Medical Engineering with Industrial Placement Year and Foundation Year

Medical engineering is the discipline that designs, develops, and delivers the technologies that modern healthcare depends on, from diagnostic imaging and surgical instruments to prosthetics, implantable devices, and the sensors that monitor patient health. It requires engineers who understand both the underlying principles of medical and healthcare technologies and the clinical contexts in which they are used, and who can navigate the regulatory and ethical frameworks that govern medical devices. The intersection of engineering rigour and biomedical knowledge is what makes the field distinctive and demanding.

At Southampton, this five-year full-time programme combines a foundation year for academic preparation with a main degree in medical engineering that includes an industrial placement year, giving you a rich and extended engagement with both academic study and professional engineering practice. You will gain the skills needed to design, develop, and deliver products to patients, carers, and clinicians, studying engineering fundamentals alongside biomedical science, human physiology, and the regulatory landscape of the medical devices industry. The industrial placement year provides sustained real-world experience in a professional engineering environment before you graduate.

The typical entry tariff is 136 points.

Graduates of medical engineering programmes work in the medical devices industry, in clinical engineering roles within the NHS, in research and development at healthcare technology companies, and in regulatory and quality management. The combination of engineering depth and biomedical knowledge is valued across the full range of health technology sectors, including diagnostics, therapeutics, and digital health. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in biomedical engineering or clinical science, or pursue professional accreditation towards chartered engineer status.