How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Denison University: Biology, Biochemistry, Global Health and Health, Exercise and Sport Studies, No Application Fee or Supplemental Essay, Test-Optional Admission, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Denison University (Granville, Ohio) offers life-science and health-related programs through its Biology, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Global Health, Health, Exercise & Sport Studies (HESS) and Neuroscience programs. Its Pre-Medicine, Pre-Health page describes advising and support: students in any discipline can take the prerequisites for health-profession programs within or alongside their major. This guide summarises Denison’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Where Denison’s pages are silent we say so.

1. Relevant undergraduate programs

• Biology (B.A., B.S.): offered by the Department of Biology; the department says majors earn a B.A. or B.S. depending on the courses they select. There is also a minor. A biology major can add a concentration in computational science, neuroscience, or sustainability and environmental science.
• Chemistry & Biochemistry: three degrees: B.S. in Chemistry, B.S. in Biochemistry and B.A. in Chemistry.
• Global Health (B.A.): interdisciplinary; the program points to careers such as health administration, health policy, health practice and global health governance.
• Health, Exercise, & Sport Studies (HESS) (B.A.): three areas—health, exercise science and sport studies—with careers in areas such as physical therapy, sports medicine and management, public health and exercise science.
• Neuroscience: listed as a minor; the Biology page separately says biology majors can add a neuroscience concentration.
• The pre-medicine page names Biochemistry, Global Health, Biology and HESS as the four most common majors leading to careers in medicine and health, and says students in History, Philosophy, Visual Arts and International Studies have also entered health-related graduate programs.
• The program pages we read list no nursing, public health or nutrition bachelor’s program and do not say whether any program is STEM-designated.
• Engineering: the academics overview mentions two engineering pathways, which we did not read in detail and do not cover.

2. Admission and entering a major

• Applying: the application pages we read do not ask you to choose a major or list quotas for these programs. When students declare a major is not stated on the pages we read; ask admission.
• Biology major: a three-course core—BIOL 210 Molecular Biology and Unicellular Life, BIOL 220 Multicellular Life and BIOL 230 Ecology and Evolution—which the department advises finishing by the end of the second year. Majors must reach a GPA of 2.0 or higher across the three core courses before moving on to 300-level electives; otherwise they repeat core courses. One year of introductory chemistry is required: CHEM 131 (must be done before 300-level electives) and CHEM 132 (can be taken concurrently); grades of C or better are strongly recommended.
• B.A.: ten courses—three core, two chemistry, five 300-level biology courses (one a “biological diversity” course)—plus BIOL 300 (core assessment exam) and BIOL 301 (senior writing assessment).
• B.S.: fourteen courses—everything in the B.A. plus four “science cognate” courses (non-biology courses in the science division, environmental science courses or Applied Anatomy HESS 202; at most two from one department; CHEM 131 and 132 do not count). This is the only difference between the degrees.
• Chemistry & Biochemistry: all three degrees share eight common courses—CHEM 131 and 132, intermediate organic chemistry CHEM 251, intermediate biochemistry CHEM 258, intermediate physical chemistry CHEM 343, BIOL 210, MATH 135 (single-variable calculus) and PHYS 121. The B.S. in Biochemistry has 16 courses: the eight common courses plus analytical chemistry CHEM 331, one 300- or 400-level chemistry course, one advanced biochemistry course (CHEM 44X), BIOL 220, one 300-level biology course, one more 300-level biology or 400-level chemistry course, PHYS 122 and one more math (MATH 120, 145 or higher) or computer science course. The department strongly recommends a C or better in CHEM 131, 132, 251 and 258 before 300-level courses. Students given a zero-credit waiver for MATH 135 based on high-school coursework and placement scores take MATH 145 instead.
• Global Health major: ten courses—four core (GH 100 Introduction to Global Health, GH 202 Epidemiology, GH 210 Global Health Research Methods, and GH 400 Capstone or GH 452 Advanced Senior Research), three global health electives and three thematic electives—plus the zero-credit GH 050 experiential learning requirement (a local or global internship or volunteer position, or health-related study abroad).
• HESS major: four core courses (HESS 100, 101, 203, 204), six 300-level HESS courses (at least one each from the health, exercise and sport studies subfields), and a yearlong senior experience (HESS 451 and 452 Senior Research, or HESS 450 Senior Practicum).
• Neuroscience minor: ten 4-credit courses plus the zero-credit NEUR 401, including BIOL 210 and 220, PSYC 100 and 200, NEUR 312, an introductory computer science or data analytics course, a related philosophy course, and advanced biology and psychology courses.
• Any GPA threshold or cap for entering these majors beyond the 2.0 biology core GPA: not stated on the pages we read.

