How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Howard University: Name First and Second Choice Majors on the Application, Biology, Chemistry, Nursing and Health Sciences, Six-Year BS/MD and BS/DDS Programs, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Howard University is in Washington, D.C. Its life-science and health-related majors are in two colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) and the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences (CNAHS). There is no pre-med major in the United States; Howard’s program list shows “Pre-Dental / Pre-Medicine” under CNAHS, and Biology and Chemistry are the majors Howard names for its BS/MD and BS/DDS programs. Below is the fall 2027 picture from Howard’s website for domestic, international and Chinese applicants, followed by transfer students.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• College of Arts and Sciences (first block of Howard’s list): Biology (BS), Chemistry (BS), Health Education (BS) with Community Health and Maternal and Child Health concentrations, Human Performance (BS) with a Sports Medicine concentration, Bioethics (BA) under Interdisciplinary Studies, and Environmental Science (BS). The Biology department says the BS is for students who want to study biology, enter medical, dental or veterinary school, attend a life-science graduate program, become involved in health policy, or start research; all Biology majors earn a minor in Chemistry on completing the major requirements.
• College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences: Nursing (BS, the BSN), Health Sciences (BS) (the program page describes it as pre-physical therapy, preparing students to apply to a post-baccalaureate physical therapy program), Health Management, Nutritional Sciences (BS), Clinical Laboratory Science (BS), Radiation Therapy (BS), and the separate “Pre-Dental / Pre-Medicine” entry.
• Nursing: the Nursing department page says the undergraduate program offers three paths: Basic, LPN-to-BSN and RN-to-BSN. The department page lists accreditation of the baccalaureate program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the program page cites full approval of the BSN program by the D.C. Board of Nursing. Any limits on international students in nursing or clinical placements are not stated on the pages we read.
• Combined degrees (Arts and Sciences with the College of Medicine or Dentistry): BS/MD and BS/DDS, finishing both degrees in six years; see below.
• Engineering: Howard’s engineering list does not include biomedical engineering; not covered here.
• Whether these majors are STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read. Full degree requirements for each major are in the undergraduate catalog, which we did not read, so only the Biology and Nursing course pages are summarized here.

2. Admission: you name majors on the application, and cannot switch right away

• Applying: Howard says degree-seeking students are generally admitted into the first or second choice major indicated on the Common App (fine-arts applicants are admitted conditionally pending audition or portfolio). New students may generally not change major until after the first semester; minors cannot be declared at admission and are generally declared during or after sophomore year (30+ credits).
• Entry conditions: the Biology and Nursing pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap for Biology. For Nursing, the upper-division plan says all prerequisite courses must be completed before enrolling in the upper division; when and how students apply to the upper division, the GPA and the number of places are not stated on the pages we read.
• Biology major requirements: a core of General Biology (BIOL 101, 102) and Genetics (BIOL 200), with 101 and 102 prerequisites for 200; core biology courses must be taken at Howard unless approved as transfer courses at matriculation; prerequisites must be passed with at least a C before biology electives. After the core, at least 22 credit hours of electives, with at least one 3- or 4-credit elective from each of Cellular and Molecular, Anatomy and Physiology, and Ecology and Evolution; Senior Seminar (BIOL 493 or 494); at least 35 credit hours in Biology, all with C or better; 120 credits to graduate. Every student must also pass the Senior Summative Assessment with at least 60%, via the comprehensive exam or a research Capstone.
• Supporting courses: one year of General Chemistry (CHEM 003/004 with labs 005/006), one year of Organic Chemistry (CHEM 141/142, lab 145), one year of General Physics (PHYS 001/002), mathematics through Pre-Calculus (MATH 007), and one of Calculus I (MATH 156), Introduction to Statistics (MATH 009) or Biostatistics (BIOL 430); Calculus is recommended before Organic Chemistry.
• Honors: Biology majors in the COAS Honors Program take honors orientation, directed readings, proposal development, honors research and an honors thesis from sophomore to senior year, seven credits counted as Biology electives; students admitted at the end of first year (in summer) should contact the honors advisor within the first week of fall.
• Internal transfer: conditions for moving into Biology or Nursing from another major are not stated on the pages we read; ask the college advisors and the registrar.

