Undergraduate Student Handbook

Welcome to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. The faculty and staff are committed to enabling you to have an enriching, rewarding, and professional experience at UW-Madison.

This manual has been prepared to guide undergraduates in the Biological Systems Engineering Department through their academic careers at University of Wisconsin-Madison, to help students understand the requirements for a degree in Biological Systems Engineering, and to give guidance for selecting elective courses..

Students are assigned an academic advisor when they enter this department. Your advisor will counsel you on the academic requirements of the major and serve as a resource to answer other academic concerns. There are many sources of assistance on campus for both academic and personal concerns. Your advisor can assist you in locating needed assistance and can help you in developing your career goals and objectives. It is your responsibility to seek out your advisor. A student must see his/her advisor each semester prior to registering for the next semester as an advisor hold is placed on your record, and you will not be able to register until your course schedule has been approved by your advisor. The ISIS software will block your registration until this advisor hold has been removed. After a completed, approved advising form has been turned in to the BSE student coordinator, (room 115 Ag Engr. Bldg.) the hold will be released. If you have seen your advisor but are still unable to register, check to see which semester the hold is for, and contact the student coordinator (262-3310) if you have questions.

It is important that you access your UW e-mail account regularly as much of the information you will be receiving from the Department, the College, and the Registrar's Office is transmitted via e-mail.

The Biological Systems Engineering Department is committed to providing a stimulating education for all students. Please inform the Department Chair immediately of any barriers that create problems or limitations in the educational opportunities for you or other students in the department.

For further information about the Biological Systems Engineering major, please contact:

David Bohnhoff, Professor and Undergraduate Program Coordinator

Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering

112Agricultural Engineering Bldg.

460 Henry Mall

Madison, WI 53706

608/262-9546

bohnhoff@wisc.edu

Richard Straub, Professor and Chair

Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering

115Agricultural Engineering Bldg.

460 Henry Mall

Madison, WI 53706

608/262-3311

rjstraub@wisc.edu

Debby Sumwalt, Student Services Coordinator

Dept. of Biological Systems Engineering

115Agricultural Engineering Bldg.

460 Henry Mall

Madison, WI 53706

608/262-3310

bse@wisc.edu or dsumwalt@wisc.edu

Program Overview

Biological Systems Engineering is the application of engineering principles to biological and agricultural systems which greatly impact our food, fiber and renewable energy resources. Since biological systems engineering programs focus heavily on the protection and conservation of natural resources, it is not uncommon for them to be described as sustainable engineering programs.

Courses in biological systems engineering are very interesting and stimulating. The curriculum provides a thorough education in mathematics, physics, and the engineering sciences common to all engineering disciplines. All students complete a core of courses in addition to courses specific to the option which they have chosen.

Within the BSE program a student must enroll in either the General Program area or in one of the following four specialization areas: Machinery Systems Engineering, Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Food and Bioprocess Engineering, and Structural Systems Engineering. These areas are described in more detail in the Areas of Specialization section of this manual.

Students who complete all degree requirements are awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Systems Engineering. A student who completes one of the four program specializations will have the area of specialization identified on their official transcript.

The BSE program, like all undergraduate engineering programs on the UW-Madison campus, is accredited by ABET. Accreditation by ABET is an indication of program quality and has major benefits for individuals seeking registration as a licensed professional engineer.

A UW-Madison BSE graduate may apply for licensure as a registered professional engineer once they have passed the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, obtained four years of qualifying engineering work experience, and have passed the Professional Engineering (PE) exam. To obtain a BSE degree from UW-Madison, a student must have taken (but is not required to have passed) the FE exam. Most BSE students take the FE exam during their final semester as an undergraduate engineer.

Job opportunities for BSE graduates remain plentiful and show no signs of decreasing given (1) the increase in world population and corresponding increasing need for food, fiber and renewable energy, (2) the measureable shortage of highly trained technical personnel in the United States, and (3) the constantly expanding emphasis on protection and conservation of natural resources.

The UW-Madison BSE program is traditionally known for its emphasis on undergraduate education which is reflected in outstanding one-on one advising and smaller class sizes.

An excellent way for students to learn about biological systems engineering is to become active in the Pre-Professional Club. The Pre-Professional club is a student branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), the national society for engineering in agricultural, food and biological systems. This is an excellent way to meet practicing engineers and to develop a professional network. Check it out and become involved. All students in the Biological Systems Engineering major are included on the Club's e-mail list and receive announcements of meetings and other activities of the Pre-Professional Club. If you do not get such messages, check with your advisor to make sure you get added to this e-mail list.

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Mission, Objectives, and Desired Educational Outcomes

Mission

The mission of the Biological Systems Engineering Undergraduate Program is to provide a technology-advanced, biology-based engineering education that will enable students to design and implement efficient and environmentally sensitive methods of producing and processing food, fiber and renewable energy resources for an ever-increasing world population.

Program Objectives

The Biological Systems Engineering Department recognizes that our graduates will choose to use the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their undergraduate years to pursue a wide variety of career and life goals, and we encourage this diversity of paths. Whatever path graduates choose, be it a job, graduate school, or volunteer service, be it in engineering or another field, we have for our graduates the following objectives; that they will:

1. exhibit strong skills in problem solving, leadership, teamwork, and communication;

2. use these skills to contribute to their communities;

3. make thoughtful, well-informed career choices; and

4. demonstrate a continuing commitment to and interest in their own and others' education.

Desired Educational Outcomes

Upon graduation Biological Systems Engineering students are expected to have the following knowledge and skills:

1. an ability to analyze systems, components and processes. This includes:

a. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering fundamentals,

b. an ability to use the techniques and tools of modern engineering practice,

c. an ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

2. an ability to create a system, component, or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints such as economic, environmental, social, political, ethical, health and safety, manufacturability, and sustainability

3. an ability to formulate and conduct basic investigations such as laboratory experiments, prototype tests, field trials, computer simulations and market analyses

4. an ability to identify important resources, and to retrieve, interpret, analyze and critique information for use in solving engineering problems and conducting basic investigations

5. an ability to communicate effectively. This includes:

a. an ability to effectively orally communicate,

b. an ability to write in a clear, concise, grammatically correct and organized manner,

c. an ability to document work activities and properly archive information,

d. an ability to develop appropriate illustrations including hand sketches, computer generated drawings/graphs and pictures

6. an understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

7. an ability to function on multidisciplinary teams

8. the broad education necessary to understand and assess the impact of engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context

9. a recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in lifelong learning

10. a knowledge of contemporary issues

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Areas of Specialization

Within the BSE program a student must enroll in either the General Program area or in one of the following four specialization areas: Machinery Systems Engineering, Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering, Food and Bioprocess Engineering, and Structural Systems Engineering.

Machinery Systems Engineering

Engineers in the Machinery Systems Engineering specialization work in a variety of industries applying mechanical technology and knowledge of biological systems to solve equipment-related problems. From design and construction to testing and evaluation and to sales and support, engineers in the Machinery Systems Engineering provide the technical know-how to get the job done. They work for small and large companies that produce machines and systems for agriculture, food and fiber processing, construction, mining, lawn and ground care, materials handling, and forestry and paper industries.

Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering

Engineers in the Natural Resources and Environment Engineering specialization area combine engineering with agricultural and environmental sciences to solve problems related to our environment and natural resources. Engineers in this field evaluate, design, modify, and improve erosion control and runoff systems, animal and human waste handling and treatment systems, irrigation and drainage systems, and water quality management practices. They find most career opportunities within government agencies and environmental consulting firms.

Food and Bioprocess Engineering

Food and Bioprocess engineers evaluate, design, modify, improve, and economize the processing and distribution of food, feed, fiber and energy. This growing field also includes the new world of biotechnology and bioprocessing. They work in companies large and small that are involved in one or more of the following: processing, packaging and distributing meat, poultry and seafood products; canning and freezing fruits and vegetables; producing ethanol and other fuels from biological materials; drying and storing grains and other food stuffs; designing and testing machines and instruments; sensing and controlling temperature, pressure and moisture during processing; and developing new foods and processes.

Structural Systems Engineering

Structural Systems engineers combine a background in structural design with knowledge of biological systems to develop the infrastructure that supports agriculture. Such work includes design, construction and management of facilities for: growing plants and animals; storing and processing food, feed and fiber; waste storage and handling; and energy generation.

General Program Option

The General Program option is for those students who are interested in a combination of the four BSE specialization areas, and/or are interested in a specialization area outside of the identified four. Examples of others specialization areas include aquaculture engineering, forest engineering, and biomaterials engineering. Although the Food and Bioprocess Engineering specialization provides an ideal curriculum for students interested in biofuels processing, some students interested in related areas of bioenergy production may elect the General Program option.

Unlike students enrolled in the four identified specialization areas, students enrolled in the General Program option must have their “planned course of study” approved by the BSE Department’s Undergraduate Instruction and Program Committee (UIPC). The primary objective of this review is to check that the planned course of study meets ABET requirements. A secondary objective of the UIPC review is to recommend any adjustments that could provide for a more cohesive and/or scholarly plan of study.

Students who complete the requirements of one of the four specialization areas will have that area of specialization identified on their official transcript. There is no such identification on the transcript of a student enrolled in the General Program option.

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Degree Requirements

The Biological Systems Engineering degree meets graduation requirements of both the College of Engineering (COE) and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) with the degree administered and issued through CALS.

Following this section is the official curriculum for the Biological Systems Engineering major for the current academic year, a list of social science and humanities courses (you must select at least one course from this list), current written and oral communication requirements for CALS, and information on obtaining credits for professional work experience.

Official Curriculum

Students may use the official curriculum dated for the year they entered the program, or they may elect to use a more current curriculum, but then must complete all requirements of the newer curriculum. The official curriculum is your contract with the major, and you must complete all listed requirement. It is beneficial to track your progress using your official curriculum, the checklist for your option area, and an appropriate DARS report. There should be no discrepancy between these three. If there is, see your advisor immediately. In all cases, the official curriculum takes precedence.

Some students who plan on obtaining a BSE degree begin working on BSE degree requirements prior to officially transferring into the program. These students should be aware that they will be required to meet the requirements of the curriculum in effect on the date of their official transfer into the program (i.e., they will not be allowed to use a curriculum previously in effect). Once enrolled in the program, they may (like all other enrolled students) elect to use a more current curriculum, but then must complete all requirements of the newer curriculum.

If you are a student at another UW institution or technical college who plans to transfer to UW-Madison to obtain a BSE degree, you should work with the UW-Madison BSE Department to ensure that the courses you are taking will meet BSE degree requirements. If possible, such students should be enrolled in the Connections Program (http://www.connections.wisc.edu/). The Connections Program offers select applicants, who are Wisconsin residents, the opportunity to start at a partner college or university and finish their bachelor’s degree at UW-Madison—and hold a distinctive UW-Madison student status from the beginning. In other words, students are essentially simultaneously enrolled at both institutions. This means that students can lock into an official UW-Madison BSE curriculum at the time they start their studies at another institution.

Four Year Contract

Students, if they desire, can enter into a contract with the University that guarantees they will receive their degrees within 4 years (8 semesters), but there are very strict requirements associated with this contract. If interested, please see Professor David Bohnhoff (Room 112) who is currently the designated advisor for the 4-year contracts.

Admission to Degree-Granting Classification

Students are admitted to the department either as pre-Biological Systems Engineering students with a designation of PAE through the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences or as pre-engineering undergraduates (EGR) through the College of Engineering. To be admitted to the “degree-granting” Biological Systems Engineering program with a designation of ABE, students must have the following.

1. A minimum of 24 credits

2. Math 222 or equivalent

3. A minimum of 17 credits in required mathematics, statistics, science and engineering courses with a minimum GPA of 2.35 in these courses. “Required mathematics, statistics, science and engineering courses” is taken to include all courses that have been completed and that will be used to meet requirements in Sections 2 and 3 of the official curriculum (degree and major requirements, respectively), and the following math, statistics and chemistry requirements: MATH 221, MATH 222, MATH 234, STAT 224, CHEM 109 and CHEM 341 or 343. Any transfer course from another university that will be used to meet “required mathematics, statistics, science, and engineering courses” must be included in the GPA calculation. If the same course is taken more than once, only the grade from the last time the course was taken will be used in the GPA calculation.

4. A GPA of 2.0 for all courses not included in 3, above.

As soon as you have simultaneously met all four of the preceding requirements, you are guaranteed a change in classification to ABE. However, this change does not become official until your academic advisor has filed an “Admission to Degree Classification” form with the CALS Office of Student Academic Affairs.

Items 3 and 4 require GPA calculations. These calculations are straight forward once courses have been properly divided into two lists: (a) required mathematics, statistics, science and engineering courses” (item 3), and (b) all other courses (item 4). If unsure about which courses to include in the list for item 3, use the checklist for your option area. All courses NOT entered on the first page (i.e., the first page is the one which contains a place for your name at the top) fall under item 3, which means that they are used to check the 2.35 GPA requirement. All courses entered on the first page fall under item 4 and thus are checked against the 2.0 GPA requirement. If you are unsure what counts for what, read the subheadings of each checklist table.

Students frequently are interested in taking a couple technical courses that are not listed on the official curriculum. The current curriculum enables this by allowing each student to count any 300 level or higher engineering course, any advanced math course, and any advanced science course as technical electives just as long as the total number of credits from such courses does not exceed six. Many students use this provision to count courses that are not listed on the official curriculum that they took prior to transferring into the program (e.g., advanced math courses MATH 319 or MATH 320). Once a student decides to count such a course in this manner (i.e., as a technical elective and not a free elective), the course must be included in the calculation used to check the 2.35 GPA requirement. If the student does not want to include the course in the 2.35 GPA check (perhaps because he/she obtained a C or D in the course), then the student is never allowed to count the course as a technical elective (i.e., it can only be counted as a free elective).

