Medical Engineering with Industrial Placement Year

Medical engineering is the discipline that applies engineering principles and methods to the design, development, and improvement of medical devices, diagnostic equipment, and healthcare technologies. It sits at the intersection of engineering and medicine, asking how engineering can solve clinical problems in ways that are safe, effective, and responsive to the realities of healthcare delivery. The sector produces everything from prosthetic limbs and hearing aids to MRI scanners, robotic surgical systems, and implantable devices, and it is one of the most rapidly growing areas of engineering practice globally.

At the University of Southampton, this four-year full-time programme prepares you to join a new generation of engineers who understand the underlying principles of medical and healthcare technologies. You will develop competence in engineering disciplines including materials science, electronics, signal processing, biomechanics, and fluid dynamics, applying them to medical and healthcare contexts throughout the course. The industrial placement year is a central feature of the programme, providing an additional year-long paid placement within an engineering organisation relevant to medical technology.

This placement is not simply a work experience supplement but a substantive professional development opportunity that gives you real engineering responsibility, builds your professional network, and significantly enhances your employability on graduation.

Southampton has a strong research profile in biomedical engineering and close connections with the medical devices and healthcare technology sectors, and the programme benefits from both the university's engineering depth and its strong relationships with industry.

Graduates of medical engineering programmes work in medical device companies, NHS clinical engineering departments, research institutions, and the rapidly growing fields of digital health and assistive technology. The degree provides a strong foundation for chartered engineer status and for postgraduate study in biomedical engineering, medical physics, or related specialisms.