University of Minnesota Launches Medtech Innovation Master’s Program

The University of Minnesota is recruiting students for the Technological Leadership Institute’s newly launched master’s degree program in medical device innovation.

According to the university, the program “will prepare students to effectively manage the innovation challenges of the complex, highly regulated global medical device industry.”

The North Start State is the ideal launching pad for such a program, boasting a medtech industry workforce of more than 250,000 and some of the world’s top medical device company headquarters or operations such as Medtronic Inc. and St. Jude Medical Inc., according to the trade association LifeScience Alley.

The university of Minnesota’s new program hopes to prepare students for success in medtech innovation. The master’s program integrates multiple disciplines, including technology innovation, project and business management, intellectual property, regulatory affairs and public policy.

Daniel L. Mooradian is director of graduate studies for the new program. He is a former member of the faculty in biomedical engineering and in the Medical School at the University of Minnesota. He has held research and management positions at Boston Scientific Corp. and Synovis Life Technologies (Baxter International). He also has founded and advised a number of med tech startups, according to the university.

“The technical training that undergraduate students generally receive – while essential – is not sufficient for success in the medical device industry,” Mooradian said. “This program is designed to provide students with the industry knowledge needed to give them a competitive career advantage and to give their companies enhanced capacity for innovation.”

The program is scheduled to start its first class in June. The Technological Leadership Institue is part of the University of Minnesota’s College of Science and Engineering.