Social Science and Humanities Electives

The curriculum requires 15 credits of social science and humanities or liberal studies. The following must be met.

1. 3 credits of Economics 101, 102 or 111 or Ag and Applied Economics 215.

2. 3 credits of ethnic studies. (The course selected must have an "e" listed under column e in the Timetable.)

3. 3 credits of international studies with courses listed on the curriculum sheet. (The course selected may be used to meet an additional requirement in the social sciences, humanities, or ethnic studies section if carefully selected as not all courses in the list are suitable.)

4. 3 credits of social science designated as "S" or "Z" in column B of the Timetable but not in economics or agricultural and applied economics courses.

5. 6 credits of humanities designated as "H", "L" or "Z" in column B of the Timetable.

One of the courses used to meet the 9 credits of social science and humanities must be from the lists of social science and humanities courses. These lists were compiled by BSE faculty.

Graduation Requirements

Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA or better to remain in the program, have at least a 2.0 GPA for the last semester in attendance and also for the combined last two semesters in attendance, and must have a 2.0 GPA or better for all courses designated as BSE.

Each student must complete the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination prior to graduation but is not required to pass. The Fundamentals of Engineering Exam is a national exam. It should be taken during your senior year. You will be given more information in BSE 409 Career Management for Engineers. It is to your advantage to take this exam as it is a precursor for the Professional Engineering (PE) Examination which can be taken after gaining the prerequisite amount of professional work experience. In some areas it is essential to have a PE license.

Students are asked to complete an Exit Survey just prior to graduation. Your survey responses are part of a continual program assessment process.

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2009-10 Curriculum Requirements For Biological Systems Engineering Majors

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES

Department: BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING

Major: BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (038)

Degree: BS-BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING (ABE)

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These requirements apply to students declaring this major from Summer 2009 through Spring 2010

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Completion of the CALS degree requirements will satisfy all University General Education Requirements (GER)

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Admission to UW

If admitted with a deficiency, see an academic Dean in 116 Agricultural Hall

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SECTION 1 - CALS REQUIREMENTS

These requirements apply to all degrees in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The courses required in this section also meet UW General Education Requirements. A course taken to satisfy a requirement in Section 1 may also be used to satisfy one, but only one, requirement in another section of the curriculum. Departments may specify somewhat different courses to satisfy the requirement in each sub-section.

Communication (I.C.)

___ Must complete one University Com A course and one University Com B course. These courses can not be used to meet any other requirements in SECTION 1 — CALS REQUIREMENTS.

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Mathematics (I.A., I.B., VI.A.)

Required:

____ MATH 112 and 113, OR MATH 114, OR Requirement may be satisfied by placement exam

____ MATH 221 (or MATH 217), and 222, and 234

____ STAT 224 or STAT 324

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Chemistry (I.D.)

_____ CHEM 109 (or CHEM 103 & 104)*

NOTE 1: *Taking the combination of Chemistry 103 and 104 (9 credits) instead of Chemistry 109 (5 credits) will increase the total minimum number of credits required for graduation.

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COURSES MAY ONLY BE USED ONCE WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES (I.E.1.-I.E.4.)

Economics or Agricultural and Applied Economics (I.E.1.)

____ One course required from: A A E 215, ECON 101, 102 or 111

Ethnic Studies (I.E.2.)

____ 3 credits required from any course classified as "e"

Humanities (I.E.3.)

____ 6 credits^* required from any course classified as H, L, or Z

Social Science (I.E.4.)

____ 3 credits^* required from any course classified as S or Z - but not Economics or Agricultural and Applied Economics

* One of humanities/social sciences must be selected from the list in the BSE undergraduate student handbook.

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International Studies (I.H.)

A course satisfying this requirement may also meet one, but only one, other curricular requirement, including one other requirement in Section 1.

3 credits required from this list:

_____

A A E 344, 350, 374, 462, 473, 474, 567

AGRONOMY 377

AN SCI 370

ANTHRO 100, 104, 260, 277, 318, 327, 350, 358, 470

ATM OCN 121, 132

C&E SOC (formerly RUR SOC) 222, 230, 260, 613, 630

ECON 467, 474, 552, 567

ENTOM 201, 371

F&W ECOL 360, 430, 450, 452

GEOG 120, 127, 139, 244, 260, 349, 353, 355, 538

HISTORY 103, 104, 142, 242, 260, 277, 349, 359, 410, 419, 436, 440, 441, 444, 445, 446, 458

INTL BUS 200

L SC COM 340

JOURN 621

MARKETNG 420

NUTR SCI 350

POLI SCI 103, 106, 252, 253, 254, 260, 261, 277, 312, 323, 331, 333, 338, 342, 346, 362, 379, 505, 618, 620, 621, 627, 630, 633, 639, 640, 642, 650, 651, 652, 655, 659, 660, 661, 663, 665

SOC 244, 252, 260, 277, 614, 634

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SECTION 2 - DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

These requirements apply to the Biological Systems Engineering Degree.

Physical Science (I.G., VI.B.)

Required:

_____ E M A 201

_____ PHYSICS 202

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Biological Science (I.F.)

Three credits required from this list:

_____ BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 151*

_____ BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 153

_____ BOTANY 130*

_____ ZOOLOGY 101

_____ MICROBIO 101

_____ MICROBIO 303

NOTE 1: MICROBIO 101 or 303 recommended for Food & Bioprocess Engineering Option.

NOTE 2: * Taking Botany/Zoology 151 (5 credits) or Botany 130 (5 credits) instead of one of the other 3 credit courses will increase the total minimum number of credits required for graduation.

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Agricultural and Life Sciences (VI.C.)

_____ 3 credits required from:

FOOD SCI 432 (required for FBE Option)

AGRONOMY 100, 300, 302, 304, 320, 338, 377

FOOD SCI 301, 412

F & W ECOL 312, 314, 318, 401, 410

HORT 227, 261, 320, 328

LAND ARC 250, 262, 361

AN SCI 101, 301, 305, 311, 312, 430, 431, 432, 503

SOIL SCIENCE 301, 315

Selected biology related course approved by advisor.

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SECTION 3 – MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

Major (VI.D.)

All are required:

_____ BSE 249 or CBE 250 (CBE 250 recommended for FBE)

_____ BSE 364

_____ BSE 365

_____ BSE 375 (Biological Concepts for Engineers)

_____ COMP SCI 310

_____ M E 361 or CBE 211 (CBE 211 recommended for FBE option)

_____ I S Y E 313 (preferred)or M E 314 or ACCT I S 200 or FINANCE 300

_____ M E 170 or 231 (M E 231 is required for Machinery Systems Option)

Capstone and Professional Experience (I.I.)

_____ BSE 409, 509 and complete Fundamentals of Engineering Exam*

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COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF 44 CREDITS IN THE GENERAL PROGRAM AREA OR IN ONE OF THE FOUR SPECIALIZATIONS.

