A BBS student holding scientific instruments in a lab and smiling at the camera.

Basic Biomedical Sciences

Put yourself at the forefront of research and discovery in medicine through a graduate degree in basic biomedical sciences. Gain an interdisciplinary foundation and robust research experiences as you begin your career in biomedical research. 

Make a difference through biomedical research

Biomedical sciences bridges science and health care, producing meaningful research that promotes human health and expands your understanding and treatment of disease. By pursuing a graduate degree in basic biomedical sciences, you will gain the interdisciplinary foundation you need for a career in biomedical research.

As a basic biomedical sciences student in the USD Sanford School of Medicine, you will experience a hands-on and specialized education that prepares you to become a biomedical scientist. Our program prioritizes laboratory investigation and original research opportunities, providing you with access to robust facilities that help you find the answers to your questions. Here you'll find passionate and expert faculty who serve as research mentors while also actively producing their own research. This is an important part of our program, as we want you to access enhanced learning experiences and set yourself up for success pursuing a residency match.

Our students have gone on to become toxicologists, doctors, epidemiologists, laboratory technicians and professors, among other careers in research and medicine. With notable funding opportunities, well-established research centers and close interaction between faculty and students, USD provides a robust and enriching education in basic biomedical sciences.

Become a biomedical scientist who has the experience, knowledge and connections necessary to thrive by studying basic biomedical sciences at USD.

 

Degrees & Offerings

Basic Biomedical Sciences (M.S.)

Master's
  Vermillion Main Campus

Through the M.S. in basic biomedical sciences program, you'll gain an interdisciplinary graduate education in a variety of basic biomedical science areas. The program stresses laboratory investigation and original research under the direction of a faculty member, as well as flexibility and individual choice as you develop a program of study that fits your unique interests. You may select between the Thesis and Non-Thesis programs of study.

View Admissions Requirements

Basic Biomedical Sciences (Ph.D.)

Doctorate
  Vermillion Main Campus

Pursue an interdisciplinary graduate education to begin your career in biomedical research. You can choose to specialize in cancer biology, cardiovascular biology, infectious diseases, molecular biology and genetics, neuroscience or physiology and pharmacology.

View Admissions Requirements

Program Details

Graduate

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Graduate Admissions

Known for Excellence

With qualities like small class sizes, specialized programs and incredible student opportunities, USD is not your typical university. What makes us unique is what makes your education exceptional.

STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES

As a student at USD, the opportunities available to you extend beyond the classroom. Explore your interests, find your community and experience your education to the fullest extent through the following opportunities.

Gain valuable, real-world professional experience while enjoying paid employment and discounted tuition rates as a graduate student at USD. The affordability you gain through graduate assistantships and fellowships will equip you with valuable, professional-level skills that will set you apart after graduation. 

Stipend

In the basic biomedical sciences program, admitted students in research track programs are eligible to receive a fellowship stipend and reduced tuition. Recipients must work full time towards degree completion. Stipend is also contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

  • The Ph.D. Research Graduate Assistantship stipend is currently $31,500 for the first full year ($2,625 per month)
  • The M.S. Thesis Research Graduate Assistantship stipend is currently $15,750 annually ($1,312.50 monthly)

Tuition Reduction

  • Fellows with resident student status receive an additional reduction in tuition and fees on top of the resident student tuition reduction (student portion = $4,947.60 annually for 21 credit hours).
  • Fellows with non-resident student status receive a 62% reduction in tuition and fees (student portion = $5,661.60 annually for 21 credit hours).
  • Credit hour tuition and fee details are listed on the USD tuition and fees page.

If you do not receive an assistantship within the department, you may apply for an assistantship outside of your academic program or within support offices at USD. For more information and to apply for a graduate assistantship, visit the Graduate Assistantship webpage.

