Master in Medical & Sports Technologies

Master in Medical & Sports Technologies is one of 3 English-taught Sports Science programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 3 institutions. 3 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists EUR 727 a year.

MCI runs this master's at the meeting point of technology, medicine and sport. It is taught in English, lasts four semesters and awards 120 ECTS with the title Master of Science in Engineering (MSc). You pick one of two specialisations when you apply: Medical Engineering or Sports Technology.

What you study

The programme has twelve core modules and seven specific modules in your chosen specialisation. The aim is specialist knowledge at the interface between technology and the human body. Core topics include app development, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and wearables, with a focus on medicine and sport. Leadership, management and entrepreneurship courses cover the business side for management roles or self-employment.

In Medical Engineering the focus is on processor-controlled prostheses, implantable devices, testing and approval of medical products, medical robotics and personalised medicine. In Sports Technology you work on personalised sports equipment, smart materials and electronic sports products, and look at recovery, prevention and therapy in sport. Motion analysis, wearables and virtual reality come up, as does using data to improve athletes and training.

The module overview splits the workload roughly like this: general technology and engineering 25%, major subjects 29%, hands-on projects 13%, management and entrepreneurship 8%, thesis and final exam 25%. As part of the master's thesis you write a scientific publication on your topic.

How the programme is organised

It is a full-time programme, but MCI says part-time employment is possible. Lectures are mainly in the mornings, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., with classes on about one to two afternoons a week. The semester schedule is available from the start of each semester. Teaching mixes lectures with extensive project work and a top-class mix of international lecturers, and MCI stresses strong practical relevance. The third semester can be spent abroad at a partner university; the page names Politecnico di Milano, ZHAW and Kaunas University of Technology among the partners.

Who it suits

It is aimed at graduates of bachelor's and diploma programmes in engineering or technical sciences and natural sciences, with enough relevant ECTS in four areas: mathematical and scientific fundamentals (mathematics, statistics, physics, chemistry); engineering and IT fundamentals (programming, algorithms, electrical or mechanical engineering, control engineering, fluid mechanics); medicine and medical technology or sports science and sports technology (physiology, anatomy, prosthetics, biomechanics, equipment construction, performance diagnostics, prevention and rehabilitation); and economic and legal aspects plus key skills (business administration, management, law, rhetoric, project management).

MCI names mechatronics, medical and health technology, industrial technology, X-ray technology, hospital technology, environmental, process and energy technology and IT as fitting previous degrees, as long as the curriculum meets the criteria. The head of the programme decides on recognition of previous education, and missing ECTS can partly be covered through bridge and follow-up courses.

Admission, language and next steps

Teaching is in English. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and documents go in online. Step one is the online application with CV, letter of motivation and details of your education, qualifications, professional career, social achievements and goals. Step two is an online admission interview about your motivation and your professional and personal goals. You hear the admission decision within three weeks of the interview. You may apply for more than one MCI programme at once if you explain each motivation. Recognition of exams or credit points from elsewhere is only possible for individual courses and is processed after a positive admission decision. Applications go directly to MCI, and its page gives the application periods and interview dates.

Sports and medical technology represent a rapidly growing market in the face of enormous technological advances and an aging society. These fields offer long-term growth and countless new opportunities through interdisciplinary progress and social trends. MCI offers an English-taught master's degree program with an entrepreneurial orientation that emphasizes the technological aspects of medicine, health, rehabilitation, prevention and sports.

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here MCI | The Entrepreneurial School. Universities of applied sciences set their own application periods and admission procedures, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: Online application, interview. 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.