Master in Biomedical Engineering at Polytechnic University of Milan
Two-year LM-21 master at Politecnico di Milano that can be completed in English, with tracks in biomechanics and biomaterials, cells and tissues, information bioengineering, electronic technologies and clinical engineering. Entry needs set engineering subjects for your track and a recognised English certificate.
Master
2 years
Milan
English
Polytechnic University of Milan
Biomedical Engineering is a two-year, 120 ECTS master's degree (class LM-21) at Politecnico di Milano's Milano Leonardo campus, and every track can be completed in English. Entry needs a bachelor's with at least 5 credits each in set engineering and maths areas for your track, a commission review of your record and a recognised English certificate, such as IELTS 6. Fees follow family income, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
PoliMi's Biomedical Engineering master asks for a first-cycle degree that includes set engineering and maths subjects for the track you choose, a review of your academic record and course programmes by an Evaluation Commission, and a recognised English certificate. There is no entrance test. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree and subject requirements
You need a first-cycle degree (EQF level 6) or a comparable qualification, with knowledge consistent with PoliMi's own Biomedical Engineering bachelor's. For foreign degrees, the Evaluation Commission compares your official course programmes with the required engineering areas, and its decision cannot be appealed. [1]
Your bachelor's must include at least 5 credits in each of these areas, depending on the track: [1]
- Biomechanics and Biomaterials, and Cells, Tissues and Biotechnology: structural mechanics, computer science, automatic control, electrical engineering or applied mechanics, and probability and statistics or numerical analysis.
- Information Bioengineering and Technologies for Electronics: automatic control, electrical engineering, computer science, electronics, and probability and statistics or numerical analysis.
Biology and physiology, biomedical instruments, biomedical signals, medical informatics, biomechanics and biomaterials are not compulsory, but graduates from other fields are advised to fill these gaps on their own. [1]
For foreign graduates, PoliMi also requires a degree that gives access to EQF level 7, from a university in the official system of its country, with subjects closely related to the programme. Franchised degrees are not accepted. [2]
Country rules and minimum grades
PoliMi sets strict country rules for some degrees, with no exceptions: [2]
- India: a bachelor's of at least four years, such as a B.Tech, B.E., B.Des. or B.Arch. A three-year B.Sc. may be considered only if it is an Honours programme. Minimum average 70 out of 100.
- Pakistan: a four-year continuous bachelor's, as 2+2 degrees are not accepted. Minimum GPA 3.3 out of 4.
- Bangladesh: minimum GPA 3.3 out of 4.
- Sri Lanka: an Honours degree (SLQF level 6). SLQF level 5 qualifications are not evaluated.
- UK: an Honours degree or equivalent, from a recognised institution.
For Italian degrees, the 2026/27 thresholds are a weighted average of 24.5/30 for Biomedical Engineering graduates of other Italian universities and 26.5/30 for other graduates, adjusted for the years taken to graduate. [1]
What this means for your transcript
As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: a four-year B.Tech or B.E. in Biomedical, Electronics, Electrical or Instrumentation Engineering, with programming, control systems, circuits and statistics or numerical methods on the transcript and an average that meets your country's minimum.
- Check carefully: a four-year B.Tech or B.E. in Mechanical, Computer Science or Biotechnology Engineering, or a three-year B.Sc. Honours in Physics or Electronics, which may lack automatic control, electrical engineering, electronics or structural mechanics for your track.
- Often short: a three-year B.Sc. without Honours from India, a 2+2 degree from Pakistan, or a degree without an engineering base, such as a B.Pharm, a B.Sc. in Biology or Biotechnology, or a BCA.
Missing subjects become prerequisites. You pass them as individual courses at PoliMi and then apply again in a following semester, before you can enrol. If you do not pass them within 15 months of the commission's decision, you lose the right to admission. [1]
English
English requirements are the same as for all PoliMi programmes. [1] For 2026/27, accepted results include: [3]
- IELTS Academic or General Training 6
- TOEFL iBT 78, or 4.5 for tests taken from 21 January 2026
- Cambridge B2 First at grade B, or C1 Advanced at grade C
- PTE Academic 59
- Trinity ISE II, or LanguageCert B2 Communicator
If English was the medium of instruction of your bachelor's for at least three years, a document certified by your university confirming that at least 75% of your courses were taught in English can replace the certificate. [5]
The programme's 2026/27 regulations say that an applicant without English certification must apply again in the following semester. PoliMi's admissions office lets you upload the certificate after the application deadline, but you need it for your admission letter, visa and enrolment, so we make sure it is in your file. [1][5]
If you study in English, PoliMi says to ignore any system request for an Italian certificate. [6] International students enrol with an Italian learning requirement (OFA) and must certify Italian before the graduation exam. [3]
Selection and tracks
There is no entrance test. An Evaluation Commission appointed by the Programme Council decides admission from your academic career, and any prerequisites are communicated with the admission decision, before enrolment. The commission can consider documented exceptional circumstances attached to the application. [1]
Clinical Engineering is a limited-enrolment track with up to 25 students. It is open only to Biomedical Engineering graduates of PoliMi and other Italian universities, not to graduates of foreign institutions. [1]
The 2026/27 regulations note that a new admission model for PoliMi master's programmes starts from 2028/29. [1]
Deadlines for the September 2027 intake
Engineering master's programmes have two calls open to applicants living outside Italy: [4]
- First call: 1 October to 1 December 2026.
