How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at Florida A&M University: Biology and Biochemistry in Science and Technology, Nursing Is Limited Access and Starts as Pre-Nursing, the Pharmaceutical Sciences BS Does Not Lead to Pharmacist Licensure, Test Scores Required, and the Path for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Florida A&M University (FAMU) is a public university in Tallahassee, Florida. Its life-science and health-related bachelor’s degrees are spread across colleges: Biology and Chemistry are in the College of Science and Technology, Pharmaceutical Sciences is in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nursing has its own School, and Health Science and Cardiopulmonary Science are in the School of Allied Health Sciences. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and FAMU’s Premedical Office says outright that “premed is not a major”. This guide summarises FAMU’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

• College of Science and Technology:
  • BS in Biology: the page says the department offers a Biology track and a Pre-Medicine track, designed for graduation in four years; graduates go to medical or pharmacy school, graduate school or work; undergraduate research and internships are mentioned.
  • BS in Biology (Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dentistry): the same department. This page says “three specialty tracks” (Biology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Pre-Medicine), while the previous page says two, so the site contradicts itself.
  • BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology: program code A105; graduates are described as ready for medical, dental and pharmacy school or work.
  • BS in Chemistry (Biochemistry): the Chemistry Department’s BS is ACS-certified and Biochemistry is a certified track; the page also lists a BS in Chemistry (ACS) Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dentistry.
• College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences: the BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) is a four-year degree aimed at research and industry jobs and at pharmacy, medical or dental school. FAMU states that the degree does not qualify graduates to take pharmacist licensure exams; to become a pharmacist you must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and pass the board exam, and the bachelor’s degree does not guarantee admission to the PharmD. There is also a two-year Pre-Pharmacy Program.
• School of Nursing: the BSN is a four-year program that starts with pre-professional liberal-arts courses, then nursing courses and clinical practice in hospitals and clinics.
• School of Allied Health Sciences: Health Science (General, Non-Clinical) BS, Health Science (Pre-Physical Therapy) BS, a pre-occupational therapy track, and Cardiopulmonary Science BS (respiratory therapy). We read only the introductory pages for these; their entry conditions and caps are not stated in the pages we read, so check FAMU’s site.
• No undergraduate public health major appeared on the pages we read, and we found no statement of STEM designation; ask admissions.

2. Admission: admitted to the university first, with separate applications for nursing and pharmacy

• Biology, chemistry and similar: the freshman page states only the university’s admission profile, not whether you pick a major on the application or how to change it; the Biology and Molecular and Cellular Biology pages we read state no GPA threshold or cap for the major.
• Nursing (limited access): students who declare Nursing are admitted to the university as Pre-Nursing. They may apply to the professional level once general education, Gordon Rule and foreign-language requirements are met. Admission to the university does not grant admission to professional nursing. The School of Nursing is limited access because of clinical capacity, and admission depends on available space, not the size of the applicant pool; meeting all requirements does not guarantee a place. Application windows: 1–15 May for fall and 1–15 October for spring, with nothing accepted before or after.
• Conditions for the nursing professional level (from the nursing application checklist PDF, which is dated “Updated 02/13/2020 (subject to change)” inside the file although the file name says revised 26; check FAMU’s site): prerequisites of freshman composition I/II, college algebra, biological science with lab, psychology/sociology, human growth and development, chemistry, anatomy and physiology I/II with labs, microbiology with lab, nutrition and statistics (3–4 credits each); an overall GPA of at least 3.1 and a science and math GPA of at least 3.0; B or better in math, science and nutrition courses with no repeats counted; Level 2 on each TEAS subject; two years of one high school foreign language or eight college semester hours; three references (two from college instructors, one from a recent employer or mentor); admitted students submit a medical exam, TB test and immunization proof.
• Pharmacy path: students may start in Pre-Pharmacy; FAMU says completing it does not guarantee admission to the four-year PharmD. The page says applicants with a preferred weighted core GPA of 3.0 or higher, the required units and the minimum SAT or ACT section scores are eligible, but the text we read does not list the scores; materials are an official high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, two recommendations, an essay, and TOEFL for non-native English speakers. Pharmaceutical Sciences students who want the PharmD must apply and be accepted.

