Department Facts

The Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Iowa was established in the Fall of 1974. Since that time, there has been a phenomenal growth in the undergraduate enrollment. At any given time, there are about 400 students declared as Biomedical Engineering majors. Some interesting characteristics of the department include:

• The BME Department occupies the position of vanguard, facilitating strong collaborations with the College of Medicine.
• The department offers students great flexibility in career preparation. With the proper selection of elective courses, the curriculum affords numerous engineering specialties and the opportunity to pursue advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, or law.
• Approximately 45% of the BME students identify as female.
• The department has a strong graduate program awarding MS and PhD degrees in Biomedical Engineering.
• The department has a joint BSE/MS degree.

Program Educational Objectives

The following educational objectives set forth by the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa describe the expected accomplishments of our graduates within a few years of graduation:

• Advance the biomedical field through the responsible analysis and development of devices, systems, processes, and policies that improve human health.
• Pursue a wide range of career options, including those in industry, academia, and medicine.
• Collaborate on multidisciplinary teams and become leaders in their chosen field.

Student Outcomes

Students will graduate from the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering with the following attributes:

1.  An ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics
2.  An ability to apply engineering design to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors
3.  An ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences
4.  An ability to recognize ethical and professional responsibilities in engineering situations and make informed judgments, which must consider the impact of engineering solutions in global, economic, environmental, and societal contexts
5.  An ability to function effectively on a team whose members together provide leadership, create a collaborative and inclusive environment, establish goals, plan tasks, and meet objectives
6.  An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions
7.  An ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies

Enrollment & Graduation Data

The total enrollment in our undergraduate Biomedical Engineering program for the 2023-2024 academic year was 358 students. The total enrollment for the 2022-2023 academic year was 383 undergraduate students, and 88 degrees in Biomedical Engineering (BSE) were awarded in 2023.