commodities from renewable bio-resources. It also aims to protect the environment and conserve and replenish our natural resources in addition to pioneering new techniques in areas such as agricultural robotics, remote sensing, precision agriculture and plant space biology.
Agricultural and biological engineers are educated in the biological and environmental sciences, as well as in engineering.
Graduates in this field will address critical problems involving land and water resources, biological systems and production agriculture. Individual selection of electives allows the student to focus on academic and career interests.
In addition to abundant job opportunities in Florida's large agricultural industry, graduates have career opportunities in biotechnology and those related to Florida's water quality and water resources, including water management districts, environmental companies, consulting firms, equipment manufacturers, bio-energy and biotechnology, and food engineering.
The ABE curriculum can fulfill requirements for admission to preprofessional programs, as well as graduate programs such as biomedical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering.
The department will develop professionals, create and disseminate knowledge, and promote the application of engineering and management principles to meet societal needs with respect to agricultural, biological, and land and water resource systems.
To develop agricultural and biological engineering professionals with technical proficiency and societal responsibility.
Graduates from the University of Florida's undergraduate degree program in Agricultural and Biological Engineering will be prepared for:
Agrisystems Engineering
Biological Engineering
Land and Water Resources Engineering
Agrisystems engineering focuses on areas such as structural and environmental design, energy conservation, computer modeling, equipment design, and plant protection systems. Students study how to design renewable energy systems, create agricultural robotics, develop environmentally friendly pest-control methods, design environmental control systems for plant and animal facilities and apply engineering design to food production systems.
Students choose electives from an approved list.
Biological engineering includes designing microbes to clean the environment, converting raw biological materials into useful products such as biofuels, evaluating gene expression of biological systems and applications to space biosystems.
In addition, this specialization provides an excellent background for advanced studies in biomedical, bioprocess, food and agricultural engineering and also fulfills requirements for admission to professional programs in UF's colleges of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy.
Students choose electives from an approved list.
Land and water resources is concerned with all aspects of water and natural resource management, including irrigation, water conservation, drainage, water control and structures, soil erosion, waste and recycling, water quality, ecosystems preservation and environmental quality.
Students choose electives from an approved list.
| Agricultural and Biological Engineering |
| Colleges: Engineering and Agricultural and Life Sciences cooperatively |
| Degree: Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering |
| Hours for Degree: 128 |
| Specializations: Agrisystems Engineering, Biological Engineering, Land and Water Resources Engineering |
| Minor: No |
| Combined-Degree Program: Yes |
| Website: www.abe.ufl.edu |
Agricultural and biological engineering (ABE) applies engineering principles to the biological sciences to produce biofuels, food and fiber products and other agricultural commodities from renewable bio-resources. It also aims to protect the environment and conserve and replenish our natural resources in addition to pioneering new techniques in areas such as agricultural robotics, remote sensing, precision agriculture and plant space biology.
Agricultural and biological engineers are educated in the biological and environmental sciences, as well as in engineering.
Graduates in this field will address critical problems involving land and water resources, biological systems and production agriculture. Individual selection of electives allows the student to focus on academic and career interests.
In addition to abundant job opportunities in Florida's large agricultural industry, graduates have career opportunities in biotechnology and those related to Florida's water quality and water resources, including water management districts, environmental companies, consulting firms, equipment manufacturers, bio-energy and biotechnology, and food engineering.
The ABE curriculum can fulfill requirements for admission to preprofessional programs, as well as graduate programs such as biomedical engineering, civil engineering and mechanical engineering.
Mission
The department will develop professionals, create and disseminate knowledge, and promote the application of engineering and management principles to meet societal needs with respect to agricultural, biological, and land and water resource systems.
Goals
To develop agricultural and biological engineering professionals with technical proficiency and societal responsibility.
Educational Objectives
Graduates from the University of Florida's undergraduate degree program in Agricultural and Biological Engineering will be prepared for:
- Successful careers in practicing the profession of agricultural and biological engineering within an increasingly complex, global and multidisciplinary setting;
- Gaining admission to and completing a graduate and/or professional degree program at competitive graduate and professional schools of their choice; and
- Effectively contributing to society by engaging in ethical engineering practice, and communicating a sense of professional and societal responsibility with an awareness of related contemporary issues.
