How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at the University of San Diego: Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences With a B.S. and Four Emphases, No Nursing Major for First-Year Students, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of San Diego (USD) is in San Diego, California. Its life-science majors sit mainly in the College of Arts and Sciences; nursing is in the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and USD’s Pre-Health Advising Office says pre-health is not a major or minor but a set of recommended courses and advising. This guide follows USD’s own pages for fall 2027 entry and speaks to U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. One caution: the degree requirements for the biology major sit in a third-party catalog that I did not open, so required courses and credit tables are “not stated on the pages I read.”

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Biology (College of Arts and Sciences): the curriculum page says it leads to a Bachelor of Science, stresses laboratory and field experience, and says a research experience is required for all majors. The major has four emphases: Pre-Health Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Marine Biology. There is also a biology minor. The page header shows 59–60 units for the major and 18 for the minor, and says the program prepares students for graduate or professional school, a life-science teaching credential, or laboratory training for biotechnology.
• Chemistry and Biochemistry: the department page says it is recognized by the American Chemical Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and requires 100 hours of undergraduate research. The pages I read do not name the degrees; not stated, check the department site.
• Nursing (Hahn School): the Hahn programs page lists one undergraduate program, the RN to BSN, an online program for licensed registered nurses offered with USD Online Degrees; the rest are master’s programs (including MEPN, for people with a bachelor’s degree in another discipline), doctorates and certificates. The Pre-Health Advising “pre-nursing” page says outright that USD does not have a specific undergraduate nursing major. So the pages I read show no nursing bachelor’s that a high-school graduate can apply to directly.
• Others: whether public health, exercise science, neuroscience or marine science exist as separate majors cannot be confirmed; the university’s majors list loads dynamically and I could not read it. Check www.sandiego.edu/academics/majors-and-minors.php. Marine Biology on the pages I read is only an emphasis within the Biology major.
• STEM designation and any direct-entry BS/MD route: not stated on the pages I read. Engineering (Shiley-Marcos School) is not covered here.

2. Admission: apply to the university, declare a major later

• Applying: the requirements page describes applying to the university through the Common App with a transcript, an essay plus USD Member Questions and one academic recommendation. The pages I read do not mention a separate biology or nursing application, special quotas or a higher bar; not stated, ask admissions.
• Declaring: the College of Arts and Sciences says students may declare after April 15 of their first year and up to the end of the second year, by filling in a Declaration of Major form; a faculty advisor in the major is then assigned. CAS majors must also complete the COMPASS career readiness program (attend an orientation within two weeks of declaring). The college suggests using the first two years and the Core Curriculum to explore before declaring.
• Entry conditions for the biology major (GPA, course grades, capacity) and internal transfer rules: not stated on the pages I read. Contact CAS advising (casadvising@sandiego.edu).
• Biology requirements: the course list and emphasis tables are in the third-party catalog, which I did not read; the curriculum page only says the major has four emphases and requires research.

3. Pre-med: what the pre-health office says

• The Pre-Health Advising Office belongs to the College of Arts and Sciences and serves students in any major, helping with the professional-school application process and with course planning. The biology careers page says students from any major can pursue a health career.
• Acceptance figures on its landing page: 100% of dental applicants with a competitive GPA and DAT score were accepted; 88% of osteopathic (DO) applicants and 70% of medical (MD) applicants with a competitive GPA and MCAT. The page does not state the year or what “competitive” means.
• Typical medical-school courses (Pre-Medical page): General Biology Bio 240/240L and 242/242L; General Chemistry Chem 151/151L and 152/152L; Organic Chemistry Chem 301/301L and 302/302L; General Physics Phys 136/137 with labs or Phys 270/271 with labs; English (FYW and an advanced writing course within the major); Calculus Math 150 (the page says AP is accepted by medical schools); Biochemistry Chem 331 (“needed for MCAT”); Psychology Psych 101; Statistics Math 120, Psyc 260 or biostatistics. The page warns that these satisfy most medical schools only, so check each school; take everything for a grade, not pass/fail; a grade below C is not passing for most medical schools.
• Recommended by some schools: genetics (Bio 300), molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology (Bio 212/213), sociology, Spanish. The University of Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson) requires anatomy/physiology and the page lists the USD course options.
• Other: the MCAT should be taken after prerequisites and before applying; clinical volunteering or shadowing, research (on or off campus, paid or unpaid) and service/leadership are named as important experiences.
• Pre-nursing page: typical prerequisites are human anatomy (Bio 212), physiology (Bio 213), microbiology (Bio 214 or 342), Psych 101, cultural anthropology or sociology, FYW 150, public speaking (Comm 203), statistics and nutrition; some schools recommend chemistry and biology. It adds that some nursing schools require the GRE.
• Whether the office has separate guidance for international students and any limits on international applicants to U.S. medical schools: not stated on the pages I read. BS/MD or similar combined programs: not stated.

