Medical Engineering (Design and Innovation) - MSc
From CT scanners, X-ray and MRI machines, to pacemakers, defibrillators, stethoscopes and even spectacles, medical engineering has saved and enhanced lives, improving treatment and delivery for patients and medical practitioners alike. Our MSc prepares you for careers in this fascinating design discipline, inventing the next generation of ground-breaking medical devices. You’ll have the chance to work on a real project, gaining invaluable work experience via an optional internship. The course is led by Professor Peter Ogrodnik, a named inventor on numerous patents, who literally wrote the book on Medical Device Design, now a core text in R&D departments worldwide.
Month of entry
- September, January
Mode of study
- Full time, Part time
Fees for 2026/27 academic year
- UK - Full time £11,700 per year. Part time £6,400 per year.
International - £18,200 per year.
Duration of study
- 1 year full time, 2 years part time
This course is no longer accepting applications from international students for the 2025/26 academic year.
Why study Medical Engineering (Design and Innovation) at Keele University?
Course summary
The global market for medical devices exceeded US $335 billion in 2021 with a growing demand for products and technological solutions to help combat problems associated with an ageing population, global pandemic and rise in the number of patients suffering chronic health conditions.
Our industry-focused MSc builds on our internationally-leading reputation for medical engineering and longstanding expertise in medical devices. Taking you to the next level of design competence, it will equip you with essential product design skills and the confidence to approach design problems as a professional engineering designer throughout the product development life cycle.
In the highly-regulated MedTech development industry, accuracy and safety sit at the heart of good engineering design – failure can cause serious harm to users and damage commercial prospects. Developing your understanding of the concepts that underpin medical device design, you’ll focus on the approval process from the beginnings of product ideation and initial concepts right through to testing and release to market.
You’ll learn to navigate complex industry standards and regulations with ease, while developing practical skills in the highly regulated environment of Medical devices design and development. You’ll also build a strong foundation in fundamental engineering concepts, such as fluid mechanics, design, materials and mathematical modelling.
You’ll be taught by staff with real world experience of developing and commercialising medical products, none more so than Course Director Professor Peter Ogrodnik, a world-leading expert in medical device design with over 20 years’ research experience and author of the core text in this area. Sold across Europe and the United States, his technological innovations have improved the treatment of fractures and spinal injuries for thousands of patients.
Based in the Guy Hilton Research Centre, you’ll have access to specialist Computer Aided Design (CAD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software; a fully-equipped validation and verification laboratory; and the local trauma hospital.
Excellent industry links provide opportunities to work on ‘live’ projects briefs and you’ll be encouraged to apply for an internship to gain valuable practical industrial experience. Previously, our students have helped determine seasonal trends for allergies in domestic environments, conducted sustainability assessments for a novel packaging material, and improved waste efficiency of a local sheet metal company.
Because the course develops your creative engineering design skills whilst maintaining the rigour of a highly regulated design environment, you’ll be able to transfer the skills and knowledge you develop into a range of industries. You could move into more general engineering design or associated careers, in intellectual property protection, as a patent lawyer, for example. Alternatively, you could pursue a career in technical sales and marketing, consultancy or corporate finance.
The research skills you gain provide excellent preparation for a PhD and can prove an ideal stepping-stone into research and development activities in either industry or in academia.
Other courses you might be interested in:
ACCREDITATION AND PROFESSIONAL RECOGNITION
This programme is accredited by the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.
Course structure
The aim of the MSc in Medical Engineering (Design and Innovation) is to turn you into a medical device designer so that you can work in this highly regulated design discipline. The course adopts a holistic approach to medical device design, addressing healthcare regulatory compliance, design build and specification, together with the functionalities and benefits to satisfy end users’ needs, be they patients, medical practitioners or those funding healthcare.
Core modules introduce you, and immerse you in design methodology, design control, international medical devices regulations, auditing, risk management and risk analysis, team working, and medical device specific technical documentation.
The course capitalises on research and innovation taking place within the University’s Orthopaedics and Biomechanics Research Group, which is led by Course Director Professor Ogrodnik. Comprised of engineers, scientists, consultants, nurses, mathematicians, psychologists, veterinarians and environmentalists, the group’s sole aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of humans and animals through science based interventions.
