How to apply to Clarkson University for biology: the Biology Department in the Lewis School of Health Sciences, a Biology BS with 40 credits of biology and 24 of free electives, a required professional experience, and a separate Biochemistry BS, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At Clarkson University (main campus in Potsdam, New York), undergraduate biology is offered by the Biology Department of the Earl R. and Barbara D. Lewis School of Health Sciences; the BS in Biochemistry sits in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department of the Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Below is what the official pages say for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant and other health professional programs are outside this guide; see the university site. The chemistry BS is not covered here.

1. Degrees and options

• BS in Biology: the department page lists the Biology BS, a biology minor and a medicine and healthcare minor, plus an MS and PhD in interdisciplinary bioscience and biotechnology. The site says the BS is a platform for careers in biotechnology, biomedical sciences, health sciences, environmental assessment and management, or education, and for pre-med, pre-vet, pre-dental and other pre-health paths.
• Credit structure: 40 credit hours in biology, 16–17 in chemistry, 8 in physics and 9 in mathematics and computer science, plus 24 credits of free electives, which the site says is enough for a minor or second major.
• Core courses: Biology I: Inheritance, Evolution & Diversity and Biology II: Cellular & Molecular Biology with their laboratories; Genetics; Professional Assessment; and a Professional Experience (one of BY405, BY410, BY495, BY498 or BY499). Chemistry and physics: General Chemistry I and II (or Structure & Bonding and Chemical Equilibrium & Dynamics) with laboratories, Organic Chemistry I, and Physics for Life Sciences I and II (or Physics I and II). Math: one calculus course, one statistics and probability (STAT) course and one 100-level or higher math or computer science course. Two biology lab courses at the 200 level or above (excluding BY405 and BY410) are also required. See the course catalog for numbers and credits.
• Focus areas: the page says the classes let you focus on cellular and molecular biology, biotechnology or environmental biology; example courses include Conservation Biology, Genetics, Medical Microbiology, Molecular and Genome Evolution, Pharmacology, and Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine. The department page groups the graduate program into molecular bioscience and biotechnology, biomedical sciences and neuroscience, computational biology and bioinformatics, and ecology, evolution and the environment (these are graduate areas).
• Professional experience (required): the department page says all students complete at least one professional experience, and many do several (research, teaching, clinical and others); the BY course numbers above are the options, and what format each number stands for was not on the pages we read.
• Minor: the biology minor is 20 credits (Biology I and II; one of Genetics, Ecology, Microbiology or Physiology; one laboratory; at least 9 credits of biology at the 300 level or above).
• BS in Biochemistry: housed in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department; 84 credits: 24 in biology, 31 in chemistry, 17 in mathematics and physics and 12 in professional experience and electives, plus 20 free-elective credits and 15 credits of Clarkson Common Experience. Required courses include Biology I and II with lab, Genetics, Molecular Biology Laboratory, Biochemistry I and II, Biochemistry & Biotechnology Laboratory, Organic Chemistry I and II, Physical Chemistry I and II, Calculus I and II, Physics I and II and one statistics course. The areas of emphasis listed are bioanalytical chemistry, bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, bionanotechnology, biosensors and proteomics.
• Direct Entry Healthcare: after the Biology BS, students who keep their grades and meet other requirements have a guaranteed spot in one of Clarkson’s DPT, MS in Occupational Therapy or MS in Physician Assistant Studies programs without a second application. Those programs are outside this guide.

2. How admission works: you apply to Clarkson; no biology-specific line is published

• What you apply to: the Clarkson first-year application or the Common App. The Biology Department sits in the Lewis School of Health Sciences; whether you pick biology when you apply and whether there is a separate school- or major-level admission line are not stated on the application or FAQ pages we read. Not published; ask admissions (admissions@clarkson.edu, 315-268-6480).
• GPA or course thresholds, space limits: not published. The application page only says programs may have specific prerequisites; the biology page lists none. The exact grade conditions for Direct Entry were not on the pages we read; check with Clarkson.
• When you declare, and conditions for changing into biology: not stated on the pages we read. Not published; ask admissions or the Biology Department (biology@clarkson.edu, 315-268-2342).
• Research: the page says every faculty member has an active research lab that relies on undergraduate research assistants; past students studied development of the digestive tract in zebrafish, control of invasive Eurasian watermilfoil and spinal disc regeneration, and some joined NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) or the McNair Scholars Program.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the application, international, FAQ and biology pages we read do not list required units or grades in high school biology, chemistry or mathematics. Not published; ask your admissions counselor.
• Placement tests: not mentioned on the pages we read.
• AP / IB credit: the FAQ says Clarkson accepts AP scores of 4 and 5 within its current awarding parameters and will consider A-levels for admission and transfer credit; IB equivalencies were not on the pages we read. Which courses AP Biology or AP Chemistry replace is not published; ask admissions.
• First-year courses: the core list includes Biology I and II with labs and General Chemistry. The page says the Clarkson Common Experience courses FY100 and UNIV190 are typically taken in the first fall semester.
• Equipment and student groups: students can use NMR, GC-MS and HPLC, plus electron microscopes, mass spectrometers and X-ray diffractometers; biology students can join the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society.
• Honors Program: separate application; accepted students are eligible for awards up to $2,000 (below). The Honors page says it is open to first-year, transfer and current students.
• Competitions: the pages we read do not say how biology olympiads are viewed in admission.

