Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Admission Requirements

The program requirement for acceptance to graduate study toward a Ph.D. degree in Agricultural and Biological Engineering is an M.S. degree with research thesis in an engineering or science discipline with a B.S. degree from an engineering program. Outstanding students interested in direct admission from a B.S. engineering program to the Ph.D. Program should contact the Graduate Program Coordinator. Direct admission will be based on critical evaluation of the student’s potential to conduct publishable research, academic record, statement of purpose, and reference letters. Students who apply directly to the Ph.D. program but are not qualified will be considered for admission into the M.S. program.

A student with an undergraduate degree in a non-engineering field can be admitted to the Ph.D. program on a provisional basis, pending the completion of a number of additional credits to be specified on an individual basis. These additional credits will not count towards the Ph.D. degree requirements. The provisional status continues until completion of the engineering undergraduate requirements in mathematics, physics, engineering sciences and any additional required 400-level Biological Engineering courses. Upon completion of these preparatory courses with a minimum grade-point average of 3.0, the student will be admitted to the graduate program. The required preparatory courses are:

• Ordinary and Partial Differential Equations (MATH 251)
• Statics (E MCH 211 or equivalent course)
• Strength of Materials (E MCH 213 or equivalent course)
• Thermodynamics (ME 300) or Fluid Dynamics (CE 360 or ME 320)
• At least one senior level engineering design course
• Any prerequisite courses required to take the above courses, especially including mathematics, chemistry, and physics.

To qualify for admission, all international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper- based test, 213 for the computer-based test, or a total score of 80 with a minimum of 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test. The minimum composite score for the IELTS is 6.5.

International applicants are exempt from the TOEFL/IELTS requirement who have received a baccalaureate or a master’s degree from a college/ university/institution in any of the following:

American Samoa, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec), Cayman Islands, Dominica, England, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Liberia, Montserrat, New Zealand, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Puerto Rico, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Wales.

Students should check for any updates to this list at How to Apply.

Dissertation Committee

Each student should schedule at least a one-hour meeting each week with the advisor to ensure adequate communication.

A Ph.D. Dissertation committee must be formed right after passing the qualifying exam by submitting the Ph.D. Committee Appointment Form to the Graduate School. The committee consists of four or more members of the Graduate Faculty and:

• The chairperson and at least one other member must be full-time ABE Faculty members in the ABENG program.
• At least one member must be from a department other than ABE.
• At least two members must have doctoral degrees in engineering or be licensed professional engineers.
• At least one member must represent any minor department(s) if the student selects a minor(s).
• The Dissertation committee can be appointed only after the Qualifying Examination has been passed. See also the “Advisory & Dissertation Committee Responsibilities” section.

Course Requirements

Requirements listed here are in addition to Graduate Council policies listed under GCAC-600 Research Degree Policies.

Ph.D. degree requirements include successful completion of the following: approved graduate course work, a qualifying examination, English Competence requirements, a comprehensive examination, and a final oral examination (the dissertation defense). To earn the Ph.D. degree, doctoral candidates must write a dissertation that is accepted by the Ph.D. committee, the head of the graduate program, and the Graduate School.

Each Ph.D. program of study, for students holding a master’s level engineering degree, must meet the following requirements (courses taken previously do not have to be repeated, except ABE 590):

¹ One 500-level ABE course (3 credits) and one engineering graduate (500-level) course (3 credits) from the list of approved courses maintained by the program office fulfills this requirement. Other similar graduate engineering courses can be taken by petition.

² B- does not meet this requirement.

³ Typically graded as R (Research), however, instructor can assign quality grades up to 12 credits throughout the entire PhD program. Refer to GCAC-401 Grading System for details.

⁴ ABE 601 should be used after passing the comprehensive examination, if no additional courses are needed.

