Medical engineering combines the design and problem-solving skills of engineering with medical and biological sciences to contribute to medical device solutions and interventions for a range of diseases and trauma.
This exciting and challenging programme will give you a broad knowledge base in this rapidly expanding field, as well as allowing you to specialise through your choice of optional modules.
We emphasise the multidisciplinary nature of medical engineering and the current shift towards the interface between engineering and the life sciences. You could focus on tissue engineering, biomaterials or joint replacement technology among a host of other topics.
Whether you’re an engineer or surgeon, or you work in sales, marketing or regulation, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills to launch or develop your career in this demanding sector.
Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering
You’ll learn in an exciting research environment where breakthroughs are being made in your discipline. This programme is closely linked to our Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (IMBE), which focuses on research and education in the fields of medical devices and regenerative medicine. It focuses on innovating and translating new therapies into practical clinical applications.
Our world-class facilities in materials screening analysis, joint simulation, surface analysis, heart valve simulation and tensile and fatigue testing allow us to push the boundaries in medical engineering.
This course is accredited by the Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council.
One core module in Semester 1 will give you a background in experimental design and analysis within medical engineering. You’ll look at computational and biological methodologies alongside statistical data analysis and different data visualisation techniques to lay the foundations of your studies.
Optional modules in each semester will allow you to build on this knowledge and focus on specialist topics that suit your own interests and career intentions. You could focus on biomechatronics and medical robotics, spinal biomechanics, surface engineering or computational fluid dynamics analysis and a range of other topics. Depending on your academic or professional background, you may decide to take introductory modules such as Basic Orthopaedic Engineering or Structure and Function of the Body to fill the gaps in your knowledge.
Throughout the programme you’ll complete your Professional Project – an independent piece of research on a topic within mechanical engineering that allows you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills. In the two taught semesters you’ll review the literature around your topic and plan the project, before completing the design, analysis, computation, experimentation and writing up in the summer months.
If you choose to study part-time, you’ll extend your studies over a longer period so you can take fewer modules in each year.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Medical Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
Our groundbreaking research feeds directly into teaching, and you’ll have regular interactions with staff who are at the forefront of their disciplines. You’ll have regular contact with them through lectures, seminars, tutorials, small group work and project meetings. Some modules make use of online learning methods or a short course format.
Independent study is also important to the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including case studies, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessment methods.
The professional project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Recent projects for MSc Medical Engineering students have included:
Career destinations are diverse and include medical engineering within industrial or public sector organisations, regulatory affairs and sales and marketing.
Graduates from this programme have gone on to work in a range of roles for employers such as the clinical research centres, continued in a career in clinical orthopaedics, progressed to a PhD programme.
You’ll also be well prepared to continue with engineering research, whether in industry or at PhD level.
You’ll have access to the wide range of engineering and computing careers resources held by our Employability team in our dedicated Employability Suite. You’ll have the chance to attend industry presentations book appointments with qualified careers consultants and take part in employability workshops. Our annual Engineering and Computing Careers Fairs provide further opportunities to explore your career options with some of the UK's leading employers.
The University's Careers Centre also provide a range of help and advice to help you plan your career and make well-informed decisions along the way, even after you graduate. Find out more at the Careers website
If you want to study Medical Physics with applications in nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, electronics and MRI University of Aberdeen has an world renowned historic reputation within major global innovation in this health area. Did you know the first MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scanner was invented at Aberdeen over 30 years ago? Major innovations to this technology are still being researched at Aberdeen today. You learn everything you need to know as an advanced grounding in medical physics such as understanding anatomy and how cells are altered by disease. You look at the engineering behind MRI and other visual scanning techniques to understand how applications are made in areas such as nuclear, Positron, Tomography, Radio diagnosis (X-ray), MRI and Ultrasound. You understand radiation and you apply electronics and computing to medical physics. The degree ensures plenty of practical understanding and application and you learn MRI within the department that built it.
If you want to work within imaging and medical physics to pursue a medical career in hospitals, industry and healthcare and diagnose disease by different methods of imaging the degree in Medical Physics will help you towards this goal. You can also develop your own research portfolio and PhD from this MSc and work within academia to pursue innovation in the discipline.
