How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Santa Clara University: Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience and Public Health Science as BS Majors in Arts and Sciences, No Nursing Major Found, Choose a School When You Apply, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Santa Clara University is a Catholic, Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California, on the quarter system (fall, winter and spring quarters; course credit is counted in units). Its life-science and health-related majors are mainly in the College of Arts and Sciences; Bioengineering is in the School of Engineering. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and Santa Clara’s Health Professions Advising program says it promotes all majors as pre-health majors. This guide summarises Santa Clara’s website and bulletin for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• BS majors in the natural sciences (College of Arts and Sciences degrees page): Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience and Public Health Science; Chemistry has both BA and BS options (not covered). The college requires at least 175 quarter units, at least 60 of them upper-division, plus the Core Curriculum and the major, with no additional college requirements.
• Public Health Science has two emphases: Health Science, and Health and Society. Whether applicants are admitted to an emphasis is not stated.
• Minors: Biology, Chemistry and Public Health, plus interdisciplinary minors including Biotechnology (13 courses plus a research internship), Gerontology and Medical and Health Humanities. The Biology page also mentions a Biomedical Engineering minor in the School of Engineering.
• School of Engineering: Bioengineering is in Engineering and only mentioned here; the transfer page lists it among the engineering majors.
• Nursing: the Arts and Sciences chapters and admission pages we read list no undergraduate nursing major; the pre-health pages mention nursing only as one of the professions the advising program supports.
• Whether these majors are STEM-designated, and whether any combined bachelor’s/medical-degree (BS/MD) program exists, is not stated on the pages we read; ask admissions.

2. Admission and conditions for entering a major

• How you apply: the first-year page says to select a school first (Arts and Sciences, Leavey School of Business or School of Engineering) and then declare a major or remain undeclared. The bulletin says first-year students are admitted to a specific school and in some cases a major, based on the preference on the application.
• Math preparation: for natural science, business and engineering applicants, readiness at the level of calculus is expected.
• Changing school or major: students who want to change schools may apply for an internal transfer at the end of the first year at the earliest. A change of major within the same school needs approval of the department chair or program director through an online petition; changes between schools may be limited by space.
• Entry conditions: the Biology, Biochemistry, Neuroscience and Public Health pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap for entering the majors; ask the departments.
• Biology BS: BIOL 1A, 1B, 1C; CHEM 11, 12, 31, 32, 33; PHYS 11–13 or 31–33; MATH 35 and 36 (recommended) or 11 and 12; BIOL 101; seven approved upper-division biology courses, five with a lab. One course each from the Cell and Molecular Biology, Ecology/Evolution/Biodiversity and Biological Modeling themes (all with lab), plus at least four electives (at least two with a lab); a Justice and Equity in Science course is strongly recommended as one elective. The department says most courses emphasise lab or field work and nearly all faculty supervise undergraduate research.
• Biochemistry BS (Chemistry and Biochemistry): CHEM 11 and 12 (or 14), 31, 32, 33 and 50; CHEM 101, 111, 141, 142, 143, 150, and 151 or 152; CHEM 15; two upper-division chemistry electives; four quarters of CHEM 115 seminar; MATH 11–13 or 35, 36, 13; PHYS 11–13 or 31–33; BIOL 1A, 1B, 1C and 175. The department says its curriculum is ACS-accredited.
• Neuroscience BS: NEUR 1, 10, 150 and 190; BIOL 1A, 1B, 1C, 122 and 160; CHEM 11, 12 (or 14), 31, 32 and 33; MATH 35 or 11 (35 recommended); MATH 36 or 12 or CSCI 10; PSYC 1, 165 and 169; plus biology and psychology electives. The bulletin recommends physics for students planning graduate work in neuroscience.
• Public Health Science BS (Health Science emphasis): PHSC 1, 2, 3, 100, 139, 151, 190 and 197; BIOL 1A, 1B, 1C; CHEM 11, 12 and 31; MATH 35 and 36 (recommended) or 11 and 12; a statistics course; two approved upper-division biomedical electives (at least one with a lab); an approved 100-hour internship.

