bse.unl.edu

bse.unl.edu is the official website of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska). It serves as the department's public-facing hub for academic programs, admissions, scholarships, research, and faculty information. If you are a prospective student, current student, researcher, or visitor trying to understand what the department offers and how to engage with it, this site is the authoritative starting point.

What the site covers

The homepage and its navigation are organized around a few core areas:

• Academic programs — detailed pages for each major, including 4-year plans
• Admissions and visits — pathways to apply and schedule a campus visit
• Scholarships and financial aid — department and university-level funding information
• Research — faculty-driven work at the intersection of biology and engineering
• Faculty directory — profiles of experts leading innovation and discovery

The site's tagline, "Bringing Engineering and Technology to Life," reflects its focus on applying engineering principles to biological and agricultural systems.

Academic programs

The department offers three undergraduate majors, each with a distinct emphasis:

Each program page includes a "Learn More" link and a 4-year plan to help students map their path from enrollment to graduation.

Admissions, scholarships, and financial aid

The site provides clear entry points for prospective students:

• Apply Now — the primary call to action for admission
• Visit Campus — plan a visit to explore classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces
• Scholarships & Financial Aid — scholarships are awarded by the department and the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) based on criteria including cumulative GPA, ACT/SAT scores, financial need, and a resume of activities. The site notes that not all scholarship opportunities are major-specific.

Research and faculty

The department positions itself around research that turns scientific curiosity into real-world impact. The faculty directory highlights experts who are "leaders in research and discovery," and the site emphasizes that BSE students develop technical and problem-solving skills applicable to careers in industry, research, consulting, and public service.

Who the site is for

• Prospective students — explore majors, 4-year plans, scholarships, and visit options
• Current students — access program details and department resources
• Researchers and faculty — find collaborators and learn about ongoing work
• Industry and public service partners — understand the department's capabilities and graduate outcomes

Key takeaway

bse.unl.edu is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's Biological Systems Engineering department website. It is the place to go if you want to understand the department's degree programs, apply for admission, find scholarship information, or learn about research and faculty in the field where biology and engineering intersect.

Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln offers three undergraduate majors: Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Systems Technology, and Biological Systems Engineering. Each path blends engineering or technology with biology, mathematics, and applied science, but they differ in how much emphasis they place on design, technology management, or biological systems. The right choice depends on whether you want to design engineered systems, manage agricultural technology and business operations, or work at the intersection of biology and engineering.

The Three Majors at a Glance

Agricultural Engineering

This major is for students who want to combine an interest in the outdoors with expertise in biology, mathematics, and technology. The work addresses what the department describes as society's crucial needs: food, water, energy, and sustainable natural resources.

If you picture yourself designing irrigation systems, agricultural machinery, or natural resource management tools, this is the most engineering-design-oriented of the three options.

Agricultural Systems Technology

Agricultural Systems Technology sits at the intersection of technology, agricultural science, and business practices. It equips students to solve agricultural challenges and address related industry needs.

This major tends to suit students who are interested in how technology is applied and managed in agricultural settings, rather than in pure engineering design. The inclusion of business practices distinguishes it from the other two paths.

Biological Systems Engineering

Biological Systems Engineering integrates biology and engineering principles to address societal challenges. By understanding biological phenomena, students work across disciplines to solve complex problems.

Choose this major if your interests span living systems and engineering — for example, areas like bioprocessing, environmental systems, or biomedical-adjacent applications.

How to Compare and Decide

The department's site provides a 4-Year Plan link for each major, which is the most concrete way to compare course sequences and workload. Use these plans alongside the focus descriptions above:

• If you want the strongest engineering design emphasis tied to agriculture and natural resources → Agricultural Engineering
• If you want technology plus business and industry application → Agricultural Systems Technology
• If you want biology and engineering integrated across disciplines → Biological Systems Engineering

The department also notes that scholarships are awarded by departments and the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) based on criteria including cumulative GPA, ACT/SAT scores, financial need, and a resume of activities — and that not all scholarship opportunities are major-specific. That means your choice of major does not necessarily limit your scholarship options, so it is worth applying broadly.