You receive a thorough academic grounding in Medical Physics, are exposed to its practice in a hospital environment, and complete a short research project. Many graduates take up careers in health service medical physics, either in the UK or their home country. The MSc programme is accredited by the Institute of Physics & Engineering in Medicine as fulfilling part of the training requirements for those wishing to work in the NHS. You can also work as a researcher, risk manager, radiation physics specialist and within the medical device industry in product development and innovation.
Semester 1
Biomedical and Professional Topics in Healthcare Science
Imaging in Medicine
Radiation in Medicine
Computing and Electronics in Medicine
Generic Skills
Semester 2
Radiation and Radiation Physics
Nuclear Medicine and Post Emission Tomography
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Medical Electronics and Instrumentation
Medical Image Processing and Analysis
Diagnostic Radiology and Radiation Protection
Semester 3
Project Programmes in Medical Physics and Medical Imaging
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/degree-programmes/180/medical-physics/
Find out about fees:
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/tuition-fees-and-living-costs-287.php
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/finance-funding-1599.php
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/funding/
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen:
https://abdn.ac.uk/study/student-life
Living costs
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/study/international/finance.php
Our Medical Physics MSc programme is well-established and internationally renowned. We are accredited by IPEM (Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine) and we have trained some 1,000 medical physicists, so you can look forward to high-quality teaching during your time at Surrey.
The syllabus for the MSc in Medical Physics is designed to provide the knowledge, skills and experience required for a modern graduate medical physicist, placing more emphasis than many other courses on topics beyond ionising radiation (X-rays and radiotherapy).
Examples of other topics include magnetic resonance imaging and the use of lasers in medicine.
You will learn the theoretical foundations underpinning modern imaging and treatment modalities, and will gain a set of experimental skills essential in a modern medical physicist’s job.
These skills are gained through experimental sessions in the physics department and practical experiences at collaborating hospitals using state-of-the-art clinical facilities.
Why not discover more about our programme in our video?
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation project. Part-time studemts study the same content over 2 academic years.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that all modules are compulsory, there are no optional modules, and may be subject to change.
Common room
A student common room is available for the use of all Physics students.
Computers
The University has an extensive range of PC and UNIX machines, full internet access and email. The University has invested in resources to allow students to develop their IT skills. It also has an online learning environment, SurreyLearn. Computers are located in dedicated computer rooms. Access to these rooms is available 24 hours per day.
Hounsfield Prize
A prize of £200 is awarded annually for the best dissertation on the Medical Physics programme. Sir Hounsfield was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1979 for his work on Computed Tomography.
Mayneord Prize
A prize of £200 in memory of Professor Valentine Mayneord will be awarded to the student with the best overall performance on the Medical Physics course. Professor Mayneord was one of the pioneers of medical physics, who had a long association with the Department and encouraged the growth of teaching and research in the field.
Knoll Prize
A prize of £300 in memory of Professor Glenn Knoll is awarded annually to the student with outstanding performance in Radiation Physics and Radiation Measurement on any of the department's MSc programmes. Professor Knoll was a world-leading authority in radiation detection, with a long association with the department
IPEM Student Prize (MSc Medical Physics)
A prize of £250 is awarded annually to a student with outstanding performance in their dissertation.
The programme integrates the acquisition of core scientific knowledge with the development of key practical skills with a focus on professional career development within medical physics and related industries. The principle educational aims and outcomes of learning are to provide participants with advanced knowledge, practical skills and understanding applied to medical physics, radiation detection instrumentation, radiation and environmental practice in an industrial or medical context. This is achieved by the development of the participants’ understanding of the underlying science and technology and by the participants gaining an understanding of the legal basis, practical implementation and organisational basis of medical physics and radiation measurement.
We give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities and through our international research collaboration. Hence, it may be possible to carry out the dissertation project abroad.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
The Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering provides students with a state-of-the-art overview of all areas in biomedical engineering:
The teaching curriculum builds upon the top-class research conducted by the staff, most of whom are members of the Leuven Medical Technology Centre. This network facilitates industrial fellowships for our students and enables students to complete design projects and Master’s theses in collaboration with industry leaders and internationally recognized research labs.
