The purpose of the Graduate Handbook is to provide pertinent information and to identify sources of information to assist graduate students in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (including both programs in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Technical Systems Management). The handbook provides departmental expectations and procedural information for obtaining a graduate degree and may serve as a reference for advisors of graduate students in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
Graduate education is central to our identity as a world-class research university. As an integral part of their studies, graduate students collaborate with professors on research and creative projects that contribute to the body of scholarly and scientific knowledge, and solve important problems in agriculture, engineering, technology, and society.
We seek graduate students with the highest credentials. We expect much of the students that we accept. All students must be able to communicate effectively and contribute meaningfully to teaching. We seek to treat our graduate students as professionals and are ever mindful that our graduate students of today are our peers of tomorrow. Ethics and professionalism are extremely important aspects of our graduate education and training. Our department’s legacy lies in the hands of those we graduate.
The Agricultural and Biological Engineering faculty are internationally recognized as measured by productivity in peer-reviewed publications, national and international awards, faculty-generated grants and contracts, and by their creative teaching, research, and outreach programs. Each year, faculty and their graduate students contribute to the literature base by publishing high quality peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, books, and invited papers, and are awarded several million dollars in research grants. Faculty in our department are in demand for speaking, consulting, editorships, editorial-board memberships, offices in professional organizations, and membership on national review panels and committees.
The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is an integral component of the University of Illinois. Departmental faculty interact with numerous other faculty in the College of Engineering, College of Veterinary Medicine, and other units of the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences.
The policies and procedures described herein will pertain to all students entering the Agricultural and Biological Engineering Graduate Program.