The University of Iowa Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering offers both thesis and non-thesis Masters of Science programs, a Doctor of Philosophy program, and a 5-year BS/MS program.
Graduate students in the Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering gain an understanding of the principles of engineering science and use those principles in contemporary applications related to energy, the environment, biotechnology, and materials. The department emphasizes research, since most opportunities for graduates are in research and development.
Graduate Program Quick Links
Graduate Handbook
CBE:5000 Fall 2018 Seminar Schedule
Graduate Courses
Job Placement Destinations
Admissions and Application Information
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduate Courses
Core Courses
- CBE:5110 Intermediate Thermodynamics
- CBE:5115 Transport Phenomena
- CBE:5105 Introduction to Literature Review and Proposal Writing
Plus one of the following to satisfy the Chemical Reaction Kinetics requirement:
- CBE:5205 Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
- CBE:5425 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- CBE:5315 Polymer Chemistry
Course Requirement in Ethics for Ph.D. and M.S. Thesis Students:
- ENGR:7270 Engineering Ethics
Energy and Environmental Courses
- CBE:4410 Sustainable Systems
- CBE:5152 Environmental Chemistry
- CBE:4459 Air Pollution Control Technology
- CBE:5417 Physical Meteorology & Atmospheric Radiative Transfer
- CBE:5419 Statistical & Computational Analysis of Weather & Climate Data
- CBE:5425 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
- CBE:5405 Green Chemical and Energy Technologies
- OEH:6450 Aerosol Technology
Biochemical Engineering Courses
- CBE:5205 Introduction to Biochemical Engineering
- CBE:5215 Advanced Biochemical Engineering
- CBE:5210 Bioseparations
- CBE:5250 Introduction to Biocatalysis
- CBE:6210 Biotechnology of Extremophiles
- CBE:6215 Engineering Aspects of Animal Cell Culture
- CBE:5701 Tissue Engineering
- CBE:5875 Perspectives in Biocatalysis
Polymer and Material Science Courses
- CBE:5309 Polymer Fundamentals
- CBE:4156 Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis
- CBE:5390 Photopolymerization Topics
- CBE:5310 Polymer Science and Technology
- CBE:5315 Polymer Chemistry
NOTE: Our students often take additional courses in other departments, including: Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Pharmacy, Occupational & Environmental Health, and in other College of Engineering departments (e.g., Biomedical, Electrical & Computer, Civil & Environmental, Mechanical & Industrial).
Job Placement Destinations
Graduates of the department's M.S. and Ph.D. programs have gone on to hold positions at a variety of widely recognized institutions and concerns, both public and private. Here is a sampling of chemical and biochemical engineering graduates' employment destinations.
Graduate Student Destinations
| Abbott Laboratories | King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang |
| AER Atmospheric and Environmental Research | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology |
| Barr Engineering | LBL in Berkeley |
| Battelle | Marathon Oil |
| BioStrategies Group | Minnesota Pollution Control Agency |
| Brookhaven National Laboratory | Monsanto |
| California Air Resources Board (CARB) | National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA) |
| Carnegie Institute at Stanford | National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) |
| Degree Visa Consultants, Thailand | National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) |
| Dow Chemical | Occidental Petroleum |
| Dow Corning | Ohio University |
| Dr. Reddy's Laboratories India | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) |
| DuPont | PEER Consultants, P.C. |
| Ebeam Technologies | Pure Fishing |
| Eli Lily and Company | Schafer Corporation |
| Evolve Systems | Searle |
| Exxon Taiwan | Texas A&M University-Kingsville |
| Frito Lay | University of Cincinnati |
| Harvard University | University of Colorado Denver |
| Honda | University of Iowa |
| Integrated DNA Technologies | University of Kentucky |
| Institute for Advanced Sustainable Studies (IASS) Potsdam Germany | University of Missouri-Columbia |
| Iowa State University Research Park | U.S. Department of Energy |
| Jordan University of Science and Technology | Zoetis |
| 3M |