⁵The following ethics courses may substitute for BRS 502:

• BIOET 401Q: Science, Ethics, Policy, and Law
• BIOET 533: Ethical Dimensions of Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems
• BUS 515: Business Ethics and Corporate Governance
• INTAF 511: Ethical Dimensions in Food and Agricultural Governance
• LEAD 863: Ethical Dimensions of Leadership
• LHR 460: Ethics in the Workplace
• MBADM 815: Ethical and Responsible Business Leadership
• PHIL 432: Medical and Health Care Ethics
• PHIL 433: Ethics in Science and Engineering
• PHIL 573: Ethics and the Responsible Conduct of Biomedical Research
• PHS 806: Public Health Ethics
• STS 589: Ethics and Values in Science and Technology

Except as specified above, no particular course levels, total number of courses or total credits are required by the department.  The Dissertation committee will determine the minimum requirements in such supporting areas as mathematics, engineering, agricultural/biological sciences, and physical sciences.  The candidate is expected to develop a program of study and submit it to the Dissertation committee for consideration and approval.

In addition to the above-listed course work requirements, every graduate student must fulfill the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR). RECR requirement consists of two parts: 1) completion of ABE 500 with a grade of B or better and 2) completion of the online training program at: CITI - Research Support. The online RECR requirement must be completed within one year from the date of enrollment in the program of study. A copy of the completion certificate of the online CITI training program should be given to the Graduate Administrative Assistant. This will be placed in the student’s department folder.

It is expected that each Ph.D. student not holding an M.S. engineering degree will satisfy the intent of the M.S. degree coursework requirements specified elsewhere in this document. Research credits (ABE 600) are in addition to coursework credits.  The Dissertation committee will determine the minimum research credits but typically the total number is 24 credits beyond the M.S.

All requirements for a Ph.D. degree, whether satisfied on this campus or elsewhere, must be completed within eight years after passing the Qualifying Examination.

A Ph.D. candidate is not required to have a minor field of study.  However, if the student selects a minor field, the minor must consist of not fewer than 15 graduate credits above and beyond any credits used for a master’s minor.  The coursework must be distinct from the student's primary academic and research focus regardless of the course abbreviation/prefix. All credits must be approved by the graduate major program and graduate minor program heads. The minor must meet Graduate Council policy requirements listed under GCAC-611 Minor – Research Doctorate.

Communications Course Requirements

The purpose of the Communications Requirement is to strengthen the student’s professional communication skills. The candidate must take AEE 413 or EDCE 530 or HI ED 546. An additional 3-credit course in communications must be taken. A grade of B or better is required in each course (Note: getting a B- does not meet this requirement). Course selections must be approved by the Advisor prior to registration and must meet the expectations of the Dissertation committee. Courses used to satisfy this requirement cannot be courses taken as remedial for the Qualifying Exam and must include substantial practice of writing and/or speaking. Examples of courses to consider are:

• EDCE 525 - Program Design and Delivery (3 credits)
• AGCOM 462W - Advanced Agricultural Writing (3 credits)
• CAS 450W - Group Communication Theory and Research (3 credits)
• CAS 452 - Organizational Communication Theory and Research (3 credits)
• ENGL 417 - The Editorial Process (3 credits)
• ENGL 418 - Advanced Technical Writing and Editing (3 credits)
• ENGL 474 - Issues in Rhetoric and Composition (3 credits)
• ENGL 511 - Thesis Workshop and Professional Writing (3 credits)
• ENGL 584 - Studies in Rhetoric (3 credits)
• Any 3 credit 4XX foreign language course (Excluding 49X; Must not be candidate’s native language).

Teaching Experience Requirement

All Ph.D. students are required to participate in resident education or extension teaching activities after completion of EDCE 530 (or an approved alternate course). A typical ABE teaching experience would involve the student 1) Developing/refining their teaching and mentoring philosophy, 1) developing a lesson plan, 2) developing teaching materials including assignments and assessments, 3) delivering lectures and/or laboratory experiences, 4) grading associated assignments and assessments, 5) discussing the results of their experience with the course instructor and their advisor. The expected time commitment would be a total of approximately 20-30 hours. A plan to meet the teaching activity requirement must be prepared by the student with guidance from their advisor and course instructor and requires approval, first by the Advisor and then by the Graduate Program Coordinator. Approval should be obtained before the commencement of the teaching experience activity. After approval of the teaching experience activity, ABE 602 must be enrolled for 1-3 credits for the same semester at which the teaching experience activity.

The Penn State CIRTL Teaching Certificate

View the Penn State CIRTL Teaching Certificate program.

