How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Pitzer College: A Liberal Arts College in the Claremont Colleges, Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Biology and Related Majors, Test-Free Admissions, No Nursing Major in the Pages We Read, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Pitzer College is a liberal arts college in Claremont, California, and a member of the Claremont Colleges. Its life-science majors are offered through the Department of Natural Sciences, a joint department shared with Scripps College, and the program pages list the degree as a Bachelor of Arts. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and the Pitzer pages we read have no dedicated pre-health advising page. This guide summarises Pitzer’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

• Biology: at least 14 courses plus a senior thesis; a combined major needs at least 12 courses. Pitzer notes that many biology majors pair the subject with arts, humanities or social sciences, including Environmental Analysis.
• Molecular Biology: at least 15 courses, including the thesis.
• Organismal Biology: at least 14 courses; Pitzer asks students who want a combined major to pursue the combined Biology major instead.
• Biochemistry: a listed course set plus a senior thesis, including organic chemistry, physical chemistry and advanced laboratories.
• Neuroscience: the overview page says “16 courses” and the requirements page says “14–15 courses (maximum)”; the two disagree. You choose a specialization: Behavioral, Cellular-Molecular, Cognitive, Computational, Motion Science & Functional Anatomy, Neuropharmacology or Neurophilosophy.
• Human Biology: at least 15 courses plus a senior thesis, in one of two options: a social science option, or “Cross-Cultural Health and Healing” (seven health-related courses including a practicum or internship). Pitzer states that the major does not include all the courses required by medical schools or other pre-health programs.
• Others: the program list also shows Biophysics, Chemistry, Cognitive Science and Data Science; we did not expand on them.
• There is no nursing major and no public health major in the list. The Human Biology page says the major prepares students for fields such as public health and medical anthropology and, with additional courses, medicine. STEM designation and any combined bachelor’s/medical-degree program are not stated on the pages we read.

2. Admission: apply to the college, choose a major later

• Applying: Pitzer says it reviews applications holistically (academics, leadership, extracurriculars and commitment to its core values). The pages we read do not say whether you name an intended major on the application or whether biology majors have their own standard; ask the admission office (admission@pitzer.edu, (909) 621-8129).
• When to declare: not stated on the pages we read. Thesis planning: students register thesis plans with the Department of Natural Sciences in the spring of the penultimate year.
• Entry conditions: the Biology, Neuroscience and Human Biology pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap; ask the department.
• Biology major (program page): 4–5 foundation courses (introductory biology, introductory chemistry, Calculus I); 3 STEM breadth courses (options include organic chemistry, general physics, a programming course, a math course that lists Calculus I as a prerequisite, an upper-division environmental science course, a history/philosophy/ethics of science course, and NEUR 125L); 6 biology electives numbered 100 or above with at least three labs; a one- or two-semester thesis. All major courses must be taken for a letter grade. Pitzer warns that students heading to biology-related graduate or professional school may need extra science coursework and should consult faculty early.
• Introductory combinations: biology: BIOL 043L+044L, 040L+044L or 042L+044L; chemistry: CHEM 014L+015L, 040L+015L, 014L+042L or the accelerated CHEM 029L.
• Molecular Biology: includes introductory biology and chemistry, Calculus II, Genetics, two semesters of organic chemistry, the molecular biology seminar with lab, physics (PHYS 033L–034L recommended), Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, thermochemistry, one more biology lab course and the thesis.
• Biochemistry: includes introductory biology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, general chemistry, two semesters of organic chemistry, physical chemistry (thermochemistry and quantum), any two of three advanced labs, two semesters of physics, Calculus I and II, and the thesis.
• Neuroscience: five core courses (BIOL 043L, CHEM 014L, NEUR 095L, NEUR 148L, NEUR 149); four common-core electives drawn from at least three of five categories (introductory, physics, mathematics, computer science, research methods); 4–5 specialization electives; a one- or two-semester thesis.

3. Pre-med: what the pages say

• The Human Biology page tells students interested in pre-health programs to consult their advisor and the Department of Natural Sciences pre-health advisor early to build a four-year plan; the major itself does not cover every medical-school prerequisite.
• The Biology page says students planning biology-related graduate or professional school may need to add science coursework. Whether the Biology major’s chemistry and physics courses meet any given medical school’s requirements is not stated.
• Committee letters, medical-school admission statistics and any limits for international students applying to U.S. medical schools are not stated on the pages we read; contact the department’s pre-health advisor or admission.
• Health-related opportunities named on the pages: Pitzer’s study abroad program in Costa Rica has environmental and health options, and the Cross-Cultural Health and Healing option encourages independent fieldwork.

