How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Auburn University: Biological Sciences and Biomedical Sciences in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, Nursing Through Pre-Nursing First, Test Scores Required, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Auburn University is in Auburn, Alabama. Its life-science and health programs are mainly in the College of Sciences and Mathematics (COSAM): the Department of Biological Sciences (Genetics, Microbiology, Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Organismal Biology, Marine Biology), the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and the college-level Biomedical Sciences program. The College of Nursing offers the BSN; pharmacy is a professional degree in the Harrison College of Pharmacy, with a pre-pharmacy track at the undergraduate level. There is no pre-med major in the United States; Auburn builds “pre-professional” tracks into several majors (section 3). This guide summarises Auburn’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 Sciences and Mathematics (Bulletin):
  • Biomedical Sciences (BS, a college-level program) with tracks: Pre-Pharmacy; Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dental, Pre-Optometry; Pre-Anesthesiologist Assistant; Health Sciences (Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant);
  • Department of Biological Sciences: Genetics (BS, with pre-medicine/dental/optometry and pre-veterinary tracks); Microbiology (pre-medical/dental/optometry, pre-physical therapy/physician assistant, pre-veterinary tracks); Microbial, Cellular and Molecular Biology (Microbiology option; Cell and Molecular Biology option); Organismal Biology (Conservation and Biodiversity, Ecology/Evolution/Behavior, and Integrative Biology options, plus pre-medicine/dental/optometry, pre-PT/PA and pre-veterinary tracks); Marine Biology;
  • Chemistry and Biochemistry: Chemistry (BS, with a Biochemistry option), Chemistry (BA, with a pre-medicine/dental/optometry track), Medical Laboratory Science and Laboratory Science (with pre-medicine and pre-physician assistant tracks);
  • Physics (with pre-medicine and other tracks) and a Biological Sciences minor.
• College of Nursing: Nursing (Traditional) BS and an RN-to-BSN pathway for licensed nurses. The Bulletin says the BSN is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the prelicensure BSN is approved by the Alabama Board of Nursing.
• Also on the admissions major list: Neuroscience, Nutrition (dietetics, nutrition science and wellness options), Exercise Science, Applied Biotechnology, Health Services Administration and others. Which college each belongs to is not spelled out on the Bulletin pages we read; check the Bulletin. Biomedical Engineering sits in the College of Engineering and is not covered here.
• STEM designation: the pages we read do not say which majors are STEM-designated; ask admissions.
• Early-admission and accelerated paths (Pre-Health Professional Curricula page): COSAM offers selected early-admission and three-year options. For anesthesiologist assistants there is the Rocovich Early Admission Program (REAP) with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine–Bluefield (the MHSA program). For pharmacy, students apply to the Harrison College of Pharmacy after prerequisite coursework, the college decides, and completing the first three years of Biomedical Sciences plus the first PharmD year can earn the BS in Biomedical Sciences. Veterinary medicine has a similar option. Who qualifies and whether international students are eligible is not stated on the pages we read.

2. Admission: apply to the university; nursing has its own professional-program step

• Biology and pre-professional tracks: Auburn’s freshman page says reviewers look at course rigor, grade trends, grades in relevant disciplines and “academic area of interest” (your chosen major and any related coursework or experience). The pages we read do not say whether you must pick a major on the application or whether majors have their own GPA thresholds or caps; not published there. The major list also includes an Exploratory major. Internal-transfer conditions into COSAM tracks were not on the pages we read.
• Nursing (Bulletin): freshmen enter as pre-nursing, complete about 66 hours of pre-nursing courses (below) and typically apply to the professional program during the sophomore year, meeting that cycle’s deadlines and requirements. Auburn Nursing uses holistic review: experiences, transcripts, and traditional and situational interviews, held once a year in the fall. The Bulletin says that because enrollment is limited, applicants who meet minimum requirements may not be interviewed or admitted; decisions come before the end of fall semester, entry to the professional program is in the spring, and clinical courses begin in summer or fall. Pre-nursing courses must be completed with C or higher. Courses marked ** (Principles of Biology, Fundamentals of Chemistry I, Human A&P I and II, Microbiology, Stats for Bio and Health Sciences, Nutrition and Health) are used to calculate the “academic attainment score” for nursing admission.
• Pre-medicine and similar tracks: these are undergraduate majors that lead to a bachelor’s degree; admission to medical or other professional schools is decided separately by those schools (section 3).