Associate Level Requirements:

• Participate in course(s), workshops, and webinars offered either at Penn State or through the CIRTL Network that serve to meet the Evidence-Based and Effective Teaching, and Equitable and Inclusive Teaching Learning Objectives. View a matrix showing current Penn State and CIRTL courses that meet particular learning objectives.
• If you complete a course or experience that satisfies some but not all 18 of the objectives, you can supplement it with other courses/short courses/workshops to fill in the gaps.
  
  
• Participate in a Learning Community. There are two ways to meet this requirement:
  • Participate in a pedagogical learning community sponsored by Penn State CIRTL, an academic program, a self-organized group of graduate students or postdocs, or the CIRTL network, or
  • Complete a SUBJ 602 course (e.g., CHEM 602) as a TA in which the course instructional team serves as the learning community. Note that that the TA assignment must involve:
    1. Teaching activities that go beyond serving as a grader. The assignment must involve interactions with students such as being responsible for leading lab sessions or discussion sections.
    2. Discussion with the instructor and other TAs (if there are multiple) about the assigned teaching activities.
    3. Feedback from a TA supervisor.
       
       
• Complete a Final Reflection
  • Reflection (1-2 pages, a 3- to 5-minute video, or other means of expression) that demonstrates how the individual has met the objectives and integrated their learning experiences from the workshops, courses, webinars, and insights from participation in the pedagogy learning community into their personal approach to teaching.
    OR
  • A teaching philosophy statement. This may be the best option for those who have had an opportunity to implement what they have learned.
    A teaching philosophy includes an instructor’s beliefs about teaching and learning, and how they integrate that into their teaching. It describes how learning happens in courses you teach through examples of learning activities, instructor-student and student-student interactions, and learning assessments. See Writing a Teaching Philosophy.

Qualifying Examination

Ph.D. Qualifying Examination Committee - This committee must consist of four graduate faculty members from the ABENG program, including the Advisor, the Department Head (or annually appointed designee), the Graduate Program Coordinator, and one faculty member selected by the student. In cases where a member serves two roles on the committee, an additional member will be appointed by the Graduate Program Head. The timing of the qualifying exam should comply with the GCAC-604 – Qualifying Examination of Research Doctorate. Qualifying exams will be scheduled by the student with guidance from the student’s advisor. The exam will be administered only during the month of October for Fall Semesters and February for Spring Semesters. Scheduling of these qualifying exams should be done at least two months earlier, which means no later than November 30th for Spring and July 31st for Fall semesters.

The Qualifying Exam will consist of developing a Ph.D. research proposal, presenting, and defending/discussing the proposed research with the Committee. Successful completion of the Qualifying Exam does not mean that the student's Ph.D. research proposal is approved. Rather, final approval of the student's research proposal will be the responsibility of the Dissertation committee. Each Ph.D. student will submit to each Committee member a detailed proposal for the Ph.D. research a minimum of two weeks prior to the exam. This proposal should contain justification, objectives, related literature, methodology, practical significance, resources required, bibliography, proposed program of study and a statement of possible funding sources to which the proposal could be submitted.

The student will present a 30-minute seminar to the Committee. The seminar is open to all in the department and participants may ask questions about the potential Ph.D. student concerning the proposed study, technical and engineering aspects, and other related items. The total seminar time will be limited to approximately 40 minutes. Upon completion of this seminar, the graduate faculty members and members of the Committee may hold a discussion period (no longer than approximately 15 minutes) regarding the student, the proposed research and the seminar. The student will not be present during this discussion period. Following this discussion, the Committee and the student will undertake the remainder of the exam.

The Committee will review the written proposal and discuss (up to 2 hours) with the student the proposed research and related topics. The Committee will assess the student's understanding of the research process, the student's technical expertise related to agricultural and biological engineering and the proposed research, suitability of the proposed research relative to departmental expectations of Ph.D. students, the student’s understanding of needed resources and other pertinent topics. The Committee will also judge the ability of the student to communicate and will complete a “Report on Departmental Assessment of English Competency” (see “English Competency Requirements” section below). The Committee will select, based on the student's performance, one of the following: 1) recommendation that the student continue with the Ph.D. program, 2) discontinuation or termination of the student’s Ph.D. degree program, or 3) recommendation that the student undertake additional activities as prescribed by the Committee and retake the Qualifying Exam within a specific period decided by the Committee. A student will not be allowed to take the Qualifying Exam more than twice. The Qualifying Examination Assessment Form (see end of this document for a copy) will be completed by the examination committee and provided to the department’s records coordinator for inclusion in the student’s record.

