2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/eng_aces/agricultural-biological-engineering-bs-agricultural-engineering-agricultural-science-bsag/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/

for the dual degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Dual Degree – Five Year Academic Program

Students who successfully complete this five-year academic program receive the Bachelor of Science with a major in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from The Grainger College of Engineering as well as the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a major in Agricultural and Biological Engineering from the College of ACES.

Students enroll in the College of ACES and then transfer to The Grainger College of Engineering after two years. Students then complete the ABET-accredited degree program in Agricultural and Biological Engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering while taking additional coursework in ACES to complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Agricultural and Biological Engineering degree program in ACES.  The suggested program of study that follows fulfills the additional graduation requirements for the second degree, which requires completion of the Grainger College of Engineering degree.

Agricultural and biological engineering is the application of mathematics, physical and biological science, and engineering to agriculture, food systems, energy, natural resources, the environment, and related biological systems. This program has special emphasis on environmental protection and the biological interface of plants, animals, soils, and microorganisms with the design and performance of environments, machines, mechanisms, processes, and structures. Graduates are employed by industry, consulting firms, and government for research, education, and manufacturing.

for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Agricultural and Biological Engineers apply fundamental engineering principles to problems relating to agriculture and biology.  ABE students learn to design technological solutions to problems in agricultural, food, bioenergy, water, and other biological systems.

The Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) equips graduates to address grand challenges related to food, water, energy, and the environment. The program offers an ABET-accredited, flexible curriculum.

The ABE program comprises six concentrations. Students pursuing this major select one of the following concentrations:

• Bioprocess Engineering and Industrial Biotechnology Concentration
• Off-Highway Vehicle and Equipment Engineering Concentration
• Renewable Energy Systems Engineering Concentration
• Soil and Water Resources Engineering Concentration
• Sustainable Ecological and Environmental Systems Engineering Concentration
• Synthetic Biological Engineering Concentration

Each concentration (30 hours each) has its own unique body of knowledge and engineering tools and builds upon engineering fundamentals from the first two years of the program.

Current Program Educational Objectives

for the dual degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Agricultural & Biological Engineering

While completing the Agricultural & Biological Engineering, B.S. the student takes additional classes in ACES for the BSAG degree. The student is in ACES in years 1 and 2, transferring to The Grainger College of Engineering for years 3 through 5. The curriculum for the additional classes to complete the BSAG degree is as follows:

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for B.S. graduation: 128 hours.\ Minimum hours required for B.S. + BSAG graduation: 158 hours.\ Minimum Overall GPA: 2.0

University Requirements

Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300 and 400 level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program. The General Education Requirements shown below are taken as part of the Agricultural & Biological Engineering, B.S.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Composition I | | 4-6 | | Advanced Composition | | 3 | | fulfilled by ABE 469 | | | | Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | | 6 | | Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by CHEM 102, CHEM 104, PHYS 211, PHYS 212 | | | | Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by ECON 102, ACE 100, ACE 210, ACE 251, or ACE 255 and one other course approved as Social and Behavioral Sciences | | | | Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | | 6-8 | | fulfilled by CS 101; MATH 221; MATH 231; MATH 241; MATH 285; PHYS 211; and PHYS 212 | | | | Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | | 0-15 |