3. Pre-med: what Santa Clara’s pages say

• Health Professions Advising: led by the University Health Professions Advisor (a Chemistry and Biochemistry faculty member). The bulletin says the program uses national acceptance data, promotes all majors as pre-health majors and says there is no “best major”; it guides students toward dentistry, allopathic and osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, optometry, pharmacy and other careers. It has peer advisors; its day-to-day advising materials sit on a Camino (Canvas) course site, a third-party learning-management system that we did not visit.
• The site contradicts itself on size: the bulletin says about 700 students are enrolled in the advising course, while the Health Professions Advising page says it supports 400+ students and alumni.
• Prerequisites: the Public Health page tells students aiming at medicine or other health professions to contact the university pre-health advisor, and says many programs require a full year of physics (PHYS 11–13 or 31–33) and a full year of organic chemistry (CHEM 31, 32, 33) in addition to the major. The Biology major already includes both sequences.
• Medical-school acceptance statistics, committee letters and any guidance for international students: not stated on the pages we read; contact the advisor.
• AP and pre-health: the bulletin says departments review AP credit; no pre-health-specific AP advice appears on the pages we read.

4. High school preparation and credit

• Basic subject requirements (first-year page and bulletin): English 4 years; mathematics 3 required, 4 recommended; laboratory science 2 required, 3 recommended; history and social science 3; language other than English 2 required, 3 recommended, 4 preferred; visual and performing arts 1 recommended; college-preparatory electives 1. Natural-science applicants are expected to be ready at calculus level. Which sciences (biology, chemistry, physics) are required is not stated on the pages we read.
• AP (bulletin credit page): Biology 4 or 5 earns 4 units as elective credit with no Core credit; Chemistry 3, 4 or 5 earns 5 units (CHEM 11T, Natural Science Core); Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns 8 units (MATH 11 plus elective); Calculus BC 3 earns 4 units (MATH 11) and BC 4 or 5 earns 12 units (MATH 11 and 12 plus elective). Final decisions on some AP scores are made by the department with the registrar; CLEP is not accepted.
• IB: only Higher Level exams earn credit, none for Standard Level; Biology 6 or 7 earns 4 units (TRCR 18, Natural Science Core) and Chemistry 6 or 7 earns 5 units (CHEM 11T).
• A-Level: selected Cambridge International A-Level exams with grades A or B are accepted; AS and O levels are not.
• First two years (bulletin): Biology starts with BIOL 1A, 1B, 1C and CHEM 11, 12, 31–33, with math from MATH 35/36 or 11/12; BIOL 1A lists CHEM 11 as a prerequisite and is a 4-unit course with a lab. The fee schedule lists a $22 New Student Placement Exam fee for all incoming first-year students; which subjects are tested and how placement works is not stated on the pages we read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 1 November; decisions in late December; deposit and official test scores by 7 January.
• Early Action (non-binding): 1 November; decisions in late December; confirm by 1 May.
• Early Decision II (binding): 7 January; decisions in mid-February; deposit by 1 March.
• Regular Decision: 7 January; the bulletin says decisions by the first week of April, the key-dates page says late March (they differ); confirm by 1 May.
• A winter-quarter first-year application is due 1 October. These dates come from the key-dates page and the bulletin and carry no year; confirm they apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Application fee: $75, non-refundable; Common App, NACAC and College Board fee waivers are accepted.
• Materials: Common App and the Santa Clara supplement, official high school transcript (ninth grade to the latest term), one academic teacher evaluation or counselor recommendation, the Secondary School Report, and a mid-year report by the end of January for Regular Decision (and deferred Early Action) applicants; an optional supplemental essay of 150–300 words (on an issue you care about and how a Santa Clara education prepares you to address it). The pages we read list no extra essay or portfolio for life-science majors.
• Testing: optional. Santa Clara has extended test-optional through 2027: SAT or ACT is not required for the 2027 term and not submitting is no disadvantage. Applicants who submit may combine scores (superscore). Policy for 2028 and later is under review. AP, IB and A-Level scores are not required.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Santa Clara is private, and the fee schedule lists one undergraduate tuition with no in-state rate. 2026-27: tuition $64,956 for 12 or more units ($21,652 per quarter); room $13,383–23,052 a year depending on the room type; Student Engagement and Well-Being fee $780; first-year orientation fee $425; tuition insurance $162 a year (automatic for full-time undergraduates, with an opt-out). Dining plans are listed in points and the schedule gives no dollar amount. The bulletin says students must live on campus in their first and second years. No extra tuition for life-science majors appears on the pages we read; the Baja Field Lab course (ENVS 144/BIOL 144) carries a $2,400 fee.
• Aid: the aid page says 83% of students receive some aid; FAFSA code 001326, CSS Profile code 4851. Financial-aid forms are due 15 November (ED I and EA), 15 January (ED II) and 1 February (Regular Decision); California residents also submit the Cal Grant GPA verification by 2 March.
• Merit scholarships: the test-optional page says about the top 15% of applicants receive merit scholarships through holistic review.
• In-state preference: not stated on the pages we read.
• Research and placements: Biology says nearly all faculty supervise undergraduates and many projects reach conferences or publications; Chemistry and Biochemistry says majors in chemistry, biochemistry, biology and public health science join faculty research through CHEM 182–184; Neuroscience offers undergraduate research (NEUR 195) and internship (NEUR 198) courses, and the Public Health Science major requires an approved 100-hour internship; the advising program is seeking healthcare partners to host clinical experience. Numbers of places are not published.