General Program*

All are required:

_____ E M A 202 or M E 240

_____ CIV ENGR 310 or M E 363

_____ One course required from: E M A 303, 304, 306, M E 306

_____ Minimum of four courses from the following list: BSE 201,351, 356, 367, 372, 441, 460, 472, 473, 475,476,542, 571, 642, 671

AND

_____ Minimum of fifteen credits of math, science, statistics or computer science courses that are designated “advanced” or engineering courses with a 300 or greater course number. These fifteen credits can include BSE courses taken over and above the required minimum of four.

AND

_____ Select any combination of courses from the College of Agriculture and Life Science, College of Engineering, Institute of Environmental Studies, School of Business, and Computer Science Department to bring the total general program credits to 44.

* The combination of courses that an individual student will take to meet General Program requirements must be approved by the BSE Undergraduate Program and Instruction Committee

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Food & Bioprocess Engineering (FBE) Specialization

All required:

_____ BACT 325

_____ BIOCHEM 501

_____ BSE 441, 542

_____ CBE 320

_____ Chem 341 or 343 (Chem 341 recommended)

_____ FOOD SCI 410, 532

_____ One course required from: CBE 326, M E 364

_____ One breadth elective required from: BSE 351, 356, 367, 372, 460, 472, 473, 475, 476, 571, 642

AND

Select courses to bring total specialization credits to 44.

_____ BSE 351, 356, 367, 372, 460, 472, 473, 475, 476, 571, 642 (only courses not used above)

_____ B M E 310, 315, 401, 430, 461, 505, 530, 547

_____ CBE 311, 324, 426, 525, 540, 541, 560, 561, 562, 565

_____ CIV ENGR 310, 311, 315, 320, 322, 325, 330, 423, 426, 428, 500, 521

_____ E C E 230, 330, 376

_____ E M A 202, 304, 307, 405

_____ E P D 160 (for freshman only)

_____ M E 232, 240, 306, 340, 342, 350, 363, 417, 418, 424, 443, 444, 467, 508, 520, 525, 563, 573

_____ MS & E 271, 350

_____ Physics 201 (required for BSE/FBE students getting a double degree in Food Science)

_____ Up to 6 credits of math, science, statistics or computer science courses that are designated “advanced” or engineering courses with a 300 or greater course number not on the above list.

_____ BSE 001, 299, 399, 699 (combined total from these 4 courses cannot exceed 3 credits)

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Structural Systems Engineering Specialization

All are required:

_____ BSE 351, 356

_____ BSE 201 or CIV ENGR 251

_____ CIV ENGR 340

_____ E M A 202, 303

AND

_____ One course required from: CIV ENGR 310, M E 363

_____ One course required from: BSE 367, 372, 441, 460, 472, 473, 475, 476, 542, 571

AND

Select courses to bring total specialization credits to 44.

_____ BSE 367, 372, 441, 460, 472, 473, 475, 476, 542, 571 (only courses not used above)

_____ CIV ENGR 320, 330, 440, 442, 445, 447, 492, 496, 497, 498, 530, 531, 532

_____ E M A 405, 506

_____ I S Y E 315, 323, 510

_____ No more than one course from the School of Business

_____ E P D 160 (for Freshman only)

_____ Up to 6 credits of math, science, statistics or computer science courses that are designated “advanced” or engineering courses with a 300 or greater course number not on the above list.

_____ BSE 001, 299, 399, 699 (combined total from these 4 courses cannot exceed 3 credits)

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Machinery Systems Engineering Specialization

All are required:

_____ BSE 475, 476

_____ E M A 202 or M E 240

_____ M E 331, 306, 307, 313, 340, 342, 363

_____ One course required from: BSE 351, 356, 367, 372, 441, 460,473, 542, 571

AND

Select courses to bring total specialization credits to 44. May take an additional 3-4 credit from section I.F. or VI.C. to count here.

_____ BSE 351, 356, 367, 372, 441, 460, 473, 542, 571 (only courses not used above)

_____ M E 364, 415, 417, 418, 426, 428, 437, 443, 444, 446, 447, 448, 450, 451, 452, 469, 545, 549

_____ M S & E 350

_____ E M A 405, 506, 519, 545

_____ E P D 160 (for Freshman only)

_____ Up to 6 credits of math, science, statistics or computer science courses that are designated “advanced” or engineering courses with a 300 or greater course number not on the above list.

_____ BSE 001, 299, 399, 699 (combined total from these 4 courses cannot exceed 3 credits)

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Natural Resources and Environment Specialization

All are required:

_____ BSE 372, 472, 473, 571

_____ BSE 201 or CIV ENGR 251

_____ CIV ENGR 310 or M E 363

_____ One course required from: E M A 303, 304, 306, M E 306

_____ One course required from: BSE 351, 356, 367, 441, 460, 475, 476, 542

AND

Select courses to bring total specialization credits to 44

_____ BSE 351, 356, 367, 441, 460, 475, 476, 542 (only courses not used above)

_____ CIV ENGR 301, 302, 303, 304, 307, 308, 315, 316, 320, 330, 357, 411, 412, 414, 416, 423, 424, 426, 427, 429, 530, 531, 532

_____ GEOLOGY 627, 629

_____ SOIL SCI 532, 622, 632

_____ E P D 160 (for Freshman only)

_____ Up to 6 credits of math, science, statistics or computer science courses that are designated “advanced” or engineering courses with a 300 or greater course number not on the above list.

_____ BSE 001, 299, 399, 699 (combined total from these 4 courses cannot exceed 3 credits)

AND

No more than 6 credits can come from this subset.

_____ BACT 303, 304, 425, 523

_____ ENVIR ST 361

_____ GEOG 320, 325, 326

_____ SOIL SCI 301, 322, 323, 324, 325, 523, 622

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SECTION 4: Electives

The student may complete this section with any courses.

_____

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SPECIAL NOTES: For the Bachelor of Science Degree, students must complete a minimum of 128 credits with 256 grade points and with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA. For purposes of calculation, two grade points will be granted for each transferable degree credit earned at institutions other than UW-Madison. Students must take their last 30 credits in residence while officially enrolled in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Degree credit will be granted only once for courses that are repeated. Other degree requirements are outlined in the Undergraduate Catalog.

To be admitted to the Biological Systems Engineering program, the following must be completed:

1. A minimum of 24 credits

2. Math 222 or equivalent

3. A minimum of 17 credits in required mathematics, statistics, science and engineering courses with a minimum GPA of 2.35 in these courses. “Required mathematics, statistics, science and engineering courses” is taken to include all courses that have been completed and that will be used to meet requirements in Sections 2 and 3 (degree and major requirements, respectively), and the following math, statistics and chemistry requirements: MATH 221, MATH 222, MATH 234, STAT 224, CHEM 109 and CHEM 341 or 343. Any transfer course from another university that will be used to meet “required mathematics, statistics, science, and engineering courses” must be included in the GPA calculation. If the same course is taken more than once, only the grade from the last time the course was taken will be used in the GPA calculation.

