How to Apply to Life Sciences and Health Majors at the University of Delaware: Biological Sciences in Arts and Sciences, Nursing and Health Sciences in the College of Health Sciences, You Apply Directly to a Major, Nursing Has Its Own 1 December Deadline, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Delaware (UD) is in Newark, Delaware. Its life-science and health majors sit in different colleges: Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Neuroscience are in the College of Arts and Sciences; Nursing, Human Physiology, Nutrition, Medical Diagnostics, Kinesiology, Public Health and others are in the College of Health Sciences (Nursing in its School of Nursing); Biomedical Engineering is in the College of Engineering and gets one line here. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and on the UD pages we read we did not find a stand-alone pre-health advising page (see section 3). This guide summarises UD’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

• College of Arts and Sciences (its undergraduate programs page):
  • Biological Sciences (BA or BS): the major page says the BA is designed in the spirit of a liberal arts degree, leaving flexibility for other majors or minors and a good foundation for graduate or professional study; the BS lets highly motivated students pursue the curriculum in greater depth. The department also offers several 4+1 programs that add a master’s in one more year;
  • Biochemistry (BS), Neuroscience (BS, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences) and Biological Sciences Education (BA).
• College of Health Sciences (majors on its undergraduate page): Applied Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Integrated Health Sciences, Medical Diagnostics (also a Pre-Physician Assistant version), Nutrition and Dietetics, Sports Health, Health Behavior Science, Kinesiology, Medical Laboratory Science, Nutrition and Medical Sciences, Human Physiology, Nursing (BSN) and Public Health. It also lists accelerated graduate degrees, for example 4+1 BS/MS in Applied Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Medical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Diagnostics with Medical and Molecular Sciences, a 3+2 BS/MS in Sports Health (Athletic Training) and a 3+3 BS/OTD in Integrated Health Sciences (Occupational Therapy).
• Others: the transfer page also lists Animal Biosciences, Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary Medicine in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; not covered here. Biomedical Engineering is in the College of Engineering, and UD groups it with engineering and business majors that require at least precalculus in high school.
• STEM designation: UD’s Major Finder has a “DHS STEM” filter, and the Neuroscience page calls its curriculum “interdisciplinary STEM”. The page text we read does not say which of these majors carry the DHS STEM label; check the filter on the Major Finder.
• Combined bachelor’s/medical degree: the CHS undergraduate student services page mentions a Medical/Dental Scholars program, an early-admission eight-year pre-medical/pre-dental track run with Thomas Jefferson University’s Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Temple University’s Kornberg School of Dentistry for students certain they want to become physicians or dentists. The detail link on that page now redirects elsewhere, so we did not read the requirements or whether international students are eligible; ask admissions.

2. Admission: you apply directly to a major

• Choosing a major: UD says students “apply directly to the major they’re interested in”, listing first and second choices on the application. As many as a third of students enroll undeclared (University Studies) and another third switch majors after starting.
• You may be placed in University Studies: the international FAQ says you may be admitted to University Studies if space no longer remains in your selected major or your application does not meet that major’s requirements; there you receive specialized advising and declare a major by the end of sophomore year.
• Nursing: the School of Nursing FAQ says it admits students directly and nursing courses start in the first year (an introductory course in fall, a population health and service-learning course in spring). Admitted students are guaranteed a place and, in good standing, progress without reapplying, with guaranteed classes and clinical rotations. Nursing is a restricted major: enrolled freshmen who want to change into it follow the registrar’s change-of-major rules; the pages we read give no capacity or grade threshold for that, so ask. There is no Early Action or Regular Decision for nursing, only one deadline: complete applications by 11:59 p.m. on 1 December, with decisions by 15 February.
• Entry conditions: the freshman page gives no separate GPA threshold for Biological Sciences, Neuroscience and similar majors; not published there. Overall admitted ranges are in section 5.
• Changing major after admission: submit the “Change My Major” form in My Blue Hen Home; not every request is approved.
• Sample Biological Sciences plan (major page): first year BISC 207/217 and 208/218 (Introductory Biology I and II with labs), CHEM 103/133 and 104/134 (General Chemistry), ENGL 110, MATH 115 (Pre-Calculus), UNIV 101; second year BISC 302 General Ecology, BISC 306 General Physiology, CHEM 321/325 and 322/326 (Organic Chemistry I and II), MATH 221 or 241 (calculus, BS specific); third year BISC 305 Cell Biology, BISC 303 Genetics and Molecular Biology, PHYS 201/221 and 202/222, STAT 200; fourth year an experimental BISC laboratory course (the capstone) and a literature-based course. This is a sample; the catalog governs, and catalog.udel.edu is a third-party Acalog system we did not use.