7. International applicants

• Materials: Common App, official high school transcripts (ninth grade onward; originals with an English translation if not in English, and the bulletin asks for a certified translation), one teacher evaluation, the Secondary School Report, the $75 fee, proof of English proficiency and the Santa Clara Financial Resource Statement. Foreign university work needs a course-by-course WES evaluation. Transcripts must be uploaded by the school through a secure service (Naviance, Scoir, Parchment and others); do not email transcripts.
• English (any one): IELTS 6.5; TOEFL iBT 90 for tests before 21 January 2026 and 4.5 on the new scale after; Duolingo 120; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 630; ACT Reading 27 and English 27; or four years at a school where English was the sole language of instruction. Scores are valid for two years. TOEFL MyBest, ITP Plus, Home Edition and Essentials are not accepted; college English courses cannot be used.
• Interview: an InitialView or Vericant video interview is an optional supplement; Santa Clara does not offer interviews itself.
• Funds: the International Student Financial Resource Form and supporting documents must show the full first-year cost.
• Scholarships: Santa Clara is need-aware for international students and offers no need-based aid; international first-year students may be considered for merit scholarships (except Johnson Scholars). The fee schedule also lists an International Student Fee of $180 a year for F-1/J-1 students.
• Any limits for international students in lab or clinical experiences: not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international pages we read do not mention how the Gaokao or the Huikao is used; contact the international admission counselors (ugradintl@scu.edu). The international page says Santa Clara runs an official WeChat account with admission news.
• Transcripts and translation: secondary school records are official documents with a certified English translation, uploaded by the school; university work needs a WES evaluation.
• Testing and English: testing is optional; English options are in section 7.
• Santa Clara gives no separate math and science expectations for the Chinese curriculum; follow section 4 and confirm with the international admission counselors.

9. Transfer

• Eligibility: transfers are admitted for fall and winter quarters, mainly at sophomore and junior level, after at least 8 semester or 12 quarter transferable units; applicants with fewer apply as first-year students. The bulletin states no GPA minimum; the transfer page lists a GPA of 3.3 for Arts and Sciences.
• Recommended courses (recommended, not required): for Arts and Sciences, two English composition courses; two college-level math courses for BS majors (one for BA); one natural science course with a lab.
• Credit: C or better; pass/no-pass courses do not transfer; at most 58.33 semester or 87.5 quarter units transfer into Arts and Sciences or Business; Santa Clara has agreements with 70 California community colleges.
• Applying: the Common App for Transfer or Santa Clara’s own transfer application, plus the supplement, the application fee, all college transcripts and the high school transcript. Fall transfer decisions are rolling and winter decisions come in mid-November. We did not read the transfer key-dates page, and requirements for transferring into life-science majors are not stated on the pages we read; check the transfer deadlines page.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Choose Arts and Sciences; ED I and EA 1 November, ED II and Regular Decision 7 January; $75 fee; testing optional
• California residents watch the Cal Grant deadline; prepare for calculus-level math; talk to the university health professions advisor

International applicants (including China):

• English: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 4.5 (new scale) or Duolingo 120, among other options; prepare the Financial Resource Statement
• Have non-English transcripts translated and uploaded by your school; ask the international counselors how the Gaokao is used; no need-based aid

Transfer students:

• At least 8 semester units; C or better transfers; two math courses recommended for BS majors; check the transfer key dates

Sources: Santa Clara University, Bulletin: College of Arts and Sciences degrees; Bulletin: Biology; Bulletin: Chemistry and Biochemistry; Bulletin: Neuroscience; Bulletin: Public Health; Bulletin: Biotechnology minor; Bulletin: Health Professions Advising Program; Health Professions Advising; Bulletin: Bioengineering; Bulletin: undergraduate admission; Bulletin: academic program policies (changing majors); Bulletin: AP/IB and other credit; First-year students; Test-optional policy; First-year key deadlines; International students; International application requirements; Undergraduate English proficiency; Transfer students; 2026-27 tuition and fees schedule; Financial aid. Most application pages carry no year (the bulletin is the 2026-27 edition and the test-optional page names the 2027 term); check Santa Clara’s website for the latest and confirm dates apply to fall 2027 entry.