BioRenewable Systems
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    BioRenewable Systems

    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America
    United States of America, University Park
    University Rank:#82
    Go to Official Website
    Duration4 year(s)
    Tuition Fee
    USD 53,135 / Year
    Next IntakeJune 1, 2023
    BioRenewable Systems

    About

    BioRenewable Systems is an applied major that integrates the study of engineering technology, applied sciences, business principles, and systems analysis related to sustainable food and green, bio-based products development and production. Administered through the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, the BioRenewable Systems (BRS) program uniquely prepares students to solve 21st century problems and attain careers in both traditional sectors and those relating to the emerging bioeconomy. Students in this program will secure: (1) knowledge of fundamental sciences related to resources, processes, and products in biorenewable systems; (2) communication and leadership skills relevant to careers in product development, technology, sales, marketing and management; and (3) the ability to apply systems analysis skills, positioning them for effective problem solving and leadership in the agricultural and bioproducts industries.  The BRS major has two options: Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) and BioProducts (BP).

    You Might Like this Program If...

    • You want to make a difference in the world by developing more efficient and sustainable technologies and systems.
    • You want to engage in testing, development, and improvement of equipment, processes, or green (food and other bio-based) products.
    • You want to demonstrate features, advantages, and benefits of new technologies or products and train service personnel.
    • You are interested in systems management, business applications, or technical sales, with a focus on biorenewable and agricultural industries.

    The BioRenewable Systems Major is an applied major that intertwines the study of engineering technology, natural resources, and agriculture with fundamentals of business, entrepreneurship, and management. Administered through the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, the BioRenewable Systems (BRS) program uniquely prepares students to solve 21st century problems and attain careers in both traditional sectors and those relating to the emerging bioeconomy. Students in this program will secure: (1) knowledge of fundamental sciences related to resources, processes, and products in biorenewable systems; (2) communication and managerial skills relevant to careers in product development, technology, sales, marketing and management; and (3) the ability to apply systems analysis skills, positioning them for effective problem solving and leadership in the agricultural and bioproducts industries.

    Graduates are typically employed as sales and field representatives, financial and technical consultants, and technical service or quality assurance personnel in renewable bioproducts or related agricultural sectors such as: power and machinery systems, forest products, food production, bioprocessing, environmental systems, wood structures, bioenergy, co-product development, and agrochemicals. Graduates may continue their education in a graduate program with a science, engineering, or business orientation.

    The BRS major has two options: Agricultural Systems Management (ASM) and BioProducts (BP).

    Agricultural Systems Management Option

    This option applies a technological approach to understanding and managing agricultural production systems to meet economical and sustainable needs. Basic study is emphasized in the application of the technical results of engineering research, design, and manufacturing along with the agricultural and business management sciences. Graduates of this option apply their technology and management training to the diverse areas of food and fiber production; bioprocessing; and land, water, and air resources.

    BioProducts Option

    The scientific nature of biobased resources–their unique design, sustainability, and renewability. Building upon that foundation, students will learn techniques for converting and efficiently utilizing these materials to maximize product life cycles, while simultaneously exploring relevant marketing and management strategies. Technical electives for this option emphasize material sciences, engineering, and/or business. Career tracks are broad, ranging from traditional forest products companies to emerging sectors, including bioenergy co-products.

    • Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of engineering technologies, materials sciences, and safety as they pertain to biorenewable systems.
    • Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of sales, marketing, management, and/or entrepreneurship principles relating to biorenewable systems and industries.
    • Graduates will be able to analyze and interpret data using relevant software, and demonstrate an ability to draw sound conclusions from data.
    • Graduates will be able to communicate, both orally and in writing, business and technical concepts within the context of biorenewable industries.
    • Graduates will be able to identify solutions to problems relevant to biorenewable systems.
    • Graduates will be able to apply systems analysis skills for effective decision-making in the operations and management of biorenewable resource industries.
    • Graduates will demonstrate knowledge of ethics and social justice issues including issues of race and equity and be able to practice ethical decision making.