English Compentency Assessment

The Graduate School and the ABENG graduate program require students for the Ph.D. degree to demonstrate high-level competence in the use of the English language, including reading, writing, listening, and speaking. To fulfill this requirement, the ABENG program requires that all Ph.D. students undergo an assessment of English competency during the first year of their Ph.D. program. The assessment will include the student's ability to read and comprehend, write, speak, and give presentations so as to effectively participate in scientific and technical discussions. The assessment will be conducted during the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination by the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Committee and will consist of three parts:

Writing—As part of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, the student will prepare a detailed research proposal on the topic chosen for his/her Ph.D. dissertation (see “Qualifying Examination” for further details about proposal). The written document will be judged for its organization, logical arguments in support of the hypotheses, inclusion of relevant details, and appropriate style in the use of language, grammar, punctuation and spelling. The “Literature Section” of the written proposal containing analysis of pertinent literature will be used to evaluate the student's reading comprehension of the technical literature.

Presentation—As part of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination, the student will present a 30-minute seminar to the Committee.  The seminar is open to all in the ABE department. The presentation will be judged for its organization, clarity, appropriateness to the audience, appropriate use of visual aids, and effectiveness of delivery. The quality of the formal presentation should be comparable to papers presented at technical sessions of professional society meetings.

Oral Discussion—The main purpose of the Oral Discussion part of the English Competency Test is to evaluate the oral skills of the student to participate in scientific and technical discussions with other technical professionals. The Oral Discussion will follow the formal presentation of the research proposal by the student. The examination committee will conduct a discussion with the student on various aspects of the research proposal and also on the scientific and technical issues surrounding the research area.

At the end of the Qualifying Exam, each member of the Committee will present an assessment of the student's English competency in the three categories: writing, presentation, and oral discussion. These assessments will be used to certify the attainment of English competency or to recommend measures for improving English competency.  A “Report on Departmental Assessment of English Competency” form will be completed by the Committee, shared with the student, and placed in the student’s departmental records.

Improving English Competency of Students with Deficiencies—If the expected level of English Competence is not demonstrated, the student must enroll in course(s) to improve English competency. The committee will recommend suitable course(s) which may include selections from the following:

• Writing Skills
  • ESL 116G – ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines
• Presentational Skills
  • CAS 100A – Effective Speech
  • CAS 211 – Informative Speaking
• Oral Language Skills
  • ESL 114G – American Oral English for Academic Purposes
  • ESL 115G – American Oral English for ITAs I

If the student completes and passes the recommended course(s) with a B- grade or higher, then the student will be certified as having attained English competency. Otherwise, the student will have to retake the course (or another comparable course). Students judged as not making sufficient progress towards achieving competency in English will have their funding terminated.

Residency Requirement

There is no required minimum number of semesters of study. However, over some twelve-month period during the interval between admission to the Ph.D. program and completion of the Ph.D. program, the student must spend at least two semesters (summer sessions are not included) as a registered full-time student engaged in academic work at the University Park campus, The Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, or Penn State Harrisburg. Full-time University employees must be certified by the department as devoting half-time or more to graduate studies and/or thesis research to meet the degree requirements.

Comprehensive Examination

When a Ph.D. student has substantially completed the coursework, including the communication requirements, he/she is required to take a Comprehensive Examination covering the major, minor, and related areas of study. The Comprehensive Examination should be scheduled through the Graduate Administrative Assistant at least two weeks prior to the selected date. All Ph.D. students are required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for graduate work completed at the University at the time the Comprehensive Examination is given, and may not have deferred or missing grades. The student must be registered as a full-time or part-time student for the semester in which the Comprehensive Exam is taken. The Comprehensive Examination must be taken at least three months before the Final Oral Examination. If a period of six years has elapsed between the passing of the Comprehensive Examination and the completion of the program, the student is required to pass a second Comprehensive Examination before the Final Oral Examination can be scheduled.