Biomedical engineers are educated to integrate engineering and basic medical knowledge. This competence is obtained through coursework, practical exercises, interactive sessions, a design project and a Master’s thesis project.
Three courses provide students with basic medical knowledge on anatomy and functions of the human body. The core of the programme consists of biomedical engineering courses that cover the entire range of contemporary biomedical engineering: biomechanics, biomaterials, medical imaging, biosensors, biosignal processing, medical device design and regulatory affairs.
The elective courses have been grouped in four clusters: biomechanics and tissue engineering, medical devices, information acquisition systems, and Information processing software. These clusters allow the students to deepen their knowledge in one particular area of biomedical engineering by selecting courses from one cluster, while at the same time allowing other students to obtain a broad overview on the field of biomedical engineering by selecting courses from multiple clusters.
Students can opt for an internship which can take place in a Belgian company or in a medical technology centre abroad.
Through the general interest courses, the student has the opportunity to broaden his/her views beyond biomedical engineering. These include courses on management, on communication (e.g. engineering vocabulary in foreign languages), and on the socio-economic and ethical aspects of medical technology.
A design project and a Master’s thesis familiarize the student with the daily practice of a biomedical engineer.
The Faculty of Engineering Science at KU Leuven is involved in several Erasmus exchange programmes. For the Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering, this means that the student can complete one or two semesters abroad, at a number of selected universities.
An industrial fellowship is possible for three or six credits either between the Bachelor’s and the Master’s programme, or between the two phases of the Master’s programme. Students are also encouraged to consider the fellowship and short courses offered by BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) or through the ATHENS programme.
You can find more information on this topic on the website of the Faculty.
The programme responds to a societal need, which translates into an industrial opportunity.
Evaluation of the programme demonstrates that the objectives and goals are being achieved. The mix of mandatory and elective courses allows the student to become a generalist in Biomedical Engineering, but also to become a specialist in one topic; industry representatives report that graduates master a high level of skills, are flexible and integrate well in the companies.
Company visits expose all BME students to industry. Further industrial experience is available to all students.
Our international staff (mostly PhD students) actively supports the courses taught in English, contributing to the international exposure of the programme.
The Master’s programme is situated in a context of strong research groups in the field of biomedical engineering. All professors incorporate research topics in their courses.
Most alumni have found a job within three months after graduation.
This is an initial Master's programme and can be followed on a full-time or part-time basis.
Biomedical engineering is a rapidly growing sector, evidenced by an increase in the number of jobs and businesses. The Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering was created to respond to increased needs for healthcare in our society. These needs stem from an ageing population and the systemic challenge to provide more and better care with less manpower and in a cost-effective way. Industry, government, hospitals and social insurance companies require engineers with specialised training in the multidisciplinary domain of biomedical engineering.
As a biomedical engineer, you'll play a role in the design and production of state-of-the-art biomedical devices and/or medical information technology processes and procedures. You will be able to understand medical needs and translate them into engineering requirements. In addition, you will be able to design medical devices and procedures that can effectively solve problems through their integration in clinical practice. For that purpose, you'll complete the programme with knowledge of anatomy, physiology and human biotechnology and mastery of biomedical technology in areas such as biomechanics, biomaterials, tissue engineering, bio-instrumentation and medical information systems. The programme will help strengthen your creativity, prepare you for life-long learning, and train you how to formalise your knowledge for efficient re-use.
Careers await you in the medical device industry R&D engineering, or as a production or certification specialist. Perhaps you'll end up with a hospital career (technical department), or one in government. The broad technological background that is essential in biomedical engineering also makes you attractive to conventional industrial sectors. Or you can continue your education by pursuing a PhD in biomedical engineering; each year, several places are available thanks to the rapid innovation taking place in biomedical engineering and the increasing portfolio of approved research projects in universities worldwide.
Diagnostic radiography and medical imaging are core components of modern healthcare and rely on rapidly changing diagnostic modalities. It is widely accepted that medical imaging will remain an essential component of diagnostic services for many years to come and that the demand for imaging services will continue to rise.
