How to Apply to Biology at Boise State University: A BS in Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences with General, Cellular/Molecular/Biomedical, Ecology/Evolution/Behavior and Secondary Education Emphases, Admission by Unweighted High School GPA and No Test Scores, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Boise State University is in Boise, Idaho. Undergraduate biology is taught by the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences; the college’s department page lists it as one of its departments. Chemistry (including the chemistry department’s biochemistry emphasis), physics, mathematics, engineering, and health degrees such as nursing are not covered here; see the university website. The sections below follow the website and are split into domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students.

1. Degree and emphases

• Degree: Bachelor of Science in Biology. The website says the degree gives students the knowledge and skills to understand living organisms, how they interact with their environment, and the process of biological investigation, with careers in medicine, forensics, genetics, laboratory sciences, natural resources management, animal and plant biology and more; the curriculum covers molecular, cellular, organismal, ecological and evolutionary biology. The pages read do not list a Bachelor of Arts in biology.
• Emphases: the undergraduate programs page lists four:
  • General Biology: a comprehensive emphasis covering both the cellular/molecular/biomedical and the ecology/evolution/behavior areas; students may also choose advanced courses in biology, botany, chemistry, physics and zoology.
  • Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical: life at the molecular level, cell form and function, genome organization, regulation of gene expression and their relation to biomedicine and disease; classes in biology, botany, chemistry, physics and zoology.
  • Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior: ecosystem dynamics, population genetics, conservation, animal behavior and evolution; classes in anthropology, biology, botany, chemistry, physics and zoology. (The page heading reads “Evolution, Ecology and Behavior” and the body “Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior”; it is one emphasis.)
  • Secondary Education: the General Biology emphasis combined with courses from the IDoTeach program.
• Minors and related programs: a Biology Minor; a Biological Sciences Teaching Endorsement Minor (qualifies you to teach biology when completed with another secondary-education certification degree); and a Pre-Forestry and Pre-Wildlife Management transfer program, which the website says may allow three years at Boise State and two more at the University of Idaho; ask the department or the University of Idaho which courses apply.
• Required courses, credits and prerequisites: the degree requirements for each emphasis are linked to the university catalog, which was not among the pages read, so no required-course list or credit total is given here; check the catalog. The advising page tells students to know their Academic Advisement Report and the policies that apply to their degree.
• Labs and a thesis: the pages read do not state lab credits or whether a thesis or research project is required; see the catalog.
• Research and opportunities: the department home page says students learn through hands-on coursework, laboratory experiences, fieldwork and research opportunities; the programs page also lists “Vertically Integrated Projects” (that page was not read). The opportunities page covers internships (Handshake, Career Services) and a fall alumni and student mentoring program.
• Support: the Biology Learning Center offers tutoring and study help, and the department site has R tutorials.
• Outcomes: the department home page says a biology degree gives the knowledge and skills for the workforce and advanced study. That is a description, not employment statistics; no outcomes data was on the pages read.

