Master in Health Tech and Clinical Engineering

Master in Health Tech and Clinical Engineering is one of 24 English-taught Engineering programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 13 institutions. 24 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland, from EUR 727 to EUR 1,453; this programme lists EUR 727 a year. 16 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

What you study

The programme sits where engineering meets medicine. You learn to design medical technology products from the first idea to a working prototype, to integrate new technology into medical IT systems, and to plan building automation for healthcare facilities. The mix of subjects includes clinical engineering, electrical engineering, installation engineering, information technology, building automation (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sanitary engineering), medical basics, and leadership and management skills.

Health and medical informatics is a focus, with future-oriented technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, augmented reality and virtual reality. You also cover requirements engineering: gathering, analysing and managing requirements in technical areas of healthcare. Safety is another thread: you assess the safety of technical and medical devices and develop measures to keep them reliable. Teaching is in German and English, so the programme is partly taught in English. Check with the institution which parts are in which language.

How the programme is organised

This is a part-time Master of Science in Engineering (MSc) over four semesters, 120 ECTS. Each semester you work on different tasks as part of a project team. Laboratory work lets you work through specific case studies you might meet in your professional career. Interdisciplinary projects are part of the university's research strategy, and students get involved in advancing research at the interface of engineering and health.

First-semester modules named on the page include Mathematics and software development in medicine, Applications of biomedical signal processing, and Cybersecurity and protective measures in healthcare IT. In the mathematics and software module you cover differential equations, Fourier analysis, statistical estimation and test methods, and regulatory standards for medical software such as ISO 13485 and IEC 62304. The signal processing module uses Matlab and looks at electrophysiological signals including EEG, ECG and EMG. The cybersecurity module covers threats, vulnerabilities and protective measures for IT systems and medical devices.

Who it suits

You already have knowledge in clinical engineering, computer science or engineering, and a strong interest in digitalisation and automation. You think in an interdisciplinary, analytical and structured way. The programme is for people who want to combine health and medical informatics with technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and smart building automation, and who want to develop sustainable, energy-efficient solutions for healthcare facilities that increase patient comfort and optimise costs.

The page describes the degree as Austria's first Master's programme for the coordination of technical systems in the healthcare sector. The training in leadership and management skills prepares you for management positions where you drive digitalisation, automation and efficiency in healthcare.

Admission, language and next steps

You need a completed Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject, or an equivalent degree from a recognised domestic or foreign post-secondary institution, with a total of 180 ECTS, of which at least 60 ECTS are in technical engineering or natural scientific subjects. In exceptional cases the head of degree programme decides. Bachelor's degrees in Clinical Engineering at Hochschule Campus Wien meet the requirement, as do similar programmes such as Biomedical Engineering, Medical Engineering, Medical IT, Industrial Engineering and Computer Science.

The required language level is at least German B2. The admission procedure includes an interview with the admissions committee. International applicants may need legalisation of documents from countries other than Austria. Documents not in German or English need a translation by a sworn and court-certified interpreter, and original documents should have all legalisation stamps before translation. You apply online and upload scans of your original documents with all required legalisation stamps, plus translations where needed. The head of the study programme decides on equivalence of international qualifications, so documents are checked during the application process. The programme page gives the application period; there is no central application portal, so apply directly to the institution.

The Master's degree program Health Tech and Clinical Engineering is Austria's first Master's degree program for the coordination of technical systems in the healthcare sector. The mix of subjects comprising knowledge of clinical engineering, electrical engineering, installation engineering, information technology, building automation including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, sanitary engineering as well as medical basics, plus leadership and management skills, is ideal for your versatile career in the healthcare sector. In numerous laboratory exercises during your studies, you will work on specific case studies which you might face in your professional career.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Hochschule Campus Wien, University of Applied Sciences. Universities of applied sciences set their own application periods and admission procedures, so read them on the programme page. Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.