How to Apply to Life Sciences and Health Majors at UC San Diego: Seven BS Majors in Biological Sciences, Biology No Longer Selective While Public Health Is, No Nursing or Pre-Med Major Listed, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

UC San Diego is in La Jolla, California. The campus’s majors page says its majors are offered through eight academic schools, though the page lists ten sections; the life-science and health-related ones are mainly in the School of Biological Sciences, Public Health (the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science) and Chemistry and Biochemistry under Physical Sciences. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and the major lists we read include no undergraduate nursing degree. This guide summarises UC San Diego’s published information for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Most pages do not print a year, so check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• School of Biological Sciences: the school says it offers seven majors, each leading to a Bachelor of Science: Bioinformatics, Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, General Biology, Human Biology, Microbiology, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Neurobiology. The admissions office’s majors page words the list a little differently (it shows “Biology with a Specialization in Bioinformatics” and a plain “Biology” group); follow the school’s list of seven. The school also lists a Contiguous BS/MS Program; the details are not on the pages we read, so check the school’s website.
• Public Health: the BS in Public Health (BSPH) is described as the only undergraduate program offered by UC San Diego Health Sciences. There is a general major plus six concentrations; the general major and the Biostatistics and Medicine Sciences concentrations are accepting students, while Climate and Environmental Sciences, Community Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Health Policy and Management Sciences are marked “not accepting new students at this time”. There is also an Honors Practicum.
• Chemistry and Biochemistry: the admissions majors page lists Biochemistry and Pharmacological Chemistry among others under Physical Sciences, and the transfer major-preparation page has its own Biochemistry list (section 9). We did not read the chemistry department’s own pages, so biochemistry course details are not covered.
• Other related majors: the admissions page also lists Cognitive Science (with a Neuroscience specialization) and a Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience BS. Bioengineering (Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and BioSystems options) is in the engineering school and is a selective major; we mention it only briefly.
• Not listed: no undergraduate nursing degree and no combined BS/MD program appear in the lists we read. Whether the majors are STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read; ask admissions.

2. Admission: choose a major on the application; selective majors have limits

• School of Biological Sciences: the school says that, effective spring 2025, its majors are no longer selective and are open to all students who want to declare a focus. You must first be admitted to the university; admission questions go to the admissions office.
• Selective majors: admissions says a selective major has limited enrollment because of capacity. The listed ones are Data Science, Engineering (Nanoengineering and Structural Engineering are “screened majors”) and Public Health. Applicants to a selective major are “strongly” advised to list an alternate non-selective major on the UC application; if you are not admitted to your first choice, you may be admitted to the alternate if space is available.
• Public Health: the program says all BSPH majors are selective for incoming and continuing students, and that the program plays no role in the university’s admissions review. Students not admitted directly to a BSPH major can complete the Public Health entry requirement in their first quarter and declare after meeting it and the deadlines.
• Switching into Public Health: this follows the selective major process run by the Division of Undergraduate Education; you may apply once per year. Selection is points-based and considers academic performance, California residency, first-generation status and Pell eligibility; only students who have finished the screening courses and have at least a 2.0 UC GPA may apply. The page says finishing the courses does not guarantee a place. For the fall 2026 cycle, first-year students who entered in fall 2026 were not eligible to apply.
• Screening courses (C- or better; the page’s list for the fall 2026 cycle, students who transferred in for fall 2026): general BSPH—PH 40 Introduction to Public Health, one listed biology course (BILD 1 or BILD 10, BILD 2, BILD 3, and others) and one statistics course (PSYC 60, COGS 14B, HDS 60 or MATH 11); Biostatistics—PH 40, one of BILD 1/2/3, MATH 11, MATH 20A and 20B; Medicine Sciences—PH 40, one of BILD 1/2/3, CHEM 6A and 6B, a statistics course, and MATH 10A/20A and 10B/20B. A second list on the same page (summer 2027 cycle, for first-year students who entered in fall 2025 or fall 2026) has essentially the same courses for Medicine Sciences.
• Colleges: every applicant also ranks undergraduate colleges (up to four) on the UC application; the admissions office says students may pursue their chosen major regardless of college, and each college has its own general-education requirements.

