Biology BS, Pre-Professional combined degree

Admission requirements

Students who are in their fourth semester at FDU and who meet the application criteria may apply. Applicants must have had secondary school preparation in English, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. Please speak to the FDU preprofessional advisor for additional information on application criteria.

Major Requirements

The Program is designed for students who are accepted into professional school (e.g., School of Medicine, Dentistry, Chiropractic, and Optometry) after three years of undergraduate study. Twenty-nine credits earned during the first year of professional school are used to supplement the 95 credits earned at FDU to complete the 124 credits required for the BS degree.

A minimum of 123 credits is required for graduation with BS Biology.

Program Outcomes for BS Biology

Students majoring in Biology develop the following skills and abilities:

Ability to use the scientific method and understand its strengths and weaknesses: Clearly states a hypothesis; Identifies not only the basics of the issue, but recognizes the nuances of the issue.

Ability to research a biological topic using traditional and computer technology: Provides a thorough and relevant literature review; Considers alternate ways to approach the questions; Ability to read and evaluate professional scientific literature; Demonstrates understanding of the relationship between experiment and theory.

Ability to write and communicate science: Writing enhances the presentation; Writing is consistently well written; Writing communicates clearly using the language of biology; Writing displays an excellent command of writing mechanics; Topics are clearly organized; Topics are covered in-depth; Topics display an abundance of original ideas; APA style is used consistently and accurately without any errors.

Ability to utilize mathematical reasoning and quantitative skills in biology: Analyzes data via graphs, statistics and curve fitting as appropriate; Possess observational and technical skills; Carries out controlled experiments using the proper equipment and safety measurements; Identifies relevant constraints; Collects data carefully and with appropriate precision; Uses initial data to refine the experiment.

Possess major field knowledge: Identifies an appropriate question by using prior knowledge; Ability to successfully compete in biologically related fields; Obtains acceptance into graduate/professional schools or employment in the field.