New MedTech Innovation Masters seeks diverse talent pool
New technologies, such as AI, machine learning, advanced robotics, 3D printing, digital wearables and more, are opening doors to revolutionary medical technologies and exciting career paths for people from backgrounds as diverse as engineering, law, business, health, computer programming and more.
The University of Melbourne has launched the new Master of Medical Technology Innovation to leverage this potential and guide students to achieve career success in the sector, with applications open for 2027.
Program designer Professor David Grayden said the course is one of only five MedTech innovation postgraduate degrees worldwide and the only MedTech Masters in Australia focused on both innovation and commercialisation in the medical technology space.
“This Masters degree will create new jobs and business opportunities. It will nurture entrepreneurialism by bringing diverse skills together to devise medical technology solutions and bring them to market,” Professor Grayden said.
“It incorporates our very successful BioDesign Innovation program, and will bring graduate student teams together from engineering, business, medical/health, law and other disciplines to create successful medical devices. Since BioDesign Innovation was launched in 2016, it has led to many successful startups, and a growing number of graduates are well on the commercialisation path or embracing related career opportunities.”
The new Masters degree is open to graduates from engineering, science, biomedicine, business, commerce, law and medicine/health disciplines and sits at the intersection of these disciplines. It can be completed as a one-year, full-time or two-year, part-time program.
“It has been designed for professionals and graduates looking to drive change in the sector and offers training in innovation, commercialisation and entrepreneurship,” Professor Grayden said.
“The healthcare landscape is changing rapidly, with high growth globally and high demand for skilled practitioners and innovators who understand both technology and the clinical environment to drive better patient outcomes.”
Professor Grayden said the new Masters degree has been designed to provide better alignment between graduate skills and the commercial needs of industry, which was identified as a priority by the Victorian Medtech Skills and Devices Hub 2025 Industry Report.
“It's such an exciting field because there are many ways that we can monitor the body and diagnose and treat patients today. And there's a real desire throughout the healthcare system to bring in these new ideas.
“Students will learn the basics of medical technologies and how they work in the human body, about anatomy and physiology, about regulations and, crucially, they will have an opportunity to innovate through the Masters’ transformational Biodesign Innovation component.”
BioDesign Innovation startup Navi Medical Technologies is improving care for babies and children, who need life-saving central venous access devices. Their Neonav® ECG Tip Location System is being introduced into US hospitals. Read more here.