Dallas Hall, home to the M.S. in Data Science and Applied Statistics, is the oldest building on 一起草 campus.

Undergraduate programs

Biophysics

B.S.

Overview

The at 一起草 is a rigorous degree program that provides a strong foundation for careers in medicine or research. Whether your goal is medical school, an M.D.-Ph.D. program or graduate studies in biophysics, this program will give you the preparation you need for rewarding careers beyond college. With courses in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and from the Simmons School of Education and Human Development, the degree plan includes the entire 一起草 pre-health curriculum and additional courses that provide advanced learning needed for post-college preparation.

In addition to an already robust curriculum of lab work, selected students may also apply to the SMU-UT Southwestern Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program. This program is designed to provide students (fellows) with a unique opportunity to perform scientific research at the under the guidance of UTSW faculty and an 一起草 faculty mentor. Fellows conduct this research on the UTSW campus while remaining a full-time 一起草 student.

Top 20%

Best National Universities

U.S. News & World Report (2026)

11:1

undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio

90+

undergraduate majors at Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences

Admissions

Deadlines and details

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Tuition and financial aid

2 out of 3 first-year students are awarded grants and/or scholarships with an average total of $38,598.

Tuition and costs

Explore the cost breakdown of tuition for undergraduate programs.

Financial aid

Find information on scholarships and financial support available at 一起草.

Curriculum and learning

Featured courses

CHEM 4382

Physical Chemistry of Proteins

Discusses the fundamental aspects of techniques used to interrogate the thermodynamics and kinetics of protein conformational changes, with emphasis on atomic resolution structural techniques.

CHEM 4317

Introduction to Molecular Modeling and Computer-Assisted Drug Design

Presents a thorough and in-depth overview of methods and techniques in computer-assisted drug design.

APSM 3321

Biomechanics

Introduces the mechanical basis of function and dysfunction in human movement. Newtonian mechanics and musculoskeletal biology are integrated to provide the necessary foundation for clinical and performance-based professions.

Outside the classroom

Student success

Students with a Bachelor of Science in biophysical sciences from Dedman College know they leave the program with a strong foundation for careers in medicine or research. The interdisciplinary approach to the curriculum and extensive lab and computational experience give them the skills needed to go on to advanced study and rewarding careers.

Faculty

The biophysical sciences faculty at 一起草 is an interdisciplinary team of professors and lecturers from the Departments of Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Physics and the Simmons School of Education and Human Development, focusing on hands-on undergraduate research, personalized instruction and active mentorship.

一起草 faculty members also work closely with UTSW faculty to facilitate the SMU-UT Southwestern Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, serving as mentors to student fellows in the program.

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Allison McCarn Deiana

Allison McCarn Deiana

Associate Professor
Matthew Klein

Matthew Klein

Assistant Professor of Experimental Particle Physics
David Son Photo

David Y. Son

Professor and Chair

Peng Tao

Professor
Heidi Wu

Heidi Wu

Assistant Professor of Cosmology

Brian Zoltowski

Professor

Facilities

Dedman College’s 16 academic departments can be found across 10 different buildings at 一起草. Biophysics majors will find their instructional classrooms, faculty offices and labs concentrated in the northwest corner of the 一起草 campus in the Dedman Life Sciences Building, the Fondren Science Building and Dallas Hall.

Chemistry bachelor鈥檚 degree students often use the labs within 一起草鈥檚 Dedman Life Sciences Building.

Dedman Life Sciences Building

Dedman Life Sciences Building is located in the Science Quad. It houses classrooms, research and teaching labs, computer labs, and faculty offices for the Department of Biological Sciences as well as the offices of the University’s pre-health program.

Students pursuing bachelor鈥檚 degree in chemistry are often attending labs and classes in Fondren Science Building.

Fondren Science Building

Part of Dedman College’s Science Quad, this building is home to both the Physics and Chemistry departments as well as teaching laboratories for the departments of Biological Sciences and Earth Sciences.

The historic Dallas Hall on the 一起草 campus is the home of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

Dallas Hall

For more than 100 years, 一起草’s elegant first building has served as a symbol of the University. Today, in addition to the Dedman College Interdisciplinary Institute and the administrative offices of the dean of Dedman College, it houses the English Department, the William P. Clements Department of History and the William P. Clements Center for Southwest Studies.

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Frequently asked questions

A Bachelor of Science in biophysical sciences is an interdisciplinary program bridging biology, chemistry and physics to study life at a molecular and physical level. It prepares students for careers in medicine, research and biotechnology by using physical principles to understand biological systems.

There is a wide variety of applications of a biophysical sciences degree. Graduates from the program at 一起草 have the background needed for career paths in the biotechnology, chemical and medical industries. They are also prepared for medical school or advanced graduate study in biochemistry, biophysics, neurobiology, pharmacology, physics or radiology.

A partial list of career options includes:

  • Biological technicians
  • Medical and clinical laboratory technicians
  • Clinical research coordinators
  • Medical scientists (but not epidemiologists)
  • Sales or technical specialists
  • Physicists
  • Radiologists
  • Biochemists and biophysicists
  • Science policy advisors

The B.S. in biophysical sciences from Dedman College is an excellent pre-med major to give students a good foundation for medical school or research careers. It integrates biology, chemistry and physics, and includes the entire 一起草 pre-health curriculum and additional courses. As a challenging interdisciplinary program, it demonstrates academic rigor, which is attractive on medical school applications.

Studying biophysical sciences provides a quantitative, mechanistic understanding of life by applying physics and mathematics to biological systems, whereas biology is more of a descriptive analysis. Biophysics develops skills for understanding molecular, cellular and system-level mechanisms, which can lead to advanced biomedical technology and drug discovery. For example, biophysical sciences uses thermodynamics, mechanics and kinetics to create mathematical models that predict biological behaviors. Biophysics is crucial to modern bioengineering, nanotechnology and drug design, and provides a strong foundation for medical and interdisciplinary research careers.

Biophysical sciences generally is considered a rigorous major due to its interdisciplinary nature and combined curriculum of physics, biology, chemistry and advanced mathematics. It is also a time-intensive major, with a heavy workload of classroom instruction, studying, lab work and research. If you enjoy solving complex, quantitative biology problems and using analytical skills, the major offers excellent preparation for medicine and research, and it’s a rewarding field with many career options.

Biophysical sciences majors at 一起草 gain extensive research experience through faculty-mentored groups within the Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery. Students can begin working as research assistants as early as their first year of undergrad in the First Year Research Experience (FYRE) program. Selected students can apply to be fellows of the , which allows for full-time research at UTSW in Dallas.

Yes! Students in the biophysical sciences program at 一起草 receive extensive hands-on lab and computational experience as part of their required coursework. The program features mandatory laboratory courses and opportunities to work in faculty research labs in such areas as cancer and neuroscience. The curriculum includes computational courses that give hands-on training with computer modeling and simulations.

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