Master’s in XR and Serious Games Engineering for Rehabilitation
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in XR and serious games engineering for rehabilitation. 12 modules covering clinical foundations of rehabilitation, therapeutic game design, Unity and Unreal Engine development, XR hardware, interaction and ergonomics, sensors and biofeedback, progress analytics, clinical validation and medical device regulation, with an assigned technical tutor.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand the clinical foundations of rehabilitation with games and XR.
Design game mechanics aligned with therapeutic objectives.
Develop prototypes in Unity and Unreal Engine.
Integrate XR hardware, sensors and biofeedback.
Analyse progress and adherence metrics.
Validate therapeutic games through usability and clinical studies.
Apply medical device and data protection regulations.
Who it's for
- Health serious games developers building games with a clinical purpose.
- Clinical virtual reality engineers working in hospitals or medtech companies.
- Therapeutic experience designers translating therapy goals into game mechanics.
- Digital rehabilitation researchers running feasibility and clinical studies.
- Digital therapeutics product managers.
- Software clinical validation specialists.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter digital health.
What you'll work with
- Regulation (EU) 2017/745 (EU Medical Device Regulation, MDR)
- IEC 62304 (medical device software life cycle)
- IEC 62366-1 (usability engineering)
- ISO 14971 (risk management)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR, data protection)
- ISO 9241-210 (human-centred design)
- EN 301 549 (accessibility of ICT products)
- Unity
- Unreal Engine
- Blender
- Meta XR SDK
- MATLAB
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Definition of a therapeutic serious game1.2The spectrum of virtual, augmented and mixed reality1.3Therapeutic mechanisms of gamification1.4Presence, immersion and embodiment1.5Current evidence in motor and cognitive rehabilitation1.6Candidate patient profiles1.7Contraindications and adverse effects1.8The immersive digital therapeutics market1.9Role of the therapist in gamified therapy1.10Case study: analysis of a commercial exergame
2.1Motor learning principles applied to games2.2Upper-limb rehabilitation after stroke2.3Balance and gait rehabilitation2.4Cognitive and attentional rehabilitation2.5Vestibular rehabilitation with virtual environments2.6Chronic pain and immersive distraction2.7Childhood cerebral palsy and therapeutic play2.8Dosage and difficulty progression2.9Clinical scales for measuring outcomes2.10Practical: translating therapeutic goals into game mechanics
3.1Iterative game design cycle3.2Mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics (MDA)3.3Csikszentmihalyi's flow and challenge tuning3.4Performance-based adaptive difficulty3.5Rewards, progression and narrative3.6Designing for motor and cognitive limitations3.7Preventing postural compensations3.8Session design and duration3.9Therapeutic game design document3.10Workshop: design document for a reaching game
4.1Project architecture in Unity4.2C# programming for interaction4.3Unreal Engine for high-fidelity environments4.4Physics, collisions and animation4.5Accessible user interfaces in games4.6Session data logging4.7Integration of external peripherals4.8Graphics performance optimisation4.9Version control and testing4.10Laboratory: reaching game prototype in Unity
5.1Standalone and tethered headsets5.2Hand and controller tracking5.3Eye tracking integrated in headsets5.4Balance platforms and omnidirectional treadmills5.5Haptic gloves and tactile feedback5.6Depth cameras and markerless capture5.7Displays, latency and cybersickness5.8Hygiene and disinfection of clinical headsets5.9Hardware selection according to pathology5.10Practical: comparison of hand tracking and controllers
6.1Virtual locomotion and its techniques6.2Preventing cybersickness6.3Headset ergonomics in long sessions6.4Space calibration and safe boundaries6.5One-handed interaction6.6Coordinated multisensory feedback6.7Avatars and body representation6.8Augmented reality for real-world tasks6.9Accessibility in immersive environments6.10Laboratory: measuring cybersickness with the SSQ questionnaire
7.1Integration of inertial sensors7.2Electromyography as game input7.3Force and balance platforms7.4Heart rate and effort control7.5EEG and neurofeedback in games7.6Biofeedback for pain and anxiety7.7Fusion of game and body data7.8Per-patient calibration7.9Safety of peripherals7.10Practical: game controlled by forearm EMG
8.1Kinematic metrics extracted from the game8.2Performance and adherence indicators8.3Therapist dashboards8.4Correlation with clinical scales8.5Machine learning for personalisation8.6Detection of motor compensations8.7Exporting data to the electronic health record8.8Quality and validity of metrics8.9Automatic progress reports8.10Laboratory: patient progress dashboard
9.1Usability with therapists and patients9.2The SUS scale and motivation instruments9.3Feasibility studies9.4Randomised controlled trials9.5Design of active control groups9.6Recording dizziness, falls and fatigue9.7Measures of transfer to daily life9.8Review of published evidence9.9CONSORT and TIDieR reporting guidelines9.10Practical: pilot study protocol
10.1Qualification of a game as a medical device10.2Rule 11 and therapeutic software10.3IEC 62304 life cycle in games10.4Usability engineering of the therapeutic game10.5Risks of falls and collisions in XR10.6Photosensitivity and epilepsy10.7GDPR and session data10.8Digital therapeutics and reimbursement in Europe10.9The German DiGA model10.10Case study: regulatory pathway for a serious game
11.1Integration into the rehabilitation service11.2Home use and telerehabilitation11.3Therapist training11.4Licensing and subscription models11.5Economic evaluation versus conventional therapy11.6Content maintenance and updates11.7User community11.8Partnerships with hospitals11.9International scaling and content localisation11.10Case study: launch plan for an XR platform
12.1Therapeutic need and users12.2Measurable clinical objectives12.3Game design and its document12.4Development of the XR prototype12.5Integration of sensors and metrics12.6Usability evaluation12.7Design of the clinical efficacy study12.8Regulatory analysis of the product12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable materials, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so the programme is compatible with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, Meta XR SDK and MATLAB, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: usability testing with patients and therapists, pilot studies of therapeutic games and integration of motion sensors into games. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Regulation (EU) 2017/745 on medical devices, IEC 62304, IEC 62366-1, ISO 14971, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR), ISO 9241-210, EN 301 549.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with Unity, Unreal Engine, Blender, Meta XR SDK and MATLAB, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A university degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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