UGA Specific Information for Biological Engineering

Engineering is about creating new solutions to existing or future problems. Engineers are problem solvers who employ science, math, analysis and synthesis to design unique and practical solutions to everyday problems. They must accomplish this often under the constraints of time, budgets, and safety and health issues. Engineers also must be concerned about the environmental, political and social impact their answers will create. The biological engineering discipline applies concepts and methods of biology (and secondarily of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science) to solve real-world problems related to the life sciences. Biological engineering uses primarily the rapidly developing body of knowledge known as molecular biology to study and advance applications of living organisms. 



Class of 2021 Career Outcomes for Biological Engineering*

** Includes Self-Employed


Campus Resources

  • UGA College of Engineering homepage
  • Student Organizations through Involvement Network (try Biomedical Engineering Society, Global Engineering Club, Tau Beta Gamma Engineering Honor Society, Theta Tau, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Global Engineering Club, National Society of Black Engineers, DataDawgs, AGHON, Graduate Research Assistants Diversifying STEM, Society of Women Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, American Water Resources Association UGA Student Chapter, American Society of Civil Engineers)

 


Additional UGA Career Center Recommendations/Considerations

POSSIBLE CAREER OPTIONS IN AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING

Taken from American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

Biological Engineering
One of the most rapidly growing of the BAE specialties, biological engineering applies engineering practice to problems and opportunities presented by living things and the natural environment. Biological engineers are involved in a variety of exciting interests that continue to emerge as our understanding of science and nature grows. Areas of interest range from environmental protection and remediation, to food and feed production, to medicine and plant-based pharmaceuticals and packaging materials. Some BAEs with expertise in biological engineering design medical implants and other devices, or bioinstrumentation and imaging products. Other develop strategies for natural pest control and treatment of hazardous wastes, for composting, and for enzyme processing of biomass, food, feed, and wastes.

Natural Resources
Our environment is fragile. The 1930s Dust Bowl and climatic events like the El Nino phenomenon remind us that our soil and water are vulnerable to degradation by both natural and man-made forces. Concerns about global climate change compel us further compel us to protect our natural resources. BAEs with environmental expertise work to better understand the complex mechanics of these resources, so that they can be used efficiently and without degradation. These engineers determine crop water requirements and design irrigation systems. They are experts in agricultural hydrology principles, such as controlling drainage, and they implement ways to control soil erosion and study the environmental effects of sediment on stream quality. Natural resources engineers design, build, operate and maintain water control structures for reservoirs, floodways and channels. They also work on water treatment systems, wetlands protection, and other water issues.

Power Systems & Machinery Design
BAEs in this specialty focus on designing advanced equipment, making it more efficient and less demanding of our natural resources. They develop equipment for food processing, highly precise crop spraying, agricultural commodity and waste transport, and turf and landscape maintenance, as well as equipment for such specialized tasks as removing seaweed from beaches. This is in addition to the tractors, tillage equipment, irrigation equipment, and harvest equipment that have done so much to reduce the drudgery of farming. Their work remains challenging as technology advances, production practices change and equipment manufacturers expand globally.

Structures & Environment
BAEs understand the importance of creating and maintaining a healthy environment for growing agricultural commodities and for the laborers who produce them. They also understand that our natural resources must not be diminished, in quality or availability, by agricultural operations. Toward these ends, BAEs with expertise in structures and environment design animal housing, storage structures, and greenhouses, with ventilation systems, temperature and humidity controls, and structural strength appropriate for their climate and purpose. They also devise better practices and systems for storing, recovering, reusing, and transporting waste products.

Food and Bioprocess Engineers
Food, fiber, and timber are only the beginning of a long list of products that benefit from efficient use of our natural resources. The list is growing - it includes biomass fuels, biodegradable packaging materials, nutraceuticals, pharmaceutical and other products - and is limited only by the creative vision of food and bioprocess engineers. These engineers understand microbiological processes and use this expertise to develop useful products, to treat municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes, and to improve food safety. They are experts in pasteurization, sterilization, and irradiation, and in the packaging, transportation and storage of perishable products. Food an process engineers combine design expertise with manufacturing methods to develop economical and responsible processing solutions for industry. And food and process engineers look for ways to reduce waste by devising alternatives for treatment, disposal and utilization.

