Student Wearing Safety Gear While Working in Biomedical Engineering Lab.

Biomedical Engineering

Join an innovative program that prepares you to solve critical health problems at the intersection of life sciences and engineering. 

Why Study Biomedical Engineering?

As a biomedical engineering major at USD, you will integrate engineering and medicine to develop solutions for medical problems. Here you will find a variety of experiential learning opportunities, from working with doctors to build medical devices to interning at local corporations at the forefront of developing cures for disease. Our program will provide you with rich experiences in and beyond the classroom so you can pursue your career in biotech, engineering, medical school, public policy and more. The field has an excellent job-growth outlook as the world's population ages and demands innovative new solutions to medical problems. 

Discover how to solve critical health problems and gain experience developing and commercializing these solutions as a biomedical engineering major.

 

Degrees & Offerings

Biomedical Engineering (B.S.)

Bachelor’s
  Vermillion Main Campus and Sioux Falls

A degree in biomedical engineering prepares you for a career in in the rapidly growing field that combines health care with engineering. You will be prepared for jobs in biotech, pharmaceuticals, biomedical research, medical device manufacturing and more. Plus, you can apply 12 credits of your bachelor's degree program toward a master's degree in an accelerated option that allows you to earn both your bachelor's and master's degrees in five years instead of six.

Accelerated Biomedical Engineering (B.S./M.S.)

Accelerated Program
  Vermillion Main Campus and Sioux Falls

A degree in biomedical engineering prepares you for a career in in the rapidly growing field that combines health care with engineering. You will be prepared for jobs in biotech, pharmaceuticals, biomedical research, medical device manufacturing and more. Plus, you can apply 12 credits of your bachelor's degree program toward a master's degree in an accelerated option that allows you to earn both your bachelor's and master's degrees in five years instead of six.

Program Details

Undergraduate

College

Department

Contact

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.
A student looking into a microscope.

The real-world experiences you gain through an internship will equip you with valuable skills that will set you apart after graduation. 

Research training emphasizes engineering biomaterials that can repair or replace damaged tissues and treat critical diseases. We have state-of-the-art research instrumentation and are creating the Aseptic Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Production & Training Center that will enable students, along with their faculty advisors, to translate their research from the bench to the bedside.

USD is home to more than 170 student organizations, including several that are housed in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. You may be interested in joining the Society for Biomaterials to make friends, develop new skills and explore your interests.

The Society for Biomaterials chapter is active on campus. For the past two years, they have been awarded a $5,000 grant to host Biomaterials Day and do outreach research experiments for students in the area to help them become excited about science.

Explore Student Organizations

As a biomedical engineering student, you can take part in many different research opportunities. The current focus areas of faculty research within the program are:

  • Biomaterials for drug delivery
  • Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine
  • Cellular biomechanics 
  • Systems and data integration for predictive bioscience and biomedicine
  • Advanced cyberinfrastructure and bioinformatics workflow development

Departments & Facilities

Explore the departments, facilities and centers that contribute to your education in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Two Students in a Biomedical Engineering Lab.

Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical engineering combines science, engineering and medicine to solve human health problems and improve quality of life. Biomedical engineers work with doctors to build medical devices that assist in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

Faculty & Staff

Get to know the faculty in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Our faculty are experts in their fields, bringing practical experience in tissue engineering, experimental design, nanomaterials and movement biomechanics to the classroom.
Bio Image for Faculty Member Erin Harmon

Erin Harmon

Chair-Biomedical Eng.
Bio Image for Faculty Member Ying Deng

Ying Deng

Associate Professor
Bio Image for Faculty Member Etienne Gnimpieba Zohim

Etienne Gnimpieba Zohim

Research Assistant Professor
Two Students Working in the cGMP Cleanroom.

Gain Real-World Experience

The USD Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) Cleanroom provides businesses and researchers with a facility to produce aseptic pharmaceutical products and medical devices.

 

Our facility is open to pharmaceutical, animal health and medical device businesses and researchers. In addition, we offer:

 

  • Research space well-suited for microscopy and analytical work
  • An aseptic filler for small-scale product dispensing with automatic capping and crimping
  • Training and technical support

 

Our cGMP is versatile and competitively priced, making us ideal for small businesses and researchers looking to produce pre-clinical and clinical trial material.

A Student Smiling at Graduation.

One of the Most Valuable College Majors

Biomedical engineering continuously ranks as one of the most valuable college majors by sources such as Forbes.com and Indeed.com. According to the 2021 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a bachelor's degree was the typical entry level of education of those entering employment in bioscience and biomedical engineering. Median salary in these fields was $92,620 per year. 

Surprisingly Affordable

USD offers low tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students, as well as scholarships, financial aid and employment opportunities to help make your education even more affordable.

Undergraduate 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 Undergraduate 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.

Scholarships

USD awards nearly $9.5 million in scholarships each year. View our scholarships to see which ones you may qualify for and how you can apply.



Student Success Story

Success story Tim Hartman smiling.
The USD biomedical engineering faculty remains concerned about running a practical program that brings value. They know that companies are always looking for competent innovators and critical thinkers who bring more with their degree than just a piece of paper.

Tim Hartman

B.S. Biomedical Engineering '22

Take the Next Step