Jul 26, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Medical Biology (B.S.)


71-74 Major Hours (includes minor), 120 Degree Hours


Students in this major must also complete requirements for a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences .

The Medical Biology program offers an interdisciplinary B.S. degree designed to prepare students for medical school and for other healthcare professional programs such as dentistry, optometry, pharmacology, physician assistant, physical therapy, and podiatry. The curriculum is based on recent guidelines of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). It focuses on competencies in the natural and social sciences relevant to medical education and to the practice of medicine. Hosted by USD’s Department of Biology, the Medical Biology major provides a broad background and excellent training in the biological sciences for students interested in pursuing graduate or professional degrees in health care, biotechnology, physiology, and cellular and molecular biology.

Required Support Courses (37-40 hours)


Required Electives (9 hours):


Note:


If used to fulfill a specific requirement, BIOL 428, 433, 443, 456, and CHEM 330 may not also be used as electives. Students may petition to include 1-3 credits of BIOL 498-Undergrad Research/Scholarship or a comparable course in a related discipline as an elective for the program. This petition must be approved by the Biology Department chair or designee. Students in the University Honors Program may substitute appropriate UHON courses for PSYC 101 and/or SOC 100 with approval of the Biology Department chair or designee.

Students who complete the Medical Biology major will have fulfilled the requirements for the Interdisciplinary Sciences Minor  and are not required to complete an additional minor, although they are welcome to add any minor other than Biology. Students completing a Medical Biology major cannot also complete a double major with the Physiology, Cell & Molecular Biology Major or Biology Major, although they may complete the Conservation Biology major. Students are not able to count required support courses or required electives towards another major or minor (e.g., PHIL 364 for a Philosophy major).

B.S. to M.S. Accelerated Options


Undergraduate Medical Biology majors may elect to complete both the B.S. and M.S. concurrently. Students who pursue the accelerated option will be awarded their undergraduate degree first, but may be awarded both degrees upon completion of the graduate requirements. Students may apply for admission to the M.S. program after completing 75 undergraduate credit hours and may begin taking graduate level courses upon completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours and acceptance into the accelerated graduate program. Additional information about the accelerated degree can be found on the accelerated program catalog page  for the M.S. in Biology.

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs


USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan. 

Related programs:

Location Matters for Non-Licensure Track Programs


This program is not designed or advertised to lead to a professional license or certification required for employment.

USD is permitted to operate under the terms of the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (NC-SARA) policies and standards in offering online courses/degree programs to residents in 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.  Online courses/programs may also be offered to residents of California (a non-SARA state) because it does not regulate out-of-state public institutions.

Additionally, this program is authorized to offer supervised field study experiences (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) in South Dakota. Please be aware that there may be some restrictions on your ability to engage in supervised field study outside of South Dakota. Please contact a program representative if you have questions regarding supervised field study.

Distance education courses or programs will not be offered outside of the United States without prior written approval from the University, which may be withheld for any reason. If you are taking distance courses while physically located outside of the United States, it is your responsibility to confirm the following: (a) if the country will recognize an online degree; (b) the availability of supervised field study opportunities in the country; and (c) if the country charges any additional taxes, withholdings or fees associated with online distance education programs.

For more information, please visit USD’s State Authorization page or contact your admissions counselor.