3. Pre-med: what the Premedical Office says

• FAMU’s Premedical Office supports students in any major (students interested in pharmacy at FAMU are advised by the College of Pharmacy). It lists common majors as chemistry, biology, psychology, biochemistry and health science, and says premed is not a major but about 15 courses: English (2 semesters), math (2), psychology (1), sociology (1), general biology with lab (2), general chemistry I/II with lab (2), general physics I/II with lab (2), organic chemistry I/II with lab (2) and biochemistry I with lab (1).
• Support includes individual meetings, course guidance, summer research and internship information, an application timeline starting in the first year, help with letters, MCAT and DAT preparation help, and visits from health-school representatives. To receive structured advising you must register with the office and keep a current email address on file.
• Partnerships: the page lists an eight-year BS/MD with Meharry Medical College (conditional acceptance, up to three FAMU students a year; first-year students need an overall and science GPA of at least 3.25, C or better in premed courses, and an MCAT of at least 500 with no section below 123; the agreement runs 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2028); 3+4 and 4+4 partner programs with Kansas City University; and early-acceptance programs with the LECOM School of Dental Medicine and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, whose listed criteria require U.S. citizenship or permanent residence. Whether the Meharry BS/MD accepts international students is not stated on the pages we read.
• Whether the office has separate guidance for international students, and any limits on applying to U.S. medical schools, is not stated on the pages we read.

4. High school preparation

• The freshman and international pages list university-wide high school units: English 4 (with substantial writing), mathematics 4 (preferably algebra I and above, geometry and pre-calculus), natural science 3 (preferably biology, chemistry and physics, with at least two lab sciences), social science 3, foreign language 2 (sequential) and academic electives 2.
• The Biology and Nursing pages we read do not add separate high school math or chemistry requirements for the major.
• AP / IB / AICE / dual enrollment: the international page asks you to submit these results for credit and says IB, AP, AICE and dual-enrollment courses receive an extra weight of 1 in the GPA calculation, with pre-IB, pre-AP, pre-AICE and honors courses an extra 0.5. Which FAMU courses each score earns is not stated on the pages we read.
• First- and second-year sequence: the Biology and Chemistry pages link to course map PDFs, which we did not read; check FAMU’s site. Nursing prerequisites are in section 2.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials (freshmen)

• Early Action: 1 November, supporting materials 14 November; decisions 4 December.
• Regular Decision: 1 February, supporting materials 14 February; decisions 5 March.
• Rolling: 1 May; decisions from April.
• The freshman page prints no year, so check these dates apply to fall 2027; the profile it quotes is for the fall 2025 entering class.
• Summer B: Florida residents only; if you are offered Summer B, it becomes your required entry term.
• Platform and fee: Common App; the first-year application fee is $30 (the international page says $35, so the two pages differ); fee waivers from ACT, College Board and NACAC are accepted.
• Materials: official high school transcript (a self-reported STARS record may be used first, but the final transcript must be official), SAT/ACT/CLT scores, and college transcripts for dual-enrollment or associate-degree students.
• Testing: not optional; SAT, ACT or CLT scores are required. FAMU posts no minimums, only the middle 50% of the fall 2025 admitted class: weighted core GPA 3.69–4.24, SAT 1080–1230, ACT 22–27 and CLT 61–73, and says these are not strict minimums.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost (2026-27): FAMU is public, with resident and non-resident rates. Undergraduate total fees per credit hour as printed on the Fall 2026 schedule: Florida residents $151.78, non-residents $606.66. The schedule adds a tuition differential fee of $36.38 per credit hour for undergraduates who enrolled on or after 1 July 2007; material and supply fees of $15–$300 per course for certain courses; a $35 orientation fee for first-time students; a transportation and access fee of $65 (fall), $65 (spring) and $33 (summer); and a $5 ID card fee per semester (not summer). The memo says tuition is unchanged for 2026-2027 while non-resident fees rise 15%; the Student Financial Services page also carries a notice that a fall 2026 tuition increase was approved, so check the latest. Housing, meals and books are not on the pages we read.
• In-state preference: Summer B is for Florida residents only; whether Florida residents get any admission preference is not stated on the pages we read.
• If not admitted directly: the FAMU IGNITE Transfer Program guarantees general admission (not a particular major) after an Associate of Arts degree at a partner Florida College System institution.
• Scholarships and aid: not described on the pages we read; FAMU has scholarships and financial aid offices on its site.
• Research and internships: the Biology page mentions undergraduate research, internships and volunteer experience; the Pharmaceutical Sciences page says students may apply to FAMU’s pharmaceutical sciences graduate programs in their final BSPS year and that upper-level courses passed with a B or better may earn graduate credit. Numbers of placements are not published.