4. A GPA of 2.0 for all courses not included in 3, above.

Pre-Biological Systems Engineering students will have a PAE classification. After admission to the program their classification will be changed to ABE.

All students must complete the National Fundamentals of Engineering Exam, offered twice yearly, prior to graduation. Students are responsible to provide the Department with verification that they took the exam.

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Social Science and Humanities Courses

Select one course to meet the social science and humanities requirement (curriculum sections I.E.3-4). The other two social science and humanities courses can be selected from this list or from other courses in the Timetable or Undergraduate Catalog designated S, H, L or Z. These tables are arranged by option. You may select a course listed under your option or from any of the following tables.

Science and Humanities Courses selected for the Food and Bioprocess Engineering Option
Department	Course No.	Course Title	Breadth	Level	Crds
Community and Environmental Sociology (also Sociology)	222	Food, Culture, and Society	S	E	3
Community and Environmental Sociology (also Sociology)	266	People and Places: The Demography of Rural America	S	E	3
Community and Environmental Sociology (also AAE)	340	Issues in Food Systems	S	I	3-4
Environmental Toxicology (also Institute for Environmental Studies)	368	Environmental Law, Toxic Substances, and Conservation	S	I	2
Consumer Science	477	The Consumer and the Market	S	I	3
Consumer Science	478	Consumer Information	S	I	3
Communication Arts	368	Theory and Practice of Persuasion	S	I	3
Communication Arts	459	New Media and Society	H	I	3

Science and Humanities Courses selected for the Machinery Systems Engineering Option
Department	Course No.		Course Title	Breadth	Level	Crds
History of Science		202	The Making of Modern Science	H	E	3
History of Science		203	Science in the Twentieth Century: A Historical Overview	Z	E	3
History of Science		222	Technology and Social Change in History	H	I	3
History of Science		337	History of Technology	H	A	3
History		247	American Business History	S	I	4
History		357	The Second World War	S	I	3-4
Community and Environmental Sociology (also History of Science)		230	Agriculture and Social Change in Western History(	Z	E	3
Rural Sociology (also Sociology)		266	People and Places: The Demography of Rural America	S	E	3
Consumer Science		477	The Consumer and the Market	S	I	3
Consumer Science		478	Consumer Information	S	I	3
Communication Arts		368	Theory and Practice of Persuasion	S	I
Communication Arts		459	New Media and Society	H	I	3

Science and Humanities Courses selected for the Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering Option
Department	Course No.			Course Title	Breadth	Level	Crds
Forest Ecology and Management (also Com. & Envtl. Soc.; Soc)		248	Environment, Natural Resources, and Community		S	E	3
Forest Ecology and Management		330	Resource-Oriented Recreation Management		S	I	3
Forest Ecology and Management (also AAE, Econ)		431	Natural Resource Economics		S	I	3
Inst. for Environmental Studies		112	Environmental Studies: The Social Perspective		S	E	3
Inst. for Environmental Studies		113	Environmental Studies: The Humanistic Perspective		H	E	3
Inst. for Environmental Studies		307	Literature of the Environment: Speaking for Nature		L	I	3
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Geography)		339	Environmental Conservation		S	I	3-4
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Agr. & Applied Econ)		344	The Environment and the Global Economy		S	E	3
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also History of Science)		353	History of Ecology		H	I	3
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Environmental Toxicology)		368	Environmental Law, Toxic Substances, and Conservation		S	I	2
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Philosophy)		441	Environmental Ethics		Z	A	3-4
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Poli Sci, Econ, Urb R Pl)		449	Government and Natural Resources		S	D	3-4
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also History, Geography)		460	American Environmental History		Z	I	4
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Geography)		537	Culture and Environment		S	A	4
Inst. for Environmental Studies (also Urb R Pl, Land Arc, ETD)		548	Environmental Aesthetics		S	A	2-3
Urban and Regional Planning (also Geography)		312	Regional Development and Planning		S	I	3
Urban and Regional Planning (also Real Est, Econ)		420	Urban and Regional Economics		S	A	3
Urban and Regional Planning		613	Water Policy: Politics and Institutions		S	A	3-4
Political Science		405	State Government and Public Policy		S	D	3-4

Science and Humanities Courses selected for the Structural Systems Engineering Option
Department	Course No.	Course Title	Breadth	Level	Crds
Art History	208	Western Architecture: Renaissance to Modern	H	E	4
Art History	319	Gothic Architecture	H	I	3-4
Art History	327	Renaissance Architecture	H	I	3-4
Art History	357	European Architecture: The Nineteenth Century	H	I	3-4
Art History	358	European Architecture: The Modern Movements	H	I	3-4
Art History	367	American Architecture: Colonial and Federal	H	I	3-4
Art History	368	American Architecture: The 19^th Century	H	I	3-4
Art History	449	Topics in Architectural History	H	D	3
Art History	468	Frank Lloyd Wright	H	D	3-4
Environment, Textiles and Design	221	Person and Environment Interactions	H	I	3
Landscape Architecture	250	Survey of Landscape Architecture Design	H	E	3
Landscape Architecture	260	History of Landscape Architecture	H	I	3
Landscape Architecture (also Urb R Pl)	463	Evolution of American Planning	S	I	3
Landscape Architecture (also Urb R Pl, Envir St, ETD)	548	Environmental Aesthetics	S	A	2-3
Business – Real Estate (also AAE, Econ, Urb R Pl)	306	The Real Estate Process	S	I	3
Business – Finance, Investment and Banking	300	Introduction to Finance	S	I	3
Business – Marketing	300	Marketing Management	S	I	3
Business – Mgmt and Human Resources	300	Organizational Behavior	S	I	3
Business – Mgmt and Human Resources	205	Human Resource Management	S	A	3
Business – Transportation and Public Utilities	325	Public Utilities	S	I	3

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Communication Requirement

All CALS students must meet the university requirement for Communications A and B.

A student may receive credit for only one Comm A course. Students who take two Comm A courses will not receive credit for the second course and cannot use it to meet any CALS or UW-Madison requirement.

UW-COMM A²Communication Courses

COM ARTS 100¹

ENGLISH 100¹, 118¹, X04

EPD 155¹

L SC COM 100¹

AP English^1,3

or any other course noted as Comm A; see Comm A list web page at: http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/courselists/commacourses.htm

UW-COMM BCommunication Courses

COM ARTS 262, 266, 272

ENGLISH 201, 203

EPD 397

ILS 200

L SC COM 111, 130, 212, 360, 430, 560

BACT 551

BOTANY/ZOOLOGY 152

BIOCORE 301-2, or 303-4

or any other course noted as Comm B; see Comm B list web page at : http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/courselists/commbcourses.htm

NOTES:

¹Course not available to students who test out of Comm-A on UW-Placement exam or have Comm-A credit for AP English. Students who do not test out of Comm-A may receive credit for one, but only one, Comm-A course, including AP English.

²A student may be exempt from the Comm-A requirement by the UW-Placement Exam.

