The program offered by the  was created in response to the needs of the medical device industry. Starting in Fall of 2019, the MSMDE program will prepare students for engineering roles in functional areas such as invention, development, and production of medical devices, in specialties such as in-vitro diagnostics, drug delivery, assistive technology, and wearables. 

Why MSMDE?

As a student, you will have the opportunity to:

  • Interact with patients and healthcare providers to gain a true understanding of the clinical setting and user needs.
  • Learn and apply industry practices to develop and manufacture viable medical devices.
  • Work in teams with industry sponsors to solve real-world problems.

Clinical Experience 

User-centered design involves understanding the needs of patients and healthcare providers. As part of the curriculum, students in the program are placed in a clinical setting where they learn to observe and interact with patients, providers, and conduct user studies.

Industry Experience

The MSMDE program leverages the strong industry relationships of the Henry E. Riggs School of Applied Life Sciences to provide authentic experiences and networking opportunities for our students. These include:

  • Visiting speakers
  • Case-based course work
  • Industry sponsored projects
  • Alumni network
  • Advisory Board connections 

Culminating in a capstone experience—the Team Master’s Project—students work in teams with an industry sponsor and faculty support on a medical device project that integrates the curricular elements into a single experience.

Future Careers

Over 40,000 jobs were listed nationally last year in medical device engineering. The MSMDE program will help develop the most requested skills for those positions including:

  • Product development
  • Project management
  • Planning
  • Scheduling
  • Budgeting
  • Quality assurance/quality control
  • Data analysis
  • Product manager