3. The pre-med path and six-year programs

• Howard’s program list shows “Pre-Dental / Pre-Medicine” under CNAHS, and the Biology page says Biology graduates can go on to medical, dental, veterinary, public health and environmental science professional schools, or to life-science graduate study. A pre-health advising office’s recommended courses, committee-letter process and medical-school statistics are not stated on the pages we read; ask admission or the college.
• BS/MD: for students admitted to Biology or Chemistry who enter the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall right after high school, finishing the BS and MD in six years instead of the customary eight. Transfer students and Regular Decision applicants are not eligible; only a limited number of students enter the Arts and Sciences phase, and admission to the College does not secure a place. Requirements: a GPA of 3.5, an ACT of 28 or higher and an SAT of 1300 or higher, plus two or more years of foreign language including literature, and high-school biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics (including algebra, geometry, trigonometry and pre-calculus). Eligible enrolled students are invited to apply after committing to Howard (after the May 1 enrollment deadline). BS/MD applicants submit an additional program essay in the Writing section of the Common App. Whether international students are eligible is not stated on the pages we read; ask admission.
• BS/DDS: nearly identical conditions (GPA 3.5, ACT 28, SAT 1300, foreign language, high-school sciences and math, invitation after May 1); transfer students are not eligible, and the page makes no separate statement about Regular Decision applicants.
• Karsh STEM Scholars: Howard says scholars receive a scholarship for tuition, mandatory fees, room, board and a book allowance and are required to ultimately pursue a PhD or combined MD-PhD in a STEM discipline; the test-optional policy extends to this program.

4. High-school preparation

• Howard says applicants should have a well-balanced college-preparatory program, with recommended coursework of 4 years of English, 3 of mathematics, 2 of social science, 2 of science (with lab) and 2 of foreign language, stressing a well-rounded curriculum rather than the specific years.
• Specific high-school math, chemistry or physics levels for Biology or Nursing are not stated on the admission pages we read (the BS/MD and BS/DDS requirements above are separate).
• AP, IB and A-Level credit policies are not stated on the pages we read. The international page only tells IB and similar applicants to submit national examination certificates.
• First two years (Biology suggested program): Year 1 fall English writing, BIOL 101, CHEM 003 with lab 005, Pre-Calculus (MATH 007), Freshman Seminar; spring English writing, BIOL 102, CHEM 004 with lab 006, Calculus (MATH 156 or equivalent), physical education; Year 2 fall BIOL 200, Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 141), a technical writing course; spring a 300/400-level biology elective, Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 142) and its lab (CHEM 145). Nursing lower division (footer: updated fall 2019): Year 1 includes BIOL 101, CHEM 003 with lab, College Algebra (MATH 006), Intro to Psychology and Sociology; Year 2 includes Anatomy and Physiology I and II (NAHS 171/172), Microbiology (MDMI 103), Nutrition (NUTR 161), Elementary Statistics (SOCI 110) and Human Growth and Development, 60 semester hours in total.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Action (non-binding): 1 November 2026 for both application and documents; decisions in late December.
• Early Decision (binding): 1 November; decisions in late December. ED applicants seeking aid need not withdraw other applications until they receive aid notification; the agreement must be signed by the counselor and a parent. EA/ED files still incomplete after 1 November move to the Regular Decision pool.
• Regular Decision: 1 February 2027; decisions by early April; reply and deposit by 1 May.
• Other: no spring entry for first-year applicants. The admission policy page says admitted students who confirm by paying the $300 enrollment fee may request deferral for up to one year.
• Platform and fee: Common App; the $45 application fee is non-refundable and the admission office does not issue its own fee waivers, but accepts the Common App fee waiver.
• Materials: official high-school transcript submitted by your counselor (Common App, Naviance, Parchment, SCOIR; not by email), one counselor letter and one teacher letter (only two are guaranteed to be read), the main Common App essay plus one optional Howard essay; mid-year reports are optional.
• Testing: Howard contradicts itself: the first-year page says SAT/ACT are not required for the “2026-27” admission cycle, and the admission policy page says the same for the “2027-28” cycle; both say not submitting is no disadvantage and extend this to Karsh STEM. The policy does not extend to joint degree programs (BS/MD, BS/DDS, BA/JD). Only official scores sent by the testing agency are considered (SAT code 5297, ACT code 0674): no self-reported scores, counselor-sent reports or transcript scores; the ACT is not superscored; the last test date is October for EA/ED and December for RD.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs: Howard is private and its cost page shows a single tuition figure with no in-state split. The 2026-2027 estimate for undergraduates living on campus: tuition $37,996, mandatory fees $1,040, housing $13,618, food $7,430, books and supplies $1,220, transportation $1,154, personal expenses $2,468, for an estimated cost of attendance of $66,182 (this includes estimated federal loan fees); part-time students pay $1,583 per credit hour, with $1,014 more per credit above 21. Howard says these are estimates, not an actual bill. Any extra fee for Biology or Nursing is not stated on the pages we read.
• Aid: file the FAFSA (school code 001448); the priority deadline is 1 November, and later filers still receive aid but some program funds may be exhausted. Scholarships for qualifying EA and ED applicants are awarded with the admission decision.
• Research: the Biology department has research laboratories and honors research courses; places and application procedures are not stated on the pages we read.