3. Pre-med: what UD’s pages say

• We did not find a stand-alone pre-health or health professions advising page among the UD pages we read, so a recommended course list, committee letters, medical-school admission statistics and any guidance for international students are not published there. Ask the CHS advising office (chs-advise@udel.edu), the College of Arts and Sciences or admissions.
• What the major pages say: Biological Sciences lists medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, pharmacy and genetic counseling among graduate programs and lists related student groups (Phi Delta Epsilon medical fraternity, Pre-Dental Society, Pre-Physician Assistant Club, Medlife, Lori’s Hands). Medical Diagnostics is described as combining the basic science courses required for admission to medical school with medically related courses; Nutrition and Medical Sciences is designed for students expecting to pursue graduate, medical, dental or other health-related study.
• Medical Diagnostics also has a Pre-Physician Assistant version. For prerequisite expectations, see the transfer table in section 9 (for example Human Physiology asks for college general biology and chemistry with labs).

4. High school preparation

• Suggested units (U.S. high schools): English 4, mathematics 3 (Algebra 1 or higher), science 3 (including 2 labs), history/social sciences 3, academic electives 3, 16 units in total. UD says these apply only to U.S. citizens or permanent residents attending a U.S. high school; international students should read the international page.
• Precalculus: UD says some majors will not be considered unless precalculus was passed by high school graduation; the list covers College of Engineering majors (including Biomedical Engineering) and business majors. The Arts and Sciences and Health Sciences majors discussed here are not on it. The international page also says applicants to most Lerner (business) and Engineering programs are expected to have precalculus-equivalent preparation, and lists “Chinese National Curriculum: Senior Secondary Mathematics through Grade 12” as an example that generally satisfies it.
• Other high school math, chemistry, physics or biology: the freshman and international pages list no further course requirements for Biological Sciences, Nursing and similar majors; ask the School of Nursing (ud-nursing@udel.edu) for nursing.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit (Registrar): for students admitted from fall 2024, an AP score of 3 or higher earns UD credit (earlier cohorts may need higher); IB credit is for Higher Level exams only, none below 4, up to one year (normally two introductory courses) per subject; A-Level and A-Subsidiary grades A through E earn credit, only the A2 counts if both are passed, with AS usually 3–4 credits and A-Level 6–8. The charts that map scores to specific biology and chemistry courses are linked but were not read here; UD also says official AP/IB scores must reach the admissions office to count in the admission review and to receive credit.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Timeline (UD’s freshman page; the page prints no year, so confirm it is for fall 2027 entry): application opens 1 August; 1 November Early Action and Honors College deadline; 1 December nursing deadline (also School of Music priority); 15 January regular admission priority deadline; Early Action and Honors decisions by 31 January; nursing decisions by 15 February; regular decisions by mid-March. Honors applications after 1 November are considered on a space-available basis.
• Materials: Common App or Coalition application with the required essay; $75 non-refundable fee; domestic freshmen send high school grades through the Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS); test scores are optional; up to two letters of recommendation are optional. Admitted students who enroll send final official transcripts.
• Testing: test-optional. Those who submit use SAT (code 5811) or ACT (code 0634), or say they want the Test Optional Program; you remain eligible for scholarships without scores.
• Admitted-student ranges (one-year average, mid-50%): GPA 3.68–4.22, SAT 1240–1390, ACT 28–32 (SAT and GPA self-reported, ACT derived from SAT equivalences); Honors College GPA 4.24–4.51, SAT 1350–1460, ACT 30–34.
• Honors College: complete all materials by the 1 November deadline; invitations come in late January.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost (UD’s 2026-27 Newark rates, full time): Delaware resident tuition $15,740, mandatory fees $2,550, standard housing $9,286 and food $7,328, a billable total of $34,904; with books $1,250, personal $1,942, transportation $1,000 and loan fees $58 the estimated yearly total is $39,154. Non-resident tuition is $42,470, billable total $61,634, estimated total $65,884.
• Program differentials: UD says students in Lerner, Engineering, Music, the Honors College and the School of Nursing pay a differential charge. For students admitted from fall 2025, full-time Nursing is $2,500 per year (Honors $2,000); earlier-admitted continuing students pay $1,500 for Nursing. The School of Nursing also lists estimated extra costs: clinical fee $405, lab fees $650, uniform with shoes $95–165, background check and drug screening $73 a year, plus stethoscope and equipment. No differential for Arts and Sciences majors such as Biological Sciences appears on the pages we read.
• Out-of-state merit scholarships (typical, per year): Trustee $16,000–17,000, Presidential $14,000–16,000, Provost $10,000–15,000, Delaware Scholar $8,000–10,000, Blue Hen $4,000–7,000. No separate application; applications complete by the 15 January priority deadline are automatically evaluated. File the FAFSA for need-based aid.
• In-state preference: the in-state page says “As a Delawarean, you come first” and only Delaware residents receive in-state tuition; the pages we read do not describe any in-state preference in the admission review.
• Research and clinical experience: Biological Sciences says students have started in faculty labs as early as the first year; Neuroscience says you may join a faculty lab, earn credit for research or write a senior thesis, and mentions individualized field placements and internships; the School of Nursing lists undergraduate research and clinical experiences and a Nursing Honors program, and Traditional BSN graduates with a 3.0 GPA are offered advance admission to the MSN (a copy of the nursing license and the direct-admission application are all that is required) with fees waived and admission guaranteed. Placement numbers are not published.

