Chemical engineering involves the industrial application of chemicals to new inventions or to improve the world. Chemical engineers use microbes to produce pharmaceuticals and chemicals, develop new sources of energy, create artificial organs, and design the next generation of polymers.

Chemical and biochemical engineers combine engineering principles with knowledge of mathematics, chemistry, biological sciences, and physics to develop and operate processes that convert raw materials into products that benefit the global community.

Chemical and biochemical engineers learn ethical design and a respect for the larger issues in any design, such as community health, employee safety, and global implications of the design. Iowa's curriculum emphasizes chemical process safety and environmentally conscious chemical engineering design. 

The EFA allows students to choose from a selection of courses that combines concepts of biology, biochemistry, and engineering. Biochemical engineers combine knowledge of these three areas to manufacture products of biological nature, including fermentation products and pharmaceuticals. Students often go on to work in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries as production leaders or researchers.