7. International applicants

• Evaluation: international first-year applicants submit academic records for grades 9 to 12 (or 13). Applicants from the systems Howard lists need no academic evaluation; the counselor certifies and submits school transcripts and national-exam certificates or predicted grades. All other international applicants must submit a NACES-member academic evaluation that gives a U.S. equivalent high-school GPA; this cannot be waived; non-English records need an official English translation; ECE, IEE, WES (ICAP) and SpanTran can deliver evaluations electronically.
• English: for applicants whose native language is not English, a TOEFL iBT of 90 or an IELTS overall score of 6.5; only these two exams are accepted, and TOEFL scores must come from ETS. Waived automatically for applicants from a nation where English is an official language or who have studied in the U.S. for at least four years; school administrators can also certify English as the language of instruction.
• Aid and scholarships: international students cannot receive federal aid but can apply for institutional aid, including freshman scholarships, with the International Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA), submitted by the application deadline for priority; it asks for student and parent income and tax data (or proof of no filing requirement), converted to U.S. dollars. International and DACA students must submit the ISFAA. Students who go test-optional remain eligible for scholarship consideration.
• Whether international students may join the BS/MD or BS/DDS programs, or Nursing clinical placements, is not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not explain how Howard uses the Gaokao; contact admission (admission@howard.edu; international line (202) 806-2755).
• Transcripts and evaluation: the credentials table (a PDF with 2023-12 in its file name) lists the systems exempt from a NACES evaluation: Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, Ethiopia, India, IB, Kenya, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Uganda, the United Kingdom and British-based curricula, West Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. China is not on that list, and the page says that if you did not study in one of the listed curricula a NACES evaluation is required. So, by Howard’s wording, Chinese-curriculum applicants need a NACES evaluation plus an official English translation; check the credentials page and admission for any newer version.
• English: TOEFL 90 or IELTS 6.5; Duolingo and other tests are not accepted.
• Huikao and similar records: not addressed separately; ask admission.

9. Transfer

• Deadlines (the page says spring/fall 2027 applications are open): spring entry 1 November, fall entry 1 April; document deadlines are the same dates; the page lists decisions in early December (spring) and late June (fall), with deposit dates of 15 December and 15 June (as printed in its table). The $45 application fee cannot be waived for transfer applicants.
• Eligibility: at least 15 transferable credit hours from a regionally accredited institution; a 2.5 cumulative GPA; a C or better in a college-level English course and a college-level math course. If you will not have met these by the document deadline (including in-progress courses without grades), you are not eligible for that entry term.
• Materials: official transcripts from all colleges (to the Common App Centralized Transcript Service or an e-transcript system) and one recommendation from a professor or academic advisor. International transfer applicants need a NACES evaluation for any study outside the U.S. and TOEFL 90 or IELTS 6.5 (waived for applicants from English-official-language nations or with four years in the U.S.).
• Credit: Howard accepts up to 60 transferable credit hours, from regionally accredited institutions only. The Biology page says no more than two biology electives taken elsewhere (including summer and study abroad, with prior approval) may count toward the 35 biology credits; they cannot replace BIOL 101, 102, 200 or the senior seminar; the department takes credits only from accredited four-year degree-granting institutions.
• Specific requirements for transferring into Nursing, and a prerequisite course sequence for Biology: not stated on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• List first and second choice majors on the Common App; EA/ED by 1 November, RD by 1 February; $45 fee; testing optional except for joint degrees
• For BS/MD or BS/DDS: choose Biology or Chemistry; a 3.5 GPA, ACT 28 or SAT 1300; high-school biology, chemistry, physics and math through pre-calculus; two or more years of foreign language; not a transfer or Regular Decision applicant; extra program essay
• File the FAFSA by 1 November (school code 001448)

International applicants (including China):

• A NACES evaluation with English translation unless you studied in a listed system (China is not listed); TOEFL 90 or IELTS 6.5
• Submit the ISFAA by the deadline if you need aid; confirm Gaokao use with admission

Transfer students:

• 1 November (spring) or 1 April (fall); 15 transferable credits, 2.5 GPA, C or better in college English and math; up to 60 credits transfer

Sources: Howard University, Undergraduate academic programs; Biology: academics; Biology: undergraduate requirements; Biology: suggested program; Biology: honors program; CNAHS program page: Nursing; Nursing department; BSN lower-division plan of study (PDF); BSN upper-division plan of study (PDF); Health Sciences (pre-physical therapy); Special programs: BS/MD, BS/DDS and others; First-year admission; International first-year admission; International first-year credentials; International first-year credentials (PDF); Admission policy; Transfer admission; International transfer admission; Financial support; 2026-2027 cost of attendance. The application pages say fall 2027 applications are open; the international credentials PDF has 2023-12 in its file name and the BSN plan-of-study PDFs carry 2018/2019 footers, so check that they are current; check Howard’s website for the latest.