- Second call: 12 January to 25 February 2027.
Outcomes are due by the end of May 2027. A third call from 1 to 18 March 2027 is only for EEA students and non-EEA students living in Italy with certain permits. You can apply once per semester, to at most two programmes. [4]
The programme admits students in the first or second semester, and a positive evaluation is valid only for the semester you applied for. [1] You can apply in the final year of your bachelor's, using an enrolment document from your university, as long as you obtain the degree before enrolment. [2][5]
Documents for non-EU applicants
The application needs a scanned original transcript, your degree certificate or an enrolment document for your final year, a cumulative GPA statement showing your average and the grading scale, and a CV of up to two pages. PoliMi lists detailed course descriptions, a motivation letter, a recommendation letter and GRE scores as optional. [5] Because the commission judges foreign degrees from your official course programmes, we include detailed course descriptions in your file. [1]
Indian applicants upload scanned originals of the transcript or consolidated grade sheet, and screenshots are not accepted. Pakistani applicants also need a university letter stating their weighted average. [2]
To enrol you need a Diploma Supplement where your country issues one, a declaration of value or a CIMEA statement. Without one of these, a positive evaluation does not lead to enrolment, and PoliMi can ask for them at any stage. [2]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- Politecnico di Milano, School of Industrial and Information Engineering. Academic regulations, Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering (class LM-21), academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Admission to Master of Science programmes with a foreign qualification: requirements and country-specific rules, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. English language requirements for Laurea Magistrale programmes, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Application deadlines for Master of Science programmes with a foreign qualification, September 2027 intake. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. List of documents required by the Admissions Office for Master of Science applicants with a foreign qualification, accepted certificates updated for 2027/28. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano. Online application for Master of Science programmes with a foreign qualification, undated. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- Politecnico di Milano, Biomedical Engineering programme page and 2026/27 course list. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Biomedical Engineering is a two-year master's degree (laurea magistrale) in class LM-21, worth 120 ECTS and run by the School of Industrial and Information Engineering at the Milano Leonardo campus in Milan. The school lists it as taught in English. The 2026/27 regulations describe it as bilingual: within each track you can follow a fully English-taught plan or a mix of Italian and English units.
Politecnico di Milano has taught biomedical engineering since the late 1960s, launched a five-year degree in Biomedical Engineering in 1996 and has run a PhD in Bioengineering since 1983.
The degree board notes that its courses range from biomechanics to electronics, from biomaterials to cell and tissue characterisation, and from signal and image processing to medical informatics and rehabilitation robotics.
It suits engineering graduates who want to apply their skills to medicine and health care.
What you will study
There are five tracks: Biomechanics and Biomaterials; Clinical Engineering; Cells, Tissues and Biotechnology; Information Bioengineering; and Technologies for Electronics. Clinical Engineering has limited places and is open only to Biomedical Engineering graduates of Italian universities, so international applicants choose among the other four.
Each track combines its own units with shared ones such as Physiological Control Systems and Methods and Technologies for Neurosensory Systems. Units in the 2026/27 course list include:
- Biomedical Signal and Image Processing
- Mechanics of Biological Structures
- Biomaterials
- Cell and Molecular Bioengineering
- Medical Informatics
- Technologies for Sensors and Clinical Instrumentation
- Neuroengineering
- Biomedical Electronics
How the programme is taught
The plan mixes lectures with laboratories and capstone projects offered across the tracks, such as the Computational Biomechanics Laboratory, the Biomedical Signal Processing Laboratory, the Proteomics Laboratory and the Medical Robotics and Technologies for Computer Aided Surgery Laboratory.
The degree ends with a final thesis, worth 17 credits in the four tracks open to international applicants, which can involve companies or external laboratories. The 2026/27 course list includes some units taught in Italian in each track, but each track can be completed entirely in English, and we check the language of each unit when you build your study plan.
