How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Chapman University: Name First and Second Choice Majors, Biological Sciences and Biochemistry in Schmid College, Health Sciences in Crean College, No Nursing Major Found, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Chapman University is in Orange, California. Its life-science and health-related majors are mainly in two colleges: Schmid College of Science and Technology offers Biological Sciences and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Crean College of Health and Behavioral Sciences offers Health Sciences. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and Chapman’s Pre-Health Professions Office says it is available to all undergraduates. Below is the fall 2027 picture from Chapman’s website for domestic, international and Chinese applicants, followed by transfer students.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Biological Sciences (BS, Schmid College): the program page says you choose one of three tracks: Cell and Molecular Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, or Ecology and Evolution; research is possible as early as the first year; in the first two years you work on a Grand Challenges Initiative team; field-based courses include a Galápagos travel course and marine biology cruises; classes and research are in the Keck Center for Science and Engineering; seniors work with the college’s science career advisor. Alumni destinations listed include medical, dental and veterinary school, research, biotechnology and conservation. The program director is Dr. Douglas Fudge.
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BS, Schmid College): the page describes an ASBMB-accredited program with research from the first year and a capstone project; research fellowships it names include the Stauffer-Fletcher Jones Fellowship (Chemistry and Biochemistry only), the Beckman Scholars Program, the Schmid Summer Research Fellowship and the CUE Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). Among alumni reporting postgraduate plans, 55% earned or pursued a master’s degree, 27% entered medical school (MD/DO), 25% a PhD, 12% physician assistant programs, 8% dental school, 7% pharmacy school and 3% veterinary medicine. It also mentions accelerated master’s programs that take one extra year (we did not read their details).
• Health Sciences (BS, Crean College): the page says it prepares students for many health careers and for professional schools including medical, dental, nursing and veterinary school, and lists 10 bridge and linkage programs. The site contradicts itself: one passage says students choose one of two areas of study, yet three are described — Allied Healthcare (careers such as nursing, physician assistant, occupational therapy, nutrition or food science; course highlights include nutrition, microbiology, pharmacology, genetics and psychology), Applied Human Physiology (medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, pharmacy, exercise science, kinesiology, biomechanics; physics, pathophysiology, organic chemistry, biochemistry and psychology) and Public Health (health educator, epidemiologist, public health analyst). Students have until their second year to decide. A minimum of 42 upper-division (300/400-level) credits is required for the degree.
• Bridge programs: BS Health Sciences to Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and BS Health Science to MS Physician Assistant Studies, with criteria below; the bridge page also lists Doctor of Optometry and Doctor of Podiatric Medicine pathways at Western University of Health Sciences, whose details we did not read.
• Others: minors in Neuroscience and in Health Science (Kinesiology) in Crean College; Psychology (BA/BS); Environmental Science and Policy (BS) in Schmid College.
• No nursing major appeared in the program pages we read. Whether these majors are STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read. Full required course lists are in Chapman’s course catalog, which its robots.txt disallows and which is a third-party catalog; we did not read it, so no complete course sequence is given here; check the catalog or ask the college.

2. Admission: you choose first and second choice majors

• Applying: you select first and second choice majors on the Common App. The Early Decision page says binding means you must enroll if admitted to your first-choice major, and you do not need to commit if you are admitted to your second-choice major.
• Changing major after enrolling: Chapman’s page says to meet your undergraduate advisor first and then usually submit the request in StudentCenter, using the Change/Add Major Tool for each major’s requirements. Whether Biological Sciences or Health Sciences can be entered freely is not stated on the pages we read.
• Entry conditions: the Biological Sciences, Biochemistry and Health Sciences pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap. The test-optional page lists “academic major and preparation for major” among the holistic-review factors.
• Decision types: Admit; Admit Provisional (limited to 15 credits in the first semester); Panther Spring Start; deferral to Regular Decision; waitlist; deny.

