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The Biological Sciences in Dental Medicine (BSDM) Program, leading to the PhD degree, is located at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and is offered through the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University.

The BSDM program combines faculty from the Department of Developmental Biology and other Harvard School of Dental Medicine departments with faculty from basic science departments at Harvard Medical School, and faculty from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University in Cambridge. This program offers advanced study in the molecular, supramolecular, cellular, and supracellular processes that provide the intellectual basis for dental medicine.

A rigorous curriculum covers the fundamentals of developmental biology, cell and molecular biology, biochemistry and physiology, microbiology and virology, pathology, immunology, neurobiology, tissue engineering, and genetics. In the first year, students take core courses covering this material. In addition, students take upper-level courses designed to teach reading skills for in-depth analysis of the literature. Rotations in laboratories, in the Longwood Medical Area or in Cambridge, form an integral part of the program and allow students to investigate several research areas before choosing a dissertation laboratory.

In the second year, students will take the Preliminary Qualifying Examination (PQE) and select the advisor for the PhD dissertation work. By the third year, it is expected that most students will devote their full time to dissertation research.

In addition to formal instruction, BSDM also offers a weekly discussion group, a seminar series, poster sessions at the annual