To explore further, visit the BSE website's degree options and each major's 4-year plan, or plan a campus visit to see the classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces where BSE students learn and design.

The Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln points prospective students to a single Apply Now entry point on its website, and directs scholarship seekers to both departmental awards and the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA). According to the department's site, scholarships are awarded by departments and OSFA based on criteria including cumulative GPA, ACT/SAT scores, financial need, and a resume of activities — and not all opportunities are major-specific. The steps below reflect what the site itself provides; where it doesn't specify a detail, that gap is noted rather than filled in.

Applying to a BSE Program

The site's Apply Now call-to-action is the starting point for admission. It sits alongside the department's program pages, so you can review a major before applying.

Step 1: Choose a program

The department lists three undergraduate paths, each with its own "Learn More" page and a linked 4-Year Plan:

Reviewing the 4-Year Plan for your intended major before applying helps you confirm the program matches your interests and prior coursework.

Step 2: Use the Apply Now entry point

Follow the Apply Now link from the BSE site to begin the application. The department page itself does not reproduce the full application checklist, deadlines, or required materials — those live in the university's admissions system that the link leads to. Treat the BSE page as the routing point, not the complete instruction set.

Step 3: Plan a campus visit (optional but supported)

The site offers a Plan a Visit path describing classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces. A visit is not a stated application requirement, but it is presented as a way to see the learning environment firsthand before or during the application process.

Finding Scholarships and Financial Aid

The department's Scholarships & Financial Aid section explains how awards are determined and who reviews them.

Who awards scholarships

• Departments (including BSE) award scholarships.
• The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) also awards scholarships.

What criteria are considered

According to the site, awards are based on a number of criteria, including:

• Cumulative grade point average (GPA)
• ACT/SAT test scores
• Financial need
• A resume of activities
• Other responses (as requested in the application)

Two points prospective students often miss

1. Not all scholarships are major-specific. The site states this explicitly, which means you should not limit your search to BSE-only awards.
2. Achievements beyond the classroom count. The department says it wants to "see who you are and acknowledge you for your accomplishments and character that go beyond the classroom" — so a resume of activities is not a formality.

How to proceed

Start with the Scholarships & Financial Aid page linked from the BSE site, then follow through to OSFA for the university-level aid process. The BSE page describes the criteria but does not list individual scholarship amounts, deadlines, or a separate departmental application form — those details would come from the linked offices.

What the Site Does Not Specify

To avoid guessing: the BSE pages in view do not state application deadlines, fees, test-optional policies, international-student requirements, or specific scholarship dollar amounts. For any of these, use the Apply Now and Scholarships & Financial Aid links to reach the pages that carry current requirements, and confirm details directly with the department or OSFA before relying on them.

Graduates of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln can pursue careers in industry, research, consulting, and public service. The department states that its students develop technical and problem-solving skills that translate directly to these fields, and that its programs are built to turn scientific curiosity into real-world impact. The specific career path depends on which major you choose—Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural Systems Technology, or Biological Systems Engineering—since each blends biology, engineering, and technology in different proportions.

Career fields the department names

The BSE website identifies four broad employment areas for its graduates:

• Industry — applying engineering and technology skills in commercial and agricultural settings
• Research — continuing in academic, government, or private research environments
• Consulting — providing technical expertise to organizations and clients
• Public service — working on public-sector problems and programs

These are the categories the department itself lists, rather than a ranking of which is most common.

How each major maps to career directions

The three undergraduate majors share a foundation in biology, mathematics, and technology, but they emphasize different kinds of work.

The department frames all three around the same set of societal needs: food, water, energy, and sustainable natural resources. That framing is useful if you want to judge whether a career goal fits the program—work connected to those areas aligns most directly with what the department says it prepares students for.

What the programs are designed to build

According to the department, BSE students develop technical and problem-solving skills. This matters for career planning because it signals a preparation model built around applying engineering methods to biological and agricultural problems, not around a single job title. The department also describes its programs as combining academic excellence, hands-on learning, and career preparation.

