How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at the University of Notre Dame: B.S. Majors in Biological Sciences, Biochemistry, Neuroscience and More in the College of Science, No Nursing or Medical School, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Notre Dame is in Indiana. Its life-science and health-related undergraduate majors are mainly in the College of Science, and Neuroscience and Behavior is also offered in the College of Arts and Letters. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and Notre Dame’s Center for Health Sciences Advising says that as of 2024 the University does not have a medical school or a health-profession program that an undergraduate could enroll in. This guide summarises Notre Dame’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

Notre Dame says it offers more than 70 paths to a bachelor’s degree. The ones tied to life sciences and health, from its published lists:

• College of Science (Bachelor of Science): Biological Sciences (Department of Biological Sciences); Biochemistry and Chemistry (Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry); Environmental Sciences (also available as a supplementary major); Neuroscience and Behavior; Physics in Medicine (Physics and Astronomy); and Science Preprofessional Studies (SCPP), a 64-credit interdisciplinary major aimed mainly at students preparing for a health profession.
• Neuroscience and Behavior is offered in both the College of Science and the College of Arts and Letters. The program says students can earn a B.S. or a B.A.; core courses and electives are the same, and the colleges differ in college requirements, total credits and which courses meet foundational science requirements.
• Pre-health: the admissions FAQ mentions Arts and Letters Pre-Health as an intended major; “Science Pre-Health” on the College of Science list is available as a supplementary major only.
• Engineering (chemical, environmental and others) is a separate college; the health advising office lists chemical and mechanical engineering among popular pre-health majors. We do not cover them here.
• Minors: the College of Science offers a Minor in Biological Sciences (the page states it does not satisfy medical school or allied-health admission requirements), a Minor in Compassionate Care in Medicine (open to all colleges) and a Minor in Science and Patient Advocacy.
• No undergraduate nursing, public health or nutrition major appears in the major lists we read.
• Whether these majors are STEM-designated, and whether any combined bachelor’s/medical-degree program exists: the pages we read do not say. Ask admissions (admissions@nd.edu).

2. Admission and entry to a major

• Transfer applicants must apply to a specific college and major, and once admitted cannot change majors without the dean’s permission.
• First-year applicants: the high school course requirements are listed by the college of the intended major (Science, Engineering, Architecture and others), but the pages we read do not say how to enter an intended major on the application, whether you may leave it undecided, or whether first-years enter a major directly or start undeclared; ask admissions.
• Entry conditions (GPA, required-course grades, seat limits) for the College of Science majors are not published on the pages we read; ask the College of Science dean’s office (574-631-6456, science@nd.edu).
• College of Science degree requirements: Bachelor of Science; at least 124 degree credits; cumulative and major GPA of at least 2.000; at least 60 credits at Notre Dame; the last year in residence; year-long sequences in chemistry, mathematics and physics; intermediate proficiency in one language; and the University core curriculum (theology, philosophy, writing and the first-year experience).
• Honors: Chemistry & Biochemistry has an honors program (overall GPA 3.5 or higher, at least two semesters of research and a thesis); Neuroscience and Behavior also has an honors program.

3. Pre-med: what the pre-health office says

• The Center for Health Sciences Advising serves students in any major planning a health profession: medicine, dentistry, veterinary, physical and occupational therapy, physician assistant, public health, nursing, pharmacy and more.
• It says medical schools have no preferred majors but expect competence in the sciences. Its “most popular pre-health majors” are Science Preprofessional Studies, Biological Sciences, Arts and Letters Preprofessional Studies, Neuroscience and Behavior (B.A. and B.S.), Biochemistry, Chemistry, applied math, math for life sciences, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering.
• Science Preprofessional Studies: 64 credits of science plus the University core, leaving at least 25 credits of general electives for courses such as the American healthcare system, clinical ethics and psychology and medicine. Graduates earn a B.S. in Preprofessional Studies.
• The department page says that on average more than three-fourths of Notre Dame applicants to M.D. or D.O. programs are accepted, with average MCAT scores above the national average (no year is given; check the site).
• A footnote to the Biological Sciences sample curriculum strongly recommends a 20000-level English literature course for premedical students, and says medical ethics, biostatistics and biochemistry are generally required or highly recommended.
• Whether pre-health advising has separate guidance for international students is not stated on the pages we read; contact the Center (healthsciencesadvising.nd.edu).

4. High school preparation

• Baseline: at least 16 units, including 4 of English, 3 of mathematics (4 preferred), 2 of a world language (3–4 preferred; the two must be the same language), 2 of science (4 preferred) and 2 of history/social science (3–4 preferred).
• Intended College of Science majors: 4 units of mathematics including pre-calculus or calculus and one unit of chemistry. The strongest STEM applicants, Notre Dame says, have taken biology, chemistry and physics, with calculus in mathematics. The two pages word this slightly differently: the application considerations page says STEM intents’ four units “should include calculus”, while the FAQ says College of Science intents “must include” pre-calculus or calculus.
• Physics: required in high school for Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics-in-Medicine and Applied and Computational Mathematics and Statistics, among others; strongly recommended for Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior, Science Preprofessional Studies and Arts and Letters Pre-Health.
• If calculus is not offered, IB Analysis and Approaches (SL or HL) or pre-calculus are good alternatives; statistics is not recommended as a substitute for calculus.
• AP and IB credit: credit is awarded for AP scores of 4 and 5 and IB Higher Level scores of 6 and 7. Which exams map to which courses is on the First Year advising site, which we did not read.
• First two years (Biological Sciences sample curriculum; check credits on the site): Biology I and II (BIOS 10171, 10172), two biology labs, Calculus I–II, chemistry (CHEM 10171/10172 or 10181/10182) and University requirements in year one; genetics and other biology core, organic chemistry II and chemical principles II in year two; Physics for Life Sciences (PHYS 20210, 20220) in year three. The major needs at least 124 credits. Biochemistry majors start with chemistry, calculus and biology in year one and add physics in year two.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Restrictive Early Action: 1 November, non-binding, decisions mid-December. You may apply to other early action programs but not to a binding Early Decision I program (Early Decision II is allowed); if denied you cannot apply in Regular Decision; priority for merit scholarships.
• Regular Decision: 4 January, decisions mid-to-late March, confirmation and a $500 deposit by 1 May. The pages print no year, so check that the dates are for fall 2027 entry. Applications open every 1 August.
• Platforms: Common App, Coalition on Scoir or QuestBridge. Application fee $85, with automatic waivers through the platforms.
• Essays: the Notre Dame Writing Supplement (one required essay of up to 150 words and two short answers of 50–100 words chosen from the options).
• Recommendations: two letters, one from a core-subject teacher and, strongly preferred, one from your school counselor. A transcript is required; letters and transcripts can still be sent after you submit the application.
• Testing: optional (SAT or ACT) for fall 2027 entry; required again from fall 2028 entry. There is no minimum score and both tests are superscored.
• Interviews: none offered; an optional paid video (Glimpse, or InitialView for international applicants) can be recorded, with fee waivers available.
• Where the site disagrees with itself: the aid page gives 1 January for the Regular Decision admission application, the admissions pages 4 January; the Regular Decision aid priority date is 15 January on the application pages and 1 February in the FAQ. Check the latest.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Notre Dame is private and its cost page lists a single tuition, with no in-state/out-of-state split. It says it has no quotas by region, state or school.
• 2026-27 average cost of attendance: tuition $69,280, mandatory fees $514, housing and food $18,992, books $1,250, personal $1,200, transportation $750, total about $91,986. Whether the College of Science charges an extra fee is not stated on the pages we read.
• Aid: need-blind admission; 100% of demonstrated need met; aid is grants and scholarships with no loans. Notre Dame says most families with income up to about $60,000 receive tuition, fees, housing and food; up to about $150,000, at least full tuition; up to about $200,000, at least half tuition (families with assets well above typical for their income may not qualify).
• Applying: FAFSA (school code 001840) and CSS Profile (code 1841), both available from 1 October.
• Research and internships: Notre Dame says 90% of students intern or do research before graduating, and highlights the Flatley Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement and, as an example, cancer research at the Mike and Josie Harper Cancer Research Institute. Clinical or lab placement numbers are not published.

7. International applicants

• Need-blind for international applicants; first-year students who want need-based aid submit the CSS Profile (available 1 October, code 1841). All international students and U.S. citizens abroad are considered for merit scholarships, most of which need no separate application. There are no CSS Profile fee waivers.
• English tests are required if your first language is not English or your secondary education was not mainly in English (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or Duolingo). Strongly recommended scores: TOEFL iBT under the scoring system before February 2026, 100 overall with at least 25 in speaking; TOEFL iBT under the updated scoring, 5.5 average and no section below 5.0; IELTS 7.5; Duolingo 125. Scores must be sent by the testing agency. The TOEFL Special Home Edition is not accepted.
• Waivers: SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 650 or higher, or ACT English or Reading 26 or higher. If no test center is available, Duolingo is accepted.
• School documents: official transcripts including national exam results, one core-subject teacher evaluation, and a counselor evaluation that is recommended but not required. British-curriculum applicants send GCSE/IGCSE results and predicted A-Levels and must take at least three A-Level subjects.
• Testing: optional for fall 2027 entry. Notre Dame says predicted IB Diploma, A-Level (three or more) and French Baccalaureate results can replace SAT/ACT, only for students studying outside the U.S.; for fall 2027 entry testing is optional anyway.
• Interviews: no alumni interviews; InitialView or Vericant interviews can help show English ability.
• After admission: the Form I-20 is processed by International Student & Scholar Affairs once you confirm and pay the deposit; International Student Orientation is mandatory for F-1 and J-1 holders. International students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week.
• Any limits on international students in labs or research: not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Notre Dame does not explain how it uses the Gaokao on the pages we read. Ask admissions (admissions@nd.edu, +1-574-631-7505).
• Transcripts and exams: send official transcripts including national exam results; Notre Dame strongly encourages sending documents through the applicant status portal rather than by email or fax.
• Interview: the international FAQ says students from China are encouraged to do an InitialView or Vericant interview.
• Curriculum: schools without AP or IB are not at a disadvantage; there are no quotas by country or school, and no guarantee of the same number from one year to the next.
• Translation rules and math/science expectations for the Chinese curriculum are not published on the pages we read; follow section 4 and confirm with admissions.

9. Transfer

• Eligibility: at least one full academic year in a degree-seeking program after high school and at least 24 transferable credits; dual-enrollment courses do not count toward this minimum, and students concurrently in high school and college apply as first-years.
• Deadlines: fall 2027 entry 15 March 2027, decisions 20 May–14 June 2027; spring entry 1 October 2026, decisions 1 December 2026–5 January 2027.
• Competitiveness: appropriate coursework for the major, a grade of B or higher in required courses for the college, and, in recent years, an average GPA of 3.75 or higher for admitted students. You must choose a college and major, and may list an alternate.
• Seats: the site names Neuroscience and Behavior among majors with very limited availability (with Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, Business Analytics and Finance).
• Testing and video: SAT/ACT optional through 2026-27; an optional Glimpse or InitialView video is encouraged.
• Aid: need-based aid is offered to international transfer students (international FAQ); the CSS Profile date for fall transfers is 1 May.
• Credit-transfer rules and the specific courses for the College of Science: the site points to a required-courses page we did not read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• For the College of Science: 4 years of math (with pre-calculus or calculus) and 1 year of chemistry; physics and biology help
• Restrictive Early Action 1 November or Regular Decision 4 January; testing optional for fall 2027
• FAFSA and CSS Profile; watch the differing aid dates across pages

International applicants (including China):

• English reference points: TOEFL 100 old scale (5.5 new), IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 125; consider an InitialView or Vericant interview
• Submit the CSS Profile with your application if you need aid; confirm how the Gaokao is used with admissions

Transfer students:

• 15 March 2027; at least 24 credits and a full year; B or higher in required courses; Neuroscience and Behavior seats are very limited

Sources: University of Notre Dame, Academics and majors; College of Science degree programs; College of Science degree requirements; Biological Sciences major; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Neuroscience and Behavior; Neuroscience curriculum; Science Preprofessional Studies; Health Sciences Advising: academics; Health professions; Application considerations; Application FAQs; How to apply; Decision planning; Testing policy; International applicants; International FAQs; 2026-27 costs; Aid overview; International aid; First-year aid applications; Transfer applicants. Information is for fall 2027 entry; check Notre Dame’s website for the latest.