2. How admission works: the university first; a biology-specific route is not described

• Apply to the university: the admissions pages review the cumulative unweighted high school GPA, with no distinction between colleges and no biology-specific GPA threshold on the pages read. Whether you indicate a major on the application, whether biology admits by major, whether seats are capped, when the major or emphasis is declared and the conditions for moving into biology from another major are not stated; ask the department (bioinfo@boisestate.edu, +1 208-426-3262).
• Advising: the department page says undergraduates may choose any advisor on the team for degree requirements, planning and registration. The team includes an advising coordinator, an academic advisor who is also a special lecturer and a peer advisor, with a booking option for prospective students; the university’s STEM advisors (Riverfront Hall 116) also help biology majors with scheduling. Appointments can be in person or by Zoom.
• College: the College of Arts and Sciences page says the college runs its own advising and student-success center.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses: the admissions and department pages read list no required high school courses and no prerequisite in biology, chemistry or mathematics.
• Math or chemistry placement: not stated on the pages read.
• AP credit (Registrar page; send scores to college code 4018; credit posts after the 10th day of the first semester): Biology 3 gives BIOL 100XFN plus 100XF (8 credits), 4 gives BIOL 191 plus BIOL 100XFN (8 credits), 5 gives BIOL 191 and 192 (8 credits); Chemistry 3 gives CHEM 101 plus CHEM 100XF (4 credits; no credit for a 3 on exams taken before January 1, 2018), 4 gives CHEM 111 plus CHEM 100XF (4 credits), with lab credit (CHEM 101L, 111L) requiring a lab notebook or syllabus reviewed by the chemistry department; Calculus AB 3 gives MATH 170 (4 credits) and Calculus BC 3 gives MATH 170 and 175 (8 credits).
• IB credit: Biology (SL or HL) 4 gives BIOL 100 (4 credits), 5 gives BIOL 191 (4 credits), 6 gives BIOL 191 and 192 (8 credits); Chemistry HL 4 gives CHEM 111 and 111L (4 credits); Mathematics Analysis and Approaches HL 4 gives MATH 170 and 175 (8 credits), SL 4 gives MATH 170 (4 credits). No IB Chemistry SL entry was on the page.
• Cap: credit for prior learning can supply up to one-third of the credits needed to graduate. Whether it can replace required biology courses is not stated on the pages read; confirm with the catalog and the department.
• Honors: the pages read do not describe an honors track for biology majors.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how biology olympiads or similar contests are viewed in admission.

4. Rounds, materials and fees (fall 2027 entry)

• Deadlines (resident and nonresident pages; no year is printed, so confirm they are for fall 2027): for fall/summer entry, the nonresident application and scholarship priority deadline is December 15, the resident one is February 15, and the standard application deadline is May 1. Spring entry: priority October 1, standard December 1. The pages say all materials must arrive by the priority deadline to be considered for automatic scholarships.
• Application fee: nonresident and fully online students pay a nonrefundable fee or have an approved waiver: $50 for a nonresident undergraduate application, $85 for an international undergraduate application. Waivers need documented economic need and are not available to international students. The Idaho resident page lists no fee.
• Materials: Boise State’s own application (Idaho residents may instead use the state’s Apply Idaho application, in which case a high school transcript is not needed unless requested) and an official high school transcript; nonresidents also pay the fee or have a waiver. International Admissions states that it does not accept the Common Application.
• Essay and recommendations: applicants who meet the automatic standard are not asked for an essay on the pages read. Those with lower GPAs go to holistic review with a 500–650-word personal statement (and, in some cases, a seventh-semester transcript), plus up to two optional recommendation letters from people who can speak to academic ability and motivation. The website does not say that biology needs a science-teacher recommendation.
• Test scores: the resident and nonresident pages say test scores are not required and not used in the review; the international page says SAT/ACT are not required and will be considered if sent. The website does not state any separate test requirement for biology.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Idaho residents (accredited high school seniors): a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.00–4.00, or ISAT scores of at least 3 in both ELA and math, meets the automatic standard; 2.80–2.99 is “highly considered” with nothing more needed; 2.60–2.79 goes to holistic review with a seventh-semester transcript and personal statement (decisions in early March if complete by February 15); below 2.60 does not qualify, and the site suggests starting at a community college. Graduates: 2.80–4.00 automatic, 2.00–2.79 holistic review, below 2.00 not qualified.
• Nonresidents (accredited high school seniors): 3.00–4.00 automatic; 2.80–2.99 highly considered; 2.60–2.79 holistic review; below 2.60 not qualified. Graduates: 3.00–4.00 admitted, 2.80–2.99 highly considered, 2.00–2.79 holistic review, below 2.00 not qualified. GED holders who passed after 2014 with 160 or higher on each section are admitted automatically; others get holistic review.
• Tuition: the pages read do not give resident or nonresident tuition amounts; check the university tuition page. The scholarship page says the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) award covers 150% of resident tuition, a saving of about $16,339 a year.
• Resident scholarships (new-to-college page, no academic year printed; materials due by the February 15 priority deadline): True Blue Promise (unweighted high school GPA 3.20–3.69, Pell-eligible, FAFSA required) $2,000 a year; Dean’s (3.70–3.89) $2,500; Presidential (3.90–4.00) $3,000. All run four years (eight semesters); renewal needs 24 credits a year and a cumulative GPA of 2.50 (True Blue Promise) or 3.00.
• Nonresident scholarships (December 15 deadline): Ridgeline (GPA 3.10–3.29) $5,000 a year; Summit (3.30–4.00) $10,000; WUE (3.50–4.00, U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a permanent address in a listed western state or territory) about $16,339. All require an eligible major. The ineligible majors printed are Construction Management, Nursing, Pre-Nursing, Radiological Science, Pre-Radiological Science, self-supported programs and fully online programs; biology is not on the list.
• Department scholarships (department scholarships page; you must be admitted and have a myBoiseState account; applications need a 250–300-word essay): the department lists nearly twenty awards (a few for graduate students only), most requiring a biology major, a GPA of 2.8–3.25 or higher and full-time enrollment. Several also require financial need (judged from the FAFSA) or a focus such as raptor research, conservation or microbiology; for example the Darin T. Fralick Biology Scholarship (sophomores and above, GPA 3.0) and the D.J. Obee Biology Scholarship (juniors and seniors, GPA 3.0). Amounts are not shown on the page; see the department page for each award’s conditions.
• Guaranteed or priority admission for state residents: residents with a GPA of 3.00 or higher are automatically admitted (above); the website states no guaranteed seat or quota for biology.

