How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Medicine Undergraduate Programs at Florida State University: Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience and Public Health in Different Colleges, Nursing as an Upper-Division Major With a Separate Application, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

At Florida State University (FSU) the life-science and medicine-related undergraduate programs are not in one college: Biological Science, Biochemistry and Neuroscience are in the College of Arts and Sciences, Nursing is in the College of Nursing, Public Health is in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, Exercise Physiology and Nutrition and Food Science are in the Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health and Human Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences is in the College of Medicine. There is no “pre-med” major in the United States, so this guide relies on the pages for the pre-health advising office and the program guide entries. It is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Biomedical engineering is listed separately in the program list and is not covered here.

1. Degrees and programs

• Biological Science: College of Arts and Sciences, BA or BS; the program guide says “Specialized Admission: No.” The major requires at least 38 hours of biological science courses (at least 20 of them at FSU and at least 5 lab or field courses, all with C-minus or better), plus 25–37 hours of collateral chemistry, mathematics and physics; the degree is 120 hours, and the BA adds 9 hours of history and humanities. The guide says the major “meets many common requirements for admission into medicine, veterinary medicine, optometry, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and physicians’ assistance programs,” and juniors and seniors may apply for Undergraduate Honors in the Major in Marine Biology.
• Biochemistry: College of Arts and Sciences, BS or BA, 72–73 hours in the major. The guide calls it “a great pre-health or pre-med major, meeting most medical school prerequisites.”
• Neuroscience: College of Arts and Sciences, BS, with two tracks: Behavioral Neuroscience (offered by the Department of Psychology; systems, organismal and human-level brain function) and Cell and Molecular Neuroscience (offered by the Department of Biological Science; development, anatomy and physiology of the brain). Each has 36 hours of core and elective coursework.
• Nursing: College of Nursing, BSN, an upper-division major marked “Specialized Admission: Yes” (see Section 2).
• Public Health: College of Social Sciences and Public Policy, BS, offered at the Tallahassee and Panama City, Florida campuses; 21 hours of core plus 12 hours of electives, 34 hours in the major, prerequisites “None.”
• Exercise Physiology: Daves College, BS. The guide says it prepares students for graduate study in exercise physiology, physical therapy and other health fields including medical school, as well as positions such as personal trainer.
• Nutrition and Food Science: same college, BS, 55 hours in the major. The guide says that “with proper advising, this program can also serve as a pre-medical curriculum,” and an optional Didactic Program in Dietetics requires contacting the department advisor.
• Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (IMS): a BS in Biomedical Sciences housed in the College of Medicine, with three majors — Clinical Professions; Community Patient Care; and Health Management, Policy and Information — offered at Tallahassee and Panama City, Florida. The guide says the Clinical Professions major builds the science foundation needed to apply to medical school, dental school, physician assistant programs and other health professions.
• Other listings: the A–Z list also shows Athletic Training, Computational Biology (one in Biology, one in Computer Science), Biomathematics and Communication Science & Disorders; “Engineering (Biomedical)” is listed but not covered here. Which majors are STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read.
• Honors and research: the Biological Science guide mentions the Marine Biology honors program, and the scholarships page describes the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) as connecting students with research mentors. Lab and clinical placement capacity is not described on the pages we read.