3. The pre-med path

• The Pre-Health Professions Office serves all undergraduates, with guidance on health careers, coursework for medical, dental, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, veterinary, physical therapy, occupational therapy and nursing school, extracurricular connections, workshops, one-on-one appointments and mock interviews (prehealth@chapman.edu). It recommends meeting the pre-health advisor at least once a semester. Science majors take many required classes as general-education or program requirements; non-science majors work with their undergraduate advisor to fit them in.
• Typical medical-school science courses (the page says a general reference only; check each school): two semesters of General Chemistry (CHEM 140/140L, 150/150L), General Biology (BIOL 204/204L and 205/205L or 208/208L), General Physics (PHYS 107/107L and 108/108L, or 101/101L and 102/102L), Calculus (MATH 110 and 111, or 115 and 116) and Organic Chemistry (CHEM 230/230L and 331/331L); one semester each of Biochemistry (BCHM 335/335L), Sociology (SOC 101) and Psychology (PSY 101); two semesters of English. For medicine it also recommends Human Anatomy (HSCI/BIOL 210/210L), Human Physiology (HSCI/BIOL 365 and 366/366L), Microbiology (BIOL 317/317L), Medicinal Chemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Immunology and Statistics or Biostatistics.
• AP caution: not all medical schools or health programs accept AP scores for prerequisites; those that do not require the course at a college for a letter grade. The FAQ says Chapman accepts AP credit for many courses but does not recommend using it for science prerequisites, particularly biology or chemistry; it also does not recommend taking science prerequisites online; community-college courses are generally fine but check Chapman’s requirements.
• Competitive applicants: the page says a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above is generally desirable although schools differ, and that reviewers also look at clinical experience, research, community service and letters (usually two from science faculty and one or two from non-science faculty or someone who observed your volunteer work).
• Chapman’s own medical-school acceptance statistics and whether it issues committee letters are not stated on the pre-health pages we read. Any separate guidance for international students, or limits on international students applying to U.S. medical schools, is also not stated.
• Bridge programs: the BS Health Sciences to DPT pathway gives eligible students early priority consideration for an interview, with no guarantee of admission. By spring of the junior year they must complete BIOL 204, 205, HSCI 210, 365, 366, CHEM 140, 150, PHYS 107, 108, PSY 203 (or MATH 203) and one Human Behavior course, taken at Chapman (or identified as equivalent in the Chapman/Saddleback College TAG agreement), once only, for a letter grade of C or better, with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher, plus the required observation hours; they email the DPT Director of Admissions by the end of junior year and apply through PTCAS in July/August before senior year. The BS must be completed before matriculation, and the enrollment deposit is waived. The BS Health Science to MS Physician Assistant Studies bridge requires all prerequisites at Chapman or a transfer-agreement college with C or better, a science GPA above 3.6 and cumulative GPA above 3.4, GRE of 155 Verbal, 155 Quantitative and 4 Writing, three letters (one from a PA, MD or DO) and at least 1,000 hours of patient contact; apply through CASPA by 1 August. Admission is likewise not guaranteed.

