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Program Details

Graduate Program: Biosystems Analytics & Tech (MS)

General Information

Request Information
Program/Degree
Biosystems Analytics & Tech (MS)  
Program Description

The Biosystems Engineering Department welcomes candidates to apply to our Biosystems Analytics & Technology Masters's graduate programs. The Biosystems Engineering Departmental academic programs focus on biological systems and water-related issues such as irrigation and water quality, and biosystems applications, including computer modeling, sensors and controls, and systems design and evaluation. Here are sample curricula for BAT students pursuing an MS. 

Our Biosystems Analytics & Technology graduate degree programs are intended to prepare students for careers in the 4th Industrial Revolution, which is the intersection of science, technology, and analytics. Meeting the grand challenges of tomorrow will require a convergence of new ideas, approaches, and technologies from diverse disciplines. Our Biosystems Analytics & Technology graduate programs builds upon the candidate's undergraduate foundation laid in the sciences, technology, and analytics. Graduate students in the BAT graduate program will be able to use those foundational tools to further develop their skills in meeting technology and data challenges in precision agriculture, remote sensing, water management, statistical informatics, data-mining, and cyberinfrastructure development.  Given massive unstructured “big data” streaming from sensors, controls, cloud repositories, and the interactive web, data-driven discovery is now possible.

The goal of the BAT graduate program is to create an inspirational and transformative training experience that integrates intellectual merit with “real world” hands-on experiences across disciplines (genomics, precision agriculture, data science, and engineering technology); scales (molecules to models); and trainees (from undergraduate students to graduate students).

This program will train students to take a systems-level approach to understanding the relationships across food, water, and energy for a sustainable future by providing skills in sensors and remote sensing (data acquisition), statistics and bioinformatics (data management and analytics), and applying these tools to solve real-world problems.

The purpose of the Biosystems Analytics & Technology graduate program is to serve the growing field of technology/biology/analytics. The program will prepare students for an array of career choices from academia to industry, with resume-ready, real-world experience in combining biological, physical, and data sciences with technology and ability to apply these tools to environmental, ecological, biological, agricultural, and human systems through their electives.

Candidates who are seeking an Engineering degree should apply to our Biosystems Engineering graduate degree program.

 
Department/Academic Unit(s)

Biosystems Engineering

The Biosystems Engineering Department focuses on biological systems and water-related issues such as irrigation and water quality, and biosystems applications, including computer modeling, sensors and controls, and systems design and evaluation. The Biosystems Engineering Department is developing innovative systems to sustainably feed an increasing population through cutting-edge technology, sustainable practices, and the drive to make a difference in the world. We build sustainable solutions that create resilience among society, the environment, and the economy. We are currently working on many projects, including the following:

  • Optimizing growth conditions in controlled environment agriculture

  • Finding alternative fuel and feed sources

  • Irrigating crops sustainably

  • Analyzing big data sets generated from using sensors and controls and looking at metagenomics

Our graduate students are developing innovative systems to tackle quality of life issues regarding food and water availability.  Equipped with engineering, life science, and data science expertise, our students are prepared to address quality of life challenges and create resiliency among society, the environment, and the economy.  

The Biosystems Engineering Department offers the following graduate programs: Accelerated Master of Science (for Current UofA BEUndergraduate students), Biosystems Engineering Master of Science Degree and Biosystems Analytics & Technology Master of Science Degree, the Biosystems Engineering Doctor of Philosophy Degree, and the Biosystems Analytics & Technology Doctor of Philosophy Degree.

Our Biosystems Engineering graduate degree programs can be designed to fit almost any need in the general field of the application of science, technology, or engineering principles.

The flexibility of our graduate programs allows international and domestic students, in consultation with their advisors, to develop programs specifically suited to their needs. The University of Arizona is a diverse institution and therefore provides courses in many different areas to support specific and general applications. Interdisciplinary desires of students are met by taking classes across the broad spectrum available in the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and other divisions on campus.

There is an opportunity for study and research in many fields, including the following:

Controlled Environment Agriculture; Water Resources; Biometry and Biosystems Informatics; Food, Bioproducts, and Renewable Energy, precision agriculture, statistical informatics, data-mining, and cyberinfrastructure development.

Candidates who wish to complete an Engineering Degree should apply to either the Biosystems Engineering MS program or the Biosystems Engineering Ph.D. program. The Biosystems Engineering degree programs prepare graduates to design engineering solutions, as well as, utilize technology and data to solve real-world problems in biological field of precision agriculture, remote sensing, water management, statistical informatics, data-mining, and cyberinfrastructure development.

Candidates who wish to complete a Science-based Technology degree should apply to either the Biosystems Analytics & Technology MS program or Biosystems Analytics & Technology Ph.D. program.  The Biosystems Analytics & Technology MS and Ph.D. programs prepare graduates to use technology and data to solve biological problems related to precision agriculture, remote sensing, water management, statistical informatics, data-mining, and cyberinfrastructure development.

 
College

College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

 
Campus where offered

University of Arizona - Main - Tucson

 
Contacts
Admissions Contact
Dava Renée Jondall
520-621-1753
Graduate Program Coordinator
Dava Renée Jondall
520-621-1753
Director of Graduate Studies
Kamel Didan
520-621-8514
Graduate College Degree Counselor
Megan Jia Mcnulty-Luoma
520-626-9962
 
Tuition and Fees
Please refer to the UA Bursar's Office Tuition and Fees Calculator for up-to-date information about tuition and fees. 
Please refer to the UA Registrar's's Office Special Course Fees for up-to-date information about special course fees. 

