Overview
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering provides an advanced training and education to the next generation of biomedical engineers. Biomedical Engineering is considered as the application of engineering principles to advance healthcare and medicine. Some of the most exciting work in biomedical engineering today takes place at the intersection of the biological, physical, chemical, engineering and digital disciplines; making significant impacts on human healthcare. The MSc in Biomedical Engineering brings students to exciting new developments in biomedical engineering today, ranging from development of new materials for use in cardiac therapeutics, designing innovative next generation medical devices, in silico design and modelling, to growing and regenerating new tissues for tissue replacement and in vitro disease modelling.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering equips candidates with the education, problem-solving and creative skills, and training necessary to address important clinical needs in the medical devices industry, or research and clinical institutes. Students of the MSc in Biomedical Engineering at Trinity College Dublin receive lectures from international experts in biomedical engineering subjects, specifically tailored to the current needs of industry and carry out research in internationally recognised, state of the art research laboratories and facilities. This MSc programme also provides an excellent foundation for a continued research career with many graduates pursuing Ph.D. research in diverse biomedical engineering related fields both nationally and internationally.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering offers four distinct streams tailored to the background and previous experience of entrants.
1. General Stream
2. Medical Device Design Specialisation
3. Neural Engineering Specialisation
4. Tissue Engineering Specialisation
Our unique offerings bestow our graduates with a distinct competitive edge in the global medical device and biomedical engineering marketplace. Students enrolled on the MSc in Biomedical Engineering* may have the opportunity to specialise in one of three key research themes - medical device design, neural engineering or tissue engineering, if the suitability of their background permits. All four streams (General, Medical Device Design, Neural and Tissue Engineering) lead to the award of the MSc in Biomedical Engineering and consist of compulsory core modules as well as optional modules.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering - General Stream, has been designed to provide a solid and broad basis in biomedical engineering for entrants with no previous background in biomedical engineering. It provides individuals with a critical education in biomedical engineering in the medical devices industry.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering with specialisation in Medical Device Design is designed to bring together clinicians, researchers and the medical device industry to produce new solutions for clinical needs. The field of medical device research is a fast-moving area which can offer students a rewarding career in the global medical device market. Students will gain a specific education of the key topics in medical device design process and a knowledge of medical device regulation.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering with specialisation in Neural Engineering is focused on clinical neural engineering. This is based on signal processing of neuroimaging and electrophysiological data to solve specific clinical problems. MSc research projects employ neuroimaging methods (EEG and MRI) to develop quantitative methods to understand neurological function but also to develop new analytical, neurophysiological and neuroimaging methods that allow outcomes of interventions to be more accurately predicted. MSc research projects will be collaboration with clinical colleagues including those in neurology, neurophysiology, psychiatry, otolaryngology, gerontology and respiratory medicine. Many of the projects require data acquisition from clinical cohorts.
The MSc in Biomedical Engineering with specialisation in Tissue Engineering provides students with a critical understanding of stem cell biology and therapeutic applications, animal and human cell culture processes, strategies at the forefront of current scientific developments to regenerate or repair damaged tissues. This exciting multidisciplinary field of research holds significant potential in the treatment of many diseases and disorders such as Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Heart Repair, Osteoarthritis, Back pain, Corneal degeneration, and Peripheral nerve damage. Students receive a focused education on the key subjects of tissue engineering such as Biomaterials, Tissue Engineering and Laboratory Techniques in Cell and Tissue Engineering. This stream provides “hands-on” training in state-of-the-art cell and tissue engineering techniques, which develops the necessary skills to pursue a significant research topic in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
One of the most unique courses of its kind in Ireland, the MSc in Biomedical Engineering* has received a number of awards Engineers Ireland: Excellence in Education Award (2012) and Best Postgraduate Course of the Year in Engineering (Winner 2012, Runner up 2016) which recognise the scale and diversity the MSc in Biomedical Engineering course delivers in terms of the student experience, its contribution to the economy and making an impact on global healthcare.
Career Opportunities
The success and impact of this course makes our highly skilled graduates employable in the Medical Device industry in Ireland and around the world. Our graduate bioengineers work in the design and manufacture of medical devices with market leading companies. Graduates from last years programme are currently working in Medtronic, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boston Scientific, Johnson & Johnson, Schivo Group, Carl Zeiss Meditec and Stryker. Many pursued further research in Trinity College and also in leading universities such as Stanford and Harvard as well as in hospital and clinical environments, on the regulatory practice of medical devices with the Irish Medicines Board. This MSc. programme is an excellent foundation for further research and many graduates are currently doing PhD research in Medical Device Design.
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Study Biomedical Engineering (M.Sc.) at Trinity
Dr. Michael Monaghan gives an overview on the MSc. in Biomedical Engineering.
Course Details
Number of Places
18 PlacesNext Intake
September 2023
Course Coordinator
Professor Michael Monaghan
Course Director
Professor Michael Monaghan
Closing Date
31st March 2023

Admission Requirements
Applicants will be required to hold a minimum of an upper second class honors degree (II.1 or higher, CGPA 3.2/4 (North America) or 65% or 6.8 CGPA (India)) in engineering, biomedical technology, or a cognate discipline.
