header image

MS & PhD in
Biomedical Data Science and Informatics


The BDSI PhD program, in partnership with South Carolina State University, has just received a new training grant funded by the National Institutes of Health. The name of the grant is SC BIDS4HEALTH. Building on the curricular ecosystem of the joint MUSC-Clemson Biomedical Data Science and Informatics PhD program and in cooperation with South Carolina State, this program will support a cohort of graduate students interested in the application of Data Science techniques to address health inequities. For additional detail and to express interest in participating, please Click here.

Biomedical data science and informatics is an interdisciplinary field that applies concepts and methods from computer science and other quantitative disciplines together with principles of information science to solve challenging problems in biology, medicine and public health.

The nation's transition to new healthcare delivery models and the exponential growth in biomedical data translate to a need for professionals with expertise in data science focused in biomedical research who can leverage big data to improve health in the state and the nation. Specialized tracks will initially include precision medicine, population health, and clinical and translational informatics.

 

Programs of
STUDY


Click and expand the menus for more information on each program

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

A joint PhD degree program offered by Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina

The program is a unique collaboration that brings together Clemson’s strengths in computing, engineering, and public health and MUSC’s expertise in biomedical sciences to produce the next generation of data scientists, prepared to manage and analyze big data sources from mobile sensors to genomic and imaging technologies. Graduates will possess the necessary skills for informatics careers in biology, medicine or public health focused on the development of prescriptive analytics from large data sources. This interdisciplinary program is designed for full-time students with undergraduate or graduate computer science, math, engineering, or biomedical sciences backgrounds who wish to make a contribution to biomedical sciences or individual and societal health. [APPLY]

Program info

Each student will work with the graduate coordinator, academic advisor, and dissertation committee to construct a program of study that conforms to the requirements outlined below and takes into account both the student’s prior preparation and intended research area. In cases where the student comes to the program with prior coursework in a required area, the graduate coordinator may approve a substitution. In cases where a student lacks pre-requisites for a required course, the student will be asked to complete both the pre-requisite coursework and the required course. Because the curriculum will be tailored to each student, the time needed to complete the degree will vary, but in general, it is expected that students can complete the degree in five years or less.
Coursework (65-68 total hours):

  • Area I – Biomedical Informatics Foundations and Applications (15-16 hours)
  • Area II – Computing/Math/Stats/Engineering (18 hours)
  • Area III – Population Health, Health Systems, and Policy (5-6 hours)
  • Area IV –Domain Biology/Medicine (3-4 hours)
  • Area V - Lab rotations, seminars, doctoral research (24 hours)
Click here for a detailed look at our doctoral curriculum.


MASTER OF SCIENCE

This interdisciplinary program leverages the broad strength at Clemson spanning computing, engineering, mathematics, biology, public health, and other areas to produce the next generation of data scientists, prepared to manage and analyze big data sources from mobile sensors to genomic and imaging technologies. Graduates will possess the necessary skills for informatics careers in biology, medicine or public health focused on the development of prescriptive analytics from large data sources. The program is designed for students with undergraduate computer science, math, engineering, or biomedical sciences backgrounds who wish to make a contribution to biomedical sciences or individual and societal health. [APPLY]

Program info

Meet
OUR TEAM


Meet our faculty members at both Clemson University and the Medical University of South Carolina

Alexander Alekseyenko

Alexander Alekseyenko
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

Caitlin Allen

Caitlin Allen
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

Luigi Boccuto

Luigi Boccuto
Greenwood Genetic Center
Research Scientist

Brian Dean

Brian Dean
Clemson University
School of Computing

Zhana Duren

Zhana Duren
Clemson University
Genetics & Biochemistry

Alex Feltus

Alex Feltus
Clemson University
Genetics & Biochemistry

Hermes Florez

Hermes Florez
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

Ron Gimbel

Ron Gimbel
Clemson University
Public Health Sciences

Paul Heider

Paul Heider
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

Nina Hubig

Nina Hubig
Clemson University
School of Computing

Federico Iuricich

Federico Iuricich
Clemson University
School of Computing

Xia Jing

Xia Jing
Clemson University
Public Health Sciences

Miriam Konkel

Miriam Konkel
Clemson University
Genetics & Biochemistry

Eileen Kramer

Eileen Kramer
Clemson University
School of Computing

Leslie Lenert

Leslie Lenert
MUSC
Medicine

Xinyi Li

Xinyi Li
Clemson University
Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

