Master of Bioscience Engineering: Human Health Engineering (Leuven)

Our interdisciplinary Master of Bioscience Engineering: Human Health Engineering program (HHE) is dedicated to training the next generation of experts in human health engineering. As a student, you will develop a unique profile that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries and combines knowledge of the biology of the healthy human body and mind with engineering skills. Upon graduation, you will have the knowledge and skills to develop novel creative technologies aimed at improving our quality of life.

What is the program all about?

HHE offers a unique program and educational vision focusing on technology for healthy humans. While many programs in biomedical technology are offered in Belgium and abroad, HHE is the first and only program offered in English that applies the unique combination of human physiology and engineering in a broad range of areas for healthy humans.

Structure

The HHE curriculum is comprised of 120 ECTS (four semesters). The program is organized into a two-module major, a minor, a master’s thesis and elective courses.

The first module (16 ECTS) contains four courses that will allow you to gain insight into the working of the different physiological systems of the human body as well as in the psychology of the healthy human.

The second module (41 ECTS) consists of eight engineering courses. In this module, you are challenged to gain insight into technology and apply your technical knowledge to solve real-life problems in a creative way via practical exercises and project work.

The major also includes a broadening course on religion and society (3 ECTS).

The 20 ECTS minor is comprised of courses chosen to either strengthen your major or to broaden your expertise in another domain.

In the master’s thesis (30 ECTS), you will further develop your ‘hands-on’ experience and learn to solve problems using the acquired skills.

The curriculum is rounded off with 10 ECTS of elective courses aimed at broadening your academic education. These credits may also be used to take strengthening elective courses to fill any gaps in educational background.

This program structure allows for a high degree of personalization, which, in turn, ensures the best possible match for your interests or future career ambitions.

Is this the right program for me?

• You have basic scientific and technological knowledge and skills in the following areas: biology, chemistry, ecosystems, mathematics-physics, engineering.
• You are able to relate the knowledge gained in the bachelor's program in a critical way to an application domain of your choice.
• You are trained to address problems both independently and in a team in a goal-oriented way (inventiveness, creativity, self-motivation, and team spirit).
• You can recognize domain related problems and frame them in a social, ethical and economic context.
• You already have basic knowledge of and affinity with bio-engineering related technical courses such as biological basic knowledge, physical transport phenomena, mechanics of solids, electronic instrumentation, etc.
• You have acquired a solid basis in mathematics and physics and are able to use this in more application-oriented courses such as the engineering courses mentioned above, numerical analysis of biosystems and statistical data processing.
• You have mastered the basic principles of control systems-theoretic reasoning and are able to apply this to complex, technical and biological systems and their interaction processes.

Career opportunities

As an HHE graduate, your polyvalent skill set will make you widely employable in the labor market, both within your own specialization and in other sectors. You will be equipped to take on scientific, technical, organizational and commercial-technical roles in many sectors. In addition, as a bio-engineer, you will rapidly evolve from supporting positions to management positions and this in different activities (research, production, and service, marketing, etc.), according to your interests and goals.

As an HHE expert, your contribution will be essential in numerous industrial sectors, including all professional domains linked to the well-being, health and performance of healthy humans in interaction with their environment. This includes:

• pharmaceutical industry
• clothing and fashion industry
• sport technology companies
• medical companies
• companies active in sleep comfort
• helmet producers
• producers of furniture
• transport industry (such as cars, buses, trains, and airplanes), etc.

Start your career, during your studies

During your bachelor's and master's program you can already shape your own profile by choosing a certain specialization, studying abroad (Erasmus), doing a work placement, or starting your own business.

The Student Career Center is happy to put you on the right track towards your first work experience. The center also coaches you in the search for an interesting job and helps you with job interviews. For students wanting to start their own business KU Leuven also has Lcie, the KU Leuven community that encourages students with innovative and entrepreneurial ideas.

Don’t know where to start? The Student Career Center's databases contain offers for jobs, volunteer work, innovation projects, and student jobs. You can also visit one of the events organized by the Career Center.