master’s degree
Biomedical engineering
Welcome to the Faculty of Science and Technology! When choosing a Master’s programme, it is wise to look one step ahead. What would you like to do after completing your degree? Are you thinking about a job in industry, consultancy, teaching or research? All of these options are open to you once you have obtained your Master of Science degree from the Faculty Science and Technology at the University of Twente. However, the question remains of how to make the right choice among these options, and how best to prepare yourself for the future. Prof. dr. Gerard van der Steenhoven, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology At the Faculty of Science and Technology we help students making this choice. Some Master’s specializations are more oriented towards science, whereas engineering plays a more dominant role in others. Moreover, by suggesting additional elective courses in business administration or innovation, for example, or by arranging projects with one of our industrial partners, our students become much more familiar with the range of possibilities open to them. In addition to helping you shape your own future, our Master’s programmes are very topical, incorporating the latest developments in applied physics, nanotechnology, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering or technical medicine. Master’s projects can either be more scientific in nature, or more closely related to
applications in domains such as sustainable energy or health technology. Most projects will be carried out at the MESA+ institute for nanotechnology, or the MIRA institute for biomedical technology, both of which provide an excellent research environment. We look forward to welcoming you to one of our programmes. Students rank our programmes very highly, and most obtain their degree in the nominal two years. Be assured that you will have a thoroughly enjoyable and productive time at the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Twente.
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programme Biomedical Engineering is about the design and development of healthcare technology for improving lives, for example rehabilitation robots, artificial organs, imaging techniques and prosthetics. Biomedical Engineering is an interdisciplinary field, combining engineering and natural and life sciences: biology, nanotechnology, physics and mechanical engineering. Biomedical engineers create technical solutions to medical problems by integrating scientific and engineering concepts and methodology. Technology plays an important role in prevention, diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation. Biomedical research leads to new techniques to repair damaged tissue such as bone and skin. It helps create drugs with targeted effects and equips doctors with improved imaging techniques for more effective diagnosis, as well as offering patient-focused solutions in rehabilitation technology.
institutions (including PhD positions) in settings that range from hospitals and rehabilitation centres to enterprises, small medical technology companies and laboratories.
Biomedical research results in new techniques to repair damaged tissue such as bone and skin
The Master’s at the University of Twente is an academic programme that will prepare you for a job as a biomedical engineer in healthcare, industry or research
SPECIALIZATIONS Tissue Engineering The Tissue Regeneration research programme develops technologies that restore the function of diseased and damaged organs and tissues like bone, cartilage, blood vessels and the pancreas. Several scientific disciplines converge in this research into cell growth and tissue restoration: biology, chemistry, nanotechnology and engineering. Clear insights into the way clinics treat their patients support the work aimed at developing practically applicable scientific breakthroughs. The research is directed towards speeding up patient recovery. The innovative methods involved in tissue regeneration stimulate the body to generate new tissue by itself, exactly where needed. An example is growing a substantial mass of tissue with cells derived directly from the patient. The strategy is to combine the cells with a biomaterial. First, the tissue grows on a biodegradable material that is placed in the body. This ‘scaffold’ gradually melts away during the healing
process. A clear example of this method is to stimulate the individual’s own stem cells to form bone on a ceramic template at the site of a non-healing fracture.
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Imagining & Diagnostics
Neural & Motor Systems
The scientists in the Imaging & Diagnostics programme are dedicated to visualizing and understanding the biological processes in cells and organisms. Their new methods for ultrasensitive diagnostics are not only extremely clear and exact, but also significantly reduce the impact on the patient by imaging the body without the need for an operation or injection of contrast fluid. Ultimately, new techniques are created that enable physicians to offer their patients treatments that are more fit for purpose and that provide a more expeditious cure.