2. Admission: university first, major later; Nursing applies separately

• First-year application: you apply to FSU, not to a college. The admissions pages we read do not say whether the application asks for a major or whether changing it is restricted; ask the admissions office. The first-year academics page notes that some majors are “limited access or limited enrollment” and require prerequisite courses, specific grades or a specialized application before admission to the major.
• University admission is not major admission: the Biological Science guide says students “may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites, but may not be admitted into the program.” Its listed Florida common prerequisites include Biological Science I and II with labs, General Chemistry I and II with labs and Calculus I, plus organic chemistry, physics and Calculus II; the text we read does not preserve which items are in italics (not required for admission), so check the original page.
• Common upper-division conditions: the Biochemistry, Exercise Physiology, Nutrition and Food Science, Public Health and IMS guides require at least 52 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0 (IMS: FSU GPA of 2.00), most (Biochemistry, Exercise Physiology and Nutrition and Food Science say “at least half”) of General Education including English composition and mathematics, or an A.A. degree; Nutrition and Food Science also requires C-minus or better in its prerequisites. The Biological Science guide does not list a 52-hour rule.
• Neuroscience: marked “Specialized Admission: No,” but the same page says that “due to limitations in the number of faculty and physical resources,” entry to the upper-division major requires C-minus or better in Biological Science I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Calculus I and Statistics (STA 2122 preferred), at least 52 credits or an A.A., PSY 3213C by the end of Term 5, and a preliminary meeting with the Neuroscience advisor.
• Grade rules inside the majors: Biological Science requires C-minus or better in all major courses and a combined 2.00 GPA; a student with more than one unsatisfactory grade (U, F, D-minus, D, D-plus) in required courses (excluding the Term 1–4 state common prerequisite milestone courses) after enrolling at FSU must change to a major outside the department. In Biochemistry, more than three unsatisfactory grades means no degree in that major; another remark says more than five grades below C-minus in required courses or prerequisites means being dropped from the program. In Neuroscience, more than four grades below C-minus bar graduation in the major.
• IMS: the guide says students may not transfer into an IMS major from another FSU major or add it as a second major after the first semester of junior year (Term Five); changing into IMS requires an Experiential Learning Placement Form by the 12th week of classes and being on track with milestones. It adds that the program is not recommended for students transferring in with over 90 credit hours or for students who only want health-school prerequisites.
• Nursing (BSN): the College of Nursing says the BSN is a Specialized Admission upper-division major of four consecutive semesters (15–16 months), full-time and in person in Tallahassee for the first three semesters (the fourth is asynchronous and can be completed anywhere in the state with an affiliation agreement), with Fall, Spring and Summer starts. Both FSU and non-FSU students must submit a separate NursingCAS application, and non-FSU and transfer students must also apply to FSU through the transfer application. The 2027 windows are October 1 to November 1, 2026 for Summer 2027 and January 1 to February 1, 2027 for Fall 2027. Minimums: a 3.0 cumulative GPA; for Fall 2027 also a 3.0 prerequisite GPA and HESI A2 results; all prerequisites with C or higher (C-minus is not accepted); FSU General Education requirements (the quantitative area must include MAC 1105 College Algebra or a course that requires it) and graduation requirements; and at least 60 credit hours. The college says it can receive 300–600 applications per term, aims to admit up to 150 qualified students per cycle, reports average admitted GPAs of about 3.7–3.8, and notes that meeting the minimums does not guarantee admission. Not-admitted applicants may reapply for a later term. Admitted students submit a health exam, immunizations, health insurance, CPR certification, a background check and drug screening, and pay their own clinical travel and lodging.

3. Pre-med at FSU: what the website says

• No pre-med major: the pages we read list no pre-medical major. The Biological Science, Biochemistry, Nutrition and Food Science and IMS (Clinical Professions) guides each describe their fit with health-professions school requirements, as above.
• Pre-Health Advising: the College of Medicine office says it helps students with “strong grades (especially in the prerequisite course work), clinical experience, supportive letters of recommendation, and a well-written personal statement.” The biology advising page says the office offers additional pre-professional advising for anesthesiology assistant, chiropractic, dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, veterinary medicine and genetic counseling.
• Appointments: the office says appointments are prioritized for FSU students and alumni, and prospective students may consult an advisor in late summer and mid-December as availability permits. Students entering with accelerated credit (AP and similar) are told to plan the premedical track carefully, and the office has a Guide for Accelerated Credit Students.
• Letters: students applying to medical schools can use the office’s Letter Packet service (waiver statement, instructions for letter writers, instructions for students).
• Medical school admission tests and the medical school application itself: not covered here.
• Combined undergraduate–medical degrees (BS/MD and similar): none is described on the FSU pages we read.

4. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses for admission: the admissions office says the Florida Board of Governors minimum is English 4, Math 4, Natural Science 3, Social Science 3 and World Language 2 sequential; students accepted in 2025 completed on average 4.5 English, 6 Math, 5 Natural Science, 5 Social Science and 3.5 World Language. The pages we read set no extra high school courses for life-science majors; ask the admissions office.
• Biological Science (BS and BA): General Chemistry I and II with labs (CHM 1045, 1046), then one of two combinations — (1) Organic Chemistry I and II (CHM 2210, 2211; or CHM 3217 one-semester organic chemistry plus CHM 3218 one-semester biochemistry) plus one semester of physics (PHY 2053C or 2048C); or (2) two semesters of physics (PHY 2053C and 2054C, or 2048C and 2049C) plus one semester of organic chemistry (CHM 2210 or 3217); and MAC 2311 plus statistics (STA 2171), Calculus II or programming. Collateral courses total 25–37 hours. Lower-division biology is BSC 2010/2010L and 2011/2011L; upper-division requirements include Genetics, Eukaryotic Diversity or Cell Structure & Function, Experimental Biology Lab (or two semesters of directed individual study) and Evolution, plus two courses from two of the three areas — cell and molecular, physiology, ecology and environmental sciences.
• Biochemistry: prerequisites are Biological Sciences I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Organic Chemistry I and II, and Calculus I and II (students may be admitted before finishing Calculus II); the major includes analytical chemistry, physical chemistry I and II and General Biochemistry I and II; collaterals include genetics, calculus I and II and General Physics A and B. The College of Arts and Sciences requires foreign-language proficiency through the intermediate level (2200 or equivalent).
• Nursing prerequisites: a biological or physical science (3 credits; CHM 1045 highly recommended), Human Nutrition (3), Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs (4 each), Microbiology with lab (4), Statistics (3), Individual and Lifespan Development (3) and Social and Behavioral Science (3; PSY 2012 highly recommended).
• Others: Public Health has no prerequisites and strongly recommends Applied Statistics (STA 2122). Exercise Physiology lists College Algebra and related math, The Science of Nutrition, General Chemistry I and II, Biological Science I and General Psychology. Nutrition and Food Science lists Calculus I, General Chemistry I and II, and Biological Science I and II. Neuroscience adds Organic Chemistry I and II and Physics I and II.
• AP and credit: FSU says up to 45 semester hours can be earned through AICE, AP, IB or CLEP, with scores sent directly to admissions and credit awarded once per subject. AP table: AP Biology 3 = BSC 1005 (with lab), 4 = BSC 2010 (with lab), 5 = BSC 2010 and BSC 2011 (with labs); AP Chemistry 3 = CHM 1020 (with lab), 4 = CHM 1045 (with lab), 5 = CHM 1045 and CHM 1046 (with labs); AP Calculus AB 3 or higher = MAC 2311; Calculus BC 3 = MAC 2311, 4 or higher = MAC 2311 and MAC 2312; AP Physics 1 at 3 or higher = PHY 2053C. The IB table is on a separate page and is not summarized here. The pre-health office tells students with accelerated credit to plan the premedical track carefully.

5. Deadlines, materials and fees

• Four plans: Early Decision (binding, U.S. domestic students, excluding talent-based majors) application October 15, materials October 22, decision December 17, deposit January 15; Early Action (non-binding, Florida residents only) October 15, decision December 17, deposit May 1; Regular Decision (all students) December 1, materials December 8, decision February 18, deposit May 1; Rolling (all students) March 1, materials March 8, decisions on a rolling basis in April, deposit May 1. Additional test-score deadlines are December 1, December 1, January 1 and March 8. The page shows no year; check the dates are for fall 2027.
• Platform: the Common App or the FSU application, one only; Early Decision applicants must use the Common App.
• Materials: a self-reported transcript (STARS); self-reported ACT/CLT/SAT scores; an essay of up to 650 words (may be uploaded after applying); and a résumé of up to two pages. Letters of recommendation “are not required and will not be used in the decision-making process.”
• Testing: at least one ACT, CLT or SAT score is required (Florida Board of Governors rule); FSU superscores across test dates; scores must be self-reported in the Admissions Portal — scores self-reported in the Common App are not accepted; from the 2025–26 cycle the ACT Science section is not required and the ACT composite uses English, Math and Reading; February test scores are the last that can be used.
• Admitted profile: for students admitted for fall 2026, the middle 50% was core GPA 4.3–4.6, ACT 31–34 and SAT 1380–1480; review is holistic and no single criterion guarantees admission.
• Application fee: $30 for first-year applicants plus a $5 Common App processing fee; a College Board, ACT or NACAC fee waiver waives the entire amount.
• Honors: checking the Honors box generates a supplemental Honors application in the Admissions Portal, due December 1.
• Interview: not described on the pages we read.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Residency and plans: Early Action is for Florida residents, Early Decision for domestic students; Florida residents complete the Residency Declaration Form. The page says out-of-state students cannot switch into Early Action.
• Cost (2026–27 estimate, 13 credits per term): tuition $5,604 in-state and $22,232 out-of-state; fees $50; on-campus housing $8,420; food $5,740; books and supplies $1,380; transportation $2,320 in-state and $3,590 out-of-state; personal $2,504. Totals: in-state on campus $26,018, out-of-state on campus $43,916; off campus $26,438 in-state and $44,336 out-of-state; living with parents $20,648 and $37,911. The cost page says these budgets are estimates for awarding aid. The College of Nursing adds that nursing majors pay for uniforms and equipment, a standardized testing program and a per-credit clinical laboratory fee, plus their own clinical transportation.
• Scholarships: all admitted first-year applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships; awards are competitive, based on academic performance (typically a rigorous curriculum) and test scores, and recipients have typically earned no grades below B. Florida residents may receive the Vires Scholarship ($16,000 over eight semesters); the page also lists the Mores Scholarship ($12,000), National Merit, Presidential Scholars and Stamps awards. Early Decision applicants receive full scholarship consideration.
• Need-based aid: submit the FAFSA (opens October 1); early applicants should file by December 1 and expect a package in January.