3. Pre-med: what the pages say

• The major lists we read have no pre-med major. The Human Biology page says that major is a starting point for graduate health-science programs including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, public health, physical therapy and nursing; the Molecular and Cell Biology page lists medicine among possible careers.
• The Biological Sciences advising page says that if the admission requirements of a professional school are known, biology advisors can help plot biology coursework into a long-term plan; the Career Center provides graduate and professional school resources; the school also runs a Biosci Career and Professional Development Program.
• The Public Health program’s requirements page links “Additional Pre-Health Track Information”, a pre-health experience tracker and a guide to “MD vs. Physician Assistant vs. Nurse Practitioner”; we saw only the titles, so the content is not covered.
• Medical-school admission statistics, committee letters, and separate advising for international pre-health students are not on the pages we read; ask a Biological Sciences advisor or the Career Center.

4. High school preparation and the first two years

• UC A–G subjects (admissions first-year requirements; C or better, with at least 11 of the 15 courses done before senior year): history/social science 2 years; English 4; mathematics 3 (4 recommended); laboratory science 2 (3 recommended); a language other than English 2 (3 recommended); visual and performing arts 1; college-preparatory elective 1. California residents use their school’s UC-approved course list.
• International applicants (UC page): history 2 years; composition and literature in the language of instruction 4; college-preparatory mathematics 3 (elementary and advanced algebra and geometry); college-preparatory science 2 (including or integrating two of biology, chemistry or physics); one full-year visual and performing arts course. The pages we read give no extra high school course requirement for the biology majors; check with the school.
• AP/IB credit: scores of 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams taken before high school graduation earn 2, 4 or 8 units of credit; which course each exam replaces is not on the pages we read—see the General Catalog. The transfer page says AP, IB and A-level exams can earn credit.
• Lower-division sequence (for students admitted in fall 2026, per the school):
  • Molecular and Cell Biology: BILD 1, 3, 4 and 5; CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C and 7L; organic chemistry CHEM 40A and 40B; MATH 10A, 10B and 11, or MATH 20A, 20B and 11; physics PHYS 1A/1AL, 1B/1BL, 1C/1CL, or PHYS 2A, 2B, 2C plus one lab.
  • Human Biology: BILD 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, with the same chemistry, organic chemistry, mathematics and physics.
  • We did not read the other five majors’ sequences. The page says these requirements apply only to students admitted in fall 2026; earlier years are in the General Catalog archive.
• Upper-division examples: Molecular and Cell Biology includes structural biochemistry (BIBC 100) or CHEM 114A, metabolic biochemistry, biochemical techniques or recombinant DNA techniques, Genetics (BICD 100), Cell Biology (BICD 110), Molecular Biology (BIMM 100), three core courses from a list, one upper-division lab and biology electives. Human Biology includes metabolic biochemistry, genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, Human Physiology I (BIPN 100) and three core courses, at least one from each of a Human Physiology group and a Human Disease group.
• School-wide requirements: required courses must be taken for a letter grade with C- or better; the minimum major GPA is 2.0; at least 20 upper-division units must be completed in the School of Biological Sciences with C- or better; and at least 48 upper-division units within the major are required for the degree.
• Math and chemistry placement exams are not described on the pages we read; ask a school advisor.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Entry term: the Public Health page says UC San Diego accepts fall applicants only.
• Dates: the UC application opens 1 August. The admissions timeline says to submit between 1 October and 30 November; the Public Health page says “1 November through 30 November”. The two differ, so confirm on the UC application site. An applicant portal invitation arrives in December; decisions are posted from mid-March to the end of March; select applicants may opt into the waitlist by 15 April; accept the offer by 1 May; final transcripts are due 1 July; AP and IB results by 15 July.
• Platform and fee: the UC application. The UC international page gives $95 per campus, possibly $80 for international students enrolled at a U.S. institution; the domestic fee is not on the pages we read.
• Essays: four of eight personal insight questions, up to 350 words each, all weighted equally.
• Recommendations: the UC page says not to submit letters of recommendation; some campuses or majors may request them in a supplemental review.
• Testing: UC San Diego does not consider SAT or ACT scores in admission or scholarship decisions; scores you submit may be used as an alternative way to meet minimum requirements or for course placement.
• Review: holistic. The academic side looks at the grades in 10th- and 11th-grade A–G courses (with extra weight for approved honors, AP and IB), the number and rigor of courses beyond the minimum, and the senior-year schedule; the personal side looks at academic enrichment, achievement in creative, intellectual, social or professional areas, and hardships. The page also notes UC’s “Eligibility in the Local Context” for California students in the top 9% of their school class.
• Profile (admissions first-year page, fall 2026): 141,700 first-year applications, admit rate 27%, middle-50% GPA 4.12–4.28.
• No separate deadline or materials for the Biological Sciences majors appear on the pages we read; Public Health is reviewed through the same university process.

