Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Health and Wellbeing Technologies 2024–2025




Presentación

The aim of this master’s degree is to train professionals and researchers in fields relating to health and welfare technologies by providing students with the skills they need to develop innovative products and state-of-the-art technologies, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in creating businesses in this field.

Health and welfare technologies involve the use of technology to improve health services offered to the public, whether by the government or by private companies, in addition to improving their individual quality of life and well-being. It is a broad field as it covers any technology used to promote health; prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases; improve rehabilitation and long-term care, or monitor people’s physical condition or well-being. The development of this technology to improve the health system and make it more sustainable, as well as to improve people’s quality of life, is one of the most important challenges our societies face for the future. For this reason, in recent years there has been a significant increase in the demand for health and welfare technologies, which always entails research and innovation and requires well-trained professionals in this multidisciplinary field.

This degree is taught using blended learning, which means that the training activities combine the student’s physical presence at the centre, grouped into 2 periods of 1-2 weeks each term, with their independent work. Distance learning activities will be developed using the University of Zaragoza’s teaching platform which has online training tools.

You can study at your own pace, as the training activities are designed to give you as much flexibility as possible during your learning process, adapting to your personal circumstances. Face-to-face activities are concentrated into just a few weeks which will include part of the assessment.

Academic activities will be carried out in Spanish (English friendly mode), which means that the classes are taught in Spanish, but the bibliography, notes and presentations will be in English. Tutoring and assessments (statements of work and exams) may be completed in English or Spanish, depending on the students who are able to respond in either language.

This master’s degree is supported by the Centre for Business and Innovation in Aragon (CEEI Aragón), and the Teruel factions of the Spanish Confederation of Employers’ Organisations, the Spanish Confederation of the Small and Medium-Sized Companies, and the Spanish Confederation of Self-Employed Workers (CEOE, CEPYME and CEAT, respectively).
While you work on your final project, you can ask, if you want, for advice from professionals who will guide you in creating your own company or line of work, developing technology for health and well-being.

 


Recommended profile

The recommended academic background for students joining the master’s degree is a university graduate with a degree linked to the areas of knowledge in engineering who wants to acquire the knowledge, abilities and skills necessary to carry out their professional work in the field of health and welfare technology.

In particular, the appropriate qualifications for accessing this master’s degree are the following:

  • Undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering.

  • Undergraduate degree in Engineering from the industrial branch, such as mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering, automation and electronic engineering, industrial technologies engineering (or other equivalent denominations).

  • Undergraduate degrees in Information and Communications Technology, such as computer engineering and telecommunications technologies and services engineering (or other equivalent denominations).

The Internal Quality Assurance Commission may allow graduates of other related degrees access to this master’s degree in exceptional circumstances and upon consideration of relevant knowledge or merits proven by the candidate. In these cases, the additional training necessary for these students will be established.


Access and admission requirements

Access

Access to official University Master's courses at the University of Zaragoza is achieved by meeting certain of the following requirements:

a) Having an official Spanish university degree or another Spanish Master's Degree.

b) Having an official Spanish university degree obtained under curricula previous to the current organization of university education: Bachelor, Architect, Engineer, Diploma, Technical Architect or Technical Engineer.

c) Having a foreign tertiary education qualification analogous to an official Spanish university degree or declared equivalent to a Bachelor's or Master's Degree by the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training.

d) Having a Bachelor's or Master's degree from universities or higher education institutions from a country in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), which allows access to Master's studies in that country.

e) Having a foreign higher education qualification obtained from an education system outside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) that is equivalent to the Bachelor's degree, without the need for approval or declaration of equivalence, and having obtained the corresponding resolution of "authorised access" to official University of Zaragoza Master's courses - following a check to ensure the level of training implied by this qualification - provided that the qualification allows access to postgraduate university studies in the country where it is issued.

f) Likewise, people who are studying an official university degree in the Spanish University System [SUE] in the 2021-2022 academic year may access the courses if they have all the registered credits necessary for completion of studies on their course and have a maximum of 9 ECTS and the Final Degree Project left to complete their studies.

Admission

In addition to meeting the general access requirements, applicants must meet the specific requirements detailed in the verification report for each Master's Degree.