³Advanced Placement Program

1. Composition and Language Exam

AP exam score of 4 or 5: exempt from UW-COMM A

AP exam score of 3: not exempt from UW-COMM A

2. Literature and Composition Exam

AP exam score of 4 or 5: exempt from UW-COMM A

AP exam score of 3: not exempt from UW-COMM A

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Professional Work Experience

It is extremely important for students to obtain as much practical professional experience as possible before graduation. In addition to the knowledge and skills to be gained from such experiences, it demonstrates to potential employers one’s enthusiasm for their selected profession.

Obtaining Credit for Work Experience

Although there is no requirement that students obtain professional work experience prior to graduation, each student can receive up to a maximum of 3 credits of technical elective credit for such experience. It is important to note that to receive technical elective credit for a particular work experience a student must register for either BSE 001, BSE 299, BSE 399 or BSE 699 and pay the associated fees. Under which of these four courses a student registers, and the number of credits for which a student registers, depends upon the type of work experience.

BSE 001: Cooperative Education Program

A student who will be employed full-time (considered to be approximately 40 hours per week for 15 weeks) off-campus can enroll in BSE 001. Registration is for a single credit for each spring, summer or fall in which the student is employed. By registering for 1 credit of BSE 001 during the fall and/or spring semester, the student retains their status as a full-time UW-Madison student (note that any student who is registered as a fulltime student during the spring semester and has not graduated, retains their fulltime status during the following summer even if they are not registered for a course). Maintaining status as a fulltime student is often a requirement for retention of health insurance (under their parent’s policy) and to continue deferral of student loans.

A student who registers for BSE 001 must complete the BSE Internship/Cooperative Education Agreement Form prior to beginning their coop. This form must be signed by the student, their academic advisor and the supervisor to whom they will be reporting during their employment. In accordance with this signed agreement, the student must submit (to their academic advisor) monthly progress reports and a final written report (the latter must be no less than 1000 words in length).

Students who are on a co-op are not eligible for student loans or grants while on the co-op, and some scholarships may be deferred until the student returns to campus.

One advantage of living in University-owned housing is that University Housing will allow a student to be released from their contract to leave campus for a co-op. No payment is required, however the student must forfeit their deposit. Contact the Division of University Housing for more information (608-262-2522)

BSE 399: Coordinative Internship

A student working part-time while attending UW-Madison may elect to enroll in BSE 399. The BSE Department policy is that a student may register for 1 credit of BSE 399 for each 150 hours of work. Although a student can register for more than one credit of BSE 399 during a particular spring, summer or fall, nor more than two credits per semester can be used to meet technical elective requirements.

A student who registers for BSE 399 will not automatically be granted fulltime status as a UW-Madison student unless they are registered for 12 or more credits. When a student is registered for less than 12 credits, and the combination of course work and professional work experience are deemed equivalent to full-time professional employment, the student is encouraged to apply for an academic load exception that grants fulltime student status. Such an application must be obtained from an academic dean in the CALS Undergraduate Program and Services Office, 116 Ag Hall.

A student who registers for BSE 399 must also complete the BSE Internship/Cooperative Education Agreement Form prior to beginning their internship. This form must be signed by the student, their academic advisor and the supervisor to whom they will be reporting during their employment. In accordance with this signed agreement, the student must submit (to their academic advisor) monthly progress reports and a final written report. The final report shall be a minimum of 1000 words for each academic credit in which the student is enrolled.

BSE 299: Independent Study

BSE 299 is for any freshman, sophomore or junior who is engaged in one-on-one instructional sessions during which they work with and/or under the guidance of a faculty member on a specific project. Quite frequently, the project is associated with the faculty member’s research, and the student is an employee of the faculty member.

The policy of the BSE Department is that a student work a minimum of 45 hours for each credit of BSE 299 for which they enroll. Each student who enrolls in BSE 299 must submit a final report with a minimum length of 1500 words. Additionally, each student must make a formal oral presentation of their work. This could be a “brown bag” presentation to faculty, staff and students, a presentation at an ASABE student branch meeting, a presentation to a class of students enrolled in another course, or a presentation at a professional society meeting.

BSE 699: Special Problems

BSE 699 is for any senior who is engaged in one-on-one instructional sessions during which they work with and/or under the guidance of a faculty member on a specific project. Quite frequently, the project is associated with the faculty member’s research, and the student is an employee of the faculty member.

The policy of the BSE Department is that a student work a minimum of 45 hours for each credit of BSE 699 for which they enroll. Each student who enrolls in BSE 699 must submit a final report with a minimum length of 1500 words. Additionally, each student must make a formal oral presentation of their work. This could be a “brown bag” presentation to faculty, staff and students, a presentation at an ASABE student branch meeting, a presentation to a class of students enrolled in another course, or a presentation at a professional society meeting.

Finding Employment

There are numerous sources available to students seeking coops and internships. The two primary sources for BSE students are the Engineering Career Service Office M1002 Engineering Centers, 1550 Engineering Drive (608.262.3471), and the CALS Career Services Office, 116 Agriculture Hall, 1450 Linden Drive (608 262-3460). Employers looking for BSE students will generally contact one or both of these offices directly, or will be told by BSE staff to contact these offices. Both offices maintain employer request lists, employer business cards, and other company information. In addition to these on-campus resources, students are encouraged to: visit eemployer websites and on-line sources that specialize in job placement, contact their local chamber of commerce, browse newspapers and journals, attend local career fairs, and network with family, friends, relatives, fellow students, alumni and professional associates.

If you are interested in international work, note that many companies who recruit UW-Madison engineering students are multi-national. Another option is to contact IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for technical experience). IAESTE helps students locate jobs in more than 70 countries and will help a student with the required work authorization paperwork. IAESTE’s annual registration deadline is January 1. UW-Madison’s student chapter of IAESTE is one of the most active in the nation.

Benefits of Coops/Internships

Obtaining work experience prior to completing your degree requirements typically increases employment opportunities and starting salaries at graduation.

Companies use coop/internships as a means to screen potential employees. Through various work activities/assignments, an employer can assess critical personal characteristics/traits such as punctuality, enthusiasm, honesty, integrity, temperament, etc., in addition to teamwork and communication skills, basic knowledge, analytical skills and creativity. Upon completion of their co-op/internship, many students receive offers for full-time employment from the company for which they worked. This is not surprising, given the desire that companies have to reduce the risk associated with hiring individuals that they have not been able to observe in a work environment.

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Programming Policies, Options and Recommendations

Mandatory Meetings With Advisors

Any specific interests or questions you have should be discussed with your advisor. It is your responsibility to meet with your advisor at least once each semester for counsel, guidance, and career development information. An "advisor hold" is put on your record each semester, and you will not be able to register until it is removed. The hold will be removed after you have met with your advisor to decide which courses you should take during the next semester. Not all departments use such registration holds, but we feel it is extremely important that you visit with your advisor each semester about your class schedule for the next semester. Contact your advisor at least a week prior to the time you can register so you do not delay your registration.

