Program Overview

The Utah Neurotechnology Training Program offers stackable credentials to fuel the neurotechnology workforce.

Effective Fall 2025, we offer four degrees presently: 1) an undergraduate minor, 2) an undergraduate certificate, 3) a graduate certificate, and 4) a masters degree. This creates a stackable framework for students to upskill at all stages as full-time or part-time students. Undergraduate and graduate neurotechnology certificates provide supplemental interdisciplinary training to students pursuing engineering or science degrees. The graduate certificate can also be pursued by non-matriculated students, allowing individuals from industry and other universities to participate. The Neuroengineering Master’s allows students to build upon qualified undergraduate degrees with rigorous neuroengineering degrees and high-quality research contributions.

The Utah Neurotechnology Training program is centered around four core topic areas: 1) neural interfaces, 2) neural analysis and modeling, 3) neurophysiology, and 4) neurorobotics. Students complete core classes across the categories to gain a breadth of understanding in the field, and complete additional electives to gain a depth of knowledge and skills in a specialized area. The goals are the same across all degrees/certificates but they iteratively build on one another to progressively increase breadth and depth. For additional details regarding the program of study, please view the Courses page.

Program Motivation

Program Motivation: Neurotechnology is a rapidly emerging field of deep technology at the intersection of neuroscience, engineering, artificial intelligence, and medical devices. Neuroengineers are leading the development of revolutionary neurotechnologies. Examples include brain-machine interfaces for virtual/augmented reality, implanted biomedical devices for treating neurological disorders, brain-inspired artificial intelligence, thought-controlled robotic arms, and biophotonic nanointerfaces for treating psychiatric disorders. Utah has long been a hub for neurotechnology, and workforce demand is now growing rapidly. The neurotechnology market is following exponential growth patterns and expected to follow these patterns over the next ten years. In fact, neurotechnology became the most funded venture capital growth area in medical technology in 2023.

Program Outcomes: The Utah Neurotechnology Training program is designed to immediately place graduates into industry jobs. Students gain interdisciplinary knowledge, practical skills, and industry experience that make them highly competitive for the job market. Students also build a network of alumni, peers, and employers in industry to facilitate rapid translation to industry after graduation. Students at all levels are employable immediately upon graduation; additional credentials enable higher paying jobs with greater responsibility.

Occupations: Neuroengineers combine skills from Biomedical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Neuroscience, Computer Science, and Mechanical Engineering. These are high paying jobs with annual salaries routinely exceeding $100,000. Below is a list of job titles from job posting websites and neurotechnology companies that our graduates are well-qualified for:

  • Neural Engineering: neural engineer, neuroengineer, neural data engineer, neuroscientist
  • Medical Devices: medical device engineer, medical device developer, regulatory affairs engineer
  • Systems Engineering: embedded system engineer, electrical/electronics engineer, quality engineer, research support engineer, senior/principal scientist, engineering technical lead, principal materials engineer, director of product engineering, mechanical and process engineering manager, manufacturing process engineer, systems engineer, systems support manager
  • Research and Development: research and development engineer, research associate/assistant, research scientist, clinical research scientist, project manager, research fellow, postdoctoral researcher/fellow
  • Computing: software architect, software engineer, data engineer, data scientist, data analyst, machine learning scientist, computational scientist, computational neuroscientist, computational biologist

Employability: Graduates from this program are immediately employable by neurotechnology companies. Graduates at the BS level have the interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills needed to be competitive for entry level technician and research assistant positions. Graduates at the MS level have the interdisciplinary knowledge, practical skills, and industry experience to be competitive for advanced positions in research and development. Graduates at the PhD level have the knowledge, skills, experience, and leadership to be competitive for senior-level and director positions in research and development. All graduates have an extensive alumni, peer, and employer network to facilitate job placement.

 

Utah as a Neurotechnology Hub

The explosion in the field of neurotechnology has been felt in Utah as local neurotechnology companies have been bolstered by new interest and growth. The University of Utah has long been a global leader in neurotechnology. Over a decade ago, the University of Utah spun off several of the first neurotechnology companies. Today, the neurotechnology market is seeing unprecedented growth and our Utah-based companies have emerged as global leaders.

Three key examples are: 1) the Utah Array, that allows paralyzed individuals to control robotic arms, 2) the LUKE Arm, a bionic arm inspired by Luke Skywalker, and 3) the Utah Bionic Leg, the most advanced leg prosthesis on the market. Not surprisingly, all three of these Utah innovations are now licensed technologies being developed by our industry partners. High-profile media exposure, driven by our faculty and students, inspire the next generation of students and recruit companies to Utah. The images below show: 1) patient using a Utah Array to shake hands with President Obama, 2) the LUKE Arm featured in the 2025 Superbowl, and 3) the Utah Bionic Leg highlighted as ones of TIME Magazine’s best inventions of 2023.