This MS in Medical Device and Diagnostic Engineering program is designed to provide the knowledge and skills needed for the development of medical devices and diagnostic techniques, including aspects of medical product regulation and of product development. The course of study requires successful completion of 28 units of course work and has been designed to be completed in three semesters of full-time study. Students in the program will complete 18 units of core coursework, 6-8 units of specialization track courses and at least one general elective course selected with input and approval from a department advisor.
International Students: This program is eligible for the OPT STEM extension.
- This program requires completion of 28 units of coursework
- Thesis option not available. Directed Research (research without thesis) may be requested after completing first semester
- USC Catalogue
- USC Schedule of Classes
APPLICATION DEADLINES
| SEMESTER | DEADLINE |
| Fall | December 15 (Scholarship consideration)
January 15 (Final deadline) |
Visit our Ready to Apply page for more information.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Applicants to the Master of Science program in Medical Device and Diagnostic Engineering must have a bachelor’s degree or be in the process of completing a bachelor's degree. Most applicants have degrees in engineering or closely related fields, such as Biology/Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Physics, and Medicine.
Applicants without a bachelor's degree in a directly related field may still be considered if they have completed and demonstrated strong proficiency in the following coursework (or equivalent):
| |
| Computer Programming |
| Electronics |
| Life Science |
| Math |
| Physics |
This is not an exhaustive list. Applications are reviewed holistically; simply taking these courses does not guarantee admission.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
The following materials are required to be included with your online application:
- Transcripts
- Resume/CV
- Personal Statement
- Letter of Recommendation (3 required)
NOTE: The GRE is not required for 2026 applications.
The following link will take you to an overview of the tuition & fees for graduate engineering students, including payment information. Both on-campus and DEN@Viterbi students pay the same tuition
TUITION AND FEES OVERVIEW
Use the link below to download the Cost of Attendance to see a summary of tuition and fees by semester. The document is a typical example and the number of courses, and time to complete the program, will vary by student.
Estimated Cost of Attendance - 28 Unit Program
MIYUAN XU
Tell us a little bit about yourself
In addition to graduating from USC's MS in MDDE program, I also did my bachelor in biomedical engineering from Shandong University in China. I'm really passionate about BME! While pursuing my master's degree at USC, I had a better and deeper understanding of my field of study. So, I joined as an R&D project intern at Medtronic and Data Analytics intern at ThermoFisher Scientific.
Tell us about some exciting and unforgettable incidents from your two years at USC?
I was a member of VGSA and a department senator. It was an unforgettable experience, filled with enthusiasm and commitment. I'm happy that I could help our students and department through my efforts. Now, I am confident that I can take leadership roles.
.
PRANAV SHASHIDHAR KARTHIKEYAN
Pranav has long been fascinated with the healthcare sector and knew he wanted to pursue a graduate degree in Biomedical engineering. He considered some of the prestigious universities in the U.S., including the University of Southern California (USC). Since his elder brother had done a PhD in Electrical Engineering from USC, he had a slight inclination towards USC and hoped his application would get accepted. The admission gods were smiling on him and he was admitted to the Masters in Medical Device and Diagnostic Engineering program.
“Since my brother studied here, he provided guidance on the different masters’ programs that USC offered and suggested the better fit for the career pathway that I chose,” he says. Pranav completed a Bachelors degree in Electronics and Instrumentation from SASTRA University in Tamil Nadu, India.
Pranav has been closely involved with the Indian community at USC and actively participates in the activities, discussions and events organized by the Hindu Student Organization (HSO) on campus. “HSO is a very open organization and interacting with people from different faiths at USC is nice,” he says adding that he has served as the president of the organization. “Serving as the president of HSO, I got a lot of experience in organization skills here that were different from the ones I gained back home. I also made some great friends for life because of HSO.”
For Pranav, life at USC was much more than studies. He got involved in several extra-curricular clubs and kept himself busy. For instance, he pursued his passion for table tennis by joining ‘Ping Pong Posse’, USC's famous collegiate table tennis club. He also got enrolled in USC’s Trojan Cricket Club and participated in USC’s cricket tournament, Cromwell Premier League. During the second year of his program, Pranav was a part of Viterbi Graduate Mentorship program where he guided and coached new graduate students. “The main role of a mentor is to ease and facilitate their (new students) transfer from homeland to here, guide them on course work and introduce them to different clubs and advise them about involvement fairs,” he explained.
2025 First Destinations Survey - Outcomes*
Alumni Employment - 2025*
Companies & Job Titles (multiple positions may be listed)
Average Reported Salary: $90,000 (based on one submission)
- Abbott - Clinical Specialist
- Curonix - Electrical Engineer R&D
- Insulet Corporation - Design Transfer Quality Engineer
- Johnson & Johnson MedTech - Clinical Account Specialist I
- Medtronic - Product Quality Engineer
- MetroMesh Media - Project Engineer
- Peerbridge Health, Inc. - Clinical R&D
Previous Years
- Abbott - Mechanical Development Quality Engineer I / Quality Engineer II / RA Project Leader (2024)
- Amgen - Process Engineer Upstream (2024)
- Axonics Modulation Technologies - Operation Engineer I (2024)
- Brainlab, Inc. - Biomedical Engineer, Clinical Associate (2024)
- D.K. Kim International Center for Regulatory Science - Regulatory Affairs Consultant (2024)
- Edwards Lifesciences - Technical Development Program Engineer (2023 or before)
- Johnson & Johnson - RD Engineer Insertion Systems MDEDP (2023 or before)
- Medtronic - Reliability Engineer (2024)
- Roche - Regulatory & Quality FLEX Engineer (2023 or before)
- Valero Lab - Research Intern (2023 or before)
- Zymo Research Corporation - Research Associate (Biomedical Engineering)
Internships (2025)**
Total No. of Internships: 1
Curonix
Previous Internships
Axonics (2023), Fasikl Incorporated (2023), Suna Solutions (2023)
.
* Information is based on a voluntary survey and should not be interpreted as a comprehensive view of the 2025 graduating class.
** Internship data is from CPT internships done by our international student population.
This program is not available via DEN@Viterbi.
Please complete the following form for more information.