Recent modernisation within the NHS has raised the profile and extended the scope of practice for allied health professionals (AHPs). Diagnostic radiographers, as one of the sixteen registered AHP groups, are now required to build and extend their scope of professional expertise within a multi-professional setting. Continuing professional development (CPD) is a requirement for all AHPs in the UK in order to secure re-registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and to retain the right to practise within the UK. Radiographers are therefore required to evidence their learning and to demonstrate how this learning has informed practice.
Diagnostic radiography is a profession which is both intellectually and scientifically demanding. Professional responsibility includes a need to be able to formulate imaging standards and strategies as well as assume a greater degree of autonomy within different imaging modalities. To practise effectively the radiographer needs to be able to analyse and evaluate the requirements of healthcare delivery and to be aware of the roles and skills of other healthcare professionals. To optimise patient care the diagnostic radiographer must adopt a critical approach to decision-making in the context of current practice.
This MSc provides CPD opportunities for diagnostic radiographers and other healthcare professionals, but does not lead to UK registration with the HCPC or the right to practice within the UK. Therefore, this course aims to foster an intellectual approach to personal and professional development, encouraging diagnostic radiographers to challenge and progress radiography practice in response to evolutionary change. The course aims to provide flexibility in learning with the opportunity for learners to select modules in order to support individual practice development.
This course uses a wide range of learning and teaching methods, based on a problem based learning approach with students working independently and collaboratively. The teaching and learning strategies are designed to enable independent progress within a supportive framework.
The course is modular and offers a variety of attendance pathways for study: work-based learning; online and block attendance. A range of modules related to the development and progression of the Radiography profession can be used to form the course content.
To obtain a PgCert in any route, you will study 60 credits from the profession specific modules outlined below. To obtain a PgDip, you will study a further 60 credits taken from either profession specific modules or elective modules from the QMU Postgraduate Module Catalogue.
Ultrasound
15 credits: Physics and Instrumentation of Ultrasound+/ Professional Issues Relating to Medical Imaging+
30 credits: General Medical Ultrasound in Clinical Practice*/ Obstetric Ultrasound in Clinical Practice*/ Breast Ultrasound in Clinical Practice*/ Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Clinical Practice*/ Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Clinical Practice for AHPs*
MRI
15 credits: Principles of Magnetic Resonance Imaging+/ Principles of Image Evaluation+
30 credits: Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Practice*/ Advanced Practice in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (negotiated study)
CT
15 credits: Principles of Computed Tomography+ / Principles of Image Evaluation+ 30 credits: Advanced Practice in Computed Tomography of the Head*/ Computed Tomography in Practice (Head, Chest, Abdomen and Pelvis)*/ Advanced Practice in Computed Tomography Colonography*
Clinical Reporting
15 credits: Pathophysiology for Musculoskeletal Image Evaluation+/ Principles of Image Evaluation+
30 credits: Clinical Reporting of the Axial and Appendicular Musculoskeletal System* A sample of relevant elective modules are:
15 credits: Epidemiology (distance)/ Developing Professional Practice*/ Leading Professional Practice+/ Practice Development for Person-centred Cultures+
30 credits: Current Developments (distance)/ Developing Professional Practice*
45 credits: Developing Professional Practice*
To obtain an MSc, you require:
30 credits: Research Methods (distance/ contact)
60 credits: Research Project (in an area relevant to medical imaging) (distance) Key: * attendance and work-based + Block/ day release
This qualification may enhance your career prospects within the allied health professions.
Visit our website for more information on fees, scholarships, postgraduate loans and other funding options to study Medical Engineering at Swansea University - 'Welsh University of the Year 2017' (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017).
Medical Engineering is the application of engineering principles to both the human body and to a broad range of instrumentation used in modern medicine.
The courses at Swansea University draw on the exciting medical research that is taking place within the College of Engineering and the College of Medicine. The research success in the two colleges led to the creation of the £22 million Centre for NanoHealth (CNH), a unique facility linking engineering and medicine.
Our Medical Engineering graduates gain the skills of engineering, whilst also providing employers with the added experience and knowledge of anatomy and physiology, and the ability to communicate with clinicians.