Learn More

At USD, our graduate students are actively pursuing unique research and presenting at local and national conferences exploring innovative areas of interest to them. Additional research and grant opportunities include:

Research and Creative Scholarship Opportunities

Each semester students may apply for grants through the USD Graduate School, faculty and students pursue research in virtually all academic departments on campus, and in many cases, it is a required portion of a graduate degree program.

Learn More

IdeaFest

IdeaFest is an annual event celebrating student research, creative scholarship and academic engagement. Undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines present their work in oral and poster presentations, live performances, readings, exhibits and displays.

Learn More

Departments & Facilities

Explore the departments, facilities and centers that contribute to your education in basic biomedical sciences.
Lee Baugh smiling in front of a monitor showing brain research.

Center for Brain and Behavior Research

The Center for Brain and Behavior Research (CBBRe) promotes outstanding training of research students and fellows, feeding the pipeline of creative independent scientists in the fields of neuroscience and behavioral science.

Three medicine students looking at a tablet working in the Human Anatomy laboratory.

Human Anatomy Lab

The University of South Dakota’s human anatomy lab offers a cadaver-based experience to undergraduate, graduate, medical and health sciences students. Our lab enables future health care professionals to assist their patients through the mastery of human anatomy.

Faculty & Staff

Get to know the faculty and staff in the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences. Our faculty are experts in their field, specializing in cancer biology, cardiovascular, entomology, human genetics, infectious disease, microbiology, and neuroscience among other areas.
Bio Image for Faculty Member William Mayhan

William Mayhan

Dean-Basic Biomedical Science

Specialty

Brain Effects from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Bio Image for Faculty Member Daniel Bird

Daniel Bird

Assoc Dean of Basic Sciences

Specialty

Microbiology & Immunology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Denise Arrick

Denise Arrick

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Edward Bagu

Edward Bagu

Associate Professor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Lee Baugh

Lee Baugh

Associate Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Brian Burrell

Brian Burrell

Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Grant Campbell

Grant Campbell

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Microbiology & Immunology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Michael Chaussee

Michael Chaussee

Professor

Specialty

Microbiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member William Chen

William Chen

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Cardiovascular
Bio Image for Faculty Member Bruce Cuevas

Bruce Cuevas

Associate Professor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Scott Druecker

Scott Druecker

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Marc Dvoracek

Marc Dvoracek

Associate Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Barbara Goodman

Barbara Goodman

Professor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Dana Hansen

Dana Hansen

Instructor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Victor Huber

Victor Huber

Professor

Specialty

Microbiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Curtis Kost

Curtis Kost Jr.

Associate Professor

Specialty

Physiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Yifan Li

Yifan Li

Professor

Specialty

Cardiovascular and Physiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Pasquale Manzerra

Pasquale Manzerra

Asst Dean-Med Student Affairs

Specialty

Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Lisa McFadden

Lisa McFadden

Associate Professor

Specialty

Cardiovascular and Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Gerald McGraw

Gerald McGraw Jr

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Educational Faculty
Bio Image for Faculty Member Robert Morecraft

Robert Morecraft

Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Jose Pietri

Jose Pietri

Associate Professor

Specialty

Microbiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Luye Qin

Luye Qin

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Khosrow Rezvani

Khosrow Rezvani

Associate Professor

Specialty

Cancer Biology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Samuel Sathyanesan

Samuel Sathyanesan

Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Arun Singh

Arun Singh

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience
Bio Image for Faculty Member Taylor Soderling

Taylor Soderling

Assistant Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Xuejun Wang

Xuejun Wang

Director of MD, PhD Program

Specialty

Cardiovascular and Physiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Hong Zheng

Hong Zheng

Associate Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience and Physiology
Bio Image for Faculty Member Michelle Baack

Michelle Baack

Chair-Pediatrics

Specialty

Physiology, Pharmacology
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Francisco Bustos Velasquez

Francisco Bustos Velasquez

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Indra Chandrasekar

Indra Chandrasekar

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Other
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Pilar De La Puente

