Program Objectives
Our Master of Science in Cardiovascular Perfusion program is intended for students with a bachelor’s degree in a field other than cardiovascular perfusion.
The program curriculum provides the knowledge, clinical experiences and opportunity for you to achieve competence in the practice of cardiovascular perfusion.
This medical specialty has become increasingly important in the health care field.
The perfusionist serves primarily as part of the cardiovascular surgical team, operating the heart-lung machine during open-heart surgery.
The perfusionist is also responsible for other life-support equipment, such as intra-aortic balloon pumps, ventricular assist devices and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
In addition to cardiovascular surgery, additional professional practice may include the following:
- Veno-venous bypass for liver transplantation
- Isolated limb or organ chemotherapy perfusion
- Cardiopulmonary bypass-supported cardiac catheterization procedures
- Blood salvaging for orthopedic or general surgery procedures
You will benefit from the teaching and research expertise of established scholars and practitioners.
We are committed to providing increased opportunities for experiential learning at nationally ranked cardiac centers across the country.
Graduation Requirements
Our Master of Science (MS) in Cardiovascular Perfusion program requires a minimum of 78 term hours.
You must also meet the following in order to graduate:
- Completion of all required coursework with a grade-point average of 3.0 or better
- Completion of each required cardiovascular perfusion course with a grade of B or better
- Completion of all University requirements for graduation
Review the course catalog for our most up-to-date curriculum information.
Course Curriculum
First year
Fall term
- CVP - 605 Cardiopulmonary Anatomy and Physiology (Credits: 3)
- CVP - 611 Cardiovascular Perfusion Technology I (Credits: 3)
- CVP - 612 Instrumentation in Cardiovascular Perfusion (Credits: 3)
- CVP - 620 Evaluation of the Cardiac Surgery Patient (Credits: 3)
- CVP - 621 Seminar I (Credits: 3)
- CHS - 601 Introduction to Biostatistics (Credits: 2)
- IPE - 502 Interprofessional Patient-Centered Teams (Credits: 0)
Spring term
- CVP - 606 Acid Base Physiology (Credits: 2)
- CVP - 615 Cardiovascular Perfusion Technology II (Credits: 3)
- CVP - 622 Pathophysiology and Perfusion Techniques (Credits: 5)
- CVP - 632 Principles of Pharmacology (Credits: 3)
- CHS - 610 Research Methods in Health Sciences (Credits: 2)
- IPE - 502 Interprofessional Patient Centered Teams (Credits: 0)
Summer term
- CVP - 623 Adult and Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease (Credits: 2)
- CVP - 624 Mechanical Circulatory Support (Credits: 2)
- CVP - 640 Principles and Practices of Cardiopulmonary Bypass With Simulation (Credits: 4)
- CVP - 641 Perfusion Practicum I (Credits: 4)
- CVP - 661 Master’s Project I (Credits: 2)
Second year
Fall term
- CVP - 642 Perfusion Practicum II (Credits: 12)
- CVP - 662 Master’s Project II (Credits: 2)
- CVP - 680 Organizational Leadership (Credits: 2)
Spring term
- CVP - 645 Perfusion Practicum III (Credits: 12)
- CVP - 664 Master’s Project III (Credits: 2)
- CVP - 681 Health Care Quality and Operations Management (Credits: 2)
Total hours required: 78
View the current course catalog
Refer to the course catalog for our most up-to-date curriculum information.