6. U.S. applicants

• Minimum GPA: California residents 3.0 with no grade below C in A–G courses; non-residents (including international students) 3.4. GPA is calculated from 10th- and 11th-grade A–G courses.
• Tuition: for undergraduates first enrolled in 2026-27, per quarter (fall, winter, spring): Student Services Fee $462, tuition $4,734, and for non-California residents a Nonresident Supplemental Tuition of $13,090. These are the fees for that cohort; students entering in fall 2027 belong to the next cohort, whose figures are not on the page we read. The page says tuition is set for each entering class and then stays flat for up to six years.
• Other fees: an undergraduate college activity fee of $9–17 per quarter (Muir $17, Revelle $9, Thurgood Marshall $13.90, Warren $11.71, Eleanor Roosevelt $15, Sixth $16.01, Seventh $13.89, Eighth $14.53); health insurance is required, students are enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan and may apply for a waiver. Any program surcharge for biology or public health is not on the pages we read.
• Aid: the FAFSA or California Dream Act application opens 1 October; file by 2 March for priority, school code 001317; apply for a Cal Grant. The campus says students from other states are not eligible for California financial aid, though the University helps them get the federal aid they qualify for.
• In-state preference: the pages we read show only a different minimum GPA for residents and non-residents (above); any other in-state preference is not described.

7. International applicants

• General: international applicants meet the same first-year or transfer requirements as everyone else plus international requirements; applicants who finished secondary school with a certificate admitting them to a university at home and have never been full-time at a college apply as first-year students.
• English: required if your native language is not English and your secondary education was in a country where English is not the language of instruction. The admissions international page lists TOEFL iBT 4.5 (new scale, from January 2026) or 83 (tests before January 2026), IELTS Academic 7, Duolingo 115, AP English Language or Literature 3–5, and IB English A HL 5–7 or SL 6–7. The UC English page gives a lower UC-wide minimum (IELTS 6.5, old TOEFL 80, Duolingo 115) and notes that a campus may require a higher score; the two pages differ, so for UC San Diego follow the campus scores.
• Reporting grades: enter all courses and marks exactly as they appear on each school’s record; do not convert them or have them converted. After admission, official records from each school are needed, starting with grade 9.
• Proof of funds and visa: the admissions office says international students are not eligible for federal or state aid and must prove sufficient funds for all estimated expenses to get a visa. The page says undergraduates whose parents are not California residents find it very difficult to be classified as residents for tuition. First-time enrolled international first-year and transfer students pay a one-time $200 visa administration fee.
• Scholarships: scholarships specifically for international students are not described on the pages we read; check the Financial Aid and Scholarships office (fas.ucsd.edu).
• Whether international students face limits in selective majors such as Public Health or in clinical placements is not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not say how the Gaokao is used; contact admissions (admissionsreply@ucsd.edu).
• Chinese high school records (admissions international page, “China”; the credential is listed as the Senior High School Graduation Certificate, “Redbook”): English-language original records for middle school and high school (grades 9–12); all grade-12 subjects must be completed and the graduation certificate earned; every grade-12 class must be passed with C or better, with an overall 3.0 (or equivalent); transcripts must be sent directly by the school or through Parchment; notarised translation booklets are not accepted. For clearance after admission: the lower middle school record (grade 9), the cumulative upper middle school record (grades 10–12; partial or incomplete documents with addenda are not accepted), and a photocopy of the graduation certificate (“red book”) with all required stamps, authenticated and sent directly with the upper middle school record.
• The UC country page for the Chinese national curriculum says to list all courses and marks from grade 9 through grade 12 exactly as they appear on official records, and to be ready to submit the graduation certificate and official middle and upper middle school records if admitted.
• Other curricula: the campus says A-level students must pass at least 3 A-level exams with C or better to finalize admission, and GCSE/IGCSE and AS results are due by 1 July from the school; the UC country page says IGCSE/GCSE/GCE students need at least 5 O-level-type exams and at least 3 A-level exams. IB students report grades as on their records, and predicted scores can be entered but are not the only factor.
• Any other statement to Chinese applicants, and how huikao (academic proficiency test) records are used, is not on the pages we read; contact admissions.

