PhD in Biomedical Data Science and Informatics (Clemson-MUSC Joint Program) | Curriculum

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 prerequisites 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.

Additional requirements include passing a qualifying exam, a dissertation proposal, and ultimately a dissertation and its defense.

Students will have a designated "home institution" -- either Clemson or MUSC -- at which they will be physically located. However, all students in this program will take graduate classes from both institutions. Students will not be required to travel between campuses as courses will be made available to students both on-campus and via synchronous remote capability. Courses will be offered at the Clemson main campus, MUSC main campus, the University Center at Greenville (Clemson University), and the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center (on CURI campus, North Charleston).

This doctoral program is a research degree. Students will pursue one of three track specialty areas which include precision medicine, population health, and clinical and translational informatics. All students will have the opportunity to work directly with one or more program faculty members on research related to data science and informatics. Doctoral students will be immersed in the research environment and will actively engage in authoring research proposals, conducting research, writing abstracts and manuscripts, and presenting research findings.

Coursework (65-68 total hours):

*This course is delivered through Clemson University as part of a joint Biomedical Data Science and Informatics program.

Area I - Biomedical Informatics Foundations and Applications
 Sub Area   Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
 Research Foundations Choose 1       
    MUSC: BDSI-8210 Health Research I 3
    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Research Principles and Concepts 3
    MUSC: HIN-708  Applied Statistical & Research  3
      Total Required Hours  3
 Biomedical Informatics Foundations Required Courses      
    MUSC: BDSI-701  Intro Biomedical Informatics  3 
    MUSC: BDSI-702  Biomedical Data Standards  3 
       Total Required Hours 6 
 Track Specific Core Course  Choose 1 

 
    MUSC: BDSI-711  Precision Medicine Informatics 3
    MUSC: BDSI-8900 Population Health Informatics 3
    MUSC: BDSI-712  Translational Informatics 3
       Total Required Hours  3 
 Additional Elective Choose 1-2      
    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Bioinformatics Algorithms 3
    MUSC: BMTRY-783  Stat Methods for Bioinformatic   2 
    MUSC: BDSI-####
Panomics 3
    MUSC: BDSI-####
Consumer & Quantified Self  2 
    MUSC: BDSI-####
Health Enterprise Analytics 2 
    MUSC: BDSI-731  Microbiome Informatics
 2 
        Total Required Hours 3 
      Total Required Hours for Area I  15-16

 

Area II - Computing/Math/Stats/Engineering
 Sub Area   Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
Math and Computing Foundations Choose 1       
    MUSC: BDSI-8050 Data Analysis 3
    MUSC: BDSI-8010 Statistical Methods I
 3
    MUSC:BMTRY-700 Intro to Clin Biostatistics   4
      Total Required Hours  3
Data Science - Machine Learning Choose 1      
   

MUSC: BDSI-6420

 Artificial Intelligence 3 
    MUSC: BDSI-6300
 Applied Data Science 3 
    MUSC: BDSI-721  Applied Machine Learning 3 
    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Machine Learning: Implementation and Evaluation
3
    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Advance Machine Learning
3
       Total Required Hours 3
  Choose 2 

 
  Data Science - Biostatistics  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Biostatistics 3
  MUSC: BDSI-8310A
 Quantitative Analysis 3
  MUSC: BMTRY-701  Biostatistical Methods II  4 
  Data Science - Data Mining  MUSC: BDSI-8650 *
 Data Mining 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Pattern Recognition 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Network Science 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Applied Multivariate Statistical Analysis 3
  MUSC: BMTRY-719 Bayesian Biostatistics 3
  Data Science - Visualization and exploratory data analysis  MUSC: BDSI-6030 Data Visualization 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *   Scientific Visualization   3
  MUSC: BDSI-8430 Deep Learning 3
  Data Science - Image and Signal Processing  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Intro to Computer Vision  3 
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Medical Imaging (&6311 non credit lab) 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Introduction to Digital Signal Processing
 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Digital Image Processing   3
  Data Science - Decision Analysis/Knowledge Integration/Modeling MUSC: BDSI-6410 *
 Introduction to Stochastic Models 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Knowledge Engineering 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Engineering Optimization and Applications 3
  Data Science - Geospatial Analysis  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 GIS for Public Administrators 3
  MUSC: BDSI-### GIS and Mapping for Public Health 3
  Data Science - Algorithms/Data Structures  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Design and Analysis of Algorithms 3
  MUSC: BDSI-8380 *
 Advanced Data Structures 3
  Data Science - Natual Language Processing  MUSC: BDSI-722 Biomedical Natural Lang  3
       Total Required Hours 6 
Systems and Data Management (SDM) Choose 2       
  SDM - Data Management Tools and
Technology		 MUSC: BDSI-6620
 Database Management 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Database Management System Design 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Intro to Information Retrieval 3
  SDM - Computing Environments  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Computational Science 3
  MUSC: BDSI-6780 *
 General Purpose Computation on GPUs 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 High Performance Computing with GPUs 3
  MUSC: BDSI-8200 *
 Parallel Architectures 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Intro to Parallel Systems 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Principles of Scientific Computing 3
  SDM - Performance and Scalability  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Systems Modeling 3
  SDM - Human Factors   MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Human and Computer Interaction 3
  MUSC: BDSI-8310 *
 Fundamentals of Human Centered Computing 3
  MUSC: BDSI-8000 *
 Human Factors Engineering 3
  SDM - Applied Software Engineering  MUSC: BDSI-8710 Foundations of Software Engineering 3 
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Software Design  3
        Total Required Hours 6
      Total Required Hours for Area II   18

Area III - Population Health, Health Systems, and Policy
 Sub Area   Course Number Course Name Credit Hours

Choose 2 (courses titles must be different)    
Health Systems    MUSC: BDSI-8110 *
 Health Care Delivery Systems 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### * 
Health Economics  3
  MUSC: DHA 807-01
Managing Healthcare Information   3
Health Policy    MUSC: HAP-704-02 Health Policy 3
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Health Policy
3
Quality & Safety    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Health System Quality Improvement  2
    MUSC: HAP-632-02 
Quality Mgmt of Hlth Care Svcs   3
Ethical, Legal & Social Issues, Privacy and Security    MUSC: HAP-735-02 Health Law & Risk Management 3
    MUSC: HIN-716  Ethical, Legal, and Regulatory  3
Population Health    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Population Health and Research 2
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Epidemiology 3
  MUSC: BMTRY-736  Foundations of Epidemiology  3 
  MUSC: DHA-850
Population Health Management  3
  MUSC: BMTRY-747  Foundations of Epidemiology II  3
      Total Required Hours  5
      Total Required Hours for Area III  5-6

Area IV - Domain Biology/Medicine
 Sub Area   Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
Foundations of Biomedical Sciences Choose 1      
    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Biomedical Basis for Engineered Replacement 3
    MUSC: CGS-765 Proteins:Dynam Struct & Funct 3
    MUSC: CGS-766  Genes: Inheritance/Expression   4 
    MUSC: CGS-767 Cells:Organization/Communicat 3
Biochemistry / Pathology    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
 Molecular Biology: Geners to Proteins 3
    MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Molecular Basis of Disease 3
Genetics    MUSC: BDSI-6700 *
 Human Genetics  3 
  MUSC: BDSI-#### *
Introduction to Applied Genomics  3
      Total Required Hours  3
      Total Required Hours for Area IV  3-4

Area V - Lab rotations, seminars, doctoral research
 Sub Area   Course Number Course Name Credit Hours
   Lab Rotations MUSC: CGS-720 / 721 Laboratory Rotation 4
    MUSC: BDSI-700 BDSI Seminar 4
    MUSC: BDSI-771
Health Equity  1
    MUSC: BDSI-780
Special Topics
1-3
    MUSC: BDSI-970 Research 18
      Total Required Hours  24
      Total Required Hours for Area V  24
      Total Credit Hours Required for Degree  65-68