Admissions Information

Admissions Requirements

Candidates who wish to apply must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  1. Must hold a B.S.
  2. Meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirements of 3.0
    • Candidates who do not meet the minimum GPA requirements applications will not be considered for review.
  3. Upload 3 letters of recommendation
  4. Applicants must upload unofficial pdf versions of all transcripts when submitting their application in our GradApp system. 
  5. International students must follow the Graduate College language test requirements.
 
Standardized Tests

Required test(s):

International Candidate English Proficiency Evaluation Exam scores:

ALL Candidates are required to send test scores to the University of Arizona Graduate College institutional code 4832.

 
Funding Opportunities

Please note that 1) the Department is not able to provide a guarantee of funding and 2) the International College requires that all international students provide a Financial Guarantee (see the Proof of Financial Resources located on http://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/admissions-requirements/international-students).

Graduate Tuition scholarships and Fellowships sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona Graduate College and the Department of Biosystems Engineering may be available on a competitive basis.

Applicants are encouraged to apply for institutional funding offered through the UA Graduate College, including Graduate Access Fellowships, UA/SIGP Fellowships, and NASA Scholarships, inaddition to UA Scholarship Universe.  Domestic students should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Loans, FAFSA, to qualify for institutional funding http://fafsa.gov/.  Detailed information on UA financial aid may be found at http://grad.arizona.edu/financial-resources.

 
Admissions Deadlines

Domestic Applicants:

  • Fall: January
    • Spring start- October: Candidates who wish to start in Spring, must have a secured research project with one of the Biosystems Engineering Faculty prior to admittance.

International Applicants:

  • Fall: December

Application deadlines may be extended for candidates attending The University of Arizona or Alumni of The University of Arizona. The University of Arizona alums and current UA students need to contact Dava Jondall at davaj@arizona.edu to request permission to extend the application deadline.

 
International Conditional Admission

International applicants will not be considered for conditional admission by this program.

Other Information
The GRE Institution Code for The University of Arizona is 4832

ETS Major Field Code(s) for this program: 0117, 0119, 0102, 0103, 0107, 0122, 0112, 0114, 0199, 0224, 0226, 0205, 0206, 0212, 0308, 0409, 0405, 0502, 0605, 0631, 0705, 1004, 1001, 1101, 1102, 1103, 1107, 1109, 1199, 1301, 1399, 1501, 1502, 1602, 1615, 1616, 1612, 1699

Completion Requirements

Minimum Credit Units

30 

Core Coursework Requirements

For an MS in Biosystems Analytics & Technology, students must complete a minimum of 30 units consisting of the following:

  • 1 unit BE 597A (Effective 08-2020; for prior catalogs, can be substituted with 1 unit or BE 593 or Elective course)
  • 2 units of BE 501
  • 2 units of BE 596A (presenting)
    • MS students not presenting in a particular semester will register for BE 696B
  • 2 units of 596B (non-presenting)
    • Students must receive approval from the Department to be excused from this requirement.
    • Continuous enrollment in either BE 596A or 596B is expected.
  • 3 units BE 513
  • 3 units BE 534
  • 3 units STAT 571B
  • 3 units ENVS 508 (students who completed technical writing may request to replace this requirement with an elective course).
  • 6 units of elective courses (per Major Professor’s approval)
    • 2-year MS students may choose to complete a 1-unit lab rotation experience (BE 593) as an elective
  • 5 units of either BE 910 Thesis (thesis option) or BE 909 Graduate Report (non-thesis option) under his/her Major Professor’s section number

 

All courses in the Plan of Study must be taken for a grade (A, B, C) except for BE 696B (S, P, F) and the optional 1-unit lab rotation (BE 593). To complete degree requirements, the cumulative GPA in graduate-level courses must be 3.0. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 will not be permitted to register for additional courses. See Graduate College Policies online at https://grad.arizona.edu/admissions/requirements.

 
Elective Coursework

6 units of elective courses, per BE Major Professor’s approval.

 
Additional Requirements

To be considered for admissions, candidates must complete their graduate application through the University of Arizona Graduate Admissions online Application system, which includes uploading copies of Transcripts, and/or English Proficiency Exam Scores (International applicants only), as well as Letters of Recommendation and supplemental materials. 

 
Student Handbook

Please refer to the Graduate Student Handbook for students who are pursuing this program of study.

 

Program StatisticsInformation about these numbers

Program-level Information
Application Acceptance Rate 50%
Avg. Time-to-degree (years) n/a
 
Department-level Information
Enrollment Percent Male 72.97%
Enrollment Percent Female 27.03%
Enrollment Percent International 18.92%
Enrollment Percent URM 13.51%

Back to statistics
  • All application, admit, and enrollment data are from Fall 2022.
  • Average Time to Degree calculates how long graduates in the last 5 years (2018-2022) took to complete their degrees, counting back to the first semester entering their program.
  • Underrepresented Minorities (URM) includes domestic students of ethnic groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education: African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders.

Persistent link: https://grad.arizona.edu/catalog/programinfo/BATMS
Last revised 01 Feb 2023
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