3. The pre-med path

• Denison says students in every discipline can take the prerequisites for their post-graduate degree within or alongside their major. The Pre-Health Faculty Advisor works with you and your primary adviser on course prerequisites and on building the competencies needed to be a competitive applicant.
• Support: career coaches in the Knowlton Center’s Health Care, Clinical Research, & Wellness career community (mock interviews, graduate school preparation); tutoring from the Academic Resource Center; a Peer Learning Strategist Program for science students; student groups and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the national pre-health honor society.
• Clinical experience: the Community Health Coach Program, shadowing a physician at Licking Memorial Hospital, and Denison-exclusive internships. Summer Scholars research carries a stipend and housing allowance; the Chemistry & Biochemistry page says endowed funds support 120 to 140 students for up to 10 weeks.
• Biology department advice: majors preparing for medical school or most graduate programs are also advised to take CHEM 251 and CHEM 258, PHYS 121 and PHYS 122, MATH 130, and MATH 135, MATH 145 or MATH 120 (statistics); these can count toward the B.S. science cognate requirement.
• Where graduates go: Denison lists schools that recent graduates matriculated to (medical, dental, optometry, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical and occupational therapy, public health and veterinary programs). It gives no acceptance-rate statistics; none are published on the pages we read.
• Separate pre-health guidance for international students, or limits on international students applying to U.S. medical schools: not stated on the pages we read; contact the Pre-Health Faculty Advisor. No combined bachelor’s/medical-degree program is described.

4. High-school preparation

• The application pages we read do not list required high-school math, biology, chemistry or physics. Not published; ask admission.
• AP / IB: the Biology requirements page says a 4 or 5 on AP Biology or a 6 or 7 on IB Biology earns credit for BIOL 199, but those students typically still complete all three core courses. AP and IB credit for chemistry, calculus and other subjects is not stated on the pages we read.
• Math placement: the Chemistry & Biochemistry page says some students receive a zero-credit waiver for MATH 135 based on high-school coursework and placement scores and then take MATH 145. How placement works is not stated on the pages we read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision 1 (binding): 15 November. Early Decision 2 (binding): 15 January. Regular Decision: 15 January. All decisions become final on 1 April.
• Decision dates: Denison’s pages differ. The U.S. page says ED applicants typically hear about a month after the deadline and RD by mid-March; the international page says within a few weeks for ED and by late March for RD.
• Platform: Common App or Coalition App, evaluated the same way. No application fee and no supplemental essay (the Common/Coalition personal essay is still part of the application).
• Materials: counselor recommendation and school report; official high-school transcript; at least one teacher evaluation from a core course; the Early Decision Agreement for ED applicants; an optional arts supplement; an interview is recommended—most successful applicants have one—but not required.
• Testing: not required since 2008; submitted scores are superscored.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Its cost page lists one tuition with no in-state rate. 2026-27: tuition $74,000, housing and food $18,400, comprehensive fee $92,400. 2027-28: tuition $77,000, housing and food $19,400, comprehensive fee $96,400. A $4,500 work-study allowance covers personal expenses and books. Denison also points to family-income-based pricing and a cost-estimate tool. No extra fee for biology or health programs appears on the pages we read.
• Aid and scholarships: Denison says it meets 100% of demonstrated need, determined for U.S. students from the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Every applicant is considered for merit scholarships ranging from $5,000 a year to full tuition, awarded at admission. No in-state preference appears on the pages we read.
• Research and internships: Biology students can research in the 350-acre Biological Reserve, the greenhouse or genetics labs; Summer Scholars carries a stipend; Denison says it provides stipends for unpaid internships with more than $1 million a year. Numbers of places are not published.