This information can be found on the website for each Master's Degree: https://estudios.unizar.es/estudio/lista-ramas?tipo_id=6

Calidad => Documentos => Memoria de verificación 

 

Language requirements

If applying for admission to a Master's Degree taught in Spanish at the University of Zaragoza and your mother tongue is not Spanish, you must present documents attesting to sufficient knowledge of the Spanish language to follow the classes. An interview may be held to verify your Spanish language ability. When a check of specific Spanish language ability is required for the Master's degree requested, this level is assessed in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).

In those University Master's degrees that are taught totally or partially in languages other than Spanish, applicants must provide documents accrediting the level of knowledge of the languages required in the verification report for the Master's course.


Application for admission

Application for admission to University Master's studies will be made through the Internet, filling out the online form and following the instructions in:

http://www.unizar.esSecretaría virtual → Solicitud de admisión


Assessment of applications

At each admission stage, people who meet the general access and specific admission requirements may be admitted to a Master's Degree in accordance with the assessment criteria established in the verification report for that Master's degree.

The Master's advisory committee or, where applicable, the organisation mentioned in the verification report will review the applications received based on the relevant assessment criteria, considering the documents provided by the applicants, and shall submit an admission proposal to the head of the corresponding centre.

Preference of applications

In each of the admission stages, preference is given to applicants who are in possession of the official qualification that gives them access to the Master's degree, so that in the admissions lists qualified graduates will appear ahead of those with graduate studies in the Spanish University System who still have to complete 9 ECTS and the Final Degree Project.


Registration

Application for registration to University Master's studies will be made through the Internet, filling out the online form and following the instructions in:

http://www.unizar.esSecretaría virtual


More information about access and admission: https://academico.unizar.es/grado-y-master-master/acceso-y-admision/acceso-master-universitario

More information about registration:  https://academico.unizar.es/grado-y-master/matricula/matricula-home


Qué se aprende

This master’s degree aims to train professionals and researchers in fields relating to health and welfare technologies by providing students with the skills they need to develop innovative products and state-of-the-art technologies, encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in creating businesses in this field.

This master's degree is a level 3 qualification on the Spanish Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (MECES, in Spanish), therefore it is an official master's degree. Official master's degrees are classified as qualifications intended to provide students with advanced specialised or multidisciplinary training, oriented towards academic or professional specialisation or to developing their initiation into research tasks.


Descripción detallada de las competencias que se adquieren en la titulación

Basic skills

  • Have and understand knowledge which provides a basis or opportunity for innovation in the development and/or application of ideas, often in a research context.

  • Be able to apply the knowledge acquired and problem-solving skills in new or unfamiliar environments within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their area of study.

  • Be able to integrate the knowledge they acquire and work through formulating judgements based on information that, whether incomplete or limited, includes reflections on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements.

  • Be able to communicate their findings—and the underlying knowledge and reasons supporting their findings—to specialised and non-specialised audiences in a clear and unambiguous way.

  • Have the learning skills that will enable them to continue studying in a largely self-directed or autonomous manner.

General skills

  • Have the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop innovative work in the field of health and welfare technologies.

  • Know how to write technical reports and documents describing a new application in the field of health and welfare technology, in addition to being familiar with the mechanisms to protect and distribute the application.

  • Search, manage, understand, and critically analyse scientific publications, bibliography, and documentation in the field of health and welfare technologies.

  • Start a research career in the field of health and welfare technologies, with a certain promise of success.

  • Lead, manage and develop innovation research projects in the field of health and welfare technologies.

Specific skills

  • Have detailed knowledge about the management parameters in organisations in the health sector, which will allow students to form a comprehensive vision for business development, facilitating its start-up and continuity.

  • Accept the prominence of innovation management in entities of the sector, considering the prevailing technological evolution and the necessary adaptation to it by the organisations.

  • Be able to participate in and contribute positively to entrepreneurship projects, in relation to entities with links to the health and welfare sector.

  • Analyse and apply the steps necessary for marketing a health and well-being product, interpreting and applying the necessary design, manufacturing, and approval regulations.

  • Have in-depth knowledge of the concepts and decisive factors in health and the health system, which may favour the development of technological solutions that can contribute to the field of health and well-being.

  • Search for, obtain and apply legal resources (legal, jurisprudence and doctrinal) using ICTs to do so, in order to provide solutions to the legal problems that arise, without ignoring constitutional principles and values.