The Neural & Motor Systems research programme takes a solidly scientific approach to examining the interplay between brain, nerves, muscles and the skeleton. Often, the work is driven by specific clinical questions from the healthcare sector. Research within the programme focuses on the actual restoration of nervous and motor system function. The cutting-edge scientific work includes topics such as helping patients rehabilitate with the aid of robots, selective electro-stimulation and innovative body and orthopaedic prostheses. The research groups that participate in Neural & Motor Systems are all active on different anatomic levels, ranging from cells and tissues to the complete organism, and take a variety of approaches. The work of some groups includes modelling and simulation, while others carry out in vitro and in vivo experiments. Working together, the groups are able to develop new equipment to diagnose and treat patients faster and more effectively. The researchers in the Neural & Motor Systems programme also work closely with strategic partners in the Netherlands and abroad to test new applications.
Ultimately, new techniques are created that enable physicians to offer their patients treatments that are more fit for purpose The research uses the latest techniques in the field of acoustics, photo-acoustics, ultrasound and biomagnetism. Using photo-acoustics, for example, equipment for the diagnosis of breast cancer has been developed that has a minimal impact on the body. Additionally, the research group is working on the detection and extremely localized destruction of tumours with the aid of gold nanoparticles. A combination of fundamental science and imaging techniques allows Imaging & Diagnostics researchers to investigate how certain structural abnormalities of proteins are related to diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
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Admission requirements Dutch HBO students
University of Twente students
Graduates with a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study of a Dutch HBO may be considered for admission. In most cases students need to complete a pre-Master’s programme first.
Students holding a BSc degree in Advanced Technology, Applied Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Technical Medicine from the University of Twente qualify for direct admission, conditions may apply.
Dutch university students Students with a relevant Bachelor’s degrees from another Dutch University will be considered for admission.
International students International students with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering or Biomedical Technology and a CGPA of at least 75% of the maximum score are invited to apply for admission. In addition international students need to pass an English language test. More detailed admission requirements are available at www.utwente.nl/master/bme
Career OPPORTUNITIES The demand for technological solutions in healthcare is growing, meaning more and more engineers will be needed to devise these solutions. Your ideas and insights can make all the difference. Biomedical engineers from the University of Twente find employment at universities (32%), at hospitals (24%) and in business and industry (33%). The remaining 10% work in rehabilitation centres, government agencies, engineering or education. The WO-Monitor 2011 showed that over 75% of BME graduates had found gainful employment within six months. Many biomedical engineers choose a career in research upon graduation, for example by securing a PhD position at a university or research institute. Some join research & development departments at large companies. Others go to work as a systems engineer, product specialist or project manager in business and industry, where they develop new products and services
for the healthcare market. Or they opt for a position in a hospital where they are involved in the use, maintenance and safety aspects of medical devices and equipment by specializing further as clinical physicists. Some biomedical engineers work as consultants, forging a link between research and the market, and advising healthcare providers on a range of issues.
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Student’s Touch
‘You have access to a great many resources and you can focus on your interests freely and extensively’ NAME Gülistan Koçer
Disclaimer: Although this leaflet was compiled with the utmost care, no rights can be derived from its contents.
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Turkey
I majored in chemical engineering and I was always determined to work in biological sciences from an engineering point of view. I therefore wanted to be involved in a research field where I could work as an engineer while focusing on the life sciences. My aim is to contribute to the life sciences by studying cell biology and material science using a systematical approach. Biomedical engineering gives me the chance to work in this interdisciplinary way. In one year, I have learned a tremendous amount. Now I can see problems and processes from two different perspectives. I first heard of the University of Twente at an International Study Fair while I was a Bachelor’s student in Ankara. I was told about the opportunity to apply for an internship at the MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology in the field of chemical engineering. I finished my internship in the summer of 2010 and it was a very happy three months for me. I had to return to Ankara to finish my Bachelor’s, but I decided to come back to Twente for my Master’s.
CONTACT For general information about the Master’s programme or the University of Twente, as well as for questions about the application form of your enrolment status, please contact:
University of Twente Study Information Desk Phone: +31 (0)53 489 5489 master@utwente.nl www.utwente.nl/master
I would recommend the University of Twente to anyone. In terms of research and education, you have access to a great many resources and you can focus on your interests freely and extensively. Accessibility is a very important merit of the research environment. It’s easy to communicate with the professors and researchers, to share your ideas and to develop new skills. From a non-academic perspective, the university campus and the city of Enschede offer you the chance to enrich your social and personal life.