6. International applicants

• Who counts: non-U.S. citizens who need a visa to study in the U.S. Permanent residents, refugees, asylees and DACA recipients do not; dual citizens holding U.S. citizenship are treated as domestic.
• Materials: online application; $85 nonrefundable fee (no waivers); high school transcripts or marksheets; proof of English proficiency; a copy of the passport name page. The site says applications are considered primarily on past academic achievement; recommendations and essays are welcome but not required. No minimum GPA for international applicants is stated. Decisions typically come within two weeks of a complete file; students still in school can apply with in-progress transcripts and send final ones before enrolling.
• English: IELTS 6.0; TOEFL iBT, the page prints 4 for tests taken on or after January 26, 2026 (no scale is shown) and 68 for earlier tests; ACT English 18; SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 450; Duolingo 100; PTE Academic 50; Cambridge English Scale 169; also IB (Diploma completed within two years, or IB English A Language and Literature 4), AP English 3, IGCSE/O Level English C and others. Exemption: three or more years of secondary education in English in one of the listed countries (including the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada excluding Quebec, and the U.S.). Applicants below the minimum may be offered the Pathway Program (1–3 semesters) before entering a degree program.
• Transcripts: unofficial transcripts are accepted for review if legible and in English or with a certified word-for-word translation; official ones are due at the start of the first semester and must arrive before registering for the second. Official transcripts come sealed and stamped from the school, or directly from the country’s Ministry of Education; no email or fax. No external credential evaluation is required.
• Deadlines: the international first-year page gives a fall scholarship deadline of December 15 and fall priority deadline of April 1; spring scholarship and priority October 1 (no year printed). The scholarship page prints “Fall 2027 Deadline: December 15, 2026” and “Spring 2027 Deadline: October 1, 2026”.
• After admission: F-1 or J-1 applicants submit a financial documentation form and proof of funds. The 2026–2027 undergraduate estimate: tuition and fees $29,477, room and board $16,894, books and supplies $800, health insurance $2,175, personal expenses $2,203; the page’s total is $51,549, described as the funding needed for a student visa.
• International scholarships: international undergraduate applicants are automatically considered for $5,000–$17,000 a year, made up of the nonresident Ridgeline and Summit awards plus the international-only Global Scholarship. By cumulative GPA: 3.100–3.299 total $5,000; 3.300–3.499 $10,000; 3.500–3.749 $15,000; 3.750–3.999 $16,000; 4.000+ $17,000. Conditions: complete materials by the deadline; an eligible major; first-time Boise State undergraduate; an unweighted GPA of at least 3.100 as calculated by International Admissions or a NACES-member evaluator; Idaho nonresident for tuition. Global Scholarships depend on available funds and are prioritized by file-completion date. First-year awards renew for up to four years, transfer awards for two. The site says no fully funded scholarships are offered.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international first-year page read does not mention the gaokao, and no China country page was read. How gaokao results are used is not published in the pages read; ask International Admissions (interntl@boisestate.edu).
• Secondary transcripts: the international first-year page says most countries send sealed, stamped transcripts from the school, or directly from the Ministry of Education; a transcript not in English needs a certified word-for-word English translation (with the original sent too).
• Chinese university transcripts (the international transfer page’s country-specific section): Chinese university transcripts and degree certificates must be verified through the Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD); submit the Online Verification Report of Student Record and the Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate. No China-specific note for high school applicants was read.
• Tests and English: SAT/ACT are not required; see the English requirements above.
• International curricula: AP and IB results can earn credit; see section 3.