7. International applicants

• How to apply: direct freshman admission uses the Common App with the $75 fee; students who need English support can apply for conditional admission through the English Language Institute’s Academic Transitions on the UD online application, for 150+ majors except nursing; conditional admission does not require TOEFL or IELTS, though 65 TOEFL or 5.5 IELTS is suggested.
• Documents: official transcripts/exam results for all secondary and post-secondary work, and English scores (IELTS, TOEFL or Duolingo sent by the testing service). Applicants who attend or attended an international college need an IERF credential evaluation (WES evaluations are no longer accepted). You may upload documents to My Blue Hen Home or email international-admissions@udel.edu, but official sealed transcripts are required before enrolling. The international page does not describe financial-support documents or I-20 steps; ask the Center for Global Programs and Services (ISSS-newUD@udel.edu).
• English (direct admission): TOEFL iBT 79 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4 on the new scale; IELTS 6.5; Duolingo 110+; PTE Academic 53. Students with TOEFL 79–89 are invited to Accelerate-U Delaware, an optional first-semester program with an enhanced curriculum that adds no time or cost. UD says meeting the minimum does not guarantee direct admission and it may require more evidence or assign a language pathway. Other options include SAT Reading and Writing 550, ACT English 24, GCSE/IGCSE/O-Level English First Language C or higher, IB English Lang and Lit 6, or three years of non-ESL English at a U.S. high school with B or higher.
• Testing: UD says international students are not required to submit the SAT or ACT.
• Timeline (international freshmen; no year printed, confirm it is for fall 2027): 1 November Honors College; 1 December nursing; 15 January direct-admission priority deadline, later applications only on a space-available basis; nursing decisions by 15 February; regular decisions by mid-March; 1 June for conditional admission. For spring entry, finish by November.
• Cost and scholarships: UD says international students pay the same tuition as non-Delaware residents. 2026-27 international rate: tuition $42,470, mandatory fees (including the international student service fee) $2,930, first-year orientation $260, medical insurance $3,888, housing $9,286, food $7,328, a billable total of $66,162; with $4,250 of other indirect costs the estimated total is $70,412. All applying international freshmen are automatically considered for scholarships of $10,000–15,000 a year, and can compete for the top Distinguished Scholars awards (which can cover tuition and room and board for four years with a 3.0 GPA). As a state-funded public university, UD says it cannot offer need-based financial aid to international students.
• Restricted programs: conditional admission excludes nursing; whether international students may enter nursing directly or take clinical placements is not stated on the pages we read; ask the School of Nursing (ud-nursing@udel.edu).

