First-year students
Following are the minimum high school requirements for admission in the Biology program. Requirements are stated in units of study, which in most high school curricula is equal to one year of work. More information is available at admissions.psu.edu/apply.
| Subject | Units |
|---|---|
| English | 4 units, including 1 unit each in composition and literature |
| Social Studies/ Art/Humanities |
3 units in any combination of social studies, arts, or humanities |
| Science | 3 units |
| Math | Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry plus one-half unit of Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, or Calculus |
| World Language | 2 units* |
* Two units in a single world language other than English are required. American Sign Language can be used to satisfy the World Language requirement. A student may be admitted with fewer than two units in a world language other than English but must correct this deficiency by the time they graduate from Penn State. This deficiency may be corrected by passing one three-credit or four-credit college-level world language course, by earning transferable credits from another institution, or by demonstrating proficiency equivalent to two units of high school world language study.
Transfer students
The above criteria apply. If a student is missing a Carnegie unit from high school, but has taken the missing coursework in college, that will be taken into consideration.
The transfer of credit is a two-step process. The Undergraduate Admissions Office determines which credits will transfer to the University. The University College determines how credits will be used to fulfill degree requirements for the Biology degree.
Penn State credits are expressed in semester hours. When courses transfer to Penn State from institutions that utilize another form of academic credit (quarter credits, units hours, etc.) the unit of credit is converted into semester hours.
For more information about transfer admissions and whether or not a student is classified as a transfer student, please visit our transfer page.
Entrance to major
In order to be eligible for entrance to the Biology major, a student must have:
- Attained at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average;
- Completed BIOL 110 GN(4), CHEM 110 GN(3), MATH 140 GQ(4), and earned a grade of C or better in each of these courses; and
- Completed at least one of the following courses with a grade of C or better: BIOL 220W GN(4), BIOL 230W GN(4), or BIOL 240W GN(4).