Nianyi Li

Nianyi Li
Clemson University
School of Computing

Kai Liu

Kai Liu
Clemson University
School of Computing

Chris McMahan

Chris McMahan
Clemson University
Mathematical and Statistical Sciences

Fabio Morgante

Fabio Morgante
Clemson University
Genetics & Biochemistry

Paul J. Nietert

Paul J. Nietert
Clemson University
Public Health Sciences

Jihad Obied

Jihad Obied
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

Abolfazl Razi

Abolfazl Razi
Clemson University
School of Computing

Vincent Richards

Vincent Richards
Clemson University
Biological Sciences

Richard Street

Richard Street
Greenwood Genetic Center
Director of Research

James Wang

James Wang
Clemson University
School of Computing

KC Wang

KC Wang
Clemson University
Public Health Sciences

Brandon Welch

Brandon Welch
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

Beth Wolf

Beth Wolf
MUSC
Public Health Sciences

 

 

 

 

State-of-the-art
FACILITIES


The joint PhD program with MUSC will give students access to both Clemson University and MUSC facilities.

McAdams Hall

MCADAMS HALL

MUSC

MUSC

Palmetto Cluster

Palmetto Cluster

MUSC 2

MUSC

Greenwood Genetics Center

Greenwood Genetics Center

GHS Patewood

GHS Patewood

READY TO APPLY?

Refer to the individual program above to find out more about the application process. Application deadline for full consideration is April 15 for the MS program, and January 15 for the PhD program.

APPLY TODAY!

Student
TESTIMONIALS


See what our students are saying

Student Benjamin Martin

Benjamin Martin

I have always wanted to work in health care, and I believe that focusing my education in the growing field of biomedical data science and informatics will allow me to make a positive impact on health care delivery and patient care. I love the interdisciplinary nature of this field and our program of study because it creates opportunities to tackle challenges in improving health care in a variety of ways, combining tools and techniques from different disciplines. I look forward to using the skills I develop from this program to further my research in population health and to support health care systems in providing quality, accessible, and cost-efficient care.

Student Benafsh Husain

Benafsh Husain

My experience working and researching as a data scientist has exposed me to various types of interesting real world problems. With my background as a Biomedical engineer I have always wanted to circle back to biological data. The Clemson-MUSC BDSI program allows me to apply and hone my data science skills while providing challenging problems that require practical solutions. This program offers several inter-disciplinary research opportunities that are interesting to me ranging from public health policy to molecular biology. Being part of the research team focusing on cancer research is definitely a bonus.

Student Jordon Ritchie

Jordon Ritchie

The future of health care is data. Clemson and MUSC have essentially combined their strengths to provide excellent computer science curriculum and resources with impressive medical, statistical, and domain space knowledge. I chose this program because of the outstanding mentoring opportunities available and the climate of innovation that exists in these two institutions. Of all the programs that I researched I felt that this program would best prepare me to be a leader in big data analytics and technology innovation in health care.

Student MinJae Woo

MinJae
Woo

With my enthusiasm for patient safety and multidisciplinary background in mathematics, engineering, and econometrics, I was attracted by the joint PhD degree program in Biomedical Data Science and Informatics offered by Clemson University and Medical University of South Carolina. The Clemson-MUSC BDSI program has been a perfect fit for me with its interdisciplinary curriculum and ample research opportunities aligning with my research interest. I envision biomedical informatics a key to various patient safety issues to which I hope to contribute in the near future.