Biomedical Sciences and Engineering

Today, people are in need for more tailored and cost-efficient implants, devices and health informatics solutions. The biomedical engineering industry is an increasingly important, global high-tech area. In Finland, the HealthTech industry is especially strong (see http://healthtech.teknologiateollisuus.fi/). With the emergence of numerous small enterprises, the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering fields are rapidly expanding.

As a graduating student, you will have broad career possibilities. You will be able to understand the challenges in the field of biomedical and health sciences. You will be in command of advanced technologies at the engineering and health science interface to develop innovative solutions to solve these challenges. You will be able to demonstrate critical thinking and professionalism in view of your integration to the industry, hospital, or in view of pursuing a postgraduate degree. You may also be a natural-born entrepreneur to initiate your own start-up.

TUT’s Degree Programme in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering offers you an international and multidisciplinary environment to learn from our faculty of recognised scientists. This will ensure an up-to-date transfer of knowledge on a broad range of topics pertaining to applications of engineering on health and well-being.

The programme is organised by the faculty of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering at TUT. Our faculty is part of BioMediTech, an institute combining the unique engineering skills from TUT and powerful life sciences expertise from the University of Tampere. This ensures strong interactions between engineers, life scientists, clinicians and, therefore, optimal exposure for the students taking part in the MSc degree program in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering. The excellent basic and translational (from laboratory to clinic) research performed at Tampere University of Technology is recognised worldwide. This reputation will continue to be strengthened, since the Body-on-Chip research was selected as a Centre of Excellence by the Academy of Finland from the beginning of 2018

The Degree Programme in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering is a two-year Master's Degree Programme. Teaching will be conducted in English.

As a student, you will first undertake common core courses. The common core courses ensure adequate basic knowledge on biomedical sciences and biomedical engineering before starting your major studies. The common core studies will also include an introduction to graduate studies in Finland, and the Finnish language.

While applying to the programme, you will have the possibility to choose one of the following majors:

• Health Technology and Informatics
• Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
• Biomedical Micro- and Nanodevices

The extent of the Master’s Degree Programme is 120 credits. Each major is 50 credits. No minor subject studies are required, but you will be able to either choose elective courses of your choice or any offered minor. You may freely choose your elective studies or minor from TUT, Tampere3 or other universities. 30 credits are granted upon completion of the Master’s thesis. The Master’s thesis research project is tailored and based on your career plan. It can either pave the road to an academic career or prepare to work in industry or in a hospital.

Health Technology and Informatics

Health technology and informatics focuses on the core area of the present day biomedical engineering industry. It covers the areas of wellbeing and medical solutions from consumer health products, such as heart rate monitors and other wearable sensors to clinical applications such as anaesthesia monitors, imaging and treatment delivery systems. Also, information systems for personal health monitoring or hospital management and patient health records are important application areas.

The major provides expertise on the design of complex biomedical instrumentation and informatics systems. The major has two specialisation paths: Health technology focuses on the design and development of instrumentation. Imaging systems and health informatics focuses on the development of information systems for medical data applications, electronic health record systems and personalised health solutions.

Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

In this multidisciplinary major, you will develop a wide knowledge on biomaterials and tissue engineering including related fields such as cell technologies, biophysics and regenerative medicine. This knowhow is essential in several medical applications such as implant design, disease modelling and novel transplantation therapies aiming for tissue replacement or repair. The major combines different aspects of stem cell technology, scaffold design and tissue functionality to clinical outcomes and regulations. Our aim is to equip our students to be independent players in both the professional (in companies) and research community.

Biomedical Micro- and Nanodevices

Organ-on-chip type in vitro devices provide a novel approach for developing new drugs, understanding disease mechanisms and studying the toxicological effects of chemical compounds. These can only be fulfilled with advanced technologies such as microfluidics, micro- and biosensors, microscopy, actuators and advanced biomaterials.

Miniaturisation has been one of the important technological megatrends in the last decades. As a result, not only microprocessors but also sensors and actuators have become a part of our everyday life.  This major provides a strong background for working on these novel fields of technology and particularly utilising them in biomedical applications. The major will cover micro- and nanoscale devices and systems such as microsensors, microactuators, microrobotics, microfluidics, and micro-optics, as well as wireless signal and power transfer technologies.

Complementary studies

As a student in the Degree Programme in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, you may be required to complete complementary studies depending on your BSc degree. With the complementary studies, mathematics, physics, economics, computer science and language skills will be updated so that your knowledge is at the level of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering.  In addition, prerequisite courses of the major subjects may be required. In general, the complementary studies are included in the master's degree.

Eligible applicants hold an upper secondary education certificate - the Finnish matriculation examination, the International Baccalaureate, the European Baccalaureate, Reifeprüfung or any other comparable upper secondary educational qualification which provides eligibility to University-level Bachelor’s studies in the country in question. Applicants who are in the final semester of their upper secondary education are also eligible to apply.

The level of the applicants’ studies in mathematics should be equal to that of the advanced syllabus in mathematics in the Finnish general upper secondary school. For more information, please see the National Core Curriculum for General Upper Secondary Education Intended for Young People.

It is not possible to apply to a Bachelor’s degree programme on the basis of a Bachelor’s degree.

Applicants are required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. TUT accepts internationally recognised academic language tests as demonstration of language proficiency. The accepted tests are IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, TOEFL PBT, PTE Academic and CAE/CPE.

We are looking for students who demonstrate excellent academic performance, a good command of the English language and creative abilities.  After the two-year programme in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, you will have the opportunity to obtain a competitive master’s degree that meets the highest international standards.

The overall minimum requirements for admission, educational qualifications and language skills, are listed below.

Educational qualifications

The suitable fields of the background degree depend on the selection of the major subject:

• Health Technology and Informatics: Biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, physics, electrical engineering, information technology or other discipline related to the major. It would be beneficial (but not mandatory) for students with a physics, electrical engineering or information technology background to have undertaken some studies in biological sciences/biomedical engineering during their bachelor's study. All students should have at least elementary programming skills. 
• Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering: Biomaterials, biomedical sciences, biotechnology, chemistry, physics, materials science or another discipline related to the major. It would be beneficial (but not mandatory) for students with a chemistry, physics, engineering or material sciences background to have undertaken some studies in biological sciences during their bachelor's study. 
• Biomedical Micro- and Nanodevices: Biomedical engineering, microtechnology, electrical engineering, physics, mechatronics or another discipline related to the major. It would be beneficial (but not mandatory) for students with a physics, electrical engineering, mechatronics or microtechnology background to have undertaken some studies in biological sciences/biomedical engineering during their bachelor's studies. All students must have sufficient skills in mathematics and physics, and a basic understanding of engineering and material sciences.