9. Transfer

• Basics: UC San Diego enrolls transfer students at the junior level only. You need at least 60 UC-transferable semester units (90 quarter), a 7-course pattern (2 English composition, 1 mathematical/quantitative reasoning, 4 from at least two of arts and humanities, physical and biological sciences, and social and behavioral sciences), each with C or better, all finished by the end of the spring term before fall entry. The minimum GPA is 2.4 for California residents and 2.8 for non-residents; the page says admitted students often exceed it.
• Major preparation: Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Public Health (among others) require minimum preparation, screened by the number of courses, the grades and the cumulative GPA, to be finished by the end of the spring term before fall entry.
  • Biology majors (including the Bioinformatics specialization): BILD 1 and BILD 3; CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C and 7L; MATH 10A and 10B, or MATH 20A and 20B. Every course must be C- or better, and the GPA in these courses must be at least 2.5; AP/IB credit counts toward the course requirements but not toward the GPA.
  • Biochemistry: CHEM 6A, 6B, 6C, 7L; CHEM 41A, 41B, 41C (formerly 40A–C) and 43A; PHYS 1A and 1B, or PHYS 2A and 2B; MATH 10A and 10B, or MATH 20A and 20B.
  • Public Health (selective): BSPH—one listed biology course and one statistics course (COGS 14B, HDS 60, MATH 11 or PSYC 60); Biostatistics—equivalents of BILD 1, 2, 3, MATH 20A and 20B, and MATH 11; Medicine Sciences—BILD 1, 2, 3, CHEM 6A/B/C and 7L, MATH 10A/20A and 10B/20B and a statistics course.
• Credit: the campus says it cannot evaluate coursework before admission; check ASSIST (assist.org) for California community college courses. UC San Diego has no articulation agreements outside the California community college system. Up to 70 semester (105 quarter) units of lower-division credit are granted; AP, IB and A-level units are not counted toward that limit. For semester-to-quarter transfers, finish a whole sequence (for example chemistry 1A–1B) before transferring.
• Dates: submit 1 October to 30 November (another page says 1 to 30 November—check); complete the Transfer Academic Update by 31 January; decisions by 30 April; waitlist opt-in by 15 May, final waitlist decisions by 31 July. For English, international transfer applicants from English-medium schools can use grades of B or better in two transferable English composition courses; all others need an exam and must report scores before January.
• Separate rules for international transfer students entering these majors, and the final seat numbers for Biology, are not on the pages we read.

10. Costs, research and internships

• Registration fees are in section 6. The UC system page gives 2027–28 estimated averages across campuses (not a UC San Diego figure): California residents—tuition $16,278, campus fees $1,900, health insurance $3,900; living on campus (housing and food $21,700) direct costs total $43,778 and total cost $49,078. Non-residents—tuition $57,300, other items the same, total on-campus cost $90,100.
• The Financial Aid and Scholarships office’s campus cost table is loaded dynamically, so we did not read its figures.
• Research: the Biological Sciences undergraduate research page says students can work one-on-one with faculty and join cutting-edge projects; it has sections on research for academic credit, a student research showcase and the Undergraduate Research Hub, and asks whether you can commit 10–15 hours a week. In Molecular and Cell Biology only one BISP 196/197/199 course counts toward the major. The Public Health program lists “experiential learning” (internships, research, study abroad).

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply through the UC application; check the fee on the site; SAT/ACT not considered; GPA 3.0 for California residents, 3.4 otherwise; for Public Health add a non-selective alternate major
• FAFSA or Dream Act opens 1 October; file by 2 March; school code 001317

International applicants (including China):

• English reference: TOEFL iBT 4.5 (new scale) or 83 (old), IELTS 7, Duolingo 115; enter grades as on the record, do not convert
• Chinese high school: English records sent directly by the school, authenticated red-book copy; grade-12 courses C or better and overall 3.0; ask admissions how the Gaokao is used
• No federal or state aid; proof of funds needed; one-time $200 visa administration fee

Transfer students:

• Junior level only; 60 units, 7 courses, 2.4/2.8 GPA; Biology major prep GPA 2.5; submit 1 October–30 November; Transfer Academic Update by 31 January

Sources: UC San Diego, Majors and schools; First-year requirements; First-year timeline; First-year review; International students; Transfer requirements; Transfer timeline; Transfer major preparation; Cost and aid; 2026-27 undergraduate registration fees; Biological Sciences: admission; Biological Sciences: major requirements; Molecular and Cell Biology; Human Biology; Additional major requirements; Biological Sciences: advising; Biological Sciences: undergraduate research; Bachelor of Science in Public Health; Public Health: admission; Public Health: entry requirement; Public Health: requirements for fall 2026 and later; UC: international applicants; UC: country requirements; UC: English proficiency; UC: tuition and cost estimates. Most pages do not print a year, so check that the dates apply to fall 2027 entry; costs are the 2026-27 figures from the campus or the 2027–28 system estimates. Check UC San Diego’s website for the latest.