  • Make decisions based on the consideration of technical, social, and economic responsibilities in the field of health and well-being, in a comprehensive and interdisciplinary manner.

  • Analyse biomedical data and extract relevant information from these data to solve problems in the field of health and welfare technologies.

  • Develop a technological modelling of an element or real scenario in the field of health and welfare technology, which could be connected with models from other disciplines.

  • Develop, present and defend an original and innovative project or piece of work which solves a real problem in the field of health and welfare technologies, and which synthesises and includes these skills before the university tribunal.


Presentación general del plan de estudios

The syllabus is made up of 72 ECTS credits (1 academic year) and has three types of module: additional training supplements (only for students who need it), compulsory subjects, and optional subjects. There is also a final master's degree project.

Type

ECTS credits

Additional training

12

Compulsory

27

Optional

12

Final master’s degree project

21

Total

72

Syllabus

Additional training module

This module comprises two complementary training subjects, which will only be taken by students who require additional training depending on their access route to the master’s degree. This module provides necessary training for students to be able to successfully complete the following modules.

Compulsory training module

This module comprises three compulsory subjects which provide common advanced training, which allow the students to acquire the core skills of the master’s degree, regardless of the optional subjects chosen by each student.

Optional training module

The module covers the optional subjects on the master’s degree syllabus that focus on technological innovations in the field of health and welfare. Students must complete 12 ECTS credits to acquire the master’s degree skills. This master’s degree is not specific to any one specialisation. Students may opt for generalist or more specialised training, therefore, in order to facilitate specialisation, the optional subjects are grouped into the following two blocks:

• Innovation in devices applied in health and welfare fields. It comprises the optional subjects that provide specialised training in the field of devices applied in the health and welfare fields. This option will consist of a set of optional subjects of 3 ECTS credits each.

• Advanced interactive systems and signal processing. It comprises the optional subjects that provide specialised training in interactive systems and signal processing applied in health and welfare fields. This option will consist of a set of optional subjects of 3 ECTS credits each.

Final master’s degree project module

This module comprises the final master's degree project. The degree coordinator, in collaboration with the Certification Quality Assurance Commission, will assign each student a supervisor for their final master’s degree project, taking into consideration their preferences.


Cuadro de distribución de materias por créditos

The following table shows the distribution of credits by modules, options and subjects offered on this master's degree.

Module

Field

Subjects

ECTS credits

Term

Additional training

Additional training in Industrial Technologies

Additional training in Industrial Technologies

6

1

Additional training in Information and Communication Technologies

Additional training in Information and Communication Technologies

6

1

Compulsory training

Foundations of health and legal considerations in health and welfare technologies

Foundations of health and legal considerations in health and welfare technologies

9

1

Entrepreneurship and business in the health and welfare sector

Entrepreneurship and business in the health and welfare sector

9

1

R+D+I methodologies and data processing in health and welfare

R+D+I methodology and data processing in health and welfare

9

1

Optional training

Innovation in devices applied in health and welfare fields

Wearable sensors and mHealth

3

2

Technology for rehabilitation

3

2

Engineering applied to prosthetics and implant design

3

2

Advanced interactive systems and signal processing

Multi-agent systems and robotics in health

3

2

Advanced aspects of human-computer interaction in the health and welfare field

3

2

Biomedical signal processing

3

2

Final master’s degree project

Final master’s degree project

 

21

2

 


Academic orientation, information and support system for students

The course coordinator is the key figure for any query, clarification or problem that may arise during the academic year. The coordinator is in regular contact with the students and their representatives and provides support and set up the necessary actions to support the student’s learning process. In all degree courses, per the directives of the Academic Guidance Programmes at the University of Zaragoza, each student is assigned an individual lecturer-tutor, who will be responsible for offering the student academic advice on aspects related to the student’s integration and adaptation to the work expected to be completed in each degree. The academic tutor will also provide advice on the most suitable academic options as well as guidance on the student’s personal or professional academic interests, the resources and services available to them at the University and on the general workings of the University in its administrative and academic facets and for participation in its governing structures.


The University of Zaragoza has a University Centre for Modern Languages where international languages classes are offered. The language instruction offer includes German, Arabic, French, Modern Greek, English, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. The courses offered include: year-long General & Specific Courses, Intensive Summer Courses in July & September, and single-term Self-Study & Conversation Courses (English, French & German).


