Master's Degree Programme in Biomedical Imaging
What can you see inside a cell? Our interdisciplinary programme provides you thorough theoretical understanding and practical skills in diverse biomedical imaging methods and technologies.
Biomedical Imaging – more than you can imagine!
The studies in Biomedical Imaging provide you with strong knowledge on either cellular biology, anatomy and physiology, nanomedicine or biophysics, depending on the area of your specialisation. You will study in a highly international environment and gain excellent theoretical and practical skills in a wide range of imaging techniques and applications as well as in image analysis.
In addition, the courses cover light microscopy, advanced fluorescence techniques, super-resolution imaging techniques, PET, electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, bioimage informatics and use of various image analysis tools. The interdisciplinary curriculum provides you with a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art knowledge in biomedical imaging related to many different areas in cell biology and biomedicine.
The graduates have the possibility to continue their studies as doctoral candidates in order to pursue a career as a scientist, in industry or science administration, and in an imaging core facility or a hospital research laboratory.
Entry requirements
General Requirements
You are an eligible applicant for Master’s-level studies if
- you have a nationally recognized first cycle degree – normally a Bachelor’s degree – from an accredited institution of higher education,
- your degree corresponds to at least 180 ECTS (European credits) or to three years of full-time study,
- your degree is in a relevant field for the Master’s degree programme that you’re applying to. Please check the section on programme-specific admission requirements for detailed degree requirements.
Language Requirements
Applicants must have excellent English language skills and a certificate that proves those skills. You can indicate your language skills by taking one of the internationally recognized English language tests.
Applicants must reach the minimum required test results to be considered eligible to the University of Turku. No exceptions will be made. Read more about the language requirements here.
Study right
You will not be granted a new, similar study right to pursue a degree or course of study that you are already pursuing, or have already completed, within the same field or a corresponding subject at the University of Turku. If your study right has expired or been moved to the passive register, you cannot apply for a new, similar study right. Instead, you must then apply for an extension to your study time or a reactivation of your study right.
Before you start preparing your application, always read the full admission requirements on the application portal Studyinfo.fi
The degree on basis of which you are applying to the MDP in Biomedical Imaging must be in a relevant field of study. For the Biomedical Imaging such fields are
- biochemistry
- bioinformatics
- biology
- biomedical sciences
- chemistry
- computational biology
- engineering
- medical sciences
- pharmacology
- physics
The applicants should also be familiar with the basics of laboratory practice relevant to the programme.
Note that based on the background of the applicant, the admitted student may need to conduct 0-15 ECTS of supplementary studies in cell biology, biophysics, laboratory skills or programming if needed in the beginning of the studies. This is to bring everyone to the same level for advanced studies in biomedical imaging. The admitted student’s need for supplementary studies is determined by the teaching staff at the beginning of the studies. Supplementary studies can be included in the degree as elective studies.
Both Finnish and foreign students can apply to the Programme.
The applications are evaluated by the admission committee of the Master’s Degree Programme in Biomedical Imaging. The evaluation is based on
- suitability of background studies
- previous academic success
- relevant laboratory experience
- motivation letter
- pre-assignment and interview (the most successful applicants only)
For the exact scoring, please see the full admission requirements at Studyinfo.fi.
The academic evaluation is made only for complete applications that are received during the application period. Any preliminary assessment of suitability or chances for admission will not be given.
Programme in brief
The programme in total is 120 ECTS (2 years). The structure for Biomedical Imaging programme is:
See the Study Plan of Biomedical Imaging for 2024–2027 >
The University of Turku fosters students' professional growth and global perspective by promoting internships and student exchanges. Every degree student can take advantage of these opportunities – all internships come with a guaranteed subsidy, and every exchange programme includes a grant.
Does this page answer your questions about the programme's content and academic matters? If not, contact bima-office@bioimaging.fi.
The strong imaging expertise of the universities in Turku offers a great environment for studying Biomedical Imaging. Imaging is one of the strongholds of the two universities in Turku, the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. Both universities were also involved in the founding of Turku BioImaging, which is a broad-based, interdisciplinary science and infrastructure umbrella that unites bioimaging expertise in Turku and elsewhere in Finland. Turku is especially known for its PET Centre and the development of super-resolution microscopy. Another example of research conducted in Turku is Turku Center for Disease Modeling.
Winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Stefan Hell did his original discoveries on STED microscopy at the University of Turku. Turku is also a leader of the Euro-BioImaging infrastructure network which provides imaging services for European researchers.
Turku has a unique, compact campus area, where two universities and a university hospital operate to create interdisciplinary and innovative study and research environment.