4. How and when to apply (first-years)

• Application: the Clarkson first-year application or the Common App. First-year applicants using either pay no application fee.
• Materials: an official high school transcript; a letter of recommendation from a counselor, principal or headmaster, plus a second from a core subject teacher; a personal statement (250–650 words). You may add a résumé, portfolio, project links or extra letters. The site does not mention an extra essay for biology or a science teacher requirement.
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional; if sent, scores are considered, and self-reported scores are accepted (SAT code 2084, ACT code 2698).
• Deadlines (pages do not state the year, so confirm for fall 2027): Early Decision 1 December; Regular Decision 15 January. FAFSA deadline 1 February. Deposit deadline 1 May.
• Other: the FAQ says pass/fail grading will not count against you; the team reads holistically across course load, course type, recommendations and all four years of high school.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• Cost: Clarkson is private and lists one rate, with no resident and non-resident distinction and no extra biology fee on the page. 2026-2027: tuition $61,694, fees $1,370, average housing $10,840 and food $8,528, for the page’s direct-cost total of $82,432; books $1,560, personal $900, transportation $1,596 and loan fees $68, for a stated total cost of $86,556. These are 2026-2027 figures; costs for the 2027-28 year were not yet posted.
• Automatic awards: Clarkson scholarships are considered automatically from your application. To be eligible for merit scholarships and grants, the application and any scholarship materials must arrive by 15 January (1 December for Early Decision). The site also lists Clarkson Leadership and Achievement Awards of $30,000 a year for up to four years, nominated by high school counselors during junior year and approved by Clarkson.
• Awards that need an application: the Presidential Fellowship (five students, full tuition for four years, apply by 1 February); Honors Program scholarships (separate application; the scholarships page gives a priority deadline of 18 January and the international page 1 February; the Honors page says up to $2,000); the Solinsky Engineers Program ($5,000 a year for up to four years; the page ties it to students planning to major in one of the school’s eight engineering bachelor’s programs, and whether biology majors can apply is not stated there, so ask admissions). Others include the Early Decision Incentive Scholarship ($8,000 over four years), the Visit Scholarship ($1,000 a year, renewable for four years) and alumni connection awards.
• Need-based aid: file the FAFSA; New York residents are connected to the state TAP program through the FAFSA. The site says Clarkson provides some form of aid to about 90% of students.
• Department scholarships: none are listed on the department pages we read. Not published; ask the department or the financial aid office (finaidletters@clarkson.edu, 315-268-6413).

