Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering
The Engineering faculties of the Universiteit Gent and Vrije Universiteit Brussel organize the interuniversitary Master of Biomedical Engineering and this in a close collaboration with the Medical faculties of both universities. As a result of recent evolutions towards internationalization, we also offer, from the academic year 2010-2011 on, a complete English master program in biomedical engineering. Both the Dutch and English master are two-year programs and lead to a joint degree from UGent and VUB. Students study either in Ghent or in Brussels upon their own choice.
Tackle complex problems in biology, medicine and health sciences
Biomedical Engineering is a branch of Engineering where students acquire knowledge and skills which can be applied to tackle complex problems in biology, medicine and health sciences. The biomedical engineer herein strives towards a solution in balance with technological, economical and ethical constraints.
Thorough knowledge of main applications in various fields of biomedical engineering
Graduated students master the fundamentals of current biomedical engineering and have a thorough knowledge of the basic concepts and an overview of the main applications in various fields of biomedical engineering (medical imaging, medical signal processing, medical physics, medical device technology, tissue engineering, biomaterials...). The graduated student has acquired the necessary research skills which allow him or her to independently analyze and solve a problem, and recognizes the importance of permanent learning in a continuously evolving domain.
Work in multidsciplinary teams
The biomedical engineer is trained to work in multidisciplinary teams (influx of students with different bachelor backgrounds, lecturers from various faculties and scientific domains, multi-disciplinary projects) and has the required communication skills.
Awareness of ethical and socio-medical aspects
The biomedical engineer is aware of the ethical and socio-economic aspects of biomedical engineering and healthcare, and of the social responsibility of a master in engineering.
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Course outline & programme
Number of ECTS: 120
Duration: 2 years
Campus: Etterbeek
In cooperation with: Universiteit Gent
In this master's course, knowledge and skills in all fields in biomedical engineering will be given, so when you finished the Master's programme, you can be employed as generalist, and you will also be specialised in one particular field of biomedical engineering.
As a student, you are able to select any field within biomedical engineering. You will be trained to work in interdisciplinary project teams, composed of engineers and medical specialists. To prepare further for interdisciplinary teams, students and scholars are treated as equal. To train for working in a European setting, you will get knowledge in the health care situation in several countries in Europe, and you will be trained in cultural differences between European countries.
In summary, the goal of this course is to acquire the ability to:
- work in interdisciplinary (engineering – medical) teams
- work in international and thus intercultural (European) teams
- communicate effectively with experts in (bio)medicine and technology
- perform fundamental research in Biomedical Engineering.
- design innovative devices to improve diagnostics and treatment of patients
- follow a post-Master’s training in Biomedical Engineering
- perform a PhD-study
- train continuously (life-long-learning)
Master piece
The master thesis forms the tailpiece of the program. The thesis minimally contains a substantial task of a high scientific level, to be elaborated individually by the student (surrounded and supported, however, by a research team), and thus with a high degree of independence. It is through this independent work and the written thesis report that the student demonstrates his or her capability to get familiar with a relevant biomedical engineering problem, study the problem on a high scientific level, and to report on the subject in diverse manners (master thesis, oral public presentation).
Admission & application
Direct admission
Students with an academic Bachelor (or Master) diploma in engineering (university level) can enter the program without any prerequisites (except for students with a Bachelor or Master degree in architecture). This is also the case for students with a Master degree in bio-engineering.
Students with a Master degree in industrial sciences (industrieel ingenieur) may enter the master program via a dedicated bridging program, totaling 120 ECTS credits. This program is essentially the same as the regular program, but 9 (of the 24) ECTS credits for elective courses are taken by the compulsory course elements “Capita Selecta Mathematicae” and “Wiskundige Modellen”.
After completing an admission program
All other students have to follow an admission program, accounting for approximately 30 to maximally 90 ECTS credits depending on the diploma of the students. The inter-universitary college fills in the program of each individual subject, depending on their already acquired credits and competences. As educational tracts are assessed on an individual basis, it is important that students apply timely so that individual track records can be studied with care to ensure an optimal selection of courses.
All necessary information regarding the admission requirements, deadlines and application forms can be found on the web page 'How to enroll as a student'.
Language requirements
In order to be admitted, you need to be proficient in English. The language requirements can be found on the website.
Additional information
Students who have obtained the go-ahead of the Admission Board, or who have direct admission can find additional information on the web pages for prospective students. Certainly take a look at the webpages Preparing your stay prior to your visit to the Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Career opportunities
With the diploma of Master of Biomedical Engineering, the student has ample possibilities in finding a job in Flanders, Belgium, Europe or worldwide, and this in industry, hospitals, health care, universities and research institutes, in government positions… The biomedical engineer is versatile, per definition multidisciplinary and therefore employable in many different positions such as:
- PhD-student at a university, performing fundamental research (e.g. unraveling
the mechanism behind infection of implants, expanding the possibilities of tissue
engineering, designing a prosthesis to restore sight…) - PhD-student at a large industry R&D-department, performing applied research (e.g.
design of a second generation discus prosthesis, minimally invasive heart support
devices…) - Product manager in an industry. Their education and training enables the student to
lead a multinational and multicultural project team. - R&D-department of an industry, working as a project leader on applied resea ch (e.g. design, production and assessment of biomaterials for artificial organs, heart valves, pacemakers; design of imaging techniques, sensors and information technology for patient monitoring; acquisition, storage, analysis and simulation of bio-data…)
- Medical physics engineer in a hospital supporting and improving patient care by
applying engineering and management skills to health-care technology. They can be involved in technical support of daily practice, training of health care professionals, introducing safety programs, etc. - “Regulatory Affairs Manager” in medical industry, providing advice on the design and production of medical devices and technology and taking the necessary steps to allow commercialization and implementation of new products on the market. This involves meeting requirements imposed by CE-marking or the US Food and Drug Administation (FDA).
- Government/public health, developing health care policy for the future.
- Consultancy in a wide spectrum of functions, from product design to safety
regulations. - Notified bodies, Regulatory Affairs Managers, screening new products for a CE-mark, patent offices…
- Health Insurance, improving health care and controlling costs.
- Any job requiring the traditional analytical and organizational skills of the academically trained engineer (general consultancy jobs, top functions in administration, banking sector...)
Registration
The student registers for the inter-university program leading to the degree of Master of Biomedical Engineering issued by the two universities jointly and signed by the rectors of both universities. For registration in the university program, the student can contact one of the existing subscription services at Ghent University and the VUB.
Our student service
Students at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel are not just mere numbers. A lot of attention goes to making sure that you can study in the best possible situation. There are numerous staff members ready to assist you and give advice on all topics related to student life: practical information, medical assistance and finance, study planning, sports and culture, health, transport, housing and food, etc.
For all kinds of help, advice and support, visit the web pages of ‘Student Facilities’.
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More information
- Check out the website http://www.master-bme.be
- An overview of all Master aned Postgraduate programmaes taught in English at the VUB you can find in the brochure Student (on top) of the world (970 KB)