4. High school preparation

• The admissions pages I read do not require particular high-school biology, chemistry or physics. The requirements page says USD expects a well-balanced college-preparatory program, recommends four or five academic subjects a year and accelerated coursework, and calculates a weighted GPA that credits honors, AP and IB classes.
• Recommended plan: English 4 years; mathematics 3 or 4; science 3 or 4 (two with a lab); world language 3 or 4; social studies 2 or more.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit: USD gives college credit for AP and IB scores sent directly by the College Board or the IB organization; the approved score table is on a knowledge-base page I did not read, so the score thresholds are not stated here. GCE A-Level, French Baccalauréat and German Abitur subjects may be evaluated by the relevant department after enrollment.
• Math or chemistry placement and the first- and second-year required sequence for the biology major: not stated on the pages I read. The pre-med course list above is a guide to typical courses, not the biology major’s official curriculum.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027)

• Early Action (EA) and Early Decision I (ED I): 1 November 2026; ED I decisions in early December, EA in mid-December; deposits due 10 January (ED I) and 1 May (EA).
• Early Decision II (ED II): 5 January 2027; decisions in late January; deposit 10 February.
• Regular Decision: 15 January 2027; decisions in mid-March; deposit 1 May.
• Platform and fee: Common App; $75 fee, with waivers for financial hardship (a school official’s letter on letterhead or the College Board waiver form).
• Materials: official high-school transcript, essay and USD Member Questions, and one academic letter of recommendation from a counselor or an academic teacher (more are optional). A résumé is allowed but not expected.
• Testing: USD is test-free: it says it will not view applicants’ SAT or ACT scores in admission, and applicants should not submit them. The policy is extended through fall 2027.

6. U.S. applicants

• Tuition: USD is private and the pages show one tuition figure, with no in-state/out-of-state split. Full-time tuition is $64,100 a year (12–18 units a semester; units above 18 and part-time study cost $2,210 per unit, and part-time students are not eligible for aid); estimated housing and food is $19,200. Students must live on campus for at least two years unless their primary residence is in San Diego County. Program fees specific to biology or nursing: not stated.
• Aid: the page says more than 75% of undergraduates receive some financial assistance; the statistics strip on the same page says 81% of current students receive aid and $160M in grants and scholarships. The two percentages differ, so check the latest figures. A net price calculator is provided. The biology department has a scholarships page (www.sandiego.edu/cas/biology/scholarships.php) that I did not read.
• Residency preference: the pages I read do not mention preference for California residents.
• Research and internships: research is required of biology majors; the biology page mentions hands-on research and access to labs and equipment; Chemistry and Biochemistry requires 100 hours. Specific clinical or lab placement numbers: not stated.