3. Pre-med: what the Bulletin says

• The Bulletin says pre-health professional curricula prepare students for professional schools in medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, anesthesiologist assistant and related fields. COSAM combines prerequisites with advanced coursework in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and statistics, encourages undergraduate research, clinical shadowing, service-learning and leadership, and provides individualized advising on course planning, entrance exam preparation and the professional-school application process.
• Majors with a Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dental, Pre-Optometry track: Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry (BA), Genetics, Microbiology, Physics and Organismal Biology.
• Sample Biomedical Sciences pre-med plan (120 hours): first year ENGL 1100/1120, history core, CHEM 1030/1031 and 1040/1041 (Fundamentals of Chemistry), BIOL 1020/1021 (Principles of Biology) and 1030/1031 (Organismal Biology), SCMH 1950 (COSAM Major Career Exploration); second year CHEM 2070/2071 and 2080/2081 (Organic Chemistry I and II), BIOL 3200/3201 (Microbiology), BIOL 3600 (Principles of A&P), STAT 2510, MATH 1610 (Calculus I) or 1150 (Precalculus Algebra and Trig; “choice as determined by the specific mathematics requirements of the intended professional school”), SCMH 1890 (Pre-Health Professions Orientation), COMM 1000; third year BCHE 5180/5190 (Biochemistry I and II), BIOL 3000 (Genetics), BIOL 5500 (Immunology), PHYS 1500/1510, PSYC 2010, PHIL 1030 (Ethics and the Health Sciences); fourth year BIOL 4100/4101 (Cell Biology with lab), BIOL 5600 (Biomedical Physiology), BMSC electives (ask an advisor for the current list) and free electives.
• The Bulletin also lists SCMH 1890 Pre-Health Professions Orientation (for non-freshmen and transfer students) and SCMH 3950 Seminar on MCAT and DAT Scientific Foundations. The course descriptions we read do not give medical-school admission statistics or committee-letter details; not published there.
• Limits on international students applying to U.S. professional schools are not stated on the pages we read; ask a COSAM advisor.

4. High school preparation

• High school curriculum (Bulletin admission policy): English 4 years; mathematics 3 years (Algebra I and II for 2 years plus 1 year of geometry, trigonometry, calculus or analysis); science 2 years (1 biology, 1 physical science); social studies 3 years. Recommended: one more science, one more social studies and one foreign language.
• Nursing: the program page strongly recommends high school mathematics, chemistry and biology along with other college-preparatory courses in social science, history, literature and English composition.
• Math placement: COSAM says all students take the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment before registering for a math course; those who do not place into the first required course take a prerequisite.
• AP credit (Registrar): AP Biology 5 or 4 earns 8 hours (BIOL 1020, 1021, 1030, 1031), 3 earns 4 hours (BIOL 1020, 1021). AP Chemistry 5 earns 8 hours (CHEM 1030, 1031, 1040, 1041), 4 earns 4 hours (CHEM 1030, 1031), 3 earns none. AP Calculus AB 5/4/3 earns 7 hours (MATH 1130, 1610); BC earns 11 (MATH 1130, 1610, 1620). AP Physics B 5 earns 8 hours (PHYS 1500, 1510), 4 earns 4 (PHYS 1500).
• IB credit: Higher Level Biology 7, 6 or 5 earns 8 hours (BIOL 1020, 1030); Higher Level Chemistry 7, 6 or 5 earns 8 hours (CHEM 1030, 1040 with labs); a 4 earns no credit.
• Auburn does not accept CLEP credit. A-Level credit is not stated on the pages we read. Whether professional schools accept AP/IB-replaced prerequisites is up to those schools and is not stated.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Application: Auburn’s own application (AU App) or the Common App, with no preference; submit only one. Opens 1 August.
• Decision rounds (freshman page, summer/fall 2027): Round 1 materials by 15 September, decisions mid-October; Round 2 by 15 October, mid-November; Round 3 by 15 November, mid-December; Round 4 (final Early Action) 1 December 2026, early February; Regular Decision 1 February 2027, early March. Early Action is non-binding. For scholarship consideration you must have a complete file by an Early Action round; new ACT/SAT scores received by 11 January 2027 can count for additional scholarships. The financial aid and scholarship priority date is early February (AUSOM application and FAFSA); the enrollment deposit deadline is 1 May. Spring entry: opens 1 July, application deadline 1 November, deposit 1 December.
• Materials: application, $50 non-refundable fee (waivers available), high school transcript, and official ACT/SAT scores (required; Auburn is not test-optional). Auburn accepts the ACT Superscore Report and calculates a superscore for the SAT and for individual ACT score reports; only your best result is used. SAT code 1005, ACT code 0011. A personal statement and academic letters of support are optional; optional Activities and Interests and Additional Academic Achievements forms appear in the applicant portal.
• Admitted ranges (Fall 2025 enrollees, middle 50%): residents ACT 25–31, SAT 1250–1450; non-residents ACT 28–32, SAT 1280–1370; GPA 3.87–4.33 for both; overall acceptance rate 50%.