Summer courses. Students may also wish to participate in any of the summer course programmes on offer every year in July, August and September in various locations in Aragon, albeit most of them take place in the following locations: Teruel & Jaca.


The University of Zaragoza has its own Guidance and Employment Office: UNIVERSA. The main goal of this University Employment Observatory is to provide specific information, guidance and training to facilitate professional integration among university students, in addition to overseeing voluntary work placement for final year students. Courses are offered to both students and recent graduates to improve their training in professional skills, job seeking strategies, etc.

Furthermore, there is a Job Fair (EMPZAR) every year, which provides students with the possibility to contact directly with companies, as well as gain first-hand knowledge of the labour market demand, get advice on how to prepare a CV, and so on.


Libraries & study rooms. The University of Zaragoza has 4,803 reading seats across its libraries and study rooms. These are comprised of the main Library and a further 21 libraries in the various centres and faculties. They contain a total of over 1,000,000 books and approximately 33,500 different journals.

Library staff supports first-year students. Staff offers an online course on Information and ICT skills. This course is offered as a practical activity within one of the subjects imparted in year one.  The students are also offered other training courses on information skills, at various levels, chief among which are the Guide to Tools and Guidelines for preparing the undergraduate/master’s dissertation.


Counselling, accommodation and services

Halls of Residence. The University of Zaragoza has two main Halls of Residence located in the San Francisco Campus: The Pedro Cerbuna University Hall of Residence (CMU) (250 rooms) and the Santa Isabel CMU (192 rooms), plus another one located in the Río Ebro Campus (102 places) and two other halls in the cities of Huesca (Ramón Acin CMU – 125 rooms) and Teruel (Pablo Serrano CMU – 96 single rooms). There are also other university halls of residence in the city of Zaragoza run by private companies. Furthermore, there is a University web service that helps students to find a room or rent a flat. 

Accommodation can also be found using the Zaragoza Council programmes for young people and students.


Counselling. The University of Zaragoza has four free and anonymous counselling services for youngsters, which are run by a team of professionals who provide advice on academic, legal, sexual and psychological areas.

The University of Zaragoza international relations Office will provide international students with all the necessary support in the registration process. It also provides students with practical information about the city, transport, flats on offer, rooms, halls of residence, medical assistance, courses for international students, etc.


Student diversity. The main role of the University of Zaragoza Student Diversity Office (OUAD) (pertaining to the Vice-Chancellor for Students & Employment) is to ensure equal opportunities through inclusion of all university students in university academic life. In addition, it encourages awareness of student diversity within the university community. This office is particularly committed to providing attention to any university student with special educational needs or disabilities.


University information centre. The University Information & Appeals Centre offers general information about the University of Zaragoza: access, offer of undergraduate/master’s study programmes, doctoral programmes, as well as information on non-official degrees, registration process, grants, summer courses, administrative information, and so on. Equally, they manage appeals of any situations that are not subject to the established regulated procedures.


Information and Communications Service. All computers on campus are connected to the Internet. WiFi is available in all the buildings. Any student may use the University of Zaragoza IT services.


Vehicle management service. A permit is required so that a member of the university community can park their vehicles in the car parks available in the different campuses.




Sports and cultural activities

Cultural activities. The 'Cultural Agenda' provides a monthly programme of the events in the areas of Cinema & Animation, Music, Theatre, Exhibitions, Cycles, Conferences, Literary Activities and Courses. It also offers cultural association activities and those of the Cultural Committees in Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel.


Sports activities. The University of Zaragoza sports complex is located in the San Francisco Campus and features a leisure centre, gym, outdoor basketball, handball and 5-a-side football facilities, a certified athletics track and a football pitch. Every academic year, over a hundred activities are organised.


Participation in university life

The University of Zaragoza Student House ('Casa del Estudiante') (inaugurated in 2005) is home to the University Student Council, the student groups represented on the Cloisters and Governing Board, and the multinational student associations. The Student House supervises activities pertaining to student representation and, additionally, work meetings, presentations, conferences and other events of interest to the students at our University. These activities are promoted and run by the student groups and coordinated by the Vice-Chancellor of Students: vrestu@unizar.es


Information Feelers. Voluntary student members of the University of Zaragoza faculties and centres act as 'information feelers' to counsel, inform and help their own peers. 


University Ombudsman. This person defends the rights and freedoms of the university community and attends to complaints and requests from students.