📖Introduction

The University of Birmingham is a public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham, and Mason Science College, making it the first English civic or 'red brick' university to receive its own royal charter. The University have a long and proud history of firsts, at the University of Birmingham; they were the first – and are now one of the largest - civic universities in the UK.

At Birmingham, the institution teach and research across the full breadth of academic disciplines, creating a vibrant community with multi-disciplinary opportunities for research and education. The University is a truly international community consisting of more than thousands of staff, students, and alumni. The student community is not only one of the largest of any UK university, it is highly diverse, with 82 per cent of home undergraduate students from state schools, 32 per cent from a BAME background, and 35 per cent in the first generation of their family to attend university.

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📖Program Curriculum

Please note: The modules listed on the website for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods. The modules listed below are those currently intended for students starting in 2023. Please ensure you review these modules for updates before applying for this programme when applications open.

Compulsory modules
BioInnovation I: Research Methodologies and Practices of Needs-led BioInnovation (20 credits)
This module provides an introduction to needs-led innovation in healthcare settings and methodologies used to capture stakeholder input in the development of health technology. Inspired by the BioDesign programme at Stanford University, it implements first-stage identification of clinical problems and opportunities, of a three-stage process, followed by ideation and implementation. It is composed of lectures, practical training and guided learning to understand and carry out clinical need identification, prioritisation and assessment, supported by clinical and industry partners. You will gain the necessary skills of time management, commercial and entrepreneurial awareness, interpersonal, communication and team skills, via a series of workshops and simulation exercises. In multidisciplinary teams you will create a list of clinical needs where a new solution can create value, and critically evaluate these needs against a set criteria mainly driven by business viability and technical feasibility to identify high priority problems that you wish to solve in the following stages of the process. You will record your interactions with healthcare staff, prepare reports, and present to an audience comprising of peers, the programme team, academic and clinical mentors and external evaluators.

Novel Medical Technology Assessment and Identifying the Need for Improved Medical Devices (20 credits)
This module covers the application of systems and processes used to assess novel medical technologies and identify the need for improved medical devices, such as the Medical Technology Evaluation Programme (MTEP) within the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and NHSx.

The fundamentals of technology assessment and design are introduced and their relevance to the western healthcare system considered. Through the use of examples from recent publications from the MTEP programme and research literature, the development of technologies that are capable of producing significantly improved health and health-system outcomes is explored.

You will work individually to review multiple individual technologies that have been assessed and identify the relevant factors that influenced the assessment outcomes. You will present short comparative studies of similar technologies or health targets exploring where improvements could be made in technologies that failed to receive positive guidance. The findings are presented in oral presentations and written reports, and feedback is given so that you are able to refine your approaches and develop your written reports.

BioInnovation II: Ideation and Design methodologies for Translation from Idea to Impact (20 credits)
This module introduces various design approaches and their merits and demerits in bioinnovation settings. It aims to provide an introduction to health technology design, translational and clinical research methods for health technology development and assessment, and technology commercialisation. It implements the second stage of the BioDesign process, ideation and concept development. It is composed of lectures, practical training and guided learning to understand and carry out technology concept generation and validation. You will gain the necessary skills via a series of workshops and simulation exercises to conceptualise, communicate and materialise new ideas and solutions to the healthcare needs. In multidisciplinary teams you will create new concepts to solve clinical needs identified in the first semester of the Biomedical Innovation programme. You will create a business case and present to an audience comprising of peers, the programme team, academic and clinical mentors and external evaluators.

Improving Quality and Patient Safety in novel medical technology use (20 credits)
This module covers the application of quality control systems, processes and regulations used when assessing and using novel medical technologies, whether in early practice or during research, and identifies possible areas for improvement. Medical technology safety is a fundamental requirement of healthcare regulation, and practices during development evaluation are particularly stringent. Through the use of examples from recent publications from the MTEP programme and wider regulatory research literature, the safety issues and requirements of the western medical regulation are explored.