7. International applicants

• Materials: online application (the international page lists a $35 non-refundable fee); every non-U.S. record must be evaluated by a foreign credential evaluation agency with a course-by-course report, and FAMU recommends a member of NACES; records not in English need a certified English translation; if the transcript does not show the degree and date, separate proof of degree is required; ACT (code 0726) or SAT (code 5215) scores; AICE, AP, IB or CLEP results; a 500-word essay; two teacher or counselor recommendations; and English proficiency if English is not your native language.
• English: TOEFL 80 (the page prints 80 for both internet-based and paper-based), academic IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 120. Scores must come directly from the testing agency to Undergraduate Admissions and expire after two years; applicants with English study at an accredited U.S. institution may send that transcript. No exemptions are listed; not stated.
• Admission criteria (international page): fall 2025 criteria are a recalculated core GPA of 3.33, SAT evidence-based reading and writing 530 and math 550, and ACT English 19, math 23 and reading 22; spring and summer 3.00. These differ from the fall 2025 class profile on the freshman page, and both appear on the site.
• Funds: under federal rules FAMU verifies financial resources before issuing the I-20 or DS-2019; complete the International Student Financial Statement with bank statements, award letters and similar. FAMU requires proof of support for the first year and availability of funds for the length of the program; the dollar amount is not stated on the pages we read.
• Deadlines: the international page prints dates from 2024 (1 April 2025 for fall and summer, 6 December 2024 for spring), which are out of date. The deadline for fall 2027 is not published there; ask the Office of International Education and Development (oiedadmin@famu.edu) or Undergraduate Admissions (ugrdadmissions@famu.edu). Late applications may be considered for a future term.
• International scholarships: not stated on the pages we read.
• Any limits on international students in limited-access programs such as nursing or in clinical placements are not stated on the nursing pages and checklist we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: FAMU does not explain how it uses the Gaokao on the pages we read. Contact Undergraduate Admissions (ugrdadmissions@famu.edu, +1 850 599 3796).
• Transcripts and credentials: the international rules apply. Chinese school records need a course-by-course evaluation with a U.S.-equivalent GPA and a certified English translation (a literal, not interpretive, translation; documents signed by a notary or public official with no educational affiliation are not accepted); a document-by-document evaluation is deemed unofficial.
• Testing: SAT, ACT or CLT is required here too.
• Any FAMU guidance specific to Chinese applicants or school-leaving exam materials is not stated on the pages we read.

9. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall 15 June, spring 1 November, Summer A or C 1 March; Summer B is not open to transfers. The page prints no year, so check it applies to fall 2027. The fee is $30 and fee waivers are not accepted for transfers.
• Eligibility: the transfer page says: under 30 credits, a 2.0 cumulative college GPA and the freshman requirements; 30–59 credits, 2.0 at the last school and overall, plus C or better in college algebra and English composition; 60+ credits or a Florida College System A.A. or A.S., 2.0. Only credits completed when transcripts arrive count; courses in progress do not. The international page gives different rules: under 60 credits a 2.50 GPA and good academic standing, 60+ credits 2.0, plus second-language competency at the second high school level or second college course. Both appear, so confirm with admissions.
• Materials: an official transcript from every college; under 30 credits also a high school transcript and test scores; 30–59 credits also the high school transcript. International transfer applicants also need course-by-course evaluations and certified translations.
• Credit transfer: not stated on the pages we read.
• Specific requirements for transferring into Biology or other life-science majors are not stated on the pages we read; nursing is covered in section 2.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Early Action 1 November, Regular Decision 1 February; SAT, ACT or CLT required; four years of English and math, three of science, two of a foreign language
• For nursing, apply as Pre-Nursing and apply separately to the professional level in the May or October window; to become a pharmacist the path is Pre-Pharmacy then PharmD

International applicants (including China):

• English reference lines: TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 120; records need a course-by-course evaluation and certified translation
• Confirm the fall 2027 international deadline and how the Gaokao is used with admissions

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 15 June; 30–59 credits need college algebra and English composition at C or better; the transfer and international pages give different GPA rules, so confirm

Sources: Florida A&M University, BS in Biology; BS in Biology (Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dentistry); BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology; BS in Chemistry (Biochemistry); BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences; Pre-Pharmacy Program; Nursing BSN; Pre-Nursing Program; Nursing application checklist (PDF); Health Science (General, Non-Clinical); Health Science (Pre-Physical Therapy); Cardiopulmonary Science; Premedical Office; Freshman admission; International admission; Transfer admission; Fee payments and schedule of fees; Fall 2026 fee schedule (PDF). Information is for fall 2027 entry (fees are 2026-27 figures). Where a page prints no year, check that the date applies to fall 2027; check FAMU’s website for the latest.