About Our Programs
Biomedical Engineering
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.
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
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.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
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.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
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 Iowa Technology Institute, Iowa Driving Simulator, IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering , and Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging.
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Better, faster, cheaper, safer. Industrial engineers enhance the systems and processes around us, exploring business challenges and finding innovative solutions that boost efficiency and effectiveness.
Iowa’s program emphasizes teamwork and hands-on projects that call for structured problem solving, process and quality engineering, statistics and big data analytics, and other techniques.
Working with faculty, you might develop robots for space exploration, a production system for a Fortune 500 company, data-mining tools for a hospital, or a new jet cockpit.
Mechanical Engineering
Cars, aircraft, medical devices, structures— all of these begin in the imaginations of mechanical engineers. Mechanical engineers use computers to simulate freezing human cells, casting processes, and failure of vehicle components, among other things. They improve alternative energy sources like fuel cells, wind, and biomass, and use reality-based design and optimization to boost performance.
Iowa’s program is especially strong in areas ranging from biomechanics to fluid mechanics, such as design optimization for ship hydrodynamics. The breadth of faculty expertise opens extensive options for students to do hands-on research, and a combined B.S./M.S. degree option means more opportunity for specialization.
Learn More About Our Programs
Undergraduate
The College offers undergraduate (BSE) engineering degrees in several disciplines.
Graduate
The College offers MS and PhD engineering degrees in multiple disciplines.
Transfer
Thinking about becoming a Hawkeye? Or just transferring courses?
In the News
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BME graduate receives Academic & Scholarly Achievement Award
Lin receives 5-year NIH grant to study long COVID impacts on the lung
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