The journey to the establishment of the Agricultural Engineering Department under the Faculty of Agricultural Technology was quite long. In 1994 a Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 0411 / U / 1994 was issued which changed the name of PS MP to PS. Agricultural Engineering (TEP). Decree of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number: 0411 / U / 1994 changed the name of PS MP to Agricultural Engineering and was changed again to PS of Agricultural Engineering (TEP) on December 28, 2009 according to Decree number 419 / SK / 2009.
The development of human resources in the field of science and technology is needed to increase the competitiveness of national industries and to stimulate new discoveries that are useful for improving the welfare of the nation, based on the 2003 AFTA agreement Indonesia must be ready to compete globally with other countries. Therefore, to develop technology, it is carried out by developing engineering sciences which are applied in broad agricultural or biosystem business, which is called “agricultural and biosystem engineering”, which is the main milestone in the direction of a strong agriculture.
This demand encourages all countries including Indonesia to increase the number and quality of human resources who have the ability to develop science and technology (IPTEK) in the field of agricultural and biosystem engineering to reduce dependence on imported materials, in order to win the competition in free market mechanisms. This can be fulfilled through further education in the Masters Program in Agricultural Engineering. Because agricultural engineering plays an important role in the development of agro-industry, especially in the engineering and processing of agricultural products, and the utilization of natural and energy resources, the fields to be developed include Agro-industrial Mechanical Engineering, Renewable Energy Resources Development Engineering, Natural Resources and Environmental Engineering. Bioprocess Engineering and Post Harvest and Agricultural Mechanization Management.
Higher education has a strategic role in producing high quality human resources so that universities are also required to improve the quality of their infrastructure and facilities. One of the benchmarks that has a direct impact on higher education output is the level of education of the teaching staff it has. Thus, the pursuit of further study for the teaching staff is a demand that cannot be delayed anymore.
Seeing the above, higher education institutions are needed that are able to create and prepare cadres and agricultural engineering personnel who have the capabilities, competencies and expertise needed and required in the real world. This need must be in line with the requirements desired by the users.
In line with the government’s efforts to develop the quality of Human Resources (HR) both in the government sector and in the private sector, Universitas Brawijaya Malang as a State Higher Education Institution has the task of implementing the Tri Dharma of Higher Education, taking part in establishing a postgraduate program in the field of agricultural engineering. The aim is to prepare students to become master’s degrees in agricultural engineering and community members including bureaucrats and private personnel, who are able to develop and use science and technology to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a workforce who is superior in intellectuality and able to compete in the era of globalization.
Therefore the Masters in Agricultural Engineering was formed which previously became an interest in the Masters in Agricultural Industrial Technology. Then in 2013, S-2 Agricultural Engineering received an operational permit according to the Minister of Education and Culture Decree Number 499 / E / O / 2013, and became a master’s degree under the Department of Agricultural Engineering. On 6-7 November 2014, TEP Postgraduate Study Program received a visitation from BAN-PT assessors and is still waiting for the results of the visitation which will determine the accreditation of the Postgraduate Program in Agricultural Engineering.