The flexible structure of the course enables you to personalise your study according to your interests, choosing optional modules from a broad range of subjects, which span the disciplines of biology, maths and engineering. This, coupled with clinical visits, specialist seminars and a choice of dissertation projects that span fundamental research to clinical translation of technologies, ensures a truly ‘bench to bedside’ approach.
Interacting with active researchers, clinicians and practitioners also gives you a greater appreciation of the context in which healthcare engineering operates, including vital safety, environmental and economic concerns, for instance, in relation to medical devices and technology services.
The MSc Medical Engineering (Design and Innovation) can be studied as either a one-year full-time or two-year part-time course, with start dates in September and January. You will complete 180 credits to obtain the master’s qualification, comprising five compulsory modules and four optional modules, including the core Project Dissertation (60 credits). There are also two interim awards available, depending on how many modules (and credits) have been successfully completed: a Postgraduate Certificate for 60 credits; and a Postgraduate Diploma for 120 credits.
Modules
The module details given below are indicative, they are intended to provide you with an idea of the range of subjects that are taught to our current students. The modules that will be available for you to study in future years are prone to change as we regularly review our teaching to ensure that it is up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods, as well as student voice. The information presented is therefore not intended to be construed and/or relied upon as a definitive list of the modules available in any given year.
Core modules
Physiological Measurements (15 credits, Semester 1)
This module draws on the basic principles of biological sensing within the research and clinical environments. Device design and engineering principles are discussed, with hands on assessment of several devices commonly used within clinical practice. You will gain an appreciation for sensor device and/or biological test selection, based on patient sampling methods, accuracy and time restraints/requirements.
Medical Devices Design: Design Control Methodologies (15 credits, Semester 1)
This module aims to develop engineering design concepts required in order to work as a designer within the context of medical devices and the healthcare industry. These will include investigation of design models, design control and communicating designs between industries. Team working is an essential aspect of design and this will be explored and developed.
Medical Devices Design: Advanced Materials and Manufacturing (15 credits, Semester 1)
This module aims to develop engineering concepts required in order to work as a designer within the context of medical devices and the healthcare industry. These will include investigation of standard and advanced manufacturing and joining processes, and communicating designs between industries. As it is virtually impossible to develop modern medical devices without the use of electronics, electronic components and software these will also be explored within a manufacturing context. Team working is an essential aspect of design and this will be developed.
Experimental Research Methodology (15 credits, Semester 1-3)
The Experimental Research Methodology Module gives students the skill set that is required for their development in a scientific career; from learning how to take notes in research seminars allowing them to write a comprehensive literature review in that area, to making sure they are efficient with their time in written examinations by giving them the chance to mark practice questions and decide where the marks should be given. The module brings together elements of professional development that should not be overlooked. A range of seminars, workshops and taught classes are timetabled during which students will have the opportunity to learn first-hand a range of skills necessary for them to achieve their best in their Masters programme. Classes on statistics will further support students in other theoretical and practical aspects of their course.
Medical Devices Design: Regulatory Frameworks (15 credits, Semester 2)
This module aims to develop the awareness of the regulatory frameworks that control this exciting environment in order to be able to design components and products successfully within the context of medical devices and healthcare technologies. Particular emphasis will be placed on design within a highly regulated environment. Working in teams is an essential aspect of design, you will be given the opportunity to work in teams and reflect on team performance throughout the module.
Medical Devices Design: Quality by Design (15 credits, Semester 2)
This module aims to develop advanced engineering design skills required in order to be able to design components and products successfully within the context of medical devices and healthcare technologies. It will include a critical evaluation of models and tools used in creative engineering design. Particular emphasis will be placed on Quality By Design within a highly regulated environment. You will receive essential training on risk management and auditing. Working in teams is an essential aspect of design, you will be given the opportunity to work in teams and reflect on team performance throughout the module.
Project - Medical Technology (60 credits, Semester 3)
The dissertation is an opportunity for students to undertake laboratory based research in their chosen topic and should demonstrate their understanding of the field via applications in healthcare. During the dissertation period, the student will be assigned a project supervisor, having agreed a research project in discussion with research institute staff. The location for the project may be the research institute, Keele campus, hospital or with an industrial partner.
