Marquette.edu // Graduate School // Engineering Certificate Programs

Clinical Immersion in Medical Device Design Certificate

“

At the Opus College of Engineering, we are world-class engineers who will lead bold, innovative change to serve the world in the Jesuit tradition.

Identify new design opportunities, improve medical devices, or create new approaches to solve problems often encountered by clinicians and medical professionals in medical device product development with the Clinical Immersion in Medical Device Design graduate certificate offered by Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Students will master the etiquette and skills of successful clinical immersion and develop observational research techniques that will uncover new medical device design opportunities.

Students complete courses online and have hands-on practical experiences in clinical simulation centers and in-person immersive clinical environments. These experiences provide engineers a unique opportunity to observe clinical procedures, facilitate clinician-designer interactions, and gain a first-hand account of how the medical devices are meeting the needs of current users. Students will identify future unmet needs and opportunities for improved design practices, leading to safer and more successful medical devices.

The certificate utilizes the unique aspects of the Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, blending faculty expertise and the clinical setting.

Flexible, affordable graduate certificates

We recognize the importance of flexibility to those pursuing graduate education, especially to practicing engineers. That’s why we offer you the opportunity to complete our certificates on a full- or part-time basis.

Credit Hours

Months to Complete*

Online and On-Site

^{*12-18 months to complete, based on a student's individualized plan}

Expand all | Collapse all

View the Course Work

This experience begins with an online “Clinical Needs Finding” course to introduce students to pre-immersion topics related to medical terminology, regulatory standards, ethnographic research, bioethics, and more. The following course, “Clinical Observation,” leads students through one simulation center visit and four clinical site visits, guided by personalized assignments tailored to the specific needs of a student’s industry and role. Students also complete two elective courses of their choosing within biomedical engineering and design themes.

Total Credit Hours 12

Required Courses

Clinical Needs Finding: provides students with the tools and mindset to identify needs within the clinical environment.
Clinical Observation: an immersive, experiential learning opportunity within the clinical environment

Elective Courses (choose 2)

Themes within the elective choices include:

Biomedical device and instrumentation
Physiology and human factors
Identifying unmet needs

Topic Areas

Topics covered include:

Clinical terminology and common devices
Stakeholder perspectives
US FDA regulatory requirements
International standards
Systems and inclusive design methodologies
Observation and ethnographic skills
Bioethical considerations

Additional Program Highlights

Access and connect with clinicians in live environments

Through direct contact with real medical device users and live observation of procedures, students will gain observational experience that cannot be replicated in traditional training seminars or research.

Flexible course of study

Students are given great autonomy over elective course selection, allowing them to pursue their individual professional goals. Within the clinical immersion course, students work with program facilitators to track the experience to their unique career needs.

Industry focused

Program was designed in response to an increased industry need to integrate and adapt advanced technology to meet the needs of clinician users. This program supports the principle that medical device development is based on sound understanding of the intended use, applications, and the clinical environment.

Study with expert faculty

Students work closely with faculty from Marquette and the Medical College of Wisconsin, experts with extensive industry experience and robust clinical partnerships that provide ample opportunity for immersive student learning.

Learn from industry experts

Industry experts will participate in this certificate program through guest lectures, allowing students to learn and apply their skills based on their expertise.

Learning Outcomes

Individualized learning objective: Given the wide range of applications of observational research and clinical immersion, each student will work with program facilitators to design their own deliverable or goal that tracks to their specific role and technical needs.

Upon certificate completion, students will be able to:

Observe surgical and other clinical procedures to understand how medical technology is used in the clinical environment.
Communicate with and listen to clinicians to identify unmet clinical needs.
Integrate bioethical, legal, and regulatory considerations into future design and development of medical devices.
Reflect on how observational research in a clinical setting can guide professional growth and be applied directly to engineering career.

Apply Your Knowledge

Lead your organization to observe clinical environments and discover valuable new design opportunities. Build bridges between your teams and your users to develop innovative solutions.

Take the next step towards your future

Book A Tour

I'M READY TO APPLY

Request Information
Admission Requirements
Application Details
Application Deadline
Study with the Experts

Ready to learn more about Marquette and the Medical College of Wisconsin's Clinical Immersion in Medical Device Design certificate program? Reach out directly to our program recruiter.

Graduate Program Recruiter

Tim Carter

phone: (414) 288-7139

email: tim.carter@marquette.edu

To be eligible for admission to the Graduate School at Marquette University, applicants must meet the following requirements:

A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or international equivalent must be completed prior to starting graduate school.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.
Demonstrated English proficiency for non-U.S. citizens.

Applicants who do not have an engineering degree must complete prerequisite engineering requirements. The list of required prerequisite course(s) is determined during the academic advising process. Students who do not meet the 3.000 requirement, but have completed one year of engineering work experience, are reviewed and considered based upon a letter of recommendation from their supervisor to determine the applicant’s ability to complete advanced course work.

Application Requirements

Read all application instructions prior to beginning an application.

A completed online application form and fee.
Copies of all college/university transcripts except those from Marquette.¹
Two letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's suitability for completing graduate-level course work: one from a professor familiar with the student's academic achievement and one from a work supervisor (engineer) or another professor. Waived if the applicant's GPA is 3.000 or above.
Statement of purpose, describing reasons for pursuing an advanced degree and career goals.
(For international applicants only) a TOEFL score or other acceptable proof of English proficiency.

Upon admission, final official transcripts from all previously attended colleges/universities, with certified English translations if original language is not English, must be submitted to the Graduate School within the first five weeks of the term of admission or a hold preventing registration for future terms will be placed on the student’s record.

This program has rolling admission, which means you may apply and submit all application materials any time before the following dates:

Fall term admissions – August 1
Spring term admissions – December 15

Applicants who wish to be considered for merit-based financial aid (scholarships) should be aware of the merit-based financial aid deadlines by which all applicant materials must be received by the Graduate School:

Fall term: February 15
Spring term: November 15

Said Audi, Ph.D.

Marquette University and Medical College of Wisconsin
Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Director of Graduate Studies

Dana Cook, M.S.

Industry leader
Biomedical and Systems engineering

Fabrice Jotterand, Ph.D.

Medical College of Wisconsin
Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities; Director, Graduate Program in Bioethics

Robin Martin, RAC, MBA

Industry leader
Regulatory Affairs and Strategy

Linda Menck, M.A.

Marquette University
Professional in Residence, Strategic Communication

Christine Schindler, Ph.D., CPNP

Marquette University
Clinical Associate Professor and Program Director, Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program

Ryan Spellecy, Ph.D.

Medical College of Wisconsin
Ursula von der Ruhr Chair in Bioethics; Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Health