Master Biomedical Technology and Physics (BMTP)

The Master’s programme in Biomedical Technology and Physics covers the fields of Medical Physics, Biophysics, and Clinical Technology. This combination will teach you how to translate research into the fundamentals of physics, biology and chemistry into innovative biomedical engineering solutions for healthcare. A multidisciplinary background like this will equip you perfectly for tomorrow’s approaches to medical research, in all their complexity. Biomedical Technology and Physics (BMTP) is a collaboration between the researchers of the Science department of VU and the medical centers VUmc and AMC (together Amsterdam UMC). You can check the study guide via this link. 

In the master program you can choose between four specialties:

  • Research
  • Society
  • Communication
  • Education

The Master's programme in Biomedical Technology and Physics is directly accessible to students with a bachelor degree in Medical Natural Sciences and to students with a similar background, like a bachelor in Biomedical Engineering, Physics, University College and BètaGamma. For further details: see 'Dutch Students' and 'International Students' below. Students with a degree in Medische Beeldvorming en Radiotherapie (MBRT) need to complete the premaster's programme first.

As a Master’s student, you will have approximately one year of courses and one year of internships. Each period you have the option to choose 2 out of 3 offered courses, aimed to deepen your physical knowledge, to learn about modeling and image processing, electronics, or about entrepreneurship. You will learn of modern day clinical practice, problems and technologies, a/o by a series of lectures offered by clinicians. You can choose for a more fundamental biophysical direction or for a more clinically applied direction. Also, you can choose a variant in research, society, communication and education, which dictates the courses in the second year of this master's programme. An important part of the master is the internships in the research groups at the Amsterdam UMC or at the VU. Here you apply your knowledge to solve scientific and real life problems and improve your practical skills.

The Master’s programme in Biomedical Technology and Physics is a unique opportunity for students who want to combine scientific subjects with practical application and fundamental research in a clinical setting. Market research shows that graduates of this programme have a bright future. For example, you will be able to: 

  • Develop new possibilities and techniques for medical diagnosis and treatment at an university or company; like this revolutionary new way to check real time if brain tissue contains cancer cells (in Dutch)
  • Research ways of applying technology to treat various diseases;
  • Work on clarifying the molecular basis of various diseases;
  • Consult companies or hospitals on management and medical equipment issue

After the A Master’s degree in Biomedical Technology and Physics you will be able to work in clinics, medical research institutes or for biomedical and pharmaceutical companies. If you decide to specialize further as a clinical physicist, clinical chemist or clinical computer scientist, a Master's degree will entitle you to take part in the postgraduate programme you need to achieve your goal. And there are professional Master's programmes in biomedical scientific subjects, such as toxicology.

After completing your Master's programme, you can also conduct PhD researchm at a university. This is normally awarded for four years, during which the student is expected to complete a research project. The main task of a PhD student is to conduct research resulting in a thesis.

Another option after completing your MAster's programme is teaching. Due to the shortage of certified science teachers and the fact that our economy is knowledge-based, you will be highly valued both in and out of the classroom. With a science teaching degree you can become involved in improving science education both as a teacher or other positions in the educational industry. Practical and scientific knowledge of teaching methods and educational psychology can steer your career in many directions.

At the initial planning stage of your Master’s, you can define your own programme in consultation with the Master’s coordinator: Ton van Leeuwen, t.g.vanleeuwen@amsterdamumc.nl

For more information you can also contact voorlichter@mens-vu.nl or go to the website.