6. International students

• Application: the Clarkson first-year application or the Common App; an official secondary transcript, mark sheets or national exam scores (graduation exam reports if already taken); two letters of recommendation; SAT/ACT optional but “strongly recommended” for international applicants (unofficial scores are accepted at first, official ones on enrollment; Clarkson may withdraw an offer if self-reported and official scores differ).
• English (scores listed on the site): TOEFL 4.5 (as the page prints it), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, PTE 56, Manchester Exam 360. English testing is waived with an SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score of at least 550, or with IB or A-level results.
• Country-based exemptions: the listed countries include Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Nigeria and the Philippines; students from countries not on the list must submit scores. Waivers may also be considered with SAT Reading 550 or ACT English + Reading 43, a strong English grade on an international exam such as GCE, IGCSE or IB, or two or more years at a U.S. high school; email intladm@clarkson.edu.
• Proof of funds and visa: to get an I-20, return the Certification of Finances form (signed by sponsors or parents and a bank official), or give a certified letter from your sponsor plus a bank official’s letter.
• Cost: the international costs page is titled “2024-2025” and shows a total of $82,432 ($63,064 tuition and fees, $19,368 living expenses). The 2026-2027 undergraduate page also shows direct costs of $82,432, so the international page’s year label may be out of date; check Clarkson for the latest.
• Scholarships: all accepted international students are considered automatically for partial scholarships, with no extra application. The amount depends on secondary GPA, course rigor, SAT and English scores, and recommendations; the site says $5,000 to $40,000 a year, not increased after the first year. The Honors Program (separate application, with an interview) gives $2,000 a year; the Presidential Fellowship is also open. The site says Clarkson does not offer need-based aid to international undergraduates. F-1 students can work up to 20 hours a week on campus, though on-campus jobs are limited and not guaranteed.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the site does not say whether or how gaokao results are used. Not published; ask international admissions at intladm@clarkson.edu. The international page asks for school transcripts and “national exam scores”; it has no separate list of documents for Chinese applicants.
• English: China is not on the exemption list, so submit TOEFL 4.5 (as printed), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 or PTE 56; the site does not say gaokao English can substitute.
• International curricula: IB or A-level results waive the English test; AP scores of 4 and 5 can earn credit.
• Interview, credential evaluators, country page: no China-specific page, no first-year interview requirement and no named credential evaluator appear on the pages we read (Honors Program international applicants are interviewed).
• Science preparation: see section 3; no specific prerequisites are published.

8. Outcomes

• The department page prints “96% University Placement Total” (a university-wide figure), and in the same block says 16% of students continue their education and 2% take alternative positions such as the military, and that early-career salaries average over $74K for undergraduates (the page’s wording). The page gives no year or counting basis, so check the original text.
• The biology page lists careers (for example biomedical researcher, environmental scientist, dentist, physical or occupational therapist, physician, teacher or professor, veterinarian and wildlife biologist), recent employers (for example Albany Medical Center, Banfield Pet Hospital, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Procter & Gamble and Trudeau Institute) and graduate schools alumni attend (for example Case Western Reserve University, Cornell University, University of Vermont and University of Wisconsin - Madison).

9. Transfer students

• Application: the transfer application or the Common App, reviewed on a rolling basis. The FAQ gives 1 December (spring) and 1 July (fall) and says rolling review, with extensions on request; the international requirements page says there are no deadlines for international transfers.
• Materials: official transcripts from every college attended (with course descriptions if outside New York State); the Dean of Students Recommendation Form (before enrollment); a personal statement (250–500 words); recommendations are optional but considered; a final high school transcript for all transfers. With fewer than 24 credits, also send the high school record; SAT/ACT optional.
• Biology-specific requirements: the pages we read give no GPA threshold and do not say which prior courses are needed to transfer into the major. Not published. Credit is evaluated by the transfer office (tradmission@clarkson.edu, 315-268-2125).
• International transfers, English scores: the sources differ. The transfer application page lists TOEFL 80, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115 and PTE 56. The international requirements page lists TOEFL 4.5, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, PTE 56 and Manchester Exam 360. The transfer aid page lists TOEFL 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) and IELTS 6.5, waived after two years at an English-speaking college. Proof of funds is also required.
• Transfer scholarships: Clarkson Merit Awards, Transfer Excellence Awards, Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Beta Gamma scholarships; space for transfers in the Honors Program is limited. The transfer aid page says international transfer students are considered for merit awards only, $20,000 to $40,000 a year.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 1 December (Early Decision) or 15 January (Regular Decision), confirming fall 2027 dates; FAFSA by 1 February
• Transcript, two recommendations, personal statement; SAT/ACT optional; ask admissions about biology-specific admission and prerequisites

International students (including applicants from China):

• Same deadlines; transcripts, two recommendations; TOEFL 4.5 (as printed), IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115, etc.
• How gaokao is used and high school biology, chemistry and math prerequisites are not published; ask intladm@clarkson.edu

Transfer students:

• Rolling; official transcripts, Dean of Students form, personal statement; ask the transfer office to evaluate credit

Sources: Clarkson University, Biology Department; Biology major; Biochemistry major; Honors Program; How to apply; Apply and deadlines; Undergraduate admissions FAQs; International admission requirements; English proficiency exemptions; Transfer how to apply; Transfer scholarships; Undergraduate tuition and costs; Scholarships, grants and loans; International undergraduate costs; International scholarships. Deadline pages do not state a year, and cost years are noted in the text. Check Clarkson for the latest details.