What Can You Study?

A biomedical engineer uses traditional engineering expertise to analyze and solve problems in biology and medicine, providing an overall enhancement of human health. Students choose the biomedical engineering field to be of service to people, to experience the excitement of working with living systems, and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care. Biomedical engineers work with health care professionals (e.g., physicians, nurses, therapists, and technicians) and may be called upon in a wide range of capacities such as designing instruments, devices, and software.  Biomedical engineers incorporate knowledge from many technical sources to develop new medical procedures and conduct research in an effort to solve clinical problems.

BME website

For nearly a century, the University of Iowa has been preparing students for careers in chemical engineering. Today, with approximately 150 undergraduate and 35 graduate students, the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering is well known as one of the best small programs nationwide. Our research program, which focuses substantially on current public and environmental concerns, is headed by internationally recognized leaders in biocatalysis, atmospheric chemistry and modeling, development of alternative fuels, and new polymeric materials.

CBE website

Civil and environmental engineers are on the front lines of some of the world’s most pressing problems, building solutions and putting technology to work for the good of all. The world needs your passion for doing good — for abundant clean drinking water, for safe roads and bridges, for flood protection and reduction, and much more. At the University of Iowa, you won’t find yourself being “weeded out” of the program. Instead, we want every student to succeed, and we offer the support and programs to make that happen.

CEE website

At the University of Iowa Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, research programs and classroom instruction are headed by an outstanding faculty. We are proud to have among our faculty a National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellow, a National Science Foundation National Young Investigator, and several Fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Optical Society of America, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Available facilities support interdisciplinary research and include individual laboratories as well as access to specialized facilities of the Optical Science and Technology Center, Center for Computer Aided Design, Iowa Driving Simulator, Iowa Institute for Hydraulics Research, and Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging.

ECE website

The EE program provides students with a strong theoretical and experimental understanding of the principles underlying hardware and software, ranging from device physics to medical imaging and electronics, embedded systems, and control systems engineering. Students may opt to specialize in any of these areas as well as others including: electrical power generation and distribution, medical image processing, computer systems, or design of micro- and nano-scale optical and electronic devices.

ECE website

Environmental engineering and science training offers to work in any aspect of environmental protection. The major areas include air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, water supply, wastewater management, storm water management, solid waste disposal, public health, and land management. And, within each of these major categories are many sub-specialties.

CEE website

The Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering graduates engineers ready to continue learning, to lead and inspire others, and to engage with their professional community and society. Industrial engineers envision and lead the transformation of systems and organizations by balancing materials, information and capital to best effect. They work in many different roles and organizations, designing supply and distribution networks, information systems, as well as industrial and service processes for industries as diverse as banks, manufacturers and hospitals.

ISE website

Mechanical engineering is broadly concerned with energy, manufacturing, and design of machines. Mechanical engineers conceive, plan, design, and direct the manufacture, distribution, and operation of a wide variety of devices, machines, and systems for energy conversion, biofuel production, environmental control, materials processing, transportation, materials handling, and other purposes.

ME website

College of Engineering Campus Experience and Academics

 

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student working with robotics

Undergraduate Programs

The College offers undergraduate (BSE) engineering degrees in 6 disciplines.

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students and professor Bai in lab

Graduate Programs

20 research locations covering six academic programs means numerous options for you.

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Transfer Students

Thinking about becoming a Hawkeye? We make it easy to stay on track and graduate on time.

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BECOME AN ENGINEER ... AND SOMETHING MORE. Engineering students at Iowa are smart, interesting people good at working in teams to solve problems. They're also international travelers, Big Ten athletes, Hawkeye Marching Band members, leaders of student organizations, fraternity and sorority members, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, hospital volunteers, student senators, dance marathoners, intramural competitors, researchers, and more.

DIRECT ADMISSION into ENGINEERING and into the MAJOR OF YOUR CHOICE: Students are admitted directly into the College of Engineering from high school or upon transfer from another institution. From the start, students can choose to study any engineering major and can change majors at any time. There are no GPA cutoffs or quotas by department, no "weeding out" of students. We want students to study what they are interested in and passionate about. Engineering at Iowa students take three semesters of courses in common which gives students time to settle on the right engineering major while still staying on track to graduate in four years.

Iowa City is an incredible community. It is vibrant, cultured, accessible , and fun.

The College of Engineering at the University of Iowa is Engineering at Iowa students benefit from a small(er) College of Engineering nestled within a Big Ten, Research One university. In fall 2020, there were 431 first-year students and 1990 total undergrads in Engineering at Iowa. There are great advantages in an environment where students and faculty know each other well and feel part of a unique engineering community. Add that to the excitement of being on a Big Ten campus with incredible athletics & performing arts, interesting research & politics, engaging speakers and people to meet from around the country and around the world, and the academic and social environment is hard to beat.

Yes! Engineering at Iowa provides a supportive and collaborative community within the University of Iowa. Faculty members teach all the classes ... teaching assistants are there to assist the teachers, not be there instead of them. From free tutoring five nights a week and group projects to over 30 engineering student organizations and plentiful opportunities to do research with faculty members, we promote teamwork, creative problem-solving, and leadership skills which allow our students to become successful engineers.

Approximately, 29% of the Fall 2020 first-year students in Engineering at Iowa are women ... compared to the national average of just 20%. Under-represented minority (American Indian, African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islanders, and Multi-Racial) students account for 17% of the first-year students. Everyone is welcome in Engineering at Iowa ... and everyone can benefit from the variety of experiences and backgrounds, talents and perspectives that our students bring to the College of Engineering and to the University of Iowa.