6. U.S. applicants

• Alabama preference: the Bulletin says preference is given to Alabama residents at the undergraduate level, and that for professional schools or programs with restrictive admissions policies, length of residency in the state is a factor.
• Tuition: the Auburn pages we read give only an international estimate (section 7); the freshman page’s “Tuition” link goes to a third-party site that we did not visit, so in-state and out-of-state tuition figures are not in what we read. Check Auburn’s tuition page. The international cost page says Architecture, Business, Nursing, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine programs may charge additional professional fees; amounts are not published there.
• Scholarships: for scholarship consideration, complete your file by an Early Action round and submit AUSOM and the FAFSA by early February. Award amounts are not given on the pages we read.
• Research and clinical experience: the Bulletin says Marine Biology requires summer courses at marine labs such as Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Gulf Coast Research Lab and encourages internships and undergraduate research; the Biomedical Sciences plan includes an experiential-learning elective (undergraduate research, internship, study abroad, SCMH 4700 or 3050); undergraduate nursing clinicals are in acute care, community and long-term care facilities in Alabama and neighboring states. Placement numbers are not published.

7. International applicants

• How to apply: non-U.S. citizens who hold or are getting an F-1 visa apply as international applicants. You may apply directly to the university, or through Auburn Global if your English is less proficient (support in the first year); directly admitted international students may also join Auburn Global’s services.
• Materials: application and the $60 non-refundable fee; official ACT/SAT scores (also required of international freshmen); TOEFL, IELTS or PTE; official evaluated high school transcripts; an Affidavit of Financial Support and a supporting bank letter.
• English: TOEFL iBT 79 (PBT 550, CBT 213), PTE 53 or IELTS 6.5; or English 1100 and 1120 at an accredited U.S. institution with C or better in both, or graduation from a U.S. high school. The page describes all three tests as sent directly from ETS; how IELTS and PTE scores are actually delivered is not made clear, so confirm with admissions.
• Credential evaluation: foreign transcripts must be evaluated by an independent evaluator, with a U.S.-scale GPA and ideally a course-by-course report. WES is Auburn’s preferred evaluator; ECE, JSA and IERF are also listed, and NACES members are strongly encouraged.
• Proof of funds: for yourself and dependents for at least nine months (tuition, fees, housing, food, books, personal items, transportation and health insurance). The affidavit must be signed in front of an official such as a U.S. consular officer or a notary and dated within a year of enrollment; the bank letter must be an original on bank stationery with a specific U.S.-dollar amount. All international students must buy the university student insurance plan or show equivalent coverage.
• Dates (no year printed; confirm it is for fall 2027): opens 1 August; fall deadline 1 February for freshmen and 1 July for transfers; spring 1 November; deposit 1 May (or 15 days after acceptance) for freshmen and 1 August for transfers. The international page lists a freshman scholarship application deadline of 12 February through AUSOM, with scholarship offers to accept or decline by 1 May.
• 2026-27 estimated costs (international cost page, estimated February 2026, excluding transportation): tuition and fees $39,658, living expenses $15,000, health insurance $2,317, total $56,975; each accompanying dependent adds $6,000. Nursing and several other programs may carry additional professional fees; ask the department.
• Restricted programs: whether international students may apply to the nursing professional program or take clinical placements is not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Auburn does not explain how it uses the Gaokao on the pages we read. Contact admissions (admissions@auburn.edu) or the international education office (intledu@auburn.edu).
• Transcripts and evaluation: under the international rules, secondary transcripts must be evaluated by an independent evaluator with a GPA. How to submit exam or senior-secondary exit materials is not stated.
• Testing and English: international freshmen must submit ACT/SAT and also TOEFL, IELTS or PTE (section 7).
• Funds: see section 7 for the affidavit and bank letter. Auburn gives no separate guidance for Chinese applicants on the pages we read.