Information & Electrical Technologies
Information and electrical technologies engineering is one of the most versatile of the BAE specialty areas, because it is applied to virtually all the others, from machinery design to soil testing to food quality and safety control. Geographic information systems, global positioning systems, machine instrumentation and controls, electromagnetics, and -"bioinfomatics"- biorobotics, machine vision, sensors, spectroscopy - these are some of the exciting information and electrical technologies being used today and being developed for the future.

Forest Engineering
Biological and agricultural engineers apply engineering to solve natural resource and environment problems in forest production systems and related manufacturing industries. Engineering skills and expertise are needed to address problems related to equipment design and manufacturing, forest access systems design and construction; machine-soil interaction and erosion control; forest operations analysis and improvement; decision modeling; and wood product design and manufacturing. Forest engineers are involved in a full range of activities in natural resource management and forest production systems.

Energy
Our high standard of living and comfort could not be maintained without energy to power the machines, devices, and systems in our homes and workplaces. But many energy sources are nonrenewable and create undesirable byproducts. Biological and agricultural engineers are at the forefront of the effort to identify and develop viable energy sources-biomass, methane, and vegetable oil, to name a few - and to make these and other systems cleaner and more efficient. These specialists also develop energy conservation strategies to reduce costs and protect the environment, and they design traditional and alternative energy systems to meet the needs of agricultural operations.

Aquacultural Engineering
The demand for aquacultural engineering is increasing as natural fish supplies are threatened. Biological and agricultural engineers help design farm systems for raising fish and shellfish, as well as ornamental and bait fish. They specialize in water quality, biotechnology, machinery, natural resources, feeding and ventilation systems, and sanitation. They seek ways to reduce pollution from aquacultural discharges, to reduce excess water use, and to improve farm systems. They also work with aquatic animal harvesting, sorting, and processing.

Nursery & Greenhouse Engineering
In many ways, nursery and greenhouse operations are microcosms of large-scale production agriculture, with many similar needs - irrigation, mechanization, disease and pest control, and nutrient application. However, other engineering needs also present themselves in nursery and greenhouse operations: equipment for transplantation; control systems for temperature, humidity, and ventilation; and plant biology issues, such as hydroponics, tissue culture, and seedling propagation methods. And sometimes the challenges are extraterrestrial: BAEs at NASA are designing greenhouse systems to support a manned expedition to Mars!

Safety and Health
Farming is one of the few industries in which entire families - who often share the work and live on the premises - are vested and are at risk for injuries, illness, and death. Biological and agricultural engineers analyze health and injury data, the use and possible misuse of machines, and equipment compliance with standards and regulation. They constantly look for ways in which the safety of equipment, materials and agricultural practices can be improved and for ways in which safety and health issues can be communicated to the public.