7. International applicants

• Who applies as international: non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent-residents. Applicants who studied abroad are reviewed in the context of their curriculum and its rigor.
• Documents: Common App; English-language transcripts with annual grades for each year, plus national exam results (GCSE, A-Levels, Abitur and so on). Credentials must be in English; if the school cannot translate, use a certified translation service. Incomplete or untranslated transcripts make the application incomplete.
• English proficiency: required if your first language is not English. Minimums: TOEFL iBT 80 (USD says that from January 2026 it requires 4.5 on the new score scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120, LanguageCert Academic 70. Scores must be sent by the testing agency and be no more than two years old; USD’s TOEFL code is 4849. Waivers include: attending or graduating from a school abroad where English is the main language of instruction; enrollment in AP or IB English; four years of mainstream English at a U.S. high school; a C or better in US college English composition; a C or better in A-Level English; Cambridge English B2, C1 or C2. The test-free policy applies to international students, but they still need proof of English.
• Proof of funds: for the F-1 visa you need official financial documents to begin the I-20: bank statements or a signed bank letter in English, dated within six months of your start date, showing liquid funds (stocks and investments are not accepted), with the account holder matching your sponsor. USD says you upload them after confirming enrollment, and the I-20 is not issued until valid proof is provided.
• Costs and scholarships: the international page estimates 2026-27 at $95,232 a year: tuition $64,100, fees $1,099, mandatory health insurance (estimate) $4,158, housing (standard double) $13,450, meal plan $5,750, books/travel/personal $6,675. USD says it does not offer need-based aid to international students; it has a limited number of merit scholarships (renewable with a minimum GPA) and athletic scholarships.
• Pathway: USD also has a Pathway Program (English and college readiness, leading to degree study).
• Any limits for international students in nursing or clinical placements: not stated on the pages I read (and there is no first-year nursing major).

8. Applicants from China

• Credential: USD’s accepted-credentials table lists, for China, the Senior High School Graduation Certificate (高中畢業證書). Also send the final secondary-school transcript and any leaving exam scores, all in English. If your country or certificate is not listed, email intladmissions@sandiego.edu.
• Gaokao: the pages I read do not explain how it is used and do not mention the Huikao; not published, contact the international admissions office.
• English: as in section 7, TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or LanguageCert unless you meet a waiver.
• Testing and math/science expectations: USD does not look at SAT or ACT; it gives no separate math or science expectations for the Chinese curriculum, so follow section 4 and confirm with admissions.
• Anything specific to Chinese applicants in biology: not stated on the pages I read.

9. Transfer

• Who counts: applicants who have completed high school (or earned a GED) and have enrolled in college classes.
• Fall 2027 deadlines: priority 1 February 2027; regular 30 June 2027, rolling decisions. Fee $75.
• Materials: USD transfer application, unofficial transcripts from all institutions (official ones if admitted), two short-answer essays, an optional recommendation from a college instructor, advisor or professional reference, and for some a transfer midterm report.
• Credit: general education courses from accredited institutions generally transfer with a C- or better; all transferable units count toward the total but the grades are not included in the USD GPA; courses from non-accredited institutions or trade schools do not transfer; courses USD has not evaluated transfer as electives by default, and you can submit a syllabus to ask for core or major credit. A formal analysis follows admission and enrollment confirmation. USD warns that recent Core Curriculum changes mean similarly titled courses may not satisfy core requirements.
• California community colleges use ASSIST and USD’s alignment charts; others can use the transfer equivalency search tool.
• International transfer: college work from outside the U.S. requires a course-by-course evaluation (ECE, IERF, TEC, WES or any NACES member) or the application is incomplete. USD recommends at least 24 semester units (36 quarter) and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 by application, and gives preference to competitive grades in English Composition & Literature and College Algebra; the institution must be recognized by that country’s Ministry of Higher Education. English requirements match first-year applicants.
• The chemistry, biology and calculus sequence or GPA needed to move into the biology major: not stated; ask admissions and CAS advising.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• EA/ED I by 1 November, ED II by 5 January, Regular by 15 January; test-free; one academic recommendation
• No separate biology application; declare a major after 15 April of first year; research is required; no first-year nursing major (RN to BSN only)

International applicants (including China):

• TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the new scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120 or LanguageCert 70 unless waived; the test-free policy still applies
• Translate transcripts into English; ask how the Gaokao is used; no need-based aid, only merit scholarships; proof of funds after enrollment for the I-20

Transfer students:

• Priority 1 February 2027, regular 30 June 2027; C- or better in general education courses generally transfers; foreign credits need a course-by-course evaluation

Sources: University of San Diego, Biology; Biology curriculum; Biology careers and internships; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Declaring a College of Arts and Sciences major; Pre-Health Advising; Pre-Medical; Pre-Nursing; Hahn School of Nursing programs; RN to BSN; Application requirements; Admission timeline; Test-free policy; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Transfer course selection; Transferring credits; Tuition and financial aid. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures); check USD’s website for the latest.