Biology Major/Prehealth Biology Track
Biology majors with a primary interest in entering a health profession (medical, dental, veterinary, etc.) can meet the general requirements for the prehealth professional while fulfilling the Biology major requirements. The curricula here provide some examples, but are not the only possibilities, for this track. These examples are for a Biology major planning on applying to medical school after his or her junior year. Curricula for the other health professions are similar, but not identical, and are different for students wishing to apply later than their junior year to a health professions graduate program. It is important that prehealth students meet with the Chair, or a member, of the Premedical and Predental Advisory Committe to develop a course of study that best meets their individual needs and desires.
Learn more about Prehealth at Clark
Click on the links below for more information:
- General Prehealth course requirements for the Prehealth Biology Track
- Sample curriculum for Biology majors on a Prehealth Biology track with two sciences and Calculus in the first year
- Sample curriculum for Biology majors on a Prehealth Biology track with two sciences in the first year
- Clark's Prehealth Professions Program pages
General Prehealth course requirements for the Prehealth Biology Track
| Natural Sciences | Mathematics* | Social Sciences* | Humanities* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introductory Biology 101/102 | Calculus 120/121** | Psychology 101 | English 020/110*** |
| Introductory Chemistry 101/102 | |||
| Physics 110/111 | |||
| Organic Chemistry 131/132 | |||
| * Unlike the basic natural science requirements, these requirements vary from school to school, and some schools may not list them as requirements. They may expect you to have them, or something like these courses, in your undergraduate background when you apply to these schools. You must check with your prehealth advisor for guidance concerning these requirements for the health professions schools to which you plan on applying. | |||
| ** It may be possible - or even required - to substitute a statistics course for some health professions. | |||
| *** One year of English literature is required by most medical schools, which can be fulfilled with these two courses at Clark. Other English courses can be taken to fulfill this requirement. | |||
| Plus an additional eight courses in Biology, with at least one taken from each of the following categories as described for the Biology major: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cell/Molecular Biology | Organismal Diversity | Ecology/Evolution |
| At least two courses must be at the 200 level. One of these often is obtained with directed research at Clark or an internship at an outside institution, such as the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Either option is strongly recommended for Prehealth Biology students. | ||
Sample curriculum for Biology majors on a Prehealth Biology track with two sciences and Calculus in the first year
| Year One | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Introductory Biology 101 (SP) Introductory Chemistry 101 Calculus 120 (FA) English 020 |
Introductory Biology 102 Introductory Chemistry 102 Calculus 121 English 110 or above (VE) |
| Year 2 | |
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Organic Chemistry 131 Psychology 101 Elective/Perspective Elective |
Genetics Microbiology Organic Chemistry 132 Elective/Perspective |
| Year 3 | |
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Cell Biology Basic Human Anatomy Physics 110 Elective/Perspective |
Biology of the Brain Human Physiology Physics 111 Elective/Perspective |
| Year 4 | |
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Ecology of Infectious Disease Directed research/ Internship Elective Elective |
Elective/Perspective Elective Elective Elective |
Sample curriculum for Biology majors on a Prehealth Biology track with two sciences in the first year
| Year One | |
|---|---|
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Introductory Biology 101(SP) Introductory Chemistry 101 English 020 Psychology 101 |
Introductory Biology 102 Introductory Chemistry 102 English 110 or above (VE) Elective/Perspective |
| Year 2 | |
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Organic Chemistry 131 Calculus 120(FA) Elective/Perspective Elective |
Genetics Microbiology Organic Chemistry 132 Calculus 121 |
| Year 3 | |
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Cell Biology Human Anatomy Physics 110 Elective/Perspective |
Biology of the Brain Human Physiology Physics 111 Elective/Perspective |
| Year 4 | |
| First Semester | Second Semester |
| Ecology of Infectious Disease Directed Research/Internship Elective/Perspective Elective |
Elective Elective Elective Elective |
Biology electives of interest to prehealth students include Immunology, Biochemistry I and II, Ecology of Disease Vectors, Science and Society (listed as an interdisciplinary course with IDCE), Brain and Behavior, Seminar in Sensory Physiology, Animal Behavior, and Developmental Biology. Other Biology courses also can be of great use for students in the prehealth curriculum.