4. High school preparation

• Academic requirements (first-year page): four years of English, especially writing-focused courses; at least three years each of foreign language, mathematics and social, behavioral and natural sciences; honors and AP courses strongly recommended. The pages we read do not list required high school chemistry, physics or calculus for life-science majors.
• AP: Pitzer does not consider AP scores in admission decisions and asks you not to submit them; once enrolled you may submit scores for possible credit. AP credit can count toward the 32-course graduation requirement but not toward an educational objective; in general it does not apply to major requirements (consult your advisor or field group for exceptions); no more than four AP and IB credits combined count toward graduation.
• IB: four credits may be granted for the IB diploma; individual exam credit only for Higher Level exams scoring at least 5, at four semester units per exam, up to 16 transferable semester units; no credit for subsidiary exams.
• First two years: for the Biology major, introductory biology, introductory chemistry and Calculus I are the foundation; organic chemistry and general physics are among the breadth options. Placement or exemption rules are not stated on the pages we read.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision I (binding): 15 November; decisions by 18 December; non-refundable enrollment fee due 15 January.
• Early Decision II (binding): 10 January; decisions by 15 February; fee due 1 March.
• Regular Decision: 10 January; decisions by 1 April; fee due 1 May.
• The international applicants page gives different dates: Early Decision II and Regular Decision on 6 January, interview deadline 19 December, while the main apply and first-year pages say 10 January. Both are shown here; check the latest. None of the pages prints a year, so confirm the dates are for fall 2027 entry.
• Platform: Common App. Application fee $70, with fee waivers.
• Materials: the Common App, the Pitzer Writing Supplement (choose one of two prompts, up to 650 words), one academic teacher recommendation (from a junior- or senior-year core-subject teacher), school report and mid-year report, official transcripts, English proficiency scores if needed; there is also an optional 250-word essay, and the interview is optional.
• Testing: SAT and ACT scores are not accepted (test-free). The pages are not consistent: the main apply page says test-free “through the 2025-2026 application cycle”, while the policy and first-year pages say through 2026-2027, with a return to test-optional planned from the 2027-2028 cycle; the policy page also says SAT/ACT will not be used from fall 2022 to 2027 and test-optional returns for fall 2028 entry. For fall 2027 entry these pages indicate no scores are used; confirm with admission.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost: Pitzer is private and lists one tuition with no in-state rate. 2026-27 on-campus budget: tuition $70,184, fees $312, housing $13,470, food $10,290, books $1,100, personal $1,300, average loan fees $50, total $96,706. The student health insurance plan ($3,312) is not included and can be waived with comparable coverage. No extra fee for biology majors appears on the pages we read; students with course fees may have them covered by a course fee scholarship.
• Aid: Pitzer meets 100% of demonstrated need; it reports an average aid package of $57,516 last year and an average federal loan of $3,500. Apply with the CSS Profile and FAFSA plus the family’s 2025 tax returns and W-2s; deadlines are 15 November (ED I) and 10 January (ED II and RD). Merit scholarships are not mentioned on the pages we read.
• Research: the Biology page says students take classes and do research with faculty from Pitzer and Scripps, stipends are available for summer research, and labs are in the Nucleus science building (the pages give its size as 65,000 sq ft on the Biology page and 151,000 sq ft on the Human Biology page). Numbers of placements are not published.

7. International applicants

• Profile: international students are 9.6% of the student body, from 39 countries.
• English: non-native speakers must submit the TOEFL iBT (including Home Edition), IELTS or Duolingo, or be granted a waiver; paper-based tests are not accepted but may be included in a waiver request. Minimums: TOEFL 5.5 on the new scale (105 before January 2026), IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 135. Scores of TOEFL 5 (100 on the old scale), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130 require a two-course combination for international students in the first semester. TOEFL institution code 4619.
• International Scholars Program: applicants who qualify in every way except English may be eligible with at least TOEFL 4, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115, or with a waiver request and notification.
• Interview: optional, either live with admission staff or an alumni interviewer, or recorded through InitialView; do not use InitialView if you are interviewing on campus or attending a U.S. high school.
• Aid: international applicants seeking need-based aid complete the Pitzer International Financial Aid Application (PIFAA) and are told not to submit the CSS Profile or FAFSA. Pitzer says it is updating the PIFAA for the 2027-2028 cycle and will contact interested applicants; admitted students submit a statement of financial responsibility.
• Any limits on international students in lab or clinical placements: not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• The Pitzer pages we read have no China-specific or Gaokao note. Not published on the pages we read: whether the Gaokao is considered, what school-leaving exam materials are needed and how Chinese transcripts are handled. Ask the admission office (admission@pitzer.edu).
• General rules: official transcripts must come directly from the school, not through the student or guardian; English requirements are above; the only mention of credential evaluation is for transfer applicants (below).
• Pitzer gives no separate math and science expectations for the Chinese curriculum; follow section 4 and confirm with admission.

9. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall entry 1 April, decisions by 15 May, enrollment fee 15 June; spring entry 10 October, decisions by 12 November, fee 10 December. No year is printed; check it.
• Eligibility: a high school diploma or GED and at least one completed semester (or two quarters) of college credit by the deadline; completing the first-year writing courses required at your current school is recommended. Pitzer advises students transferring without an associate’s degree to take a range of subjects and suggests IGETC for California community-college students.
• Materials: Transfer Common App, $70 fee (waivers available), writing supplement, one faculty recommendation, College Report, official transcripts from all colleges (request at least four weeks ahead); SAT/ACT not accepted; English proficiency scores if needed; interview optional.
• Credit: up to 64 semester units (96 quarter units) from a community college; you must complete at least two years of study at Pitzer to earn a Pitzer degree.
• International transfer applicants must provide a credential evaluation report from AACRAO IES, the International Education Research Foundation or World Education Services.
• Course and GPA requirements for transferring into the life-science majors: not stated on the pages we read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• ED I 15 November; ED II or RD 10 January; do not submit SAT/ACT; aid documents on the same dates
• Foundation courses: introductory biology, introductory chemistry, Calculus I; if you are pre-health, talk early to the Natural Sciences pre-health advisor

International applicants (including China):

• English minimums: TOEFL 5.5 (new scale), IELTS 7.5, Duolingo 135; the international page shows 6 January where the main pages show 10 January, so check the latest
• Aid goes through the PIFAA, not the CSS Profile; confirm how the Gaokao is treated with admission

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 April, spring 10 October; at least two years at Pitzer; international transfers need a credential evaluation

Sources: Pitzer College, Programs; Biology; Molecular Biology; Organismal Biology; Biochemistry; Neuroscience; Human Biology; How to apply; First-year applicants; International applicants; Transfer applicants; Testing policy; Financial aid; 2026-27 cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 rates). Check Pitzer College for the latest details.