How to Apply to Biology at Denison University: B.A. and B.S. Differ by Four Science Cognates, a Three-Course Core and a 350-Acre Biological Reserve, No Application Fee, No Supplemental Essay, Test-Optional, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At Denison University (Granville, Ohio), biology is taught in the Department of Biology. The application pages we read describe admission to the university as a whole and do not mention a separate college or admission cut-off for biology. Below is what Denison publishes for fall 2027 entry, in sections for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. Anything the site does not say is marked "not published". Medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, public health and other professional degrees are outside this guide; see the pre-medicine, pre-health page. Denison's Global Health and Health, Exercise & Sport Studies majors are not covered here either.

1. Degrees and pairings

• B.A. in Biology: ten courses.
• B.S. in Biology: fourteen courses. The site says the only difference between the B.A. and B.S. is that the B.S. adds four "science cognate" courses.
• Biology minor: seven courses.
• Pairings: students interested in neuroscience can take a Biology major with a concentration in Neuroscience; those interested in sustainability can take a Biology major with a Sustainability & Environmental Studies minor, or that major with a concentration in biology.
• Biochemistry: the B.S. in Biochemistry sits in the Chemistry & Biochemistry department rather than Biology and is not covered here.

2. Admission route, prerequisites and course plan

• Choosing a major: the application pages we read do not ask applicants to choose a major or list a separate quota. When students declare biology: not stated; ask admission or the department.
• Core: BIOL 210 (Molecular Biology and Unicellular Life), BIOL 220 (Multicellular Life) and BIOL 230 (Ecology and Evolution), which students should aim to finish by the end of sophomore year. Majors need a GPA of 2.0 or higher across the three core courses before taking 300-level electives; otherwise they repeat core courses, and the highest grade counts for the core GPA.
• Chemistry: two semesters of introductory chemistry, CHEM 131 and CHEM 132 (C or better strongly recommended). CHEM 131 must be completed before 300-level electives; CHEM 132 can be taken at the same time.
• 300-level courses: five for both degrees, one of which must be a "biological diversity" course (courses regularly offered include BIOL 308 Biodiversity Through Time, 312 Herpetology, 313 Vertebrate Zoology, 317 Diversity of Microorganisms, 320 Plant Systematics, 326 Plant Evolution and Reproduction, 327 Biology of Insects and 336 Invertebrate Zoology).
• Assessments: BIOL 300 (core assessment exam in the term after the core) and BIOL 301 (senior writing assessment and survey in the final semester).
• B.S. science cognates: any non-biology course in the science division counts, as do environmental studies science courses and Applied Anatomy (HESS 202); students are encouraged to pick courses with labs; no more than two courses from one department or programme, and CHEM 131/132 do not count.
• Pre-medical students: the biology department additionally advises 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 cognates.
• High-school prerequisites: the application pages do not list required high-school biology, chemistry or mathematics; not published.
• AP / IB: students with AP 4 or 5 or IB 6 or 7 in Biology receive credit for BIOL 199, but typically must still complete all three core courses. Credit policies for other subjects: not stated on the pages we read.
• Labs: nearly any Biology Department course satisfies the general-education lab science requirement, and B.S. cognates are encouraged to include labs. The lab schedule of each required course: not stated on the pages we read.
• Writing: BIOL 220 and BIOL 230 taken in sequence satisfy one general-education writing (W) requirement; students who do a senior research project write a thesis that counts as another W requirement.
• Off-campus study: with prior approval, up to two off-campus courses may count toward the major. Listed consortia include the School for Field Studies, the Organization of Tropical Studies, the Duke University Marine Laboratory, the Semester in Environmental Science, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Institute for Study Abroad, Denmark's International Study Program and the ACM Wilderness Field Station.

Research, facilities and outcomes

• Scale: the department page says it has thirteen permanent and two visiting faculty members, with an average class size of 24 or fewer in the biology curriculum.
• Research: directed/independent study (1-4 credits in term), summer on-campus research (typically funded for research costs, a stipend and housing; details are on an internal Denison page), summer off-campus research, and Senior Research (most students take 4 credits each semester, counted as one upper-level biology elective; students can join a faculty project or design their own, subject to an available advisor). Research can happen in the laboratory, the greenhouse or the field, in particular the 350-acre Biological Reserve.
• Outcomes: the department says graduates go into education, research, medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmaceutical and nutritional fields, forest and park services and conservation, some of which need further graduate or professional training. No placement statistics are published on the pages we read.

3. Rounds and application materials

• Early Decision 1 (binding): 15 November. Early Decision 2 (binding): 15 January. Regular Decision: 15 January. All decisions become final on 1 April. The pages print no year, so confirm the dates apply to fall 2027 entry.
• Decision timing: the two pages differ. The domestic page says ED applicants typically hear about one month after the deadline and RD applicants by mid-March; the international page says ED within a few weeks and RD by late March.
• Platform: Common App or Coalition App; Denison says there is no difference in how they are evaluated. No application fee and no supplemental essay (the personal essay inside the Common/Coalition App is still required).
• Materials: counselor recommendation and school report; official high-school transcript; an evaluation from at least one teacher of a core course; the Early Decision agreement for ED applicants; an optional arts supplement; an interview is recommended, not required.
• Testing: SAT/ACT not required since 2008; scores that are sent are superscored.
• Whether biology applicants need a science-teacher recommendation or any lab or research portfolio: not stated on the pages we read; check with admission.

4. U.S. applicants

• Cost: the cost page lists one tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split. 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 work-study allowance of $4,500 is listed for personal expenses and books. The site also has family-income-based pricing and a cost estimator. Any biology-specific fees: not stated 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 automatically considered for merit scholarships ranging from $5,000 per year to full tuition, awarded at admission. No in-state preference is mentioned on the pages we read.
• The cost page also says Denison provides stipends for unpaid internships (more than $1 million a year) and that aid travels with the student to study-abroad programs, with out-of-pocket tuition, housing and meals the same.

5. 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; the page says international students are 17% of the student body.
• English: required. Considerations include, but are not limited to, English as the main language of school instruction, English as the first language, TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, 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 on 1 October and is uploaded to the applicant portal; Denison does not accept the CSS Profile. Need-based aid can only be requested during the admission process (tick the box on the application). Denison says international students get the same need-based aid and merit scholarships as U.S. students, that it meets 100% of demonstrated need, and that it is need-aware in admission. Aid deadlines equal the 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 advising, and there is a host-family program.

6. 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 certification requirements for non-English documents are not stated on the page we read; ask admission.
• Other: English proof, financial certification and the no-fee application are as in section 5. Denison has no separate page for applicants from China.

7. 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 page contradicts itself: it also says "if a deadline has already passed (15 November for spring, 15 May for fall)", so 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 attended; the 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 count toward general education, electives or the major or minor, and the academic department makes the final decision on major and minor credit.
• 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 prerequisite courses or grades for transferring into biology: not stated on the transfer page 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
• AP/IB biology earns BIOL 199 credit only, and the three core courses are typically still required; pre-medical students add organic chemistry, physics and calculus as the department advises

International applicants (including China):

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

Transfer students:

• Spring 15 November, fall 15 April (the page also says 15 May; confirm); up to 62 hours of credit; the department decides what counts toward the major

Sources: Denison University, Biology; Degree requirements; About the department; Research; 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 that undated dates apply to fall 2027 entry. Check Denison for the latest.