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: UD does not say how it uses the Gaokao on the pages we read. Contact international admissions (international-admissions@udel.edu).
• Math expectation: the international page’s math table maps the “Chinese National Curriculum” to “Senior Secondary Mathematics through Grade 12” for the precalculus expectation of Engineering and Lerner programs; nothing separate is said for life-science majors.
• Transcripts: anyone who attended an international college needs an IERF evaluation (not WES). For students with only high school, the pages ask for official transcripts/exam results; whether they must be translated and how to submit senior-secondary exam materials is not stated, so ask.
• English: see section 7; TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE can be used.
• Visa: contact CGPS (ISSS-newUD@udel.edu).

9. Transfer

• Dates and fee: suggested deadlines are 1 November for spring and 1 June for fall; rolling review, with fall applicants typically notified from February; $75 fee. Send all college transcripts to admissions@udel.edu. With under 12 credits you must also complete STARS and send a final high school transcript; under 24 credits, a final high school transcript; 24+ credits need no extra materials.
• Requirements by major (transfer page): Biological Sciences (BA/BS) GPA 2.0; Neuroscience 2.0; Biochemistry 2.5 overall and 2.65 in major-related coursework; Applied Molecular Biology and Biotechnology 2.5; Medical Diagnostics 2.0 (including Pre-Physician Assistant); Medical Laboratory Science 2.5; Nutrition and Dietetics 2.0; Nutrition and Medical Sciences 2.5; Public Health 2.5; Integrated Health Sciences 2.5; Health Behavior Science 2.5; Sports Health 3.0 with C or higher in college general biology and chemistry with labs; Kinesiology 3.0 with the same C requirement; Human Physiology 3.2 with B or higher in college general biology and chemistry with labs; Pre-Veterinary Medicine 3.0, a course equivalent to MATH 115 and C or higher in CHEM 103 and 133 equivalents; Biomedical Engineering 3.0 with B or higher in equivalents of CHEM 103, BISC 207 and MATH 241. The nursing program is not available to transfer applicants. UD says minimum requirements do not guarantee admission and some majors are closed to transfers.
• Credit: only credits transfer, not grades; at least 30 of your last 36 credits must be taken at UD; for international coursework, courses evaluated at level 100 or above with C or higher transfer. UD has a Transfer Credit Matrix; we did not read it course by course.
• International transfers: you must have completed at least one semester; an IERF evaluation is needed. The pages disagree on timing: the transfer page says anyone with international college work “must” provide IERF, while the international FAQ says only Lerner and Engineering applicants must submit it with the application, and others only after admission when transferring credit.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• 1 November (Early Action), 15 January (priority); nursing has one deadline, 1 December; testing optional
• File the FAFSA; out-of-state applicants review the scholarship chart; if you want nursing, apply to it from the start (restricted major)

International applicants (including China):

• English reference points: TOEFL 79 (new scale 4), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 110, PTE 53; SAT/ACT not required
• IERF evaluation if you attended an international college; no need-based aid; no conditional admission for nursing; confirm how the Gaokao is used with international admissions

Transfer students:

• 1 November (spring) or 1 June (fall) suggested deadlines; check the major GPA list in section 9; nursing does not accept transfers

Sources: University of Delaware, Freshmen admissions; Preparing to apply; International admissions; Transfer admissions; In-state freshmen costs; Out-of-state costs and scholarships; International costs and scholarships; Test credit (AP/IB/A-Level); College of Arts and Sciences programs; Biological Sciences major page; Neuroscience major page; College of Health Sciences undergraduate programs; CHS undergraduate student services; School of Nursing undergraduate programs; Traditional BSN. Information is for the fall 2027 entry cycle (costs are 2026-27 figures; where a page prints no year, check that the date is for fall 2027 entry). Check UD’s website for the latest.