You will work individually to review multiple individual technologies that have been assessed and identify the relevant factors that influenced the safety protocols and quality by design outcomes. You will present on specific areas of interest within quality and/or safety requirements and engagement practices required. You will also present a walk-through of the regulatory process for two devices that are already on the market, showing a deep understanding of the regulatory pathway for medical devices. The findings are presented in oral presentations and written reports, and feedback is given so that you are able to refine your approaches and develop your written reports.

BioInnovation III: Project [Project and Dissertation/Report] (60 credits)
This module provides you with an opportunity to work across disciplines at university and carry out a major research project under the supervision of a member of academic staff. It aims to provide the opportunity to further develop a (prototype) solution for the identified clinical needs, as well as preparing a business case that would enable the solution’s successful launch. The project involves full-time research for one third of the academic year starting from May until the end of August. You will perform research including literature, IP searches and market research to develop a complete business case for the project. The project report (which should be a maximum of 16,000 words in length) will be internally assessed by two academic staff. You will be required to give a project presentation to internal (academic staff) and external evaluators (clinical and industry partners).

Optional modules
Introduction to Healthcare Technologies (10 credits)
Health Economics (10 credits)
Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare Technologies (10 credits)
Additive manufacturing and 3D printing for healthcare applications (10 credits)
Business and Strategy Development (10 credits)
Principles of Health Technology Assessment (10 credits)
Medical Devices (10 credits)
Sensor systems in medicine (10 credits)

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🏫About University of Birmingham, England

Effective leadership is a hallmark of the University of Birmingham. Today, the institution have a global reputation as a rich and diverse institution known for inspirational thinking, financial stability, and strong local, national, and international partnerships. Its heritage as the original ‘redbrick’ is combined with one of the most compelling and ambitious agendas in higher education. The University has been transformed in recent years, characterised by major investments in academic staffing, investment of £1 billion in campus facilities, strong and improving outcomes for its students, annual growth in research performance, and bold new moves such as establishing the only university-run secondary school and sixth form in the country, and opening a new campus in Dubai.

The single biggest investment that the University has made in recent years is in people. Since 2015 the University have expanded its academic staff numbers by more than 500, including world-class researchers and teachers, leading early-career academics (including through a much-emulated Birmingham Fellows scheme), and Interdisciplinary Professorial Fellows, its innovative scheme to enhance cross-disciplinary working. The University are developing an enviable reputation for attracting some of the finest minds in the world to teach and research at the University.

🏠 Accommodation

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

How to book:

  • Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
  • Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it
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💰 Fees

Application Fee:

442 RMB

Tuition fee:

26,640 GBP per year

26,640 GBP in total

Entry Requirements

You are not eligible to apply to this program because:

The minimum age is 18.

English fluency is required.
You need to be either:
- A native English speaker
- Studied in English at high school or a degree
- Have passed IELTS level 6.5 or TOEFL 95 or above.

Minimum education level: Bachelor's.

The program is competitive, you need to have a high grades of Average A, 70%, or a high GPA.

All students from all countries are eligible to apply to this program.

Is this not correct? You can edit your profile or contact us.
Or see the list of programs you are eligible for here .
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📬 Admissions Process

3 Steps to Apply to a University

Application step 1

Application step 2

Application step 3

Please choose the programs here , "You are advised to select 2-3 programs to increase your chances of getting accepted.

Required Documents:

  • Passport
  • Graduation certificate
  • Passport size photo

Preparing documents:

You can start your application now and send the application documents during your application. Some documents you can send later if you don’t have them right away. Some more info about preparing application documents is here

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Application process:

Applying Online is simple in just a few steps. More information is available here.

The first steps are to choose the programs, pay the application fee and upload the application documents.

Once submitted to Global Admissions, we will review your application within 2-3 days and proceed to the university or ask you for further clarification

After it has been processed to the university you will receive your unique application ID from each university.

The university may contact you directly for further questions.

We will then follow up each week with the university for updates. As soon as there is any update we will let you know. If you have made other plans, decide to withdraw / change address at any time please let us know.

After you have been accepted you will receive your admissions letter electronically and asked to pay the non-refundable deposit to the university.

Once you have paid the deposit the university will issue you the admissions letter and visa form to your home country.

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Here is some more information about the enrollment process after you have been accepted.

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