St. Cloud State University announced Wednesday that it will offer a new Master of Science degree in medical technology quality in the fall. According to St. Cloud State, the medical technology quality degree "provides professionals with skills and a strong understanding for helping medical technology companies deliver high quality products and solutions for the healthcare industry. This is information that is critical to meeting industry regulations and ensuring patient safety." The program will train professionals in the medical technology industry to develop and implement systems for ensuring quality of medical technology products from concept and design to manufacturing and full commercialization. "In today's competitive environment, especially in the Minnesota medical device sector, identifying and hiring competent and well-informed personnel in the quality profession is becoming more and more difficult," said Jeff Fecho, vice president of global quality for St. Jude Medical in St. Paul. "The medical technology quality program, coupled with the already active regulatory and clinical programs at SCSU, provides us with a readily available and credible source specifically geared toward the medical device industry. This program has global appeal and is a key educational component in assuring that our employees have what they need to keep us compliant and competitive." Classes will be evenings and weekends at the St. Cloud State Twin Cities Graduate Center in Maple Grove. Interested students should contact the SCSU College of Science and Engineering at 320-308-2167 or e-mail mtq@stcloudstate.edu.