If you are choosing between the majors, the practical question is which mix of biology, engineering, technology, and business you want in your day-to-day work. Agricultural Systems Technology leans toward technology and business practices; Agricultural Engineering and Biological Systems Engineering lean more toward engineering fundamentals applied to biological systems.

Next steps if you are evaluating this path

1. Review the degree options the department lists, including the 4-year plans published for each major, to see course sequencing and where specialization begins.
2. Check scholarship and financial aid information — the department notes that scholarships are awarded by departments and the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) based on criteria including cumulative GPA, ACT/SAT scores, financial need, and a resume of activities. Not all opportunities are major-specific.
3. Plan a campus visit if you want to see the classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces where BSE students work.
4. Contact faculty through the faculty directory if you want detail on research areas and how they connect to specific career fields.

One caveat: the department's public materials describe career fields rather than specific employers, salaries, or placement rates. If those numbers matter to your decision, ask the department directly rather than inferring them from the program descriptions.

You can explore the Department of Biological Systems Engineering (BSE) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in two main ways: plan an in-person campus visit through the "Visit Campus" / "Plan a Visit" entry points on bse.unl.edu, or explore the department online through its academic program pages and Faculty Directory. A campus visit is the better choice if you want to see classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces firsthand before deciding whether to apply; the online route works well if you're still comparing programs or researching faculty and research areas from a distance.

Plan an In-Person Campus Visit

The BSE site presents a campus visit as a way to see the environment that shapes future graduates, engineers, and industry leaders. According to the site, a visit offers a firsthand look at:

• Classrooms where BSE students learn
• Labs where students design and innovate
• Collaborative spaces built for discovery

How to start: Use the "Visit Campus" or "Plan a Visit" links on bse.unl.edu. These are the department's stated entry points for arranging a visit. The site does not publish a detailed step-by-step booking flow, so treat the visit page as your starting point and follow the instructions it provides.

What to expect: The visit is framed around seeing physical learning and research spaces, not just a general campus tour. If your goal is to judge whether the program fits you, prioritize seeing the labs and collaborative spaces tied to your intended major.

Explore Programs Before You Go

The department offers three undergraduate majors, each with a published 4-year plan you can review ahead of a visit:

Each major page includes a "Learn More" link and a "4-Year Plan" you can explore. Reviewing these first lets you ask sharper questions during a visit and check whether the facilities match the work you'd actually do.

Use the Faculty Directory to Assess Research Fit

The site's Faculty Directory is described as a way to learn about "experts driving innovation and discovery." BSE faculty are presented as leaders in research. Use the directory to:

• Identify faculty whose research areas match your interests
• Understand the department's research directions before committing to a visit or application
• Prepare specific questions for faculty or advisors during your visit

This is especially useful if you're weighing graduate study or research-focused undergraduate work, where faculty fit often matters as much as the program itself.

Check Scholarships and Financial Aid

The site notes that scholarships are awarded by departments and by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA), based on criteria including cumulative GPA, ACT/SAT scores, financial need, and a resume of activities and other responses. It also states that not all scholarship opportunities are major-specific. If cost is part of your decision, review the "Scholarships & Financial Aid" page alongside your visit planning. The site does not list specific award amounts or deadlines, so confirm details directly with the department or OSFA.

A Practical Way to Decide

1. Start online: Read the three major pages and their 4-year plans; skim the Faculty Directory.
2. Narrow your interest: Pick the major (and possibly faculty) that fits your goals.
3. Plan a visit: Use "Visit Campus" / "Plan a Visit" to see classrooms, labs, and collaborative spaces.
4. Ask targeted questions: Bring what you learned online into the visit.
5. Check funding: Review Scholarships & Financial Aid before applying.

If you can't visit in person, the program pages and Faculty Directory still give you a usable picture of what the department does and who teaches in it. If you can visit, the site's own framing suggests the labs and collaborative spaces are the main reason to go.