Agricultural Engineering (College of Agriculture)

Purdue University in West Lafayette

Agricultural Engineering prepares professional engineers for rewarding careers focusing on the systems, processes, and machines that are used to generate or utilize energy, food, and water. Satellite control was adapted for off-road agricultural and construction vehicles with guidance accuracy to 1 cm on varied terrain. Biotech is now being developed to monitor plant and seed DNA onboard for national security and high value pharmacological crops.

Agricultural Engineering is a leader in the application of new sensing in vehicles subjected to tough environments. This program provides students with background in mechanical design, hydraulics, instrumentation and control, finite element analysis, electronics and sensors to design, develop, analyze and operate machines and systems for agricultural and biological products and processes, materials handling, construction and mining, forestry, lawn- and ground-care, and food and fiber production and processing.

Excellent career opportunities exist in product engineering, equipment research and design, facilities design, and engineering management. Practical applications in lab intensive classes (every ABE 3-credit hour class has a lab) and significant opportunities to be involved in clubs (1/4-Scale Tractor, PUP, ASABE Robotics) are important assets.

Applying

Agricultural Engineering is a major within the Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) Department. Students in this major will obtain a degree granted in the College of Engineering, and there are multiple entry paths for those who are interested in ABE majors. 

First-time college students may apply to Agricultural Engineering in the College of Agriculture(where they would begin in the pre-ABE program) or they may select First-Year Engineering in the College of Engineering (where they would begin in the First-Year Engineering program). The first-year curriculum is the same for each path. 

Transfer students who have fulfilled the first-year requirements of this engineering program may apply directly to Agricultural Engineering in the College of Agriculture.

Note: This major is the same major listed with the College of Engineering. Students must complete the First-Year Engineering requirements before entering the engineering school of their choice. Students interested in any engineering discipline may apply for entry via the College of Engineering First-Year Engineering (FYE) program, however, students planning to pursue an engineering major in Agricultural Engineering, Biological Engineering, or Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering are encouraged to apply through the College of Agriculture Pre-Agricultural and Biological Engineering (PABE) program. Students pursuing engineering degrees offered by the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE) have the unique opportunity to benefit from the Department's joint affiliation with the Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering. The mission of these student-oriented service programs is to advise, teach and retain outstanding students for Purdue's Engineering programs. This core curriculum includes courses in math, chemistry, physics, computer programming, and communication skills, as well as introductory engineering coursework taught in the new Ideas to Innovation (i2i) Learning Laboratory. First-Year Engineering programs provide students with a firm foundation and initial understanding of engineering and career options to assist them in identifying which of Purdue's engineering disciplines is the right fit. Our professional academic advisors, faculty and student advisors are dedicated to assisting beginning engineers with the first-year experience.