If a hold still exists after you have talked to your advisor, please make sure the hold relates to the next semester and not a later semester. You may be able to register for the up-coming semester but not for semesters after that. Also, holds may be placed on your record that are not advisor holds but relate to some other issue.

Semester-by-Semester Course Selection

The checklist for each option area also contains a four-year road maps. Each four-year road map provides a semester-by-semester list of courses to be completed. The exact order in which you take courses is unlikely to match your four-year road map since the order in which you take courses will be influenced by success on advanced placement exams, choice of technical electives and occasional scheduling conflicts. When you are unsure of which courses to take during a particular semester and/or run into a scheduling conflict, it is always best to consult your academic advisor. In such situations, three good rules of thumb are to: (1) take first those courses that are prerequisites for other required courses (2) take required courses before electives, and (3) save your social science, humanities, ethnics studies, economics and international studies courses for your junior and senior years and/or a study abroad experience.

Students who plan to study abroad should avoid taking courses at UW-Madison that could be taken while studying abroad. This includes basic math, statistics, and science courses as well as social sciences and humanities. In many cases, the university attended abroad will have courses related to the major that, with special action, can be counted for technical elective credit.

Selecting Technical Electives Courses

In addition to the required courses for each area of specialization the curriculum contains a list of technical electives for each specialization. These are courses that have been identified as being both relevant to the specialization and at the appropriate level for a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

It is important to note that a student’s selection of technical electives is not restricted to the list published for their area of specialization. More specifically, a student can petition to count as a technical elective, a course not on their published list. A student makes this request to their academic advisor who then brings it to the BSE Undergraduate Instruction and Program Committee (UIPC). The UIPC will approve the request as long as it compliments the program’s engineering content, and the student’s overall program contains sufficient ABET-required engineering design content.

As a rule of thumb, the UIPC will allow a student to count as a technical elective, any course that is required or listed as a technical elective in another area of specialization.

The fact that students can petition to count as technical electives, courses not on their published list, recognizes the fact that new courses are continually being developed and taught at UW-Madison, and some of these courses make outstanding technical electives. Additionally, flexibility in technical elective selection makes it easier to accommodate transfer of students into the BSE program, and makes it easier to accommodate courses taken while studying abroad.

Technical elective course substitutions (as well as other course substitutions) do not become official until approved at the college level. To obtain this approval, the student must complete a CALS Scholastic Policies and Action Committee (SPAC) form after receiving approval of the BSE UPIC, and submit it to the CALS Undergraduate Program and Service Office. The form is available at: http://www.cals.wisc.edu/students/

Farm and Industry Short Course Credits

The College of Agriculture and Life Science (CALS) administers a Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC). A number of FISC courses are taught by BSE faculty and staff. The policy within CALS is that a B.S. degree student who has taken FISC classes, or a FISC student now pursuing a four-year degree from CALS, may apply a maximum of 15 FISC credits toward their degree. To do this, a student must request a transcript from the FISC office (116 Ag Hall, 608-263-3918) and ask to have the credits transferred.

Some FISC courses contain content that is not available in other UW-Madison courses but is germane to a student’s BSE program. As a BSE major, it is possible to petition to have these particular FISC courses counted as technical elective credit.

Semester Credit Load Recommendations

The number of credits in which you enroll may be influenced by a number of factors. Chief among these is typically the cost of college. At UW-Madison, undergraduate tuition is the same for a student taking 12 credits as it is for a student enrolled in 18 course credits. Students taking fewer than 12 credits essentially pay by the credit. There is a surcharge for credits taken in excess of 18. In addition, any student who desires to enroll in more than 18 credits must obtain permission from their advisor and the CALS Undergraduate Program and Services office.

Given the fee structure, students are encouraged to enroll in at least 15 credits per semester. Note that it takes 2 extra semesters to accumulate 120 credits when you take 12 credits per semester instead of 15. Also keep in mind that educational expenses continually increase, and thus the last year you spend in school is likely to be your most expensive.

Students working on- or off-campus often reduce their academic load in proportion to the time they spend working. In some cases, students opt to enroll as part-time students. Since a student’s earning power generally increases sharply once they obtain a professional engineering degree, it is often not in a student’s long-term financial interest to work while attending school when such work results in a reduced academic work load which extends their time-to-degree. In many cases, it pays to take out a loan to complete school – a loan that can be rapidly repaid once a student is professionally employed. When making school versus work decisions, keep in mind that the cost of room and board (which exist whether or not one is an enrolled student) are generally very near to the cost of tuition.

Students who are struggling to meet the requirements for ABE classification, may want to take a reduced work load that enables them to put extra effort into improving their GPA.

A student on academic probation is advised to carry no more than 14 credits per semester unless repeating a course. For every three credits being repeated, the student is advised to carry not more than one additional credit beyond 14, up to a maximum of 16 credits.

Taking Courses Pass/Fail

Only courses that will count as free electives under the BSE curriculum can be taken pass/fail. Courses graded with the pass/fail system cannot be used to satisfy any of the university, college, degree program, or major requirements. With the exception of Physical Education activity and dance courses, students must receive permission from their advisor. Continuing students with at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, new freshmen, and new transfer students may elect one pass/fail course each semester, with a maximum of eight such courses prior to graduation. For all courses students must come to 116 Ag Hall and receive permission from the Office of Academic Student Affairs. Students must fill out the application to take a course on a pass/fail basis. After approval, the student cannot change the grading back to the conventional (A, AB, etc.) basis. The grade is excluded from the GPA. Students are warned that although a grade of D carries credit under the conventional system, it carries no degree credit when it is converted to a grade of U under the pass/fail privilege.

Double Majors and Double Degrees

The difference between a “major” and a “degree” is not clear to most students and faculty and thus there is confusion between what it means to double major and what it means to double degree. A major is defined as a field of academic study in which one concentrates or specializes. A degree is an award conferred by a college or university signifying that the recipient has satisfactorily completed a specific course of study.

At UW-Madison, students who specialize (i.e., major) in biological systems engineering receive a Bachelor of Science – Biological System Engineering degree when they complete all requirements for the degree. This is the only degree available to a student majoring in BSE. Students who major in other fields may have more than one degree that they can pursue. For example, a student majoring in entomology could get a B.S. in Natural Science, a B.S. in Agricultural Science, or a B.S. in Natural Resources depending on which degree requirements they meet. In other cases, the same degree is available for students with different majors. For example, a B.S. in Agricultural Sciences degree is available to many different CALS majors (agricultural and applied economics, agricultural education, life sciences communication, agronomy, animal sciences, community and environmental sociology, dairy science, entomology, food science, horticulture, plant pathology, poultry science, and soil science).

