Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology Certificate

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Program Coordinator/Contact
Van C. Kelley, Department Head
Kasiviswanathan Muthukumarappan, Distinguished Professor/Graduate Coordinator
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Agricultural Engineering 107, Box 2120
605-688-5141
E-mail: k as.muthukum@sdstate.edu
www.sdstate.edu/abe

Program Description
The rapidly expanding industry of bioenergy and biobased products requires a well trained workforce. Chemical feedstocks, materials, and fuels derived from biomass have received increasing emphasis nationally and are seen as being very desirable for many reasons. With a rising interest in green chemistry and sustainability, and escalating crude oil prices, biorefinery industry now actively recruits individuals with specific training in bioprocessing and biobased materials. SDSU’s Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology Graduate Certificate program is designed to serve the needs of these emerging industries and provide post-baccalaureate educational opportunities for industry practitioners who do not require a full graduate degree program. Students develop an interdisciplinary background and can tailor the program of study to specific interests.

The certificate may be suitable for individuals who are place-bound in the target industries and need additional knowledge in their disciplines while requiring distance education options. Students pursuing the certificate or taking courses to support their graduate degree must be admitted to the graduate college of one of the consortia institutions. Students may take courses without pursuing the certificate to strengthen their plan of study in conventional graduate degree programs.

Course Delivery Format
The online graduate certificate program in Bioenergy and Sustainable Technology has been developed to support continuing education needs of the workforce in bio-based industries. The consortium offering the certificate is affiliated with AG IDEA and is governed by its structure. The institutions involved in this effort consist of South Dakota State University, Kansas State University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Arkansas. The program is also intended to benefit traditional graduate programs through additional course availability in specialized disciplines.

Certificate Requirements

Overview Courses

ABE 551 - Fundamentals of Conversion Credits: 3
ECON 662 - Bioenergy Economic/Sustainability Credits: 3
PS 543 - Bioenergy Feedstock Production System Credits: 3

Specialized Courses

Select two specialization courses:

Total Required Credits: 15

Additional Admission Requirements

Please refer to the following for additional information:

Graduate School Admission
Distance Education

Additional Information

Students enrolled in SDSU certificate programs are not eligible for federal student financial aid. The non-federal alternative loan programs may be used for students meeting the lender criteria as found at www.sdstate.edu (search alternative loans). For further information, please contact the SDSU financial aid office at 605-688-4695 or finaid@sdstate.edu.