    Disciplines

    Agricultural Sciences

    Requirements

    Entry Requirements

    Penn State requires the submission of specific academic credentials to complete your application. Review the secondary and post-secondary requirements for your country below.

    If you are a first year student applying to Penn State:

    Click Apply to start your Penn State application. Before starting, you can also review the Applying Online Worksheet for more details and helpful hints about the application.

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the Save and Continue button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR). As you begin the SRAR process, a new window will open allowing you to complete your SRAR. SRAR will focus on your high school coursework. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. Therefore, have a copy of your secondary school records available as you complete your SRAR. You will need to enter every class and every grade earned for the last three years, as well as those classes in progress.

    After completing your SRAR, you will be directed back to the Penn State application in order to complete the Program of Study portion of the application. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for first-year students.

    After completing this section of the application, you will provide some additional information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If you are a transfer student applying to Penn State:

    All international transfer students will be required to submit official high school transcripts in order to complete the application. International transfer students will not complete the Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR) for either their high school or college coursework.

    If you have accepted your offer of admission to Penn State:

    If you completed SRAR and are accepted to Penn State, please provide the following for grade verification:

    • Official transcript from years 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the transcript is issued in a language other than English, it must be accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.
    • Official copy of the Tawjihi, accompanied by a separate line-by-line English translation.

    English Requirements

    • IELTSMin 6.5
    • TOEFLMin 80

    Career

    The BioRenewable Systems major provides a broad background in applied sciences, engineering technology, systems analysis, and business management that can help you succeed in industry or a graduate degree program. With companies, stakeholders, and consumers invested in sustainable and efficient systems, career opportunities are diverse, and the demand for graduates is strong. According to the USDA, scientists, engineers, managers, sales representatives, and marketing specialists will account for 73 percent of the total annual U.S. employment openings for new college graduates with expertise in agricultural and food sciences in the early twenty-first century. Specific career paths vary by option.

    Graduates find employment as technical consultants, quality assurance personnel, sustainability specialists, and sales and field representatives, in renewable bioproducts or related agricultural sectors such as: power and machinery systems, forest products, food production, bioprocessing, environmental systems, bioenergy, and co-product development.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES OF THE BIORENEWABLE SYSTEMS PROGRAM

    Opportunities for Graduate Studies

    Graduates may continue their education in a graduate program with a science, engineering, or business orientation. The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at Penn State offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in BioRenewable Systems.

    MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDY

    Professional Resources

    • American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

    Fee Information

    Application Fee 75

    How to Apply

    Step 1: Choose Your Application Method

    Apply through MyPennState

    The first step of the application process is to create a Penn State account, if you do not have one already. MyPennState is where future students can access the online application.

    If you are new to MyPennState, you will need to establish a Penn State User ID and password, which you will access during the MyPennState profile creation process. Once you have your log in information, you can sign in to begin work on your application.

    When creating the profile, please use the name that is on your passport. Because materials are filed alphabetically under the family name on the application, it is important that all correspondence and records consistently use the same name (family and given) and spelling. If this name does not match your academic records, please notify us of the difference. Please note: In the U.S., the family name is usually referred to as the last name, and the given name is referred to as the first name.

    Additionally, Penn State requires a current, valid email address, as that is our primary means of communication with international students. To ensure deliverability, please make Penn State (psu.edu) an eligible sender to the account.

    Applying through the Common App

    Applying to Penn State via the Common App is available to first-year (freshman) international students. If applying through the Common App, Penn State will create a MyPennState profile when the application is submitted and you will receive instructions on how to access your profile. If you intend to apply with the Common App, you do not need create a MyPennState profile prior to submitting your application.