Agricultural & Biological Engineering, BSAG Requirements in addition to completion of Agricultural & Biological Engineering, B.S.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Required coursework: | | | | Communication | | 3 | | CMN 101 | Public Speaking | | | Additional Biological Sciences Coursework. Choose an additional 4 hours from the list below: | | 4 | | ANSC 100 | Intro to Animal Sciences | | | ANSC 221 | Cells, Metabolism and Genetics | | | ANSC 350 | Principles of Biochemistry in Animals | | | ANSC 363 | Behavior of Domestic Animals | | | ANSC 400 | Dairy Herd Management | | | ANSC 401 | Beef Production | | | ANSC 402 | Sheep and Goat Production | | | ANSC 403 | Pork Production | | | ANSC 404 | Poultry Science | | | ANSC 406 | Zoo Animal Conservation Sci | | | ANSC 450 | Comparative Immunobiology | | | ATMS 201 | General Physical Meteorology | | | ATMS 307 | Climate Processes | | | CHEM 232 | Elementary Organic Chemistry I | | | CHEM 233 | Elementary Organic Chem Lab I | | | CHEM 312 | Inorganic Chemistry | | | CHEM 332 | Elementary Organic Chem II | | | CHEM 360 | Chemistry of the Environment | | | CHEM 460 | Green Chemistry | | | CPSC 112 | Introduction to Crop Sciences | | | CPSC 261 | Biotechnology in Agriculture | | | CPSC 265 | Genetic Engineering Lab | | | CPSC 270 | Applied Entomology | | | CPSC 352 | Plant Genetics | | | CPSC 414 | Forage Crops & Pasture Ecology | | | CPSC 415 | Bioenergy Crops | | | CPSC 418 | Crop Growth and Management | | | CPSC 431 | Plants and Global Change | | | CPSC 437 | Principles of Agroecology | | | CPSC 473 | Mgmt of Field Crop Insects | | | FSHN 101 | The Science of Food and How it Relates to You | | | FSHN 414 | Food Chemistry | | | FSHN 416 | Food Chemistry Laboratory | | | FSHN 471 | Food & Industrial Microbiology | | | FSHN 481 | Food Processing Unit Operations I | | | FSHN 482 | Food Processing Unit Operations I Lab | | | FSHN 483 | Food Processing Unit Operations II | | | FSHN 484 | Food Processing Unit Operations II Lab | | | GEOL 107 | Physical Geology | | | GEOL 380 | Environmental Geology | | | HORT 100 | Introduction to Horticulture | | | HORT 341 | Greenhouse Mgmt and Production | | | HORT 344 | Planting for Biodiversity and Aesthetics | | | HORT 360 | Vegetable Crop Production | | | HORT 361 | Small Fruit Production | | | HORT 362 | Tree Fruit Production | | | HORT 363 | | | | HORT 421 | Horticultural Physiology | | | HORT 435 | Urban Food Production | | | IB 103 | Introduction to Plant Biology | | | IB 150 & IB 151 | Organismal & Evolutionary Biol and Organismal & Evol Biol Lab | | | IB 203 | Ecology | | | IB 329 | Animal Behavior | | | IB 411 | Bioinspiration | | | IB 420 | Plant Physiology | | | IB 439 | Biogeography | | | IB 444 | Insect Ecology | | | IB 452 | Ecosystem Ecology | | | IB 482 | Insect Pest Management | | | MCB 100 & MCB 101 | Introductory Microbiology and Intro Microbiology Laboratory | | | MCB 150 & MCB 151 | Molecular & Cellular Basis of Life and Molec & Cellular Laboratory | | | MCB 244 & MCB 245 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I and Human Anat & Physiol Lab I | | | MCB 250 & MCB 251 | Molecular Genetics and Exp Techniqs in Molecular Biol | | | MCB 252 & MCB 253 | Cells, Tissues & Development and Exp Techniqs in Cellular Biol | | | MCB 300 & MCB 301 | Microbiology and Experimental Microbiology | | | MCB 314 | Introduction to Neurobiology | | | MCB 316 | Genetics and Disease | | | MCB 450 | Introductory Biochemistry | | | NRES 201 | Introductory Soils | | | NRES 219 | Applied Ecology | | | NRES 348 | Fish and Wildlife Ecology | | | NRES 351 | Introduction to Environmental Chemistry | | | NRES 419 | Env and Plant Ecosystems | | | NRES 420 | Restoration Ecology | | | NRES 429 | Aquatic Ecosystem Conservation | | | NRES 439 | Env and Sustainable Dev | | | NRES 471 | Pedology | | | NRES 475 | Environmental Microbiology | | | NRES 487 | Soil Chemistry | | | NRES 488 | Soil Fertility and Fertilizers | | | PLPA 405 | Plant Disease Diagnosis & Mgmt | | | Agricultural Sciences Coursework (additional 15 hours of agricultural sciences with courses from at least two subject areas other than ABE and ETMAS and approval of advisers are required) | | 15 | | Free Electives (sufficient free electives selected to total minimum curriculum requirement of 158 hours. All requirements of the combined curriculum must be completed to satisfy the requirements for both degrees) | | | | Total hours required to receive an Agricultural and Biological Engineering, BS and an Agricultural Science, BSAG | | 158 |

for the dual degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Sample Sequence

This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. This sample curriculum plan makes the assumption that the foreign language graduation requirement has been satisfied by completing three years of study of a single foreign language in high school. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.

for the dual degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Agricultural & Biological Engineering graduates 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.

for the dual degree of Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Biological Engineering and the Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Agricultural & Biological Engineering

Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department website\ 338 Agricultural Engineering Sciences Building\ 1304 West Pennsylvania Avenue\ Urbana, IL 61801\ (217) 333-3570\ abe@illinois.edu

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences

College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences website

The Grainger College of Engineering

The Grainger College of Engineering website

ACES Office of Academic Programs

128 Mumford Hall\ 1301 West Gregory Drive\ Urbana, IL 61801\ 217-333-3380\ aces-academics@illinois.edu

Advising

ABE Advising website\ (217) 333-3570\ tsm-etm-abe-advising@rt.aces.illinois.edu

Admissions

ACES Undergraduate Admissions\ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Undergrad Admissions\ (217) 333-3380\ visitACES@illinois.edu