The Comprehensive Examination will be both written and oral. The nature and details of the Comprehensive Examination will be determined by the Dissertation Committee. The students are highly recommended to schedule a meeting and ask for advice for the exam preparation and content with each of the committee members before the written exam, and ask for feedback after the written exam to prepare themselves for the oral exam. In general, the student will be required to demonstrate the ability to synthesize information acquired through formal coursework and to use technical literature to find information required for solving engineering problems. Accordingly, the Comprehensive Examination will consist of 1) The completion of a written examination provided by each of the Dissertation committee members prior to the oral examination; 2) A presentation of the student’s research; 3) An oral examination that may cover content in the written examination research presentation or relevant subject matter. The written examination should conclude a minimum of one week before the oral examination. A favorable vote of at least two-thirds of the committee is required for passing. If a student fails, the committee will determine whether another examination may be taken within a specific period decided by the Committee. Results of the exam are reported directly to the Graduate School, and the Comprehensive Examination Assessment Form (see end of this document for copy) will be completed by the Dissertation Committee and provided to the department’s records coordinator for inclusion in the student’s record.

Final Oral Examination

Upon recommendation of the advisor, a Ph.D. candidate who has satisfied all other requirements for the degree will be scheduled by the Dean of the Graduate School to take a Final Oral Examination. The scheduling form can be obtained from the Graduate Administrative Assistant and must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the scheduled exam date. The student must be a registered full-time or part-time degree student for the semester in which the Final Oral Exam is taken. The Ph.D. Candidate must provide each committee member with a copy of the dissertation two weeks prior to the Final Oral Examination. The examination student presentation is open to the public and the student should notify all departmental faculty and graduate students. The examination is related largely to the dissertation but may cover the candidate’s entire field of study without regard to courses that have been taken either at Penn State University or elsewhere. Ph.D. candidates enrolled in a dual-title degree program must orally defend a dissertation on a topic that reflects their original research and education in both their ABENG graduate program and their dual-title program. The defense of the dissertation should be well prepared including any appropriate visual aids. One of the aims of the preparation should be to synthesize the important conclusions in a time efficient presentation (approximately 20-25 minutes unless otherwise specified), leaving ample time for questions and discussion. A favorable vote of at least two-thirds of the committee is required for passing. If a candidate fails, the committee will determine whether another examination may be taken within a specific period decided by the Committee. Results of the exam are reported directly to the Graduate School.

Criteria for evaluation of the final oral examination:

The following criteria are used to evaluate the final oral examination. The student should be able to demonstrate the ability to 1) understand and communicate potential new short and long-term research hypotheses and/or objectives; 2) create new knowledge and/or develop new solutions/solution methodology(ies); 3) understand and communicate the implications of the new knowledge and findings and their generalization; 4) articulate and defend results to the doctoral committee; and 5) produce a quality dissertation suitable for publication. The Dissertation Defense Examination Assessment Form (see end of this document for copy) will be completed by the Dissertation Committee and provided to the department’s records coordinator for inclusion in the student’s record.

Partial Remote Participation in Milestone Exams

It is expected that all members of the student’s committee (Qualifying, Advisory or Dissertation) will participate in the entire milestone exam (Qualifying, Comprehensive or Final Oral) and that each member of the committee will have read the proposal or final thesis or dissertation carefully and critically.

A milestone exam may be held fully in-person or with partial remote participation. The student, adviser, and Committee Chair/Co-Chairs must be physically present for the examination. Other members of the committee are also expected to be present in-person, but may participate remotely with the agreement of the student and adviser.

If the student, adviser, and/or committee chair/co-chair is not able to participate in-person due to extenuating circumstances, the Graduate Program Head (Department Head) may approve at his/her discretion the remote participation of one or more individuals or approve a fully remote examination. If the Graduate Program Head does not approve the request for remote participation, either the student or adviser may appeal to the Dean or Associate Dean for Graduate Education.

Schedule for Ph.D. Requirements

Many of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree are listed in approximate chronological order on the following page. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that these and all other requirements are met in a timely manner. It is expected that Ph.D. students should complete the degree in about 36 months and departmental assistantship support (if awarded) to a Ph.D. student is granted for no more than 36 months.

Summary Schedule for Ph.D. Degree