    Step 2: Access the Application and Review Important Dates

    While you can create a MyPennState profile at any time, the application for admission becomes available on the following dates:

    Fall/Summer Admission: August 1

    Spring Admission: June 1

    The application submission dates vary by applicant type and intended program of study. Some programs have specific deadlines or admissions requirements. Please refer to our Dates & Deadlines for more information about application deadlines, as well as our Admissions Requirements to review information about any additional materials required for your intended program of study.

    Step 3: Start Your Penn State Application

    If applying through MyPennState:

    Click Apply Online to start your Penn State application. 

    Your application work can be saved at each step of the process by clicking the "Save and Continue" button at the bottom of the page. This feature will allow you to move back and forth within the application or log off and return to complete your application at a later time.

    After completing your Academic History, you will need to provide your Self-Reported Academic Record (SRAR), unless otherwise directed. You will be directed to enter information about your secondary school coursework. Please have a copy of your secondary school records as you complete SRAR. It is important that this step is a complete and accurate representation of your school record. You will need to enter every grade for every course you have taken in the last three years, as well as your current schedule of classes.

    Students educated in South Korea will not complete SRAR. The document requirements for South Korea can be found by reviewing our International Credential Requirements.

    After this section, you will be directed back to the Penn State application to complete the Program of Study portion. Here, you will indicate your desired starting semester, your intended program of study, and your starting and ending campus. For further details on how to complete this portion based on your applicant type, please see the steps to apply for either first-year students or transfer students.

    After this portion, you will provide some additional application information, an activities resume, and a personal statement. You will be able to paste in this information from other sources, but note that the formatting may not always paste in as intended.

    If applying through the Common App:

    Complete the Common App, which will then direct you to MyPennState to complete SRAR. Applicants using the Common App may feel that they provided their high school record via the Common App, but Penn State requires the completion of SRAR via MyPennState. We strongly encourage you to obtain an official copy of your high school transcript to ensure accurate entry of your coursework completed and grades earned. The SRAR will include all of your high school coursework from your last three years of work and your current year schedule. If your final year grades are available when you enter SRAR, you can enter them at that time.

    Step 4: Submit Your Application

    The application requires a nonrefundable application fee of $75 for international students. Be sure to complete the last step after Summary and Review, which finalizes payment of your fee, and be certain it is successfully submitted. Once the application is submitted, you can verify its completion by accessing your MyPennState profile.

    Step 5: Submit Required Application Materials

    In order to complete your Penn State application, we need the following materials:

    • Application
    • Secondary school record
    • Post-secondary school records (if applicable)
    • First-year applicants only: Official test scores: SAT (code #2660) or ACT (code #3656)

      Writing Component and Subject Tests

      Please note: The writing component of standardized tests (SAT or ACT) is not required. The writing component will not be used as part of our evaluation. If your test scores include the writing component, by all means, have those scores sent to Penn State. Additionally, we do not require SAT Subject Tests.

    • English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

    Please see the admissions requirements for international students to review the details about the required application materials. Some programs require additional items to complete your application. Please review our Admissions Requirements for those details.

    Penn State does not require letters of recommendation, nor are they used in a student’s evaluation (unless required for a specific program).

    Step 6: Check Your Application Status in MyPennState

    You can always check the status of your application in MyPennState. We will communicate with you via MyPennState and through a series of emails regarding the missing items for your application. When everything has arrived, you will see a status in MyPennState confirming the completion of your application.

    Please note: It is your responsibility to check on the status of your application and send us any missing materials.

    Step 7: Receive Your Admission Decision

    Once we have reached a decision regarding your application, we will update your status in MyPennState and provide a printable PDF of your decision letter. Review our Dates & Deadlines to see when you should expect your decision.

    If accepted, you can accept your offer of admission in MyPennState to begin the process of becoming a Penn State student. Visit our Accepted Students section to review the next steps in this process. Once you accept your offer of admission to Penn State, those students completing SRAR will submit their official records for validation purposes as soon as possible.

    BioRenewable Systems
    Pennsylvania State University
    Pennsylvania State University
    United States of America

    United States of America, University Park

    Go to Official Website
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