Medical Product Engineering (MPE) Professional MS (MS-MPE)
For further information, contact MSMPE@pitt.edu.
The Medical Product Engineering emphasizes preparation for a career in the medical device industry through hands-on, practical experience in medical product design and development, development of advanced engineering skills, and instruction in professional affairs and practices in medical engineering. The program focuses on the application of engineering innovation to the identification of and solution to challenges in health care delivery in the medical industry.
The coherent program of study is designed to assure mastery of specific knowledge and skills, rather than a random accumulation of a specified number of courses. Each student in the program will have a curricular advisor (the Educational Program Director of the Center for Medical Innovation) and a project advisor to guide the student's individualized educational experience. A thorough grounding in the principles of medical device innovation and development compliant with regulatory requirements is provided through a three-semester sequence that starts with immersion in the medical/hospital environment and ends with a first generation prototype. The curriculum also provides a strong foundation in ethics, analysis, design principles, and principles of entrepreneurship as applied to medical device innovation.
Full-time program students are required to have internship (or co-op) experience starting with their second semester until completing the program.
NOTE : Professional MS students in the Medical Product Engineering track must comply with all Swanson School of Engineering (SSoE) requirements for access to clinical sites within the UMPC system.
The distinctive educational core of the professional MS program in Medical Product Engineering is four courses directed toward developing knowledge and skill sets important to the practicing engineer. Two didactic courses explore the concepts and practices of Medical Product Ideation (BIOENG 2150) and Medical Product Development (BIOENG 2151). Both courses are also part of the Certificate in Medical Innovation and open to any interested student, with the intent that interactions between engineers, health scientists, business students, and, potentially, law students will enrich the learning environment. The other two core courses focus on hands-on experiences developing expertise in medical device development. Clinical Bioengineering ( BIOENG 2170 ) and Medical Product Prototyping (BIOENG 2171) implement concepts from BIOENG 2150 and BIOENG 2151 through clinical immersion and subsequent prototype development. Enrollment in the hands-on courses is restricted and requires instructor approval.
In addition to the four Core Classes (12 credits), the Medical Product Engineering program requires an additional 18 credits (Bioethics - 3 credits, Graduate Engineering Mathematics or Statistics - 3 credits, Advanced Graduate Engineering - 12 credits) for a total of 30 credits. The Certificate in Medical Innovation requires an additional 6 credits. All elective courses must be approved by the curricular advisor to ensure the student obtains a coherent program:
Medical Product Core Curriculum (12 credits)
6 Credits - Medical Product Innovation
BIOENG 2150: Medical Product Ideation (3 credits)
BIOENG 2151: Medical Product Development (3 credits)
6 Credits - Medical Product Prototyping
BIOENG 2170: Clinical Bioengineering (3 credits)
BIOENG 2171: Medical Product Prototyping (3 credits)
Bioethics (3 credits)
BIOENG 2241: Societal, Political, and Ethical Issues in Biotechnology
Graduate Engineering Mathematics or Statistics (3 credits)
Graduate Engineering Mathematics
IE 2086 : Decision Models
CHE 2410 : Mathematical Methods in Chemical Engineering
ME 2001: Differential Equations
ME 2060: Numerical Methods
BIOENG 2351: Computer Applications
Graduate Statistics
BQOM 2401: Statistical Analysis
IE 2007 : Statistics and Data Analysis
STAT 2081: Modern Data Analysis for Research Workers
BIOENG 2525: Applied Biostatistics
CLRES 2020: Biostatistics: Statistical Approaches in Clinical Research
Advanced Engineering Graduate Electives (12 credits)
BIOENG 2016: Fundamental Principles of Biodegradable Metallic Alloys
BIOENG 2035: Biomechanical Modeling of Movement
BIOENG 2061: Ergonomics and Occupational Biomechanics
BIOENG 2067: Musculo-skeletal biomechanics
BIOENG 2075: Advanced Biomaterials
BIOENG 2080: Biomechanics of Organs, Tissues, and Cells - 1
BIOENG 2220: Cardiovascular Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
BIOENG 2230: Cardiovascular Organ Replacement
BIOENG 2310: Hemodynamics and Biotransport
BIOENG 2515: Cardiovascular System-Dynamics and Modeling