Optional modules
You will choose three optional modules from the list below:
Engineering for Medical Applications (15 credits, Semester 1)
Learn the fundamentals of mechanics, electronics and electromagnetism necessary to understand the application of engineering principles to medicine and biology. This will enable students from varying backgrounds and career paths to transition into the advanced topics covered in the core and specialist modules in biomedical engineering. In addition to lectures, you will take part in a workshop-based project to apply the theory you have learned to practical measurement.
Biomechanics (15 credits, Semester 1)
Biomechanics involves studying the structure, materials, function and motion of biological systems at a cellular level, identifying favourable properties, such as load-bearing capacity, and changes that occur naturally or as a result of chemical and other reactions. Discovering how and why organisms behave the way they do can inform new synthetic and engineered designs, for example, when treating cancer. This module offers an applied perspective on biomechanics at an advanced level, for example, analysing forces transmitted to cells at skeletal joints or bone. In an experimental workshop, you'll gain hands-on experience mechanically testing bone.
Human Physiology and Anatomy (15 credits, Semester 1)
Setting the foundation in a biological context in preparation for the study of more advanced topics, this module provides you with a broad knowledge of human physiology and anatomy. You’ll develop your understanding of the structure and function of major tissue types, organs and systems, how their physiology is assessed and what happens in the context of disease. Please note that if you have no prior experience of anatomy-based study, you will be encouraged to take this option.
Biomedical Signal Processing and Analysing (15 credits, Semester 2)
This module aims to teach you the fundamentals of signal processing and how to apply theory to practical examples of biomedical signals. You will learn to use an advanced software package to assist in the analysis of biomedical signals, and learn to interpret complex signals in the context of physiological function.
Research Excellence
Keele's engineering research is classified as either world-leading or internationally excellent
(4* or 3* rated research), Research Excellence Framework, 2021
Entry requirements
The following section details our typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If you don't see your qualifications listed, please contact us to find out if we can accept your qualifications.
Typical offer
Please ensure that you read the full entry requirements by selecting your qualifications from the dropdown menu below. This will include any subject specific, GCSE/Level 2 Maths, and English language requirements you may need.
Please select your country from the drop-down list below for the full entry requirement information
UK
2:2 degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Bangladesh
60% in a 4-year degree or 3-year degree with a 2-year Master's in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject from a public university
or
CGPA 2.8 in a 4-year degree or 3-year degree with a 2-year Master's in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject from a private university
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
We don’t accept degrees from certain universities, please see our Bangladesh Country Page for more information
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Canada
70% or C or a GPA of 2.5 in a degree (Ordinary or Honours) in an engineering, science, medicine or health subject
or
demonstrated relevant professional qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
China
70% in a degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
65% in a degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject from a '211' university
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Ghana
Second class degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
India
55% or CGPA 6/10 in a degree of at least 3 years in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Kenya
Second class degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Nepal
60% / 2.4 in a 4-year Bachelor's degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
65% / CGPA 2.8 in a 3-year Bachelor's degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Nigeria
Second class degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Pakistan
We accept a range of qualifications from Pakistan. Please visit our Pakistan Country Page for more information
or we will consider demonstrated relevant professional qualifications or experience
You will also need an English language qualification (see below)
South Africa
Second class division 2 / 60% in a Bachelor's degree with Honours in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
Second class division 1 / 70% in an Ordinary Bachelor's degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Sri Lanka
55% in a Special Bachelor's degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Uganda
Second class degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
Zimbabwe
Second class degree in an engineering, science, medicine, or health subject
or
demonstrated professional or relevant qualifications or experience
You will also need: an English language qualification (see below)
English language requirements
All of our courses require an English language qualification or test. For most students, this requirement can be met with a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please see our English Language guidance pages for further details, including English language test information for international students. For those students who require an English language test, this course requires a test from Group C.
References
Normally, you will need to provide at least one academic reference to support your application unless you have been out of study longer than two years. If it has been more than two years since you last studied on a degree-level programme, you will normally need to provide an employment reference instead. For more information about Academic References, please see our Postgraduate how to apply web pages.
Personal Statement/Statement of Purpose
Please see our Postgraduate how to apply web pages for guidance on what to include in your personal statement.
Recognition of Prior Learning
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process which enables applicants to receive recognition and formal credit for learning acquired in the past through formal study or work and life experiences.
RPL can also be requested for admission onto the start of a programme in lieu of the admission requirements. For more information, see our Recognition of Prior Learning web pages.
