College Preparation for Agricultural Engineering

Agricultural engineering admission requirements generally call for a strong background in mathematics and science. Agricultural engineering schools prepare students for entry-level careers in agricultural engineering research, production, sales or management during classes in soil sciences, plant physiology, manufacturing, crop production and machinery production.

Agricultural engineers apply biological and engineering sciences to the production of food and other biological resources. Agricultural engineers help advance farming, develop new ways to irrigate crops, produce efficient equipment and create new ways to purify and package products for consumers. In addition, they work on conservation projects, planning environmental and land reclamation projects and providing advice on water quality issues and pollution control.

The coursework includes a variety of sub disciplines within the larger umbrella of biosystems and agriculture. Admission to graduate programs is through deep departmental admission committees and competitive.

Following are the college preparation ways and means:

Applicants must:

i. Have undergraduate courses in calculus, linear algebra, statistics and differential equations.

ii. Have two semesters of undergraduate calculus-based physics, organic chemistry, biology, plant physiology, and soil sciences.

iii. Have at least two semesters of upper-division undergraduate courses in agricultural engineering or biological and physical sciences.

iv. Hold a baccalaureate degree in engineering or biological science from a college or university of recognized standing (or the equivalent).

v. Have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.4.

vi. Standardized Scores must be submitted:

• Provide official GRE scores from an examination taken within the last 5 years. All applicants from a university outside the US are required to submit General GRE scores for admission consideration. Applicants who are US graduates can submit GRE scores if they feel their scores will enhance their admission prospect.
  
  
• Official TOEFL / IELTS scores must be submitted: High proficiency in the English language is essential for admission to our graduate program. Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the TOEFL exam. Applicants must meet or exceed the minimum on the Internet-based test.
  

vii. Provide letters of recommendation: Three letters of recommendation from faculty members or employers who can assess the applicant's academic potential for a graduate program are required

viii. Provide a statement of purpose.

Agricultural engineering programs include topics such as:

• Equipment design and development
  
  
• Food processing
  

• Crop production
  

• Distribution of food, feed, and fiber

Required Undergrad Courses for Agricultural engineering majors include

Because the agricultural engineering profession involves a substantial depth of knowledge and skills in biological sciences, students in this degree program have to take a number of courses in mathematics and natural sciences to prepare for the core agricultural engineering course where these disciplines are combined and applied.

This program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

• Agricultural Power and Machinery
• Agricultural Process Engineering
• Agricultural Structures Design
• Calculus
• Chemistry
• Dynamics
• Electric Power and Controls
• Electronic Circuits
• Engineering Physics
• English Composition
• Hydrology
• Introduction to Computer Science
• Irrigation System Design
• Linear Algebra
• Linear Differential Equations
• Senior Design Project
• Soil and Water Engineering
• Statistics
• Strength of Materials
• Thermodynamics