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Biomedical Engineering (MSc) (2022 Entry)

About this taught graduate course

Course overview

The MSc in Biomedical Engineering delivers advanced modules informed by the active research expertise and industrial links of our academic staff.

The course prepares students for careers in advanced biomedical engineering. This includes biomedical engineering research institutions, medical device manufacturing, agencies for health technology assessment and medical device regulatory affairs, and clearly hospitals, where biomedical engineers oversee medical device clinical trials, purchasing and maintenance as responsible for clinical engineering services.

The Warwick Biomedical Engineering MSc spans the whole School of Engineering incorporating predictive modelling, medical device design, health technology assessment, signal processing, electronics, communication, software, hardware, systems thinking and machine intelligence.

Warwick has a unique systems approach to research and teaching and so modules are developed across disciplines in parallel to our research. This approach culminates in a group design project in which you will design a medical device. This, in the past two years included, a defibrillator, a pulmonary ventilator, an ECGph and wearable devices for SpO2 monitoring. Beyond that, you will be assigned an in-depth individual project which will allow you to work closely with an academic on state-of-the art biomedical engineering research and innovation, often linked with industry.


General entry requirements

Minimum requirements

A 2:ii undergraduate degree (or equivalent) in a relevant branch of engineering or science degree.

Maths requirement

All applicants will be expected to know the prescribed mathematical concepts, please visit shown on this Engineering web page. The onus is on the individual to ensure that they understand the required material in order to cope easily with the course.

We are looking for competence in the majority of mathematics that is taught in the first and second year of an undergraduate Engineering or Physics course. We reserve the right to request that you undertake a short online test assessment.


English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirements. This course requires the following:

  • Band A
  • IELTS overall score of 6.5, minimum component scores not below 6.0.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page.


Additional requirements

There are no additional requirements for this course.

Core modules

Biomedical Imaging and Medical Devices

This module will introduce you to the fundamental principles and applications of medical imaging in the human body, and to imaging and sensing in the brain. Techniques include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), X-ray Computed Tomography (CT), Positron Emission Tomography (PET), Electroencephalography (EEG), Magnetoencephalography (MEG), and Ultrasound. The module will provide you with a firm grounding in the basic theory underpinning the core methods in clinical practice, as well as an awareness of emerging technologies and their applications.

Medical Device: Design, Maintenance and Assessment

On this module you will develop a firm understanding of the principles of modern design, maintenance and assessment of healthcare technologies, including: medical devices, novel treatment and therapeutic technologies, technologies for a healthy life-course, systems and environments for care delivery. This module will provide you with a firm grounding in methods and tools for design, management and assessment of health technologies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Biomedical Systems Modelling

This module gives you the opportunity to demonstrate that you have independently contributed primary data and/or a new analysis of secondary data, within your chosen advanced research topic. Projects will be highly variable in nature to reflect the range of topics within the programmes of study but all will provide you with an opportunity to achieve the learning outcomes. Thus, projects may entail experimentation, modelling, analysis and literary survey skills to develop advanced skills in the discovery and occasionally creation of new knowledge. The module also offers the chance for you to pursue curiosity driven work guided by an academic supervisor.

Individual Project

Research and Professional Skills in Biomedical and Clinical Engineering

This is an introduction to Biomedical Engineering for MSc students on this course. This module is held at the beginning of the term one and aims to quickly give you an overview of the biomedical various topics to help you choose an appropriate MSc project. The module will also equip you with the required background knowledge and skills for the MSc course.


Optional modules

Optional modules can vary from year to year. Example optional modules may include:

  • Biomechanics
  • Biomedical Signal Processing
  • Biomedical Materials, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine
  • Computational Synthetic and Systems Biology
  • Computational Intelligence in Biomedical Engineering
  • Systems Modelling and Control
  • Affective Computing
  • Signal Processing

Teaching

The degree comprises eight taught modules and a project. The individual project entails an in-depth experimental, theoretical or computational investigation on a topic chosen by the student in conjunction with an academic supervisor.


Class sizes

Class sizes for lectures, practical laboratory sessions and seminars vary depending on the number of students taking the module.


Typical contact hours

The MSc degree (totalling 180 credits) comprises:

  • Eight taught modules (15 credits each)
  • A research project (60 credits)

The typical workload for a 15-credit module is as follows:

  • 20-30 hours of lectures/seminars
  • 5 hours of laboratory work
  • 45 hours of private/directed study
  • 70 hours of assessed work

The research project is valued at 60 credits and students should plan to execute around 600 hours of work towards the completion of the project dissertation.


Assessment

A combination of coursework and written examinations.


Reading lists

Most departments have reading lists available through Warwick Library. If you would like to view reading lists for the current cohort of students you can visit our Warwick Library web page.


Your timetable

Your personalised timetable will be complete when you are registered for all modules, compulsory and optional, and you have been allocated to your lectures, seminars and other small group classes. Your compulsory modules will be registered for you and you will be able to choose your optional modules when you join us.

Your career

Graduates from these courses have gone on to work for employers including:

  • AECOM
  • BAE Systems
  • BT
  • Morgan Sindall
  • Mott MacDonald
  • Proto Labs
  • TSP Projects
  • Volvo Cars Corporation
  • They have pursued roles such as:
  • Business, research and administrative professionals
  • Civil engineers
  • Design and development engineers
  • Mechanical engineers
  • Quality control and planning engineers

Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant offering impartial advice and guidance together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:

  • Options in Engineering
  • Meet an Engineer
  • Engineering, Science and Technology Fair
  • Considering a PhD in the STEM Subjects
  • Warwick careers fairs throughout the year

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Taught course fees  Research course fees


Fee Status Guidance

The University carries out an initial fee status assessment based on information provided in the application and according to the guidance published by UKCISA. Students are classified as either Home or Overseas Fee status and this can determine the tuition fee and eligibility of certain scholarships and financial support.

If you receive an offer, your fee status will be stated with the tuition fee information, however we are awaiting guidance from the UK government regarding fee status for EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals and their family members living in the UK for academic year 2021/22 onwards. We are not able to confirm the fee status for these students until the relevant eligibility criteria have been confirmed. Once we have received further information from the UK government, we will provide you with an update on your fee status and let you know if any additional information is required. If you believe your fee status has been incorrectly classified you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire (follow the instructions in your offer) and provide the required documentation for this to be reassessed.

The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) provides guidance to UK universities on fees status criteria, you can find the latest guidance on the impact of Brexit on fees and student support on the UKCISA website.


Additional course costs

Please contact your academic department for information about department specific costs, which should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below, such as:

  • Core text books
  • Printer credits
  • Dissertation binding
  • Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

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