8. Transfer students

• Who counts (admissions transfer page): at least one transferable academic GPA credit after high school or a GED. With fewer than 14 transferable semester credits (21 quarter credits) you also send a final high school transcript and must meet first-year standards. AP, CLEP, credit for prior learning and dual/concurrent enrollment credit do not count toward the 14.
• Standard: cumulative transfer GPA 2.25 in good standing meets the standard; 2.00–2.24 with an AA, AS or AAS degree is admissible; 2.00–2.24 without one gets additional review (a personal statement of up to 500 words is encouraged); 0–1.99 is not eligible for degree-seeking admission.
• Biology: the admissions transfer page and the department pages read give no GPA or biology/chemistry/mathematics sequence requirement for transferring into biology, and do not say how credits map to required biology courses. The advising page says the advising coordinator can answer transfer-credit questions; confirm the rest with a biology advisor.
• Deadlines (no year printed): fall December 15 (nonresident application and scholarship priority), February 15 (resident priority), August 1 (standard); spring October 1 priority and December 1 standard. International transfer applicants have the same fall dates as international first-year applicants: December 15 for scholarships and April 1 priority.
• International transfer: $85 fee; transcripts from every post-secondary school; applicants with fewer than 14 post-secondary credits also send secondary transcripts; credit from non-U.S. institutions may need an external credential evaluation before the Registrar can post it. Decisions typically come within three weeks of a complete file.

Checklist

Domestic applicants:

• Have your unweighted high school GPA ready; apply by February 15 (residents) or December 15 (nonresidents), no year printed so confirm; no SAT/ACT needed
• Ask the Department of Biological Sciences how and when the biology major is declared and book an advisor; note the department scholarships (essay required)
• Watch the scholarship priority deadlines

International applicants (including China):

• Online application, $85 fee, secondary transcripts (with a certified English translation), proof of English and a passport copy
• Apply by December 15 to be considered for scholarships ($5,000–$17,000 a year); fall priority deadline April 1
• Ask International Admissions whether gaokao results can be used; prepare proof of funds for the visa

Transfer students:

• Cumulative transfer GPA 2.25 (2.00–2.24 needs an AA/AS/AAS degree or additional review); ask the department about transfer into biology

Sources: Boise State University, Department of Biological Sciences; Undergraduate programs (degree and emphases); Academic advising; Undergraduate opportunities; Department scholarships; College of Arts and Sciences departments; Idaho resident first-year; Nonresident first-year; Transfer; Application fee; New-to-college scholarships; International first-year; International transfer; International cost; International scholarships; AP credit; IB credit. The resident, nonresident and transfer pages print no year for their deadlines, so confirm they are for fall 2027 entry; the international scholarship page prints “Fall 2027 Deadline: December 15, 2026”.