Applications for Sept 2023/24 intake are open and will remain open until the 31st of March 2023. From now, all applications received will be reviewed on a monthly basis and shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview shortly thereafter. Only complete applications with all required documentation uploaded will be reviewed for shortlisting (see Frequently Asked Questions for required documentation). Shortlisted applicants will be called for interview (online) with the Course Director - Prof. Michael Monaghan. Outcomes of the interviews will be made known to the candidates shortly after the interview has taken place.
For further information on this course including some frequently asked questions, please see our dedicated webpage: https://www.tcd.ie/biomedicalengineering/msc/
Course Fees
Click here for a full list of postgraduate fees
Apply
To apply, click on the relevant Apply Link below
Get in Touch
Telephone Number
(01) 8968582
(01) 8963393
Website
https://www.tcd.ie/biomedicalengineering/msc/
Register Your Interest
Register your interest in postgraduate study at Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin.
As Ireland’s leading university, we offer a wide range of postgraduate programmes at masters, diploma and certificate level.
Trinity is an international university steeped in history, with a reputation for excellence in education, research and innovation.
Testimonials
Jemil Saidi – MSc in Bioengineering 2020/21
I applied for the MSc in Bioengineering following the completion of my undergraduate studies in Engineering with Management at Trinity College Dublin which, although provided a strong foundation in engineering principal, plus insight into the business/management side of the field but was not fully aligned with my career goal hence the decision to pursue the MSc. The course had the perfect balance of engineering fundamentals, advanced theories in biomedical engineering and gave students the ability to develop laboratory and clinical research skills. The lectures were very engaging and willing to guide students when needed. Despite the challenges that came with the pandemic, the course group bonded and having the opportunity to work in groups on various collaborative projects made the year less lonely and daunting. I’m glad I chose to pursue the MSc in Bioengineering. Through it I found the most amazing friend group, worked with top researchers in their field for my thesis and it gave me all the necessary tools I needed for my job as a Research Assistant, in RCSI where I’m working on a novel medical device, which has always been my goal.
Peter Hyatt – MSc in Bioengineering 2019/20
The MSc in Bioengineering program at Trinity College was perfect because it helped me use my mechanical engineering background and mindset to transfer into the biomedical field. Along the way my engineering knowledge grew immensely in depth and width and it was amazing learning about the bioengineering field and the medical device designing process.
Greg Campion – MSc in Bioengineering 2018/2019
• What did you enjoy most about the course?
I really enjoyed the MSc course, I specialised in the Medical Device Design stream and it was everything I had hoped it would be entering the course. It involves thorough detail from device design to all steps and processes required for getting a device to market. It is very clear now that every aspect of the course is tailored to be extremely relevant for industry.
• What is your current position and did the MSc help you secure this position?
I am currently an R&D engineer in Boston Scientific Galway working in the structural heart division. The MSc absolutely helped me secure the position as my entire thesis was about improving the durability of transcatheter heart valves for the treatment aortic valve stenosis, which is the type of device I am now working on in Boston Scientific.
• Would you recommend the course to other Engineering graduates?
I couldn't recommend the course enough for anyone considering - it opened an awful lot of career paths and doors I didn't know existed prior to completing the MSc.
Laurens Parmentier – MSc in Bioengineering 2018/2019
• What did you enjoy most about the course?
I really enjoyed getting relevant theory classes which could be applied in several reallife interdisciplinary projects.
• What is your current position and did the MSc help you secure this position?
The MSc gave me the opportunity to learn how to work on a scientific project which I'm applying now as a PhD candidate developing a bone tissue engineering scaffold for critical bone defects at Ghent University in Belgium.
• Would you recommend the course to other Engineering graduates?
I would definitely recommend this course to other Engineering graduates.
Brooke Tornifoglio – MSc in Bioengineering 2017/2018
• What did you enjoy most about the course?
The opportunities that were made available to us as students, from research project topics to community engagement in our courses, made the program very hands-on and facilitated our learning and development as researchers.
• What is your current position and did the MSc help you secure this position?
The MSc program definitely made my current position - a PhD researcher in Prof. Caitriona Lally's Lab in the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering - possible.
• Would you recommend the course to other Engineering graduates?
Yes! The taught masters is a great combination of multidisciplinary coursework and a full research project.
Student Survey Feedback: MSc in Bioengineering 2020/21
General course feedback:
Good programme, great guidance and nice projects during the year!!
What students enjoyed most about the course:
• Learning new skills
• The master’s project
• Close contact with teachers and hands on working in the workshop
• The interactive medical device design course and here especially Med3Dp.
• Close contact with students and professors. All the practical things, like dissertation, MED3DP, Synergy, NCAD design week.
80% of the students who responded to the survey said that they would recommend the course to undergraduate engineers.
23% of the students have secured a career in the Biomedical Industry, 42% have gone on to further study and 35% career path unknown
Student Survey Feedback: MSc in Bioengineering 2019/20
General course feedback:
This program was very helpful in finding a career path. I was able to focus my thesis project on a field that I was very interested in and gave me the experience necessary within that field to pursue a position in the field after completing the program.
What students enjoyed most about the course:
• The group projects were the most enjoyable because the work typically was about something relevant/interesting and working with others seemed like a much more relatable environment for when I get a job.
• Working on group projects with my classmates, the wide range of topics covered,
• I really enjoyed the tissue engineering lectures and the honest insight from the professor on what works or doesn't work in the field and why.
• My thesis.
75% of the students who responded to the survey said that they would recommend the course to undergraduate engineers.
75% of the students who responded have secured a career in the Biomedical Industry and 25% have gone on to further study.