Research facilities include a wide array of state-of-the-art imaging technologies ranging from atomic level molecular and cellular imaging to whole animal imaging, clinical imaging (e.g. PET) and image analysis.
Studies in BioImaging are highly research oriented and the courses are tailored to train future imaging experts in various life science areas.
Biomedical Imaging programme is very interdisciplinary with a unique atmosphere and people from different countries and educational backgrounds interacting and co-operating. Students are also encouraged to join courses, workshops and internship projects elsewhere in Finland, in Europe and all around the world. The programme has Erasmus+ exchange agreements with University of Pecs in Hungary, L’Institut Supérieur de BioSciences in Paris, France and Université de Rouen Normandie in Rouen, France.
Master’s thesis in biomedical imaging consists of an experimental laboratory project (including hands-on imaging) with thesis plan and seminar presentations, and the written thesis.
The aim of the thesis is to demonstrate that the student masters their field of science, understands the research methodology as well as the relevant literature, and is capable of scientific thinking and presenting the obtained data to the scientific community.
Usually the Master’s thesis is conducted in a research group as an independent sub-project among the group’s research projects. Experimental research work will be conducted under the guidance of a supervisor.
Examples of thesis topics:
- Exercise and brown adipose tissue activation in humans (EXEBAT)
- Stimulated emission depletion microscopy of sub-diffraction polymerized structures
- Optimization of immunofluorescence protocols for detection of biomarkers in cancer tissues.
- Exploring the feasibility of a new PET tracer for assessment of atherosclerotic plaques in mice.
- Morphology of the inner mitochondrial membrane
- Accuracy and precision of advanced T2 mapping in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
- Prevalence of perfusion-diffusion mismatch in acute stroke patients
Turku has longstanding research traditions in the field of biomedicine. Especially the fields of drug discovery, diagnostics, and biological and medical imaging represent the top level expertise of the University of Turku.
The Biomedical Imaging programme is organized in a collaboration of two universities, the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. Biomedical Imaging programme has also close co-operation with the other programmes in the field of biomedicine at the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Technology.
The offered education is based on the true research strengths of the participating units:
- Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Turku
- Department of Biosciences at the Åbo Akademi University
- Faculty of Technology at the University of Turku
Biomedical Imaging is jointly administered and run by the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University. An applicant is highly recommended to apply to the programme/track through both universities. The applicant can be admitted only to one of the organizing universities. Biomedical Imaging students from both universities study as a united group, but each student will graduate only from the university they were admitted to.
Career prospects
After completing the studies, you:
- are expected to conceptualize different imaging modalities and modern imaging technologies, which includes light microscopy, advanced fluorescence techniques, super-resolution imaging techniques, electron microscopy and vivo imaging techniques such as nuclear imaging and magnetic resonans imaging
- are expected to learn to analyze imaging data using a broad range of bioimage informatics analysis techniques, related IT skills and statistical analysis.
- will be able to conceptualize a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art knowledge in biomedical imaging related to many different areas in cell biology, biophysics and biomedicine.
- will be able to obtain hands-on experience in laboratory and practical research work with analysis and evaluation, in projects that include imaging components. Depending on the advanced studies specialization, students will have basic to advanced knowledge and skills in medical imaging, microscopy or data analysis.
- have a degree from a highly international learning environment where students from all around the world have a chance to interact and collaborate with each other
- master scientific writing in English, and
- have excellent basis for postgraduate studies.
The interdisciplinary curriculum provides you with broad knowledge on biomedical imaging related to many areas of biomedicine and life sciences.
The Biomedical Imaging specialisation track aims to train future imaging and image analysis experts to meet the increasing demand in the fields of basic and medical research as well as the high demand for imaging core facility personnel.
The programme provides excellent possibilities for a career in life sciences. For example, you can:
- continue as postgraduate students to pursue a career as a scientist,
- work in core facility management,
- work in science administration nationally or internationally,
- work in hospital research laboratories,
- work in industry and industrial research, or
- work in imaging network or project management.
Master of Science degree provides you with eligibility for scientific postgraduate degree studies.
Graduates from the Biomedical Sciences Programme are eligible to apply for a position in the University of Turku Graduate School, UTUGS. The Graduate School consists of 19 doctoral programmes covering all disciplines and doctoral candidates of the University.
Together with the doctoral programmes the Graduate School provides systematic and high quality doctoral training. UTUGS aims to train highly qualified experts with the skills required for both professional career in research and other positions of expertise.
Several doctoral programmes at University of Turku are available for graduates:
Student experiences