BIOENG 2703: Rehabilitation Engineering Design
BIOENG 2704: Fundamentals of Rehabilitation Engineering and Technology 1
BIOENG 2709: Rehabilitation Biomechanics
BIOENG 2721: Human movement biomechanics
BIOENG 2810: Biomaterials and Biocompatibility
BIOENG 3020: Design & Synthesis of Biomaterials
ChE 2752: Introduction to Polymers
ENGR 2051: Product Realization
ME 2003 : Continuum Mechanics
ME 2027 : Advanced Dynamics
ME 2045 : Linear Control Systems
ME 2047 : Finite Element Analysis
ME 2062 : Orthopedic Biomechanics
ME 2074 : Advanced Fluid Dynamics I
ME 2080 : Introduction to MEMS
ME 3011 : Non-linear Elasticity
HRS 2867: Pathokinesiology of Orthopedic and Athletic Injuries
IE 2006 : Introduction to Manufacturing Systems
IE 2012 : Manufacture of Structural Nano-Materials
IE 2051 : Computer Aided Manufacturing
IE 2098 : Finite Element Analysis in Product Design
Typical three-semester sequence:
Fall Semester (1):
- [Core Didactic]: BIOENG 2150 - Medical Product Ideation
- [Elective]: BIOENG 2167 - Managing Medical Product Innovation
- [Elective]: BIOENG 2351 - Computer Applications in Bioengineering (LabVIEW)
- [Elective]: Graduate Engineering Mathematics or Statistics Course*
- [Elective]: Advanced Graduate Engineering Course*
- [Optional]: Business/Law Course**
Spring Semester:
- [Core Didactic]: BIOENG 2151 - Medical Product Development
- [Core Hands-on]: BIOENG 2170 - Clinical Bioengineering
- BIOENG 2242: Medical Ethics*
- [Elective]: BIOENG 2175 - Human Factors Engineering and Medical Devices
- [Elective]: Advanced Graduate Engineering Course*
Summer Semester:
- Full-Time Students are required to complete full-time internship (paid, unpaid, or for credit) with an industry partner or related entity
Fall Semester (2):
- [Core Hands-on]: BIOENG 2171 - Medical Product Prototyping
- BIOENG 2241: Medical Ethics*
- [Elective]: BIOENG 2230 - Cardio Organ Replacement
- [Elective]: Advanced Graduate Engineering Course*
- [Elective]: Advanced Graduate Engineering Course*
- [Optional]: Business/Law Course**
While the typical three-semester sequence focuses heavily on medical product design and development, the student has an opportunity to develop depth in an area of interest through proper choice of the four Advanced Graduate Engineering Courses. The Optional Business/Law Courses are directed toward gaining an appreciation for the special entrepreneurial and law challenges associated with the typical small businesses that are on the forefront of medical product engineering and will qualify the student to earn the Graduate Certificate in Medical Product Innovation as well as the Professional MS.
Admission to the Professional MS in Bioengineering - Medical Product Engineering program is by application only. Class size is limited. Accepted students will have a curricular advisor and a project advisor to guide the student's individualized educational experience. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA to remain in good standing in the program. The Professional MS in Bioengineering - Medical Product Engineering is not intended for students pursuing the PhD and admission to the program does not guarantee continuation on to the PhD program. Students interested in pursuing the PhD must complete the PhD application process.
To apply, please visit the Graduate Admissions Page on the Swanson School of Engineering website.
For further information, contact MSMPE@pitt.edu
See the Bioengineering, MS Program in the Pitt catalog
Download our Professional MS in Bioengineering - focus on Neural Engineering information sheet.
Program Coordinator: Prof. Neeraj Gandhi (msne@pitt.edu)
WHY STUDY NEURAL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH?
Pitt is a recognized leader in the emerging discipline of Neural Engineering. Our core faculty and clinical collaborators offer courses that prepare students to work in this exciting and dynamic field. Neural Engineering, which encompasses neural prosthetics, brain-computer interface systems, epilepsy monitoring, deep brain stimulation, engineering approaches to psychiatric disorders, and brain-inspired computation and device design, is a fast-growing field that provides clinical and technological benefits.
The program is offered by Pitt’s nationally ranked Department of Bioengineering. Instruction will be in-person and online. The 30-credit program can be completed in 1 to 1.5 years of full-time study. Students will garner a deep knowledge of the biology of the nervous system, and how, from an engineering perspective, to treat disorders, build clinical devices, and build computational models. The non-thesis program is designed to provide excellent training for industry in Neural Engineering or related fields such as Medical Devices or Data Science.
