Bioeconomy Institute

Students admitted to the Biorenewable Resources and Technology program develop their Programs of Study from six credits of core required courses, a selection of designated core elective courses, and several elective courses. Typically, core required courses in Biorenewable Resources and Technology can be applied toward graduate credit in other disciplines, while the wide flexibility in the core elective courses will help students meet requirements for other graduate degrees. Below are brief descriptions of the core required courses. Click here for a list of both core required and core elective courses.

Core Required Courses (6 credits):

BRT 501. Fundamentals of Biorenewable Resources. Cr. 3. Prereq: Undergraduate training in an engineering or physical or biological discipline or degrees in agriculture or economics. Introduction to the science and engineering of converting biorenewable resources into bioenergy and biobased products. Survey of biorenewable resource base and properties; description of biobased products; methods of biorenewable resource production; processing technologies for fuels, chemicals, materials, and energy; environmental impacts; economics of biobased products and bioenergy.

BRT 506. Biobased Products Seminar. Cr. 0-1. Prereq: Undergraduate training in an engineering or physical or biological discipline or degrees in agriculture or economics. Presentations by BRT students and nationally and internationally recognized leaders in BRT-related disciplines. Section B (R cr) requires attendance at seminars and summary papers on seminars. Section A (1 cr) has same requirements as Section B plus presentation of student's own MS or PhD research; it is therefore typically taken in the semester prior to graduation. Notes: BRT program students must take either Section A or Section B every semester they are enrolled and on campus. BRT students doing both MS and PhD degrees must take Section A twice.

BRT 590. Special Topics. Cr. 1-3. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Investigation of an approved topic on an individual basis. Course content and requirements to be designed and developed in consultation with the student's major professor or instructor, but in all cases a formal report should be written.

BRT 591L. Biorenewable Resources Laboratory. Cr. 1. Prereq: Permission of student's major professor and instructor. Special topics laboratory and research experience in biorenewable resources and technology that affords an experience beyond thesis-focused research. To be designed in consultation with the student's major professor and instructor. A laboratory report is required. For student in the BRT program, BRT 591L may be taken twice.

Additional Course Offerings:

BRT 511. Bioprocessing and Bioproducts. (Cross-listed with A E, C E.) Cr. 3. Prereq: AE 216 or equivalent, Math 160 or 165, one of Chem 167 or higher, Biol 101 or higher or BRT 501, senior or graduate classification.. Sustainability, cleaner production. Taxonomy, kinetics, metabolism, aerobic and anaerobic fermentation. Biofules, bioenergy and coproducts. Mass/energy balances, process integration, pretreatment, separation. Membrane reactors, bioelectrolysis, microbial fuel cells, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, mutagenesis.

BRT 535. Thermochemical Processing of Biomass. (Cross-listed with M E.) Cr. 3. Prereq: Undergraduate course work in thermodynamics and transport phenomena. Introduction to thermal and catalytic processes for the conversion of biomass to biofuels and other biobased products. Topics include gasification, fast pyrolysis, hydrothermal processing, syngas to synfuels, and bio-oil upgrading. Application of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid dynamics to bioenergy and biofuels.

*BRT 545X. Production and Use of Biofuels. Cr. 3. Prereq: BRT 501 or one course in organic chemistry. Basic principles for the production and utilization of biobased fuels with special emphasis on ethanol and biodiesel. Fermentation of carbohydrates to ethanol and transesterification of vegetable oils and animal fats. Process chemistry of ethanol and biodiesel manufacturing. Fuel properties and utilization in internal combustion engines.

BRT 592X. International Perspectives in Biorenewables. Cr.2. Prereq: Permission of student’s major professor and selection by the BRT program coordinating committee. International study abroad program in Europe. Overview of the sustainability-driven production of biomaterials and analysis of the supply chain from primary production and transformation to environmentally friendly consumer and industrial products.

*BRT 597. Biorenewable Resources & Technology Internship. Cr. 1-3. Prereq: Major or co-major status in BRT. This is a formal internship course requiring at least 100 hours of industrial internship per credit hour. Offered on a pass-fail basis only. A summary of work experience is required for a passing grade, along with a letter from the industrial supervisor indicating satisfactory performance on site.

BRT 699. Research. Cr. arranged. Prereq: Permission of student's major professor.

Core Elective Courses:

Core elective courses must come from an approved list of courses currently offered at Iowa State University that encompass the four areas considered as barriers in the development of biobased products: plant science, production, processing, and utilization.1 Students must include courses from at least three of the four barrier areas selected in consultation with the student's Program of Study (POS) committee.

1 U.S. Department of Energy, The Technology Roadmap for Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources 2020, February, 1999.

Note: For a complete list of university-wide course offerings and descriptions, visit the Iowa State University Catalog.

*pending courses