Career paths
The degree prepares biomedical engineers for work where engineering meets medicine and life sciences. The track structure points to these areas:
- Biomechanics, prosthesis design and biomaterials
- Clinical engineering and technology management in hospitals
- Medical informatics, bioinformatics and biomedical data analysis
- Biomedical electronics, sensors and instrumentation
- Cell and tissue engineering and biotechnology
Graduates can also continue to the PhD in Bioengineering.
Fees and scholarships
Politecnico di Milano sets tuition through a fee regulation it updates every year. We check the amounts and payment rules for your intake year on its tuition fees page.
For support, the university manages the DSU right-to-study scholarship directly: eligible students with financial need who meet the merit conditions can apply, and the Politecnico decides who receives it.
How to apply from outside the EU
If your bachelor's is from outside Italy, we apply through the international admissions pages of Politecnico di Milano. For the September 2027 intake, applicants living outside Italy can apply from 1 October to 1 December 2026 or from 12 January to 25 February 2027, with outcomes by the end of May 2027.
The foreign-qualification requirements ask for a degree that gives access to EQF level 7 studies, subjects relevant to biomedical engineering and a grade average at or above the minimum PoliMi sets for some countries, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, plus an English certificate or proof of an English-taught bachelor's.
Before you enrol, you provide a Diploma Supplement, declaration of value or CIMEA statement. After admission, we complete the Universitaly pre-enrolment, and you apply for a type D study visa at the Italian consulate.
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your transcript against PoliMi's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online application with your transcripts, course descriptions and English certificate, and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your Politecnico di Milano DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
What bachelor's degree do I need for Biomedical Engineering at PoliMi?
A first-cycle degree with at least 5 credits each in set areas for your track. For biomechanics, biomaterials, and cells and tissues: structural mechanics, computer science, automatic control, electrical engineering or applied mechanics, and statistics or numerical analysis. The information and electronics tracks ask for electronics instead of structural mechanics. [1]
Is there an entrance exam?
No. An Evaluation Commission checks your average and compares your course programmes with the track's subject areas. Missing subjects become prerequisites that you pass as individual courses at PoliMi within 15 months, before you apply again and enrol. [1]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
You need a recognised certificate at PoliMi's minimum, such as IELTS 6, TOEFL iBT 78 (4.5 for tests from 21 January 2026), Cambridge B2 First at grade B or PTE Academic 59. A bachelor's taught at least 75% in English for three years or more can replace it. [3][5]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For the September 2027 intake, applicants living outside Italy can apply in the first call, from 1 October to 1 December 2026, or in the second call, from 12 January to 25 February 2027. Outcomes are due by the end of May 2027. [4]
Can I choose the Clinical Engineering track?
Not with a foreign degree. In 2026/27, Clinical Engineering has up to 25 places and is open only to Biomedical Engineering graduates of Italian universities. International applicants choose Biomechanics and Biomaterials, Cells, Tissues and Biotechnology, Information Bioengineering or Technologies for Electronics. [1]
I have a B.Tech in Biotechnology or Mechanical Engineering. Can I apply?
Possibly. A four-year B.Tech meets PoliMi's rule for India if your average reaches 70 out of 100. The commission then compares your subjects with your track's areas. These degrees often lack automatic control, electrical engineering or electronics, which you would make up as individual courses. [1][2]
Is the Biomedical Engineering master taught in English?
Yes. The 2026/27 regulations describe it as bilingual, and each track can be completed entirely in English, although the course list includes some Italian-taught units. If you study in English, PoliMi says to ignore any request for an Italian certificate. You must still certify Italian before graduating. [1][3][6]
What grade average do I need?
PoliMi sets strict country minimums with no exceptions: 70 out of 100 for India, and a GPA of 3.3 out of 4 for Pakistan and Bangladesh. For Italian degrees, the 2026/27 threshold is 24.5/30 for Biomedical Engineering graduates and 26.5/30 for others. [1][2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Biomedical Engineering at PoliMi?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against PoliMi's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the Politecnico di Milano DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Biomedical Engineering?
PoliMi accepts Indian bachelor's degrees of at least four years, such as a B.Tech or B.E., and considers a three-year B.Sc. only if it is an Honours degree. You need an average of at least 70 out of 100, engineering subjects such as computer science, automatic control, electrical engineering or electronics and statistics, and English proof such as IELTS 6. The steps are the online application, the commission's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [1][2][3] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Biomedical Engineering are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online application in the first or second call, the commission's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Biomedical Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online application in the first or second call, the commission's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Biomedical Engineering are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: online application in the first or second call, the commission's evaluation and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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