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Pre-health students can choose from several majors, all of which need to be tailored to best prepare for an individual student's career plans. Generally, a major in Biology or Biochemistry will meet more of the professional-school requirements within the major than other choices. However, Chemistry also has a BS option whose pre-professional health focus area adds life-science courses.
Below are basic four-year plans for Biology, Biochemistry, and Chemistry degrees giving appropriate preparation for major healthcare options. Faculty mentors, academic advisors and the pre-health advisor are good sources for more information. See the College catalog for course descriptions and pre-requisites.
| Option 1: Biology BS - Biomedical Science track | ||
| This degree (see more detail on the Biology BS tab) provides strong preparation for MD, DDS, DVM, or PA programs as well as virtually any other health career. | ||
| Year | Fall | Spring |
| 1 | BIOL 195 CHEM 121 MATH 151 GenEd seminar |
BIOL 210 CHEM 122 BIOL 2901 (0 cr) GenEd seminar GenEd or elective2 |
| 2 | BIOL 220 CHEM 2513 BIOL 3904 (0 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BIOL 230 BIOL 240 (2 cr) CHEM 252 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| 3 | BCHM 365 BIOL 201 PHYS 131 GenEd or elective |
300-level BIOL5 BIOL 202 PHYS 132 GenEd or elective |
| 4 | 300-level BIOL5 or BIOL 4006 (2 cr) BIOL 4901 (1 cr, Fall or Spring) PHIL 213, SOAN 215, or KINE 230 or 300 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
300-level BIOL5 or BIOL 4006 (2 cr) BIOL 4901 (1 cr, Fall or Spring) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| Option 2: Biochemistry BA or BS7 | ||
| This degree (see more detail on the Biochemistry tab) provides strong preparation for medical or dental school as well as other health careers, especially pharmacy. | ||
| Year | Fall | Spring |
| 1 | BIOL 195 CHEM 121 MATH 151 GenEd seminar |
BIOL 210 CHEM 122 BIOL 2908 (0 cr) GenEd seminar GenEd or elective |
| 2 | CHEM 251 CHEM 310 BIOL 3908 (2 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BIOL 230 CHEM 252 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| 3 | BIOL 360 CHEM 3918 (1 cr) PHYS 1319 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BCHM 365 PHYS 132 CHEM 3928 (1 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| 4 | CHEM 340 or 345 BCHM 4006 (2 cr, Fa or Sp) BIOL 4908 (1 cr, Fa or Sp) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BCHM 4006 (2 cr, Fa or Sp) BCHM 465 (2 cr, no lab) BIOL 4908 (1 cr, Fa or Sp) or CHEM 4938 (1 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| Option 3: Biology BA - Health Professions track | ||
| The Health Professions track is compatible with the requirements of professional schools in areas such as nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, some PA programs, etc. Students interested in MD, DDS, DVM, or most PA programs should consider the BS Biomedical Science track. | ||
| Year | Fall | Spring |
| 1 | BIOL 195 CHEM 121 GenEd quantitative GenEd seminar |
BIOL 210 CHEM 122 BIOL 2901 (0 cr) GenEd seminar GenEd or elective |
| 2 | BIOL 220 CHEM 251 or PHYS 13110 BIOL 3904 (2 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BIOL 230 BIOL 240 (2 cr) CHEM 252 or PHYS 13210 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| 3 | BIOL 201 300-level BIOL5 BIOL 2904 (0 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BIOL 202 PHIL 213 or SOAR 215 or KINE 230 or 300 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| 4 | 300-level BIOL5 or BIOL 4006 (2 cr) BIOL 4901 (1 cr, Fall or Spring) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
300-level BIOL5 or BIOL 4006 (2 cr) BIOL 4901 (1 cr, Fall or Spring) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| Option 4: Chemistry BS with Health Focus | ||
| With appropriate elective choices within the health focus portion of the major, a BS in Chemistry could be used as preparation for many professional programs. This degree has a number of options; one way to meet pre-professional health requirements is shown below. | ||
| Year | Fall | Spring |
| 1 | BIOL 195 CHEM 121 MATH 151 GenEd seminar |
BIOL 210 CHEM 122 MATH 152 GenEd seminar |
| 2 | CHEM 251 PSYC 1002 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
CHEM 252 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
| 3 | CHEM 301 CHEM 391 (1 cr) PHYS 131 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
BCHM 365 PHYS 132 CHEM 310 CHEM 392 (1 cr) GenEd or elective |
| 4 | CHEM 341 GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
CHEM 485 CHEM 493 (1 cr) GenEd or elective GenEd or elective GenEd or elective |
Notes:
1BIOL majors take the BIOL 290 Seminar course once for zero credit as audience members/evaluators prior to presenting their own research in BIOL 490. Taking BIOL 290 in the first or second year is recommended.
2The MCAT requires preparation in behavioral sciences as well as life and physical sciences; pre-med students should include at least one psychology course and one sociology course among their GenEd and elective courses. Other health-related professional schools also have requirements in this area.
3Students wishing to go directly to medical or dental school in the fall following graduation need to complete the MCAT/DAT coursework by the end of junior year: intro. biology, intro. chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, math through calculus II and biochemistry. In order to take biochemistry in junior year, it is necessary to take organic chemistry in sophomore year.
4BIOL majors take BIOL 390 for two credits to explore careers through seminar presentations and classroom study; fall of sophomore year is recommended.
5BIOL majors take two 300-level electives; they may be taken in any semester or order following completion of BIOL 230. Some of these courses are offered only in alternating years. Animal Physiology, Infectious Disease, Developmental Biology, and Molecular Biology of Cancer are particularly recommended for pre-health majors.
6BIOL/BCHM 400 is taught each semester with two different lab sections, one more molecular/cellular and one more organismal/ecological. Choose your lab section based on the kind of research project you would like to complete.
7The BS in Biochemistry requires three advanced electives in addition to the courses listed here; Animal Physiology, Developmental Biology, and Infectious Disease are particularly recommended for pre-health BCHM majors.
8BCHM majors may fulfill their seminar requirement by taking either BIOL 290 (0 credit; students are audience members and evaluators, freshman year recommended), 390 (2 credits; students explore careers, sophomore fall recommended), and 490 (1 credit; students present research) or CHEM 391, 392, and 493 (1 credit each).
9PHYS 161 and 162 may be taken in place of 131 and 132, but PHYS 131 and 132 have better coverage of MCAT topics.
10Choose organic chemistry or physics based on the requirements of the professional program you plan to apply for. Some programs require both.