CONCENTRATIONS
Neural engineering students will pursue didactic coursework that builds core competency in at least two of the following areas:
- Brain-computer interfaces
- Neural tissue interface
- Neural imaging and signals
- Neural devices and neuromorphic engineering
The concentrations for core competency will be selected in consultation with the program director and will take into consideration the student’s previous training and career aspirations.
REQUIREMENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL MS (30 CREDITS, TYPICALLY 10 COURSES)
- 12 credits in Concentration 1
- 9 credits in Concentration 2
- 3 credits in life sciences
- 3 credits in Mathematics/Statistics
- 3 credits in Medical Ethics
Concentration Area: Brain-Computer Interfaces |
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Class Number |
Class Name |
Semester (typically) |
BIOENG 2615 |
Introduction to Neural Engineering |
Fall |
ECE 2195 |
Machine Learning |
Fall |
ECE 2556 |
Neuro-Signal Modeling and Analysis |
Fall |
CMU 42-631 |
Neural Data Analysis |
Fall |
BIOENG 2650 |
Learning and Control of Movement |
Spring |
BIOENG 2586 |
Quantitative Systems Neuroscience |
Spring |
BIOENG 2390 |
AI Applications in Bioengineering |
Spring |
ECE 3195 |
Advanced Machine Learning & Deep Learning |
Spring |
CMU 42-632 |
Neural Signal Processing |
Spring |
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Concentration Area: Neural Tissue Interface |
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Class Number |
Class Name |
Semester (typically) |
BIOENG 2615 |
Introduction to Neural Engineering |
Fall |
BIOENG 3735 |
Extracellular Matrix Tissue Engineering |
Fall |
BIOENG 2540 |
Neural Materials & Tissue Engineering |
Spring |
BIOENG 2810 |
Biomaterials and Biocompatibility |
Spring |
BIOENG 2811 |
Microfabrication & Characterization of Neural Interface Devices |
Spring |
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Concentration Area: Neural Signals & Systems |
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Class Number |
Class Name |
Semester (typically) |
BIOENG 2005 |
RF Medical Devices |
Fall |
BIOENG 2505 |
Multimodal Imaging |
Fall |
BIOENG 2330 |
Biomedical Imaging |
Fall |
BIOENG 2340 |
Introduction to Medical Imaging & Image Analysis |
Fall |
ECE 2390 |
Image Processing & Computer Vision |
Fall |
BIOENG 2385 |
Engineering Medical Devices for Quantitative Image Analysis and Visualization |
Spring |
ECE 2523 |
Digital Signal Processing |
Spring |
CMU 16-725 |
Methods in Image Analysis |
Spring |
Concentration Area: Neural Devices & Neuromorphic Engineering |
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Class Number |
Class Name |
Semester (typically) |
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BIOENG 2005 |
RF Medical Devices |
Fall |
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BIOENG 2150 |
Medical Product Ideation |
Fall |
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ECE 2192 |
VLSI Design |
Fall |
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BIOENG 2151 |
Medical Product Development |
Spring |
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BIOENG 2170 |
Clinical Bioengineering |
Spring |
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BIOENG 2175 |
Human Factors Engineering & Medical Devices |
Spring |
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BIOENG 2811 |
Microfabrication & Characterization of Neural Interface Devices |
Spring |
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BIOENG 2385 |
Engineering Medical Devices for Quantitative Image Analysis and Visualization |
Spring |
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ECE 2264 |
Flexible Electronics |
Spring |
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Life Science Course |
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Class Number |
Class Name |
Semester (typically) |
NROSCI 2005 |
Cognitive Neuroscience |
Fall |
BIOENG 2585 |
Quantitative Cellular Neuroscience |
Fall |
NROSCI 2039 |
Processing in Neural Circuits |
Spring |
BIOENG 2586 |
Quantitative Systems Neuroscience |
Spring |
Ethics Course |
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Class Number |
Class Name |
Semester (typically) |
BIOENG 2241 |
Societal, Political and Ethical Issues in Biotechnology |
Both |
Math/Statistics Course –many options available each semester; too many to list
- All graduate-level courses offered through MATH, STAT, and BIOST departments at either Pitt or CMU count towards this requirement.
- More options are provided in the ‘Approved Math Courses’ and ‘Approved Statistics Courses’ lists.
Note: Students who identify courses not on this list but wish to use them to fulfill requirements must obtain prior approval from the graduate program director.