Biology Major, Concentration in Pre-Medicine

This concentration is intended for Biology majors who aspire to attend medical school, dental school, or veterinary school after completing their undergraduate degree. The concentration is a means to ensure that students have the best possible academic preparation and advising as they prepare for these post-graduate programs. The Pre-Medicine Concentration requirements include courses that are not part of the Biology major but are designated as core prerequisites for these professional schools as well as some additional courses that are not part of the core prerequisites but are strongly recommended. The concentration curriculum also includes a one-credit seminar taken during the sophomore or junior year that is designed to familiarize students with the requirements for admission to medical, dental, and veterinary schools. The seminar helps students develop personal plans for fulfilling these requirements so that they have the best possible chance of admission to post-graduate study.

Requirements for a Major in Biology

Students who also complete CH-203 and CH-204, and 3 additional credits in 200-level or higher chemistry courses can earn a chemistry minor.

Biology Upper-Level Electives

(Note: Pre-med and graduate school candidates should also take CH-203 & CH-204 in addition to CH-201 and CH-202)

A minimum of three upper division laboratory courses (BI 300- or BI 400-level) are to be selected. Students must take at least one course from each category. Additional upper level elective courses or graduate research/internships are strongly encouraged. The courses should be selected with the advice and consent of the faculty advisor. A grade point average of 2.0 must be maintained in biology courses and in the ancillary science and mathematics courses. Students considering graduate and professional work should take, as a recommended minimum, calculus and introduction to computer science.

Pre-Medical Concentration Requirements

Note:  Only Biology majors will be eligible for this concentration. The 13 credits specified for the concentration include the courses required for the concentration that are not required for the Biology major. Students will still have to complete all of the credits required for the major as well.

Sample Timeline for Completion of Degree

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This timeline should be followed by all students who intend to enter medical/dental/vet school the fall after graduation. Many students take a least a year between completion of their undergraduate degree and entry into one of these programs. In this case, the two physics courses can be taken in Year 3 instead of Year 2.

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EN-101 and EN-102 satisfy GenEd Written Communication.

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MA-190 requires a math placement code of 6 or higher.

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Pre-medical and pre-dental students should take either PS-101 General Psychology or SO-100 Introduction to Sociology: Exploring Our Social World as a GenEd Behavioral and Social Sciences course.

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This sequence of 200-level Biology core courses is suggested, but can be taken in any order.

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BI-161/BI-162 cannot substitute for BI-200.

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CH-410 counts as one of the 300/400-level Biology electives in the Cell and Molecular category.

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All biology core courses must be completed before taking BI-404 (BI-140, BI-141,BI-200, BI-202, BI-203, BI-204).