Critical Tracking and Semester Plan
Semester 1:
- 2.0 UF GPA required for semesters 1-5
- 2.5 GPA on all critical-tracking course work for semesters 1-5
- Complete 1 of 8 tracking courses with a minimum grade of C within two attempts: CHM 2045, CHM 2046, MAC 2311, MAC 2312, MAC 2313, MAP 2302, PHY 2048/2048L, PHY 2049/2049L
Semester 2:
- Complete 1 additional tracking course with a minimum grade of C within two attempts
Semester 3:
- Complete 2 additional tracking courses with a minimum grade of C within two attempts
Semester 4:
- Complete 2 additional tracking courses with a minimum grade of C within two attempts
Semester 5:
- Complete all 8 critical-tracking courses with a minimum grade of C in each course within two attempts
To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold.
Suggested semester-by-semester plan
| Semester 1 | Credits |
| If you do not place out of ENC 1101, take it in the fall. | |
| CHM 2045 General Chemistry 1 (GE-P) | 3 |
| MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (GE-M) | 4 |
| CHM 2045L General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (GE-P) | 1 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) | 3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
| Semester 2 | Credits |
| CHM 2046 General Chemistry 2 (biological engineering specialization also requires CHM 2046L) | 3-4 |
| MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 (GE-M) | 4 |
| Humanities (GE-H) | 3 |
| ENC 2210 Technical Writing (GE-C) or ENC 3254 Professional Writing in the Discipline (GE-C) | 3 |
| Total | 13-14 |
| Semester 3 | Credits |
| PHY 2048 and 2048L Physics with Calculus 1 (3) and Laboratory (1) | 4 |
| MAC 2313 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 3 | 4 |
| ABE 2012C Introduction to Agricultural and Biological Engineering | 3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) | 3 |
| Total | 14 |
| Semester 4 | Credits |
| PHY 2049 and 2049L Physics with Calculus 2 (3) and Laboratory (1) (GE-P) | 4 |
| MAP 2302 Elementary Differential Equations (GE-M) | 3 |
| EGM 2511 Engineering Mechanics - Statics | 3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) | 3 |
| EML 3007 Elements of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
Agrisystems Engineering
Biological Engineering
Land and Water Resources Engineering
Agrisystems engineering focuses on areas such as structural and environmental design, energy conservation, computer modeling, equipment design, and plant protection systems. Students study how to design renewable energy systems, create agricultural robotics, develop environmentally friendly pest-control methods, design environmental control systems for plant and animal facilities and apply engineering design to food production systems.
Students choose electives from an approved list.
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| EGM 3400 Elements of Dynamics | 2 |
| CGN 3421 Computer Methods in Civil Engineering or ESI 4567C Matrix/Numerical Methods in Systems Engineering | 4 |
| ABE 3042C Agricultural and Biological Engineering Design 1 | 2 |
| ABE 3612C Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Systems | 4 |
| Biological Science (ABE 2062, BSC 2007, BSC 2010 or BOT 2010 - [GE-B]) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| ABE 3652C Physical and Rheological Properties of Biological Materials (3) or CGN 3501C Civil Engineering Materials | 3-4 |
| ABE 3212C Land and Water Resources Engineering | 4 |
| EML 2023 Computer Aided Graphics and Design or CGN 2328 Technical Drawing and Visualization | 3 |
| ABE 4303C Structural and Environmental Design | 3 |
| Biological science elective | 2 |
| ABE4931 Professional Issues in Agricultural and Biological Engineering | 1 |
| Total | 16-17 |
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| EGM 3520 Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| CGN 3710 Experimentation and Instrumentation in Civil Engineering or EEL 3003 Elements of Electrical Engineering | 3 |
| Technical elective | 3 |
| Biological science elective | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| SOS 3022 Introduction to Soils in the Environment | 3 |
| SOS 3022L Introduction to Soils in the Environment Laboratory | 1 |
| ABE 4171C Power and Machines for Biological Systems | 4 |
| EGN 3353C Fluid Mechanics (3) or CWR 3201 Hydrodynamics (4) | 3-4 |
| Technical elective | 3 |
| Total | 14-15 |
| Semester 9 | Credits |
| ABE 4413C Post Harvest Operations Engineering | 3 |
| ABE 4043C Agricultural and Biological Engineering Design 2 | 2 |
| Biological sciences electives | 4 |
| Technical electives | 5 |
| Total | 14 |
Biological engineering includes designing microbes to clean the environment, converting raw biological materials into useful products such as biofuels, evaluating gene expression of biological systems and applications to space biosystems.