Pilar De La Puente

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Erik Ehli

Erik Ehli

Associate Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Avera
Bio Image for Faculty Member Kevin Francis

Kevin Francis

Associate Professor

Specialty

Other/General
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Kurt Griffin

Kurt Griffin

Associate Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Keith Hansen

Keith Hansen

Chair-OB, GYN
Bio Image for Faculty Member Michael Kareta

Michael Kareta

Associate Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Lance Lee

Lance Lee

Associate Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Abdelhalim Loukil

Abdelhalim Loukil

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Ikuo Masuho

Ikuo Masuho

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member W. Keith Miskimins

W. Keith Miskimins

Professor

Specialty

Cancer Biology
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member David Pearce

David Pearce

Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Louis-Jan Pilaz

Louis-Jan Pilaz

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Steven Powell

Steven Powell

Associate Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Kyle Roux

Kyle Roux

Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Alexei Savinov

Alexei Savinov

Associate Professor

Specialty

Other/General
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member William Spanos

William Spanos

Associate Professor

Specialty

Cancer Biology
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Anna Strahm

Anna Strahm

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Other/General
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Kameswaran Surendran

Kameswaran Surendran

Associate Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member James Tao

James Tao

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Paola Vermeer

Paola Vermeer

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Cancer Biology
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Kurt Warnhoff

Kurt Warnhoff

Assistant Professor

Specialty

Molecular Biology & Genetics
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Jill Weimer

Jill Weimer

Professor

Specialty

Neuroscience
Sanford Research
Bio Image for Faculty Member Brenda Auen

Brenda Auen

Body Donation Program Assistant
Bio Image for Faculty Member Pamela Bernard

Pamela Bernard

Accounting Assistant
Bio Image for Faculty Member Jamie Cuka

Jamie Cuka

BBS Financial Assistant
Bio Image for Faculty Member Nicole Comp Hinrich

Nicole Comp Hinrich

BBS Program Assistant
Bio Image for Faculty Member Wendy Pederson

Wendy Pederson

Graduate & Educ Manager
Bio Image for Faculty Member Jacquelyn Rubida

Jacquelyn Rubida

BBS Personnel Assistant
Bio Image for Faculty Member Cassie Stolpe

Cassie Stolpe

BBS Administrative Assistant
Bio Image for Faculty Member Brian Waage

Brian Waage

Fabrication Technician
Bio Image for Faculty Member Laura Wiemers

Laura Wiemers

BBS Management Analyst
A BBS student with her back to the camera working with petri dishes in a lab.

Hands-on Learning Through Cutting-edge Research

As a community of researchers and scientists, we know that hands-on experience in research facilities is crucial for your career preparation. Our division is home to several state-of-the-art facilities that allow you to gain experience with industry technology and find answers to your questions. Whether you want to study biochemistry, immunology, neuroscience, pharmacology, cancer biology, cellular biology or another area of the biomedical sciences, you'll find the support and resources to engage in relevant research and launch your career.

Two BBS students conducting lab research with goggles on.

Mentorship Unlocks Opportunity

Enhance your learning experience through research opportunities and improve your chance at getting a residency match. More than half of the faculty members in our division are actively engaged in scholarly and research activities, and they are committed to bringing students into that experience.



Surprisingly Affordable

Whether you’ve recently completed your undergraduate degree, or you want to kick your career up a notch, graduate school is the next logical step. The good news is there is funding for both online and on-campus students to get you through your program. 

Graduate Tuition & Costs

Learn more about tuition and fees for undergraduate students and see how your out-of-pocket costs at USD compare to those at other colleges and universities. Visit the Graduate Tuition & Costs Detailed page for program specific costs and fees.

Financial Aid

Navigating options for how to pay for college can be challenging, but you are not alone. The Office of Financial Aid will work with you and your family to explore how you can make your college education even more affordable.

Graduate Assistantships

USD offers opportunities for grad students to earn a reduced tuition rate in exchange for their teaching, research and service efforts to the university.

 


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