4. High-school preparation

• The first-year application and test-optional pages describe a holistic review: GPA (including trends), strength of curriculum, leadership and activities, personal statement and Chapman questions, letters, and academic major and preparation for it. They do not state required high-school math, biology, chemistry or physics.
• AP credit (Chapman’s table; official College Board scores required): AP Biology 4 equals BIOL 204 and 204L (3+1 credits, natural-science GE); AP Chemistry 4 equals CHEM 140 and 140L; AP Calculus AB 4 equals MATH 110, BC 3 equals MATH 110, BC 4 equals MATH 110 and 111; AP Physics 1 and Physics 2 at 4 give general physics credit (PHYS-100TR); AP Physics C Mechanics and Electricity & Magnetism at 4 equal PHYS 101/101L and 102/102L; AP Precalculus earns no credit. The table notes that not all medical schools accept AP.
• IB credit: Higher Level exams only, generally a minimum of 5 unless otherwise approved; IB Biology HL 4 equals BIOL 204/204L plus BIOL 100TR, Chemistry HL 5 equals CHEM 140/140L plus CHEM 100TR, Physics HL 5 equals PHYS 107 plus PHYS 100TR; an IB diploma with 30 or more points earns a minimum of 21 credits. The table likewise notes that not all medical schools accept IB.
• First-year and second-year sequence: the transfer prerequisites page recommends BIOL 204 (General Biology I), CHEM 140 (General Chemistry I with lab) and MATH 110 (Single Variable Calculus I) for Biological Sciences and for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and BIOL 204, CHEM 140, MATH 110 and MATH 203 (Statistics) for Health Sciences. The Health Sciences four-year plan starts with BIOL 204, CHEM 140, HSCI 101 and MATH 110, then BIOL 205 or 208 and CHEM 150; the second year includes HSCI/BIO 210, MATH 203 or PSY 203 and physics, and the third year HSCI 365 and 366; the plan excludes general-education requirements. The full Biological Sciences track course lists are in the disallowed catalog and are not stated on the pages we read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• 1 November 2026: Early Action (non-binding) and Early Decision I (binding). EA decisions for most programs run from late December into early February (another passage says mid-December for most other EA applicants, mid-February for Film & Television Production and late December to mid-March for the College of Performing Arts); ED I decisions come in mid-December and ED I admits reply by 10 January.
• 15 January 2027: Early Decision II (binding) and Regular Decision (all programs); ED II decision timing differs between two pages (late January on the decisions page, early to mid-February on the notification timeline); RD decisions come in mid-March. Spring-start applications are due 15 October 2026.
• Deposit and reply: a $400 non-refundable enrollment deposit; EA and RD admits reply by 1 May.
• Platform and fee: Common App plus the short Panther Profile; the application fee is $70, non-refundable, with a Common App fee waiver for eligible applicants.
• Materials: Common App, Panther Profile, at least one teacher recommendation (up to two are read), an official high-school transcript from your counselor or a school official, and the Common App School Report; for need-based aid, the FAFSA and CSS Profile by 15 November (EA/ED I) or 1 February (ED II/RD).
• Testing: optional. In the most recent cycle 76% of applicants and 75% of admitted students applied test-optional; for fall 2025 admits who did submit scores, SAT (math plus verbal) was 1290 at the bottom quartile, 1350 on average and 1440 at the top quartile, and ACT composite 28, 30 and 32; the page also lists an average high-school GPA of 3.78. Chapman superscores the SAT and ACT and does not require SAT Subject Tests. Applying test-optional does not hinder merit-scholarship consideration.

6. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs: Chapman is private and its cost page gives a single tuition figure with no in-state split. The 2026-2027 estimate lists tuition $69,990, fees $404, books and supplies $1,600, housing $4,896–$15,618 (depending on living arrangement), food $2,766–$6,082, plus personal and transportation costs, for estimated totals of $83,938–$97,176 depending on housing. It excludes health insurance and is not an actual bill. Any extra fee for science or health majors is not stated on the pages we read.
• Aid and scholarships: all applicants are reviewed for merit scholarships whether or not they submit test scores; apply for need-based aid with the FAFSA and CSS Profile (above). The international financing page describes Chapman as need-aware.
• Research and internships: the Biological Sciences page says students can start research in the first year and describes a network of local hospitals, medical companies and environmental organizations plus a dedicated career advisor; Health Sciences describes internships with public health centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers and clinics. Places are not stated on the pages we read.

7. International applicants

• Who counts: non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents who have finished secondary school and not attended an accredited post-secondary institution apply as international first-year applicants; holders of F, J, A, E, H, K, L or R visas in the U.S. also count. U.S. citizens abroad are treated as domestic, as are undocumented and DACA students.
• English: required of non-native speakers. The international first-year page lists TOEFL 4.5 (exams on or after 21 January 2026) or 80 (on or before 20 January 2026, balanced subscores), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120, SAT English 600 or ACT English 24. The site is inconsistent: the first-year application page gives the Duolingo minimum as 115 and TOEFL as 80 iBT. Applicants from English-medium secondary schools or in an IB or Cambridge curriculum can request a waiver (the international FAQ also names American-patterned curricula). Chapman does not offer English conditional admission.
• Academic documents: besides your Common App transcript, you may need external exam results or predicted results (predicted IB, Indian board exams, GCSE/IGCSE, predicted A-Levels, Australian ATAR and so on) and graduation certificates. Official documents from every secondary school, pre-university program and college must come from a counselor or school official (emailed from an official school address to admission@chapman.edu, or mailed in a sealed envelope); non-English documents need a word-for-word translation by a certified translator. The pages we read do not require a credential-evaluation agency.
• Funds and costs: the international financing page gives the minimum financial verification for an I-20 or DS-2019: tuition and fees $67,874, on-campus room and board $18,438, mandatory health insurance $2,321 and books, supplies and personal expenses $5,600, for $94,233; it also points to the “2025-2026 academic year” breakdown, and its tuition figure differs from the 2026-27 $69,990 plus $404 fees, so check for the current number. Dependents need extra funds ($5,000 for the first, $2,500 for each additional).
• Scholarships: international students are eligible for merit scholarships (up to $42,000 per year for first-year students), reviewed automatically with no extra application, based primarily on grades and test scores; the transfer maximum is inconsistent ($16,000 in the international FAQ, $15,000 on the financing page). Need-based aid is limited, up to $15,000 per year, and requires the CSS Profile (and the FAFSA if eligible). International students can request application-fee waivers.
• Any limits on international students in nursing or clinical placements are not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not explain how Chapman uses the Gaokao; contact admission (admission@chapman.edu, (714) 997-6711). The international FAQ only lists China among the many countries international students come from.
• Transcripts: the international FAQ says applicants from Chinese institutions should request official transcripts through the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHESICC), which sends them electronically to Chapman admission, with no paper copy needed. It says “institutions”; whether high-school transcripts also go through CHESICC is not stated, so confirm with admission.
• English and Huikao: English scores as above; the Huikao is not addressed separately; English-medium, IB and Cambridge programs may request a waiver.
• Chapman gives no separate math and science expectations for the Chinese curriculum; follow section 4 and confirm with admission.

9. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall 2027 applications open 15 November and are due 15 February (later applications are considered if space allows); spring 2027 applications are due 15 October 2026 (spring is not available for some majors, such as Dance and Film & Television Production). The application fee is $70 and one recommendation is required (academic, personal or professional). The site contradicts itself: the Saddleback College transfer admission guarantee (TAG) on the Health Sciences page lists a spring transfer deadline of 15 February and a fall deadline of 15 October, the reverse of the transfer application page; use the transfer application page and confirm with admission.
• Requirements: Chapman says that, unlike public universities, it has no single set of requirements that guarantees admission to all majors; for majors with prerequisites, courses may be in progress when you apply. Biological Sciences and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology recommend BIOL 204, CHEM 140 and MATH 110; Health Sciences recommends BIOL 204, CHEM 140, MATH 110 and MATH 203.
• Materials: official transcripts from all two- and four-year colleges attended (fall applicants wait for fall grades after winter break); a final high-school transcript or equivalent if you have fewer than 60 semester units or 90 quarter units; SAT/ACT not required. International transfer applicants: TOEFL 4.5 (new scale) or 80, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120 (waived with 24 transferable semester hours from a U.S. community college or university), plus external exam results and graduation certificates.
• Credit: use Transferology and the Transfer Credit and Articulation Guidelines. California community college students who complete Cal-GETC, CSU, IGETC or an ADT can waive most general education, though it is not an admission requirement. Saddleback students are guaranteed Health Sciences admission by completing the listed courses (General Chemistry I and II, Calculus I and II, General Biology I, either Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or General Biology II, Human Anatomy, Statistics, Psychology, General Physics I and II, plus the one-credit Intro to Health Care Professions taken at Chapman) with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• How overseas college transcripts are submitted: apart from the CHESICC route for Chinese institutions in the international FAQ, not stated on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Pick first and second choice majors; EA/ED I by 1 November, ED II/RD by 15 January; $70 fee; testing optional
• For pre-med, plan against the pre-health science list and do not use AP in place of biology or chemistry prerequisites; FAFSA and CSS Profile by 15 November or 1 February

International applicants (including China):

• English: TOEFL 4.5 (new) or 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 or 120 (two pages differ); waivers for qualifying curricula
• Chinese institutions’ transcripts through CHESICC; check the funds amount on the latest page; confirm Gaokao use with admission

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 15 February (opens 15 November); biology tracks recommend BIOL 204, CHEM 140 and MATH 110; international transfers need TOEFL 4.5, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120

Sources: Chapman University, Schmid College: Biological Sciences (BS); Schmid College: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BS); Crean College: Health Sciences (BS); BS Health Sciences to Doctor of Physical Therapy; BS Health Science to MS Physician Assistant Studies; Pre-Health Professions Office; Pre-Health: science course requirements; Pre-Health: competitive applicants; Pre-Health: FAQs; Changing or adding a major; Admission: first-year; Admission decisions; Test-optional details; International students; International first-year; International transfer; International FAQs; International financing; Transfer students; Transfer: how to apply; Transfer prerequisites; 2026-2027 cost of attendance; AP equivalencies; IB equivalencies. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check Chapman’s website for the latest.