In addition, this specialization provides an excellent background for advanced studies in biomedical, bioprocess, food and agricultural engineering and also fulfills requirements for admission to professional programs in UF's colleges of medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and pharmacy.
Students choose electives from an approved list.
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| CGN 3421 Computer Methods in Civil Engineering or ESI 4567C Matrix/Numerical Methods in Systems Engineering | 4 |
| ABE 3042C Agricultural and Biological Engineering Design 1 | 2 |
| ABE 3612C Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Systems | 4 |
| EGM 3400 Elements of Dynamics | 2 |
| CHM 2210 Organic Chemistry 1 | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| ABE 4931 Professional Issues in Agricultural and Biological Engineering | 1 |
| CHM 2211 and 2211L Organic Chemistry 2 (3) and Laboratory (2) | 5 |
| ABE 3000C Applications in Biological Engineering | 3 |
| ABE 3652C Physical and Rheological Properties of Biological Materials | 3 |
| Biological Science (BSC 2010 or BSC 2011) (GE-B) | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| EGN 3353C Fluid Mechanics (3) or CWR 3201 Hydrodynamics (4) | 3-4 |
| CGN 3710 Experimentation and Instrumentation in Civil Engineering | 3 |
| EML 2023 Computer Graphics and Design or CGN 2328 Technical Drawing and Visualization | 3 |
| BCH 4024 Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or BCH 3025 Fundamentals of Biochemistry | 4 |
| Total | 13-14 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| ABE 4662 Quantification of Biological Processes | 3 |
| ABE 4812 Food and BioProcess Engineering Unit Operations | 4 |
| Biological science electives | 5 |
| Engineering electives | 2 |
| Total | 14 |
| Semester 9 | Credits |
| ABE 4043C Agricultural and Biological Engineering Design 2 | 3 |
| EGM 3520 Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| Biological science electives | 5 |
| Engineering electives | 3 |
| Total | 13 |
Land and water resources is concerned with all aspects of water and natural resource management, including irrigation, water conservation, drainage, water control and structures, soil erosion, waste and recycling, water quality, ecosystems preservation and environmental quality.
Students choose electives from an approved list.
| Semester 5 | Credits |
| EGM 3400 Elements of Dynamics | 2 |
| CGN 3421 Computer Methods in Civil Engineering or ESI 4567C Matrix/Numerical Methods in Systems Engineering | 4 |
| ABE 3042C Agricultural and Biological Engineering Design 1 | 2 |
| EML 2023 Computer Aided Graphics and Design or CGN 2328 Technical Drawing and Visualization | 3 |
| ABE 3612C Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Systems | 4 |
| Total | 15 |
| Semester 6 | Credits |
| ABE 3652C Physical and Rheological Properties of Biological Materials or CGN 3501C Civil Engineering Materials | 3 |
| CWR 3201 Hydrodynamics | 4 |
| SUR 2101C Geomatics | 3 |
| ABE 3212C Land and Water Resources Engineering | 4 |
| Engineering and technical science elective | 2 |
| ABE 4931 Professional Issues in Agricultural and Biological Engineering | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
| Semester 7 | Credits |
| EGM 3520 Mechanics of Materials | 3 |
| CGN 3710 Experimentation and Instrumentation in Civil Engineering or EEL 3003 Elements of Electrical Engineering | 3 |
| Biological science (ABE 2062, BSC 2007, BSC 2010 or BOT 2010 - [GE-B]) | 3 |
| Engineering and technical science elective | 3 |
| Total | 12 |
| Semester 8 | Credits |
| SOS 3022 Introduction to Soils in the Environment | 3 |
| ABE 4231C Irrigation and Drainage | 4 |
| CWR 4202 Hydraulics | 3 |
| Engineering and technical science electives | 4 |
| Total | 14 |
| Semester 9 | Credits |
| ABE 4043C Agricultural and Biological Engineering Design 2 | 2 |
| Engineering and technical science electives | 11 |
| Total | 14 |