9. Transfer

• Application and fee: $50 non-refundable fee (a transfer fee waiver is available to Pell-eligible applicants); official college transcripts; admission depends on space.
• Categories: Freshman transfer (12–23 semester hours): meet freshman requirements, complete one core course, a 2.5 cumulative college GPA (2.8 for Architecture), plus a final high school transcript and ACT/SAT. Transfer (24+ hours): two or more core courses (the Bulletin says at least 6 semester hours of core courses), a 2.5 GPA (2.8 for Architecture), no test score required; applicants below this can get a holistic review, and the page lists a 2.4 GPA tier as “additional review required”.
• Deadlines: spring application 1 November, documents 15 November; summer 1 May and 15 May; fall 1 July and 15 July.
• Credit: use the transfer-equivalency database; not all credits are accepted or count for the same course.
• Transferring into biology/pre-health majors and nursing: the transfer page tells you to follow your target major’s curriculum. Nursing transfers apply through Enrollment Services and the College of Nursing reviews transcripts to decide how much pre-nursing credit is allowed; contact the college early. GPA thresholds for individual majors other than those above are not published in what we read.
• International transfers: TOEFL/IELTS/PTE, evaluated college transcripts, the affidavit and bank letter; a 2.5 GPA (2.8 Architecture) and two core courses; for under 24 hours the international page asks for a 3.0 final high school GPA and ACT/SAT of 22/1100. Deadlines: 1 November (spring), 1 July (fall).

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Final Early Action 1 December, regular 1 February; ACT/SAT required; AUSOM and FAFSA by early February
• For pre-med, choose a major with a pre-professional track; for nursing, start as pre-nursing and apply to the professional program around the sophomore year

International applicants (including China):

• $60 fee; ACT/SAT plus TOEFL 79 / IELTS 6.5 / PTE 53; evaluated transcripts with GPA
• Affidavit and bank letter (nine months of funds); confirm how the Gaokao is used with admissions; ask the College of Nursing about nursing for international students

Transfer students:

• 1 November (spring) or 1 July (fall); 2.5 GPA; complete core courses; contact the College of Nursing early for nursing

Sources: Auburn University, Freshman admissions; International admissions; Transfer admissions; Undergraduate majors; Admission policies (Bulletin); College of Sciences and Mathematics (Bulletin); Biological Sciences (Bulletin); Pre-Health Professional Curricula (Bulletin); Biomedical Sciences pre-med plan; College of Nursing (Bulletin); Traditional nursing plan; AP/IB credit tables; Transfer credit; International cost estimate. Information is for the fall 2027 entry cycle (costs are 2026-27 estimates; where a page prints no year, check that the date is for fall 2027 entry). Check Auburn’s website for the latest.