7. International applicants

• How to apply: anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident uses the Common App or Coalition App with the same rounds; international students are 17% of the student body.
• English: required. Considerations include, but are not limited to, English as the primary language of school instruction, English as the first language, TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Duolingo, SAT Reading, ACT English and an interview. No minimum scores are published; waivers are considered case by case.
• Finances: every international applicant must submit the Denison Certification of Finances, whether or not they want aid—it is free, opens 1 October and is uploaded to the applicant portal. Denison does not require or accept the CSS Profile for international applicants. To be considered for need-based aid you must check the box on the admission application; applicants who do not cannot apply later. Denison says international students are eligible for the same need-based aid and merit scholarships as U.S. students and that it meets 100% of demonstrated need; it is need-aware in the application process. Aid deadlines match admission deadlines.
• After admission: the I-20 for the F-1 visa is issued once you are admitted and choose to attend; International Student Services offers a pre-orientation and immigration guidance, and there is a host-family program.
• Any limits on international students in labs or clinical shadowing: not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: Denison’s pages do not explain how the Gaokao is used. Not published; contact international admission (internationaladmission@denison.edu).
• Transcripts and translation: your counselor sends the official transcript directly; if your school has no counselor, a teacher or other school official may send the documents. Translation and credential-evaluation requirements are not stated on the pages we read.
• Other: English proof, financial certification and the no-fee application are as in section 7. Denison has no separate page for applicants from China.

9. Transfer

• Deadlines: spring (January start) 15 November; fall (August start) 15 April; rolling decisions, with spring applicants usually notified in November/December and fall applicants starting in April; reply within two weeks of the decision. The same page contradicts itself, also saying “if a deadline has already passed (Nov. 15 for spring, May 15 for fall)”; confirm with the transfer admission coordinator.
• Application: Common App for Transfer; no fee, no additional essay, no test scores; official transcripts from every college attended, the final high-school transcript and a student conduct report from every college; an interview is optional.
• GPA: Denison does not publish a single minimum GPA; applications are reviewed holistically, and many successful applicants are earning As and Bs.
• Credit: up to 62 hours of transfer credit (including study-abroad credit); a Denison degree requires 64 credit hours completed at Denison. Admitted students get a transfer credit evaluation. Credit may apply to general education, electives, or major/minor requirements when approved; departments make the final decision.
• Aid: U.S. transfer applicants seeking need-based aid submit the FAFSA and CSS Profile; international transfers submit the Certification of Finances; merit aid needs no extra application.
• Specific chemistry, biology or calculus requirements for transferring into these majors: not stated on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• ED 1 by 15 November, ED 2 or RD by 15 January; no fee, no supplemental essay, testing optional
• If pre-health, contact the Pre-Health Faculty Advisor early; the biology department also advises organic chemistry II, biochemistry, physics and calculus

International applicants (including China):

• Show English proficiency; submit the free Certification of Finances (not the CSS Profile); check the aid box on the application
• Ask international admission how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• Spring 15 November, fall 15 April (the page also says 15 May; confirm); up to 62 hours of credit transfer

Sources: Denison University, Academics overview; Biology (B.A., B.S.); Biology degree requirements; Biology department overview; Chemistry & Biochemistry; Chemistry & Biochemistry degree requirements; Neuroscience (minor); Neuroscience minor requirements; Global Health (B.A.); Global Health degree requirements; Health, Exercise, & Sport Studies (B.A.); HESS degree requirements; Pre-Medicine, Pre-Health; Apply for admission; International applicants; International applicant financial aid; Transfer; Affordability and cost. Dates and costs are as listed on those pages; confirm undated dates apply to fall 2027 entry. Check Denison for the latest.