Supplemental Career Research Dashboard

Additional Career Research Resources

  • O*NET - The O*NET database includes information on skills, abilities, knowledge, work activities, and interests associated with over 900 occupations.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook - The OOH can help you find career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations.
  • Firsthand - Explore a library of guides, articles, and other resources to help you explore careers, plan your job search, and learn about different work environments. Create a free account with your UGA email.
  • Candid Career - Watch recorded informational interviews of professionals in specific careers. Filter videos by career title, college major, industry, and more.
  • GoinGlobal - View jobs/internship in other countries and country career guides.
  • UGA Mentor Program- Networking with your Bulldog family can help you get ahead in life and career, but where do you even start? The UGA Mentor Program narrows down the world of possibilities to meaningful connections. The program connects students to alumni mentors for personal and professional development.
  • Glassdoor - Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers the world an inside look at jobs and companies. What sets us apart is our "employee generated content" – anonymous salaries, company reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees, job seekers, and sometimes the companies themselves. Now with nearly 3 million salaries and reviews, you have all the information you might need to make your next career decision. 
  • Portfolium - Your work and projects are undeniable proof of your skills – Portfolium will help you learn and allow you to display the top skills graduate schools and employers want. Portfolium is where you’ll upload your work, projects, presentations and more. The UGA Career Center has pre-loaded your profile to include the top skills graduate schools and employers seek in their candidates. Log-in to your profile to see how you can build your skills!
  • Big Interview - Online practice interview platform. Practice basic interview questions or questions based on your industry interests or competencies! Also provides practice interview questions for graduate/professional schools. Just sign-up using your UGA email address! 
  • Career Cornerstone Center - Career planning resources for STEM fields.
  • "Learn How to Become" Job Search and Career Resource Center- this source provides advice for the job search, networking, interviews, salary negotiation, tips for starting the position, and more!

Employment Websites

GENERAL

  • Handshake - Login with your UGA myID and password to view thousands of jobs/internships from employers looking for UGA students
  • LinkedIn - Network with professionals and view job openings
  • GoinGlobal - Job/internship openings in countries abroad as well as country career guides providing information about finding employment in other countries. 
  • Idealist - Nonprofit Jobs
  • Indeed - General job search engine
  • USAJobs - Federal Jobs
  • Firsthand - Industry guides, jobs, and internships

MAJOR/INDUSTRY SPECIFIC


Professional Associations/Resources

Employers/Position Title Reported by Class of 2021 Biological Engineering majors

The information below represents employers and position titles from the Class of 2021 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Employer Position Title(s)
ADInstruments Inside Sales Engineer
Ken's Foods Quality Assurance Tech
Kimberly-Clark Corporation Process Engineer
Kimley-Horn Autocad Drafter
Microcopy Dental Quality Engineer
Olympic Steel Process Engineer
Procter & Gamble Personal Care R&D Scientist
Resilient Power Mechanical Engineer
RWDC Industries Bioprocess Technician
RWDC Industries Bioprocess Technician
RWDC Industries Bioprocess Technician
ThreeBridge Data Analyst
ThreeBridge Data Analyst
ThreeBridge Data Analyst
ThreeBridge Data Analyst
University of Georgia Research Technician - Turfgras
* denotes no responses received.
*Source: Areas above marked with an Asterisk (*) have been created utilizing data taken from the UGA Career Outcomes Survey. The "Employers Hiring...," "Job Titles of...," "Career Outcomes for...," and "Graduate/Professional Schools and Programs..." information listed above represent UGA Class of 2021 Graduates. The lists are not exhaustive and therefore do not represent all potential career options. Click here for more detailed Career Outcomes information regarding this major.

Graduate/Professional Schools attended by Class of 2021 Biological Engineering majors

The information below represents graduate/professional schools and programs reported through the Class of 2020 Career Outcomes Survey. To view historical Career Outcomes for this major, click here and select "Historical Data" from the navigation menu.

Graduate School Program(s)
Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Carolinas Campus Osteopathic Medicine, DO
Kennesaw State University Not Specified
Medical Sales Institute Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Reconstruction & Trauma, Certificate
Montana State University Plant Sciences, MS
Morehouse School of Medicine Biotechnology, MSBT
Texas A&M University Law, JD
University of Colorado Boulder Biological Engineering, PhD
University of Florida Biomedical Engineering, PhD
University of Georgia Mechanical Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Biomedical Engineering, PhD
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Business Administration, MBA
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Business Administration, MBA
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia Bioinformatics, PhD
University of Georgia Biological Engineering, MS
University of Georgia STEM Business Administration, MBA
University of Georgia Business Administration, MBA
Vanderbilt University Biomedical Engineering, MS
Virginia Commonwealth University Dental Medicine, DDS
* denotes no responses received.