Professional qualifications and work experience
The majority of our courses will consider relevant work experience and/or professional qualifications at the appropriate level, as an alternative to an undergraduate degree for entry. The work experience should be for a sustained period and at a suitable level, based within a relevant sector to your chosen course.
Admissions staff will review your work experience and/or professional qualifications during the assessment of your application to ensure suitability in terms of relevancy, level and appropriate learning outcomes.
General information
The entry grades outlined in this section indicate the typical offer which would be made to candidates, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary offer conditions depending upon a candidate's application. For international students, find out how we work with approved agents as part of our admissions process.
"The course exceeded my expectations and really gave me the skills I needed to progress my career in the industry of medical device engineering. This course didn’t just provided me with the knowledge in medical device design, but it also gave me the essential skills in product design, survey, and release to market, which is obviously critical. It gave me the confidence to work through a new product development from initial conception to market release, whilst adhering to all the relevant industry standards and regulations."
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Postgraduate funding and scholarships
Funding
Whether you're continuing from undergraduate study or returning to education, our dedicated financial support team is here to help.
We are committed to rewarding excellence and potential. Please visit our scholarships and bursaries webpage for more information.
Please note, if your course offers a January start date, the January 2026 start date falls in the 2025/26 academic year. Please see the tuition fees archive for the 2025/26 fees.
Planning your funding
It's important to plan carefully for your funding before you start your course. Please be aware that not all postgraduate courses and not all students are eligible for the UK government postgraduate loans and, in some cases, you would be expected to source alternative funding yourself. If you need support researching your funding options, please contact our financial support team.
For continuing students, fees will increase annually by RPIX, with a maximum cap of 5% per year.
Additional costs
"The course has helped me develop a better knowledge of concepts that underpin medical device design but also helped to give me an understanding of how to approach any design problem. The course also allowed me to work on a real world project, rather than a hypothetical one, which was both challenging but fun. I believe learning with Professor Ogrodnik has been pivotal in developing a methodology to follow and adhere to when designing new medical devices. By having a lecturer with a high level of experience it made it useful when debating and developing understanding of the reasoning behind why certain actions are taken."
Teaching, learning and assessment
How you'll be taught
The course is primarily taught through subject-centred lectures, interactive-styled conferences, seminars and laboratory-based sessions.
This is supported by a range of workshops, tutorials, guest lectures and research seminars by nationally and internationally known scientists, engineers and clinicians, working at the forefront of regenerative medicine. Previous seminars have been led by academic researchers and industry partners on a range of current topics related to the course discipline.
All modules have some form of practical element, capitalising on our state-of-the-art cell culture labs and tissue engineering facilities, and exposing you to the same specialist equipment and services found in this sector. Where possible, you'll be given opportunities to engage with industry experts, attend site visits to companies and research laboratories, and instigate a conversation with relevant stakeholders.
Each November, we also plan an optional? field trip* to coincide with the world’s largest medical devise trade fair, Medica. In 2021, the event attracted 46,000 visitors from 150 countries, interacting with over 3,000 exhibitors and a comprehensive range of innovations for outpatient and inpatient care, including every step of their development and manufacture.
Allocated at the start of your studies, your personal tutor will provide pastoral support and your Course Director will guide you through the year by engaging you in a personal development plan that culminates with students recognising their employability skills and career options. You'll also receive dedicated project supervision during the Summer projects. As well as web-based virtual learning materials, you’ll have full access to two libraries, online journal access and a suite of dedicated computers for exclusive use by MSc students on the course.
*The field trip is an aspiration and will depend on student demand and affordability. Because accommodation can be expensive, you should be prepared to allocate a budget of about £500 for the trip.
How you’ll be assessed
Modules are assessed by a mixture of assessment methods, including lab reports, essays, presentations and online examinations to demonstrate your understanding of subject-specific content, as well as your analytical abilities and your evaluation of particular concepts and methodologies. Formative assessment occurs in a continuous process driven by lecturer-led discussion sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and practice presentations and posters.
As part of the course provision, you will have opportunity to follow styles of journal articles in your assignments. Such assessment ensures your competency in essential academic skills, such as referencing, quoting, selecting relevant material, answering the question set, and written English, vital if you intend to pursue a research career. However, it also helps you develop a range of essential transferrable skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, time management and planning, written and verbal communication and numeracy.
