Medical engineering, MS
Build the future of medicine by bridging the gap between complex clinical challenges and innovative engineering solutions. Transform health care and save lives with a new master’s degree that puts you at the forefront of digital health technology.
The Master of Science program in medical engineering is designed to offer a unique multidisciplinary approach to tackling complex challenges in health care. At the intersection of engineering and clinical medicine, this program prepares students to use engineering principles and artificial intelligence to understand physiological systems, analyze current diagnostic tools and treatments and drive innovation in health care delivery systems.
Students will learn to reverse-engineer physiological systems to better understand fundamental mechanistic concepts in medicine and apply an engineering approach to analyze the impact and limitations of current technologies. The curriculum is designed to be accessible to a wide variety of STEM, or science, technology, engineering and math, backgrounds. Immersive experiences in industry and the clinic will empower students to become adept at identifying problems and designing solutions that comply with regulatory and user constraints. Students will work collaboratively, leveraging their diverse expertise to innovate and translate new technologies from concept to clinic.
This program prepares graduates to become leaders in developing transformative diagnostic tools, designing therapeutic strategies and delivering impactful solutions for the future of health care.
Dual cohorts
This degree is offered in collaboration with the John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering. Two degree tracks are offered: one for engineering students and another for medical students. Whether earning a master’s degree or medical and master’s degrees concurrently, students will learn together.
For medical students
This program provides medical students with a foundational understanding of engineering principles, quantitative analysis and design methodologies. It empowers them to translate unmet clinical needs into actionable engineering problems, collaborate effectively with engineers and critically evaluate new technologies. They will gain the skills to contribute to the design and implementation of medical devices, understand the regulatory landscape and drive innovation within their clinical practice.
For engineering students
This program equips engineers with a deep appreciation for human physiology, disease pathology, clinical workflows and patient care. It provides the biological and medical context necessary to develop impactful solutions, enabling them to work alongside medical professionals to bring transformative tech from concept to clinic.
Degree requirements
Thirty credit hours: The credits earned toward this degree must include six core courses consisting of 15 credits. Engineering students and medical students will each take seven credits of cohort-specific courses. All students will complete a culminating capstone experience. Students may choose to add electives to their course plans. The advising office can provide recommendations.
Core:
- BME 501 Applied Signals and Systems for the Clinic (2 credits)
- BME 502 Fundamentals of AI for Medical Applications (2 credits)
- BME 503 Applications in Medical Engineering I (4 credits)
- BME 504 Applications in Medical Engineering II (4 credits)
- BME 515 Research in a Medically Integrated Experience: ReMIX (2 credits)
- BME 519 Medical Engineering Design Principles (1 credit)
Track for engineers:
- BME 511 Foundations in Medicine for Engineers I (1 credit)
- BME 512 Foundations in Medicine for Engineers II (1 credit)
- BME 513 Foundations in Medicine for Engineers III (1 credit)
- BME 514 Foundations in Medicine for Engineers IV (1 credit)
- BME 516 Clinical Immersion for Engineers (1 credit)
- BME 591 Seminar (2 credits)
Track for medical students:
- BME 518 Medical Engineering Design Methodology (2 credits)
- BME 591 Seminar (5 credits)
Culminating experience:
- BME 528 Capstone Research I: Design (4 credits)
- BME 529 Capstone Research II: Implementation (4 credits)
Admission requirements
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the ASU Graduate College and the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on a scale in which 4.00 represents an A in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor’s degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 on the same scale in an applicable master’s degree program.
Recommended courses: Specific majors or coursework are not required for entry into the program. However, to maximize student preparedness for success, we strongly recommend candidates have successfully completed the following courses: calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, statistics, physics and advanced sciences such as biology and chemistry.
All applicants must submit:
- A graduate admissions application and application fee.
- Official transcripts.
- Proof of English proficiency. An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
- Resume or curriculum vitae.
- Two professional letters of recommendation that can attest to your academic achievement, professional experience and potential for success in the program. As part of the online application, you will be asked to submit the names and email addresses of two professional references. Those individuals should be from faculty at institutions you have attended or supervisors who can speak to your ability to succeed in a graduate program. Those individuals will receive an email that will instruct them to complete an online form.
- A written statement responding to the following prompt:
Our Master of Science in medical engineering integrates students in the engineering track with future clinicians in the concurrent medical and engineering track in a collaborative learning environment where all learners study side-by-side and co-create solutions to current and future clinical challenges. In one page or less, identify a real-world problem in human health or health care that inspires you and address the following:
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- Significance: Why does this problem matter to patients, providers or health systems?
- Engineering approach: Which engineering principle, tool or methodology would you apply, and why is it well-suited to the challenge?
- Integrated curriculum impact: How will learning core medical sciences alongside medical students refine or reshape your solution?
- Collaboration plan: How will you partner with master’s degree and medical student peers to translate your idea from concept to clinic?
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Use this essay to demonstrate your ability to think across disciplines, translate engineering insight into medical impact and collaborate effectively, all of which are hallmarks of our program.
Your application is NOT complete until ALL application materials are received prior to the application deadline.
Have questions related to admission? Contact us
Engineering Center G Wing 334,
Advising Office [map]
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Phone: 480-965-3028