A student who is double majoring is specializing in two different areas but receiving only one degree. The degree that a student is pursuing dictates the areas in which the student can officially double major. Students majoring in BSE (and thus pursuing a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering) can not double major in another engineering field, nor can they double major in business or in another CALS discipline. BSE majors may earn an additional major in the College of Letters and Science and have the additional major noted on their transcript at the time of graduation. To qualify, the student must have approval in advance from both the department in the College of Letters and Science offering the major and the academic dean of the CALS, and must satisfy all requirements for the Letters and Science major by the time the engineering degree is completed. Engineering students frequently earn additional majors in math, physics, or computer science--subjects that overlap efficiently with engineering curricula. By working closely with academic advisers, students can incorporate majors in other interest areas but should be prepared to extend their time to graduation to accommodate the extra credits. Note that students who double major within CALS are simultaneously meeting the requirements that two different major areas have for the same CALS degree. For example, a student receiving a B.S. in Agricultural Sciences degree could double major in both agronomy and plant pathology by simultaneously meeting all requirements that agronomy and plant pathology have established for a B.S.- Agricultural Science degree.

A student who is a double degree candidate is simultaneously pursuing two different degrees. To obtain a second degree, all requirement for both degrees must be met, with the minimum total number of credits required equal to 30 more than the minimum number of credits required for the two degrees. This means if a student elects to complete a second degree that by itself requires a minimum of 120 credits (which is less than the 128 required for a B.S. in BSE), then the minimum total required for the dual degree would be 150 credits (120 + 30). A student must have an advisor in both major fields. To work on two degrees simultaneously within the college, a student should seek permission as early as possible to ensure that it is feasible to complete both degrees. If the two degrees to be earned are from two different colleges (one degree in Agricultural and Life Sciences and one degree in another school or college on this campus), the undergraduate dean in both colleges must approve the student's plan. Note that not all colleges will allow dual degrees.

Certificate Programs

Few BSE students double major and even fewer pursue a second undergraduate degree. Far more common are BSE students who obtain certificates. Certificate programs - some of which are called “areas of emphasis,” “concentrations,” or “professional development programs,” - are small sets of courses, often from more than one department, which focus on a given topic. These programs are offered in addition to traditional major and degree programs, although the courses carried may also count toward the completion of major and degree requirements. With their emphasis on a theme, and their interdisciplinary approach, certificate programs seem to be of increasing interest to students. The opportunity they provide to pursue an area of interest and to achieve recognition for its mastery over-and-above, but concurrently with a regular academic program, also adds value to a student's educational experience. Courses which are "packaged", so to speak, into a certificate program, offer recognition for unified segments of course work while the student pursues a traditional degree program. Nevertheless, certificate programs are not degree programs, and in many cases, they will prolong the time it takes to receive an undergraduate degree.

The College of Engineering offers a Certificate in Biology in Engineering, a Certificate in International Engineering, and a Certificate in Japanese Studies and Technical Communications. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences offers the CALS Leadership Certificate and the CALS International Certificate. The Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies (Nelson Institute) offers a Certificate in Environmental Studies (note that there is no Environmental Studies major on campus). The School of Business offers a Certificate in Business (CIB) for non-business students. The CIB program provides non-business students the opportunity to earn a concentration in a clearly defined academic program in business. Admission to the CIB program is competitive and requires an application. The College of Letters and Sciences offers numerous certificate programs. For more information on certificate programs, including a complete list of UW-Madison certificate programs, see: www.registrar.wisc.edu/students/acadrecords/dars/cert_programs.php

Advanced Degrees and Senior-Graduate Status

As the flagship institution in the UW-System, UW-Madison has a world renowned graduate school that offers numerous advanced degrees. For this reason, few UW-Madison students pursue a second undergraduate degree. When compared to a second undergraduate degree, a Masters degree: (1) generally requires fewer additional credits to complete, (2) allows students greater flexibility with respect to course selection (i.e., Master’s students essentially design their own curriculums whereas undergraduate degree programs are fairly rigid except with respect to technical elective selection), and (3) is more prestigious/influential.

UW-Madison seniors who plan on going on to graduate school may benefit by obtaining senior-graduate status. Senior-graduates are UW-Madison undergraduate seniors who are within 1-6 credits of completing the requirements for a bachelor's degree and who are simultaneously enrolled in the UW-Madison Graduate School. The student applies for graduate work through the normal Graduate School process. The student must meet minimum admission requirements and submit a senior-graduate form that verifies courses/credits needed to complete the bachelor's degree. The admitting department/program must recommend admission in full standing. Senior-graduates may not be admitted on probation. All senior-graduates pay graduate fees. All grade points earned as a senior-graduate are counted in the computation of the cumulative undergraduate grade-point average. The student's program is subject to the regulations and requirements of the Graduate School. Graduate credit will be awarded only if the requirements for the bachelor's degree are completed by the end of the semester of senior-graduate enrollment. Failure to earn the bachelor's degree within one semester will result in termination of senior-graduate status and loss of credits toward the graduate degree. The student will be granted graduate standing the semester following receipt of the bachelor's degree. Application for senior-graduate status is made at time of application to Graduate School. For more information, contact Debby Sumwalt, BSE Student Services Coordinator, Room 115, 262-3310.

One of the advantages of having senior-graduate status is that a student is eligible for teaching assistantship or project assistantship appointments, including tuition remission. They are not eligible for fellowships or research assistantships. For this reason, it is not uncommon for a BSE student to be employed as a project assistant while they are a senior-graduate and then switched to a research assistantship once they have completed their bachelor degree requirements.

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Scholarships and Financial Aid

The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences administers scholarships awarded only to students in Biological Systems Engineering. These scholarships are listed below. Biological Systems Engineering students may be eligible for other scholarships administered by CALS. Application forms are available from the Office of Academic Affairs, 116 Agricultural Hall, or on-line at: http://www.cals.wisc.edu/. The deadline for submitting an application is February 1. The department's Undergraduate Instruction & Program Committee makes recommendations to the CALS Scholarship Committee relative to the following scholarships.

Roger William Ambrose Scholarship (1)

Lyndon and Norma Brooks Scholarship (1)

Ham Bruhn Biological Systems Engineering Scholarships (3)

Gail Edwin and Janice Gaye Janssen Biological Systems Engineering Fund Scholarship (1)

John Deere Foundation Scholarship (1)

Don S. Montgomery Scholarships (2)

Schroeder Biological Systems Engineering Scholarships (2)

Dick and Grace Stith Scholarship (1)

Wisconsin Agricultural Engineering Scholarship (1)

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ASABE Pre-Professional Club

It is extremely beneficial for students to join student organizations to learn about their chosen profession and to develop leadership skills. This type of activity is highly regarded by potential employers. Without it you may be overlooked, even though you have a very good GPA. Joining and actively participating in the ASABE Pre-Professional Club is an excellent way to meet other students and faculty, to learn about your profession, to meet people from industry, and to learn about job opportunities. The Club meets monthly with announcements posted in the Agricultural Engineering Building and sent to you via e-mail. In early September, the faculty and staff host a student/faculty/staff mixer in the Agricultural Engineering Lab Building for all Biological Systems Engineering majors. Please participate. Your participation in the Pre-Professional Club will pay large dividends when it comes time to apply for employment.

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