7. International applicants

• Process: international and domestic applicants use the same application (the FSU application or the Common App). International applicants are not eligible for Early Decision and Early Action is for Florida residents, so the plans are Regular Decision (December 1) or Rolling (March 1). They go through the same holistic review.
• Academic records: after applying, complete the International School Form in the Admissions Portal. Applicants who attended a secondary school outside the U.S. or studied a non-U.S. curriculum submit official or certified academic records plus a Secondary School Evaluation from an independent credential evaluation agency (it must include degree equivalency and a U.S. equivalent GPA; a NACES member is recommended; the evaluation is sent directly to FSU). The evaluation may be waived for those who transferred to a U.S. school and had the coursework evaluated there, attended a non-U.S. school using a U.S. grading scale, took the IB Diploma Programme on the 1–7 scale, or follow one of the examination-based curricula listed on the page (British-patterned Cambridge/AQA/Pearson/Edexcel GCSE O-level, AS, A-level and IGCSE; Caribbean CXC CSEC and CAPE; Bahamas BGCSE; West African WASSC; Nigeria’s NECO). Documents not in English need a certified translation signed and dated by an educational official; notarized translations by non-educators are not accepted.
• Testing: international applicants must also submit ACT, CLT or SAT scores, as required by the Florida Board of Governors.
• English: required of applicants whose native language is not English. Minimums: TOEFL iBT (before January 21, 2026) 80; TOEFL iBT (on or after January 21, 2026) 4.0; IELTS Academic 6.5; PTE 55; Michigan Language Assessment 55; Duolingo 125; Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency 180. Scores must come directly from the testing agency and expire after two years. The pages we read do not list country or school exemptions.
• Proof of funds: after admission you complete an online Certification of Financial Responsibility; federal regulations require FSU to verify resources before issuing the Form I-20, showing funds for the first year and availability for the length of the program. The amount is not stated on the pages we read.
• Scholarships: the international FAQ says all admitted first-year applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on academic performance and test scores. The out-of-state tuition waiver goes to a limited number of admitted non-Florida first-year students; the page does not say whether international students are covered, so ask admissions.
• Nursing and other limited programs: the College of Nursing page does not state whether international students have places or clinical restrictions; ask info@nursing.fsu.edu. Non-FSU students must submit the FSU transfer application plus NursingCAS.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions pages we read do not mention the Gaokao and have no China-specific page; whether it can be sent as supplementary information is not published. Contact admissions@fsu.edu.
• Transcripts and evaluation: the page places applicants who attended a secondary school outside the U.S. in the group that submits official records plus a Secondary School Evaluation, and does not single out China. Chinese-language records need a certified English translation. Whether a waiver applies is decided under the conditions in Section 7.
• Testing and English: Chinese applicants must also submit the ACT, CLT or SAT, and an English test if their native language is not English (minimums in Section 7).
• International curricula: the IB Diploma Programme on the 1–7 scale waives the evaluation; A-levels are among the examination-based curricula listed.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: at least 12 semester hours of transferable college credit after high school. All transfer applicants need C or higher in 3 hours of college English composition and 3 hours of college mathematics (many majors need 6 hours of each) and must have completed the Florida world-language requirement (second level in any language).
• GPA: applicants with 60+ hours or an A.A. should have a 3.0 on all attempted college coursework and at the last institution (D, F and WF grades count, and repeated courses count twice); applicants with 12–59 hours need a strong high school profile and ACT/CLT/SAT scores, and the page says “very few students with less than a 3.5 academic GPA will be admissible” (it does not say whether this is the high school or college GPA), with a 3.0 college GPA as well. Applicants who will have attempted 90 or more hours (including withdrawals, repeats and accelerated credit) upload a personal statement.
• Deadlines: fall June 1, summer March 1, spring October 1 (the page shows no year); the transfer application fee is $30. FSU may close transfer admission early.
• Materials: all college transcripts sent directly, the high school transcript, ACT/CLT/SAT results (required for freshman and sophomore transfers, recommended for juniors and seniors), AP/IB/CLEP results, and the residency form. College work from non-U.S. institutions must be evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation agency.
• Transferring into these majors: major requirements apply on top of the university rules. Nursing needs NursingCAS plus the FSU transfer application, a 3.0 GPA and C-or-higher prerequisites; the Fall 2027 window is January 1 to February 1, 2027. IMS: the guide recommends that upper-division transfer students complete about 96–128 hours of patient-centered, hands-on health-related service before admission and does not recommend transferring in with over 90 credit hours. Neuroscience: transfer applicants with questions should contact Arts & Sciences admissions (as-admissions@fsu.edu). Florida public A.A. graduates who transfer immediately afterward receive priority consideration if they meet the major requirements.
• International transfer: submit certified records and evaluations for secondary and post-secondary study (the high school record with a U.S. equivalent GPA, the college record with a course-by-course evaluation), ACT/CLT/SAT scores for freshman and sophomore transfers, and an English test if your native language is not English. The international transfer page we read does not state a deadline; use the transfer deadlines page.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by October 15 (Early Decision or Early Action), December 1 (Regular) or March 1 (Rolling); submit at least one ACT/CLT/SAT score, STARS, the essay and the résumé
• Take as much biology, chemistry and math in high school as you can; plan to finish Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II and calculus in college before moving into the major
• For nursing, finish the prerequisites, General Education and at least 60 credit hours by the end of the application semester and apply separately through NursingCAS (Fall 2027 window January 1 to February 1, 2027; HESI A2 required)

