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St. Jude Family of Websites
Explore our cutting edge research, world-class patient care, career opportunities and more.
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Home
- Fundraising
On Thursday, June 11, 2026, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences achieved institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Accreditation is an important milestone in the history of the school, recognizing academic quality and dedication to providing rigorous, high-impact education. As the graduate school continues its commitment to training the next generation of investigators, this accreditation certifies the value of a St. Jude education for pursuing the complex challenges facing science, medicine and global health.
Accreditation by the SACSCOC ensures that St. Jude is aligned with recognized standards in higher education. SACSCOC accreditation is a rigorous multi-step process that includes applying, achieving candidacy status following a peer review site visit and ultimately becoming a fully accredited member institution after a second comprehensive evaluation by a committee made up of external peers.
Academic excellence and growth
The St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences was granted candidacy status by the SACSCOC Board of Trustees in June 2025 and completed its final accreditation site visit in spring 2026. The designation confirms that the graduate school meets rigorous standards related to academic programs, faculty qualifications, student support, governance and long-term institutional stability. It also ensures that degrees and certifications awarded by the graduate school are widely recognized and accepted.
“Accreditation is an important reflection of the quality of education we provide our students,” said Steven Varga, PhD, St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences dean. “As a relatively young institution, achieving this speaks to the growth, progress, and firm commitment to continuous improvement we have made over the past 11 years.”
The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences was launched in 2015 and has steadily expanded its educational programs. Since welcoming its inaugural class of 12 students in 2017 through the Biomedical Sciences PhD Program, the school has added graduate programs in Global Child Health, Clinical Investigations and Applied Biomedical Data Sciences. Currently the school has 142 students enrolled across the four programs.
“Every program within the graduate school is aligned with the mission of St. Jude to advance cures and help develop the next generation of scientists and health care professionals dedicated to treating children with catastrophic diseases,” said Varga. “The close integration between the clinical and research enterprises gives students a unique opportunity to experience firsthand the translational science that drives discoveries from the laboratory to patient care.”
To learn more about the St. Jude Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, visit gradschool.stjude.org and follow the Graduate School on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.