Plans of Study – Clinical Engineering

Advances in healthcare technology have made the practice of medicine highly dependent on the equipment and devices they employ. As newer and more sophisticated technologies become available, hospitals are challenged to access and evaluate innovative new equipment, acquire and install them in the most cost-effective manner, integrate them with existing systems, train the clinical users and insure the best possible operation as they are adopted into the patient care workflow. Additionally, the increased complexities of regulatory compliance, technical maintenance, system diagnostics, and risk management create an urgent need for educated professionals that can stand in the gap between medical practice, sophisticated technology, and operations management. 

All applicants are expected to have a Bachelor of Science in Engineering and be employed in the Clinical Engineering field working within a hospital environment. The online Master of Engineering Clinical Engineering program at the University of Connecticut is a three-year online program designed to prepare clinical engineers to advance and become leaders in their field to help hospitals meet their clinical technology management and regulatory challenges. In this program, engineers will gain knowledge, skills and experience in the practice of clinical engineering, systems engineering, and operations management, including: 

  • Understand complex hospital equipment and systems 
  • Implementation, analysis, and acquisition of medical devices 
  • Reduce risk of healthcare technology ownership 
  • Implement and integrate medical devices and systems 
  • Manage projects and programs 
  • Manage technology related finances 

Upon completion, each student will have earned a Master’s Degree in Engineering while maintaining their current employment in a clinical engineering setting, and be prepared to advance their career in clinical engineering. 

Curriculum & Program Outline 

All students apply and are admitted to the UConn Graduate School.  Students are expected to complete a 30 credit (10 courses) Master of Engineering program.  The program takes approximately 3 years to complete. These courses provide students with the necessary depth of study (beyond the undergraduate level) for a thorough understanding of modern clinical engineering techniques and technologies.  

All courses are offered via online delivery. 

M.Eng. Core Courses (12 credits) 

  1. ENGR 5311 – Professional Communication & Information Management 
  2. ENGR 5312 – Engineering Project Planning & Management 
  3. ENGR 5314 – Advanced Engineering Mathematics 
  4. ENGR 5315 – M.Eng Capstone Project

        Clinical Engineering Concentration courses (18 credits) 

        1. BME 5020 – Clinical Engineering Fundamentals 
        2. BME 5030 – Human Error & Medical Device Accidents 
        3. BME 5040 – Medical Instrumentation in Hospital 
        4. BME 5050 – Engineering Problems in Hospitals 
        5. BME 5070 – Clinical Systems Engineering 
        6. BME 5080 – Medical Device Cybersecurity 

                  Your Plan of Study is determined by your catalog year. Please use your Advisement Report or Academic Requirements Report in StudentAdmin to determine your catalog year. 

                  Clinical Engineering Learning Outcomes 

                  Upon completion of this program, students will be prepared to: 

                  • Lead healthcare technology implementation and improvement by working with clinicians and administrators to: 
                    1. Identify technology needs and gaps 
                    2. Assess existing technologies 
                    3. Plan, negotiate and acquire medical equipment using life-cycle cost analysis techniques 
                    4. Manage installations and integration of new systems 
                    5. Perform clinical staff assessment and training 
                    6. Ensure all safety standards and regulatory compliance are met 
                    7. Manage the technology during its useful life 
                    8. Plan and prioritize eventual replacement 
                    9. Investigate technology related incidents and accidents, coordinate with medical staff, risk managers, and manufacturers to identify high risk technologies, investigate root causes of incidents, remediate technical and procedural deficiencies using failure modes and effects analysis, identify process improvements to advance patient safety, and file reports with management, regulators, and other stakeholders. 
                    10. Evaluate and specify utility systems which connect to medical equipment, such as electrical power, medical gases, ventilation systems and illumination methods. Evaluate and measure environmental risks which are found in the healthcare setting such as electromagnetic interference, radiation safety, electrical safety in the patient environment, fire protection, indoor air quality and disaster planning. 
                    11. Design, analyze, and implement methods to interconnect medical devices to the hospital’s computer network to transfer patient data to the electronic medical record. Understanding medical device security, patient information security, the role of middleware and clinical information systems. 

                                      Additionally, each student will be prepared for certification in Clinical Engineering by the American College of Clinical Engineering.