International applicants (including China):

• Use Regular Decision (December 1) or Rolling (March 1); complete the International School Form; submit official records plus a Secondary School Evaluation unless waived; certified translations for non-English documents
• ACT, CLT or SAT is required; for non-native speakers, TOEFL (80 or 4.0), IELTS 6.5 or another accepted test; after admission, the Certification of Financial Responsibility
• The Gaokao’s role is not published, so ask admissions first; ask the College of Nursing about places for international students

Transfer students:

• At least 12 transferable hours; 3 hours each of English composition and math with C or higher; 3.0 cumulative GPA; fall deadline June 1; check the program guide for prerequisites and extra deadlines

Sources: Florida State University, First-year application and deadlines; What we’re looking for; Deadlines and fees; First-year academics; AP credit table; First-year scholarships; International first-year applicants; English proficiency; International FAQ; International transfer; Transfer application; Transfer admission requirements; Transfer deadlines; Program guide A–Z; Program guide: Biological Science; Program guide: Biochemistry; Program guide: Behavioral Neuroscience; Program guide: Cell and Molecular Neuroscience; Program guide: Nursing; Program guide: Public Health; Program guide: Exercise Physiology; Program guide: Nutrition and Food Science; Program guide: Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences (Clinical Professions); College of Nursing: BSN; Biological Science undergraduate advising; College of Medicine pre-health advising; Pre-health advising: letters; 2026-27 cost estimates. The first-year and transfer deadline pages show no year, while the College of Nursing page names the fall 2027 application window; check Florida State’s website to confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry.