How to apply to Clark University for biology: the Department of Biology offers a biology major with focus areas and a pre-health track, a separate Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major and 4+1 routes, and inconsistent B.S./B.A. labels on the site, with admission routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At Clark University (Worcester, Massachusetts), undergraduate biology is offered by the Department of Biology, which the schools and departments page lists among the arts and sciences departments with Chemistry and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The department is based in the Lasry Center for Bioscience. Below is what the official pages say for U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Medicine and other health professional programs are outside this guide; the department page also lists an Environmental Science major, which is not covered here, and chemistry is not covered either.

1. Degrees and options

• Biology major: the major page is titled “Biology, B.S.” and says that effective fall 2025 new majors receive a B.S. in Biology instead of a B.A.; the same page body still describes a major “pursuing a bachelor of arts degree”, and a major map PDF uploaded in 2023 says Bachelor of Arts. The three differ, so rely on the latest statement on Clark’s site.
• Areas: the pages name ecology and evolution, molecular and cell biology, marine biology, conservation biology, botany, neuroscience and animal behavior. You build a broad foundation first and then choose an area of focus (for example cell and molecular biology, or ecology and evolution) or the pre-health track; the major includes a course on research techniques, a seminar and a capstone experience, which can be an upper-level research course, an internship or directed research (on or off campus).
• Course load (major map PDF, B.A. version): 10 biology courses plus two in chemistry, two in mathematics and two from another natural science, computer science or mathematics; at least four advanced courses, with one or more providing the capstone. That PDF was uploaded in 2023 and describes the B.A.; see the course catalog for the B.S. requirements.
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB): a separate major. The page says it requires a solid grounding in biology and chemistry plus physics and calculus, a yearlong biochemistry sequence, and later courses of which one must satisfy a techniques requirement. Its page is also inconsistent: the title says B.S. and the update note says new majors receive a B.S. from fall 2025, while the body says it leads to a bachelor of arts.
• 4+1 accelerated master’s: both Biology (B.S. | M.S.) and BCMB (B.S. | M.S.) have a 4+1 route; the site says one additional year of study with available tuition scholarships, with applications in the junior year. See the program pages for terms.
• Honors: in junior year you may be accepted into the biology honors program and write a thesis with a professor; the page lists recent thesis topics (for example threespine stickleback, a Dictyostelium protein, and a fungal pathogen).
• Study abroad programs: the department says you can combine the major with a study abroad experience (for example biodiversity in Panama or public health and medicine in Europe) or take a Clark biology course on ocean life in Bermuda.

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

• What you apply to: Clark through the Common App or Scoir; biology sits among the arts and sciences departments. Whether you declare a major on the application and whether biology has its own admission line or space limit is not stated on the application or process pages we read. Not published; ask undergraduate admissions (admissions@clarku.edu, 508-793-7431).
• Declaring the major: the major map (uploaded 2023) places “Declare your major” in year two; the pages we read give no declaration conditions or space limits. Not published.
• Research: students can join faculty research on animal locomotion, cancer biology, cell division, epigenetics, virus-host interactions, gene expression and more, with chances to secure funding, publish, present at conferences and do honors work; the work takes place in the 50,000-square-foot, LEED Gold-certified Lasry Center for Bioscience.
• Pre-health: students aiming at health careers can use the university’s Prehealth Advising Program, and the department has a pre-health biology track; those professional programs are outside this guide.

3. Prerequisites

• High school courses: the application, process, international and biology pages we read do not list required units or grades in high school biology, chemistry or math. Not published; ask your admissions counselor.
• Advice once enrolled: the major map says the core calculus and statistics requirements are best completed in the first year, especially if you want more advanced quantitative skills later, and that the first year is for introductory courses that give a broad overview.
• AP / IB / A-Level credit: AP scores of 4 or 5 earn one unit each, up to eight units for first-years; IB and A-Level rules are in section 6. Which courses AP Biology replaces is not stated on the pages we read; ask the Academic Advising Office (advising@clarku.edu).
• 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 Common App or the Coalition Application with Scoir; submit only one. The site says there is no fee for either.
• Materials: transcript(s); one counselor recommendation and one teacher recommendation (the site suggests an academic teacher who knows you well); an optional interview; the FAFSA for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The site does not mention an extra biology essay or a science teacher requirement.
• Testing: SAT/ACT optional (the site says test-optional since 2012, and scores are not used in merit aid decisions); SAT school code 003279, ACT code 1808.
• Rounds and deadlines (pages do not state the year, so confirm for fall 2027): Early Decision I 1 November (decision late December); Early Action, non-binding, 1 November (mid-January); Early Decision II 15 January (early March); Regular Decision 15 January (late March). The site adds that Early Decision applicants have access to more scholarship funding, a higher admission rate and more Honors Program opportunities.
• Review and past profile: the review is holistic, with attention to growth in junior and senior year, involvement and recommendations. The application process page prints a “Clarkie profile”: average high school GPA 3.68, middle 50% SAT 1300–1440 and ACT 29–33 (no year or population stated).
• AP / college credit: AP scores of 4 or 5 earn credit; first-year students can receive at most eight units (two semesters) from AP and college courses taken in high school.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• Cost: Clark is private and lists one rate, with no resident and non-resident distinction and no extra biology fee on the page. 2026-2027: tuition $62,070; room (standard double) $8,580; board (standard plan) $5,780; student activity and programming fee $460; orientation fee $400; health and wellness fee $680; total billed charges $77,970. Other possible expenses: transportation $250, books $900, miscellaneous $800 and health insurance $2,833 (required under Massachusetts law unless comparable U.S. coverage is shown), for a stated total estimated cost of $82,753. Costs for 2027-28 were not yet posted.
• Scholarships: all applicants are considered automatically for merit scholarships with no separate application, and merit decisions are made without regard to financial need. The Presidential Scholarship (about five students a year) covers tuition, on-campus housing and meals for four years; apply by the admission deadline. The site also notes more scholarship funding for Early Decision applicants and outside private scholarships.
• Need-based aid: file the FAFSA (Clark’s code is 002139); need-based aid must be renewed each year. The site says 99% of first-year students receive aid, the average aid package is $50,755 and 98% of aid is grants (no year stated), and over 95% of all students receive some aid. The pages we read mention no special terms for Massachusetts residents.
• Department scholarships: see the department research funding in section 2; other department-specific scholarships are not listed on the pages we read. Not published.

6. International students

• Application: the same rounds and deadlines as other applicants (Regular Decision, Early Action, Early Decision); Common App or Scoir, no fee; documents must be in English (originals and certified translations may both be sent). Checklist: transcript(s) covering the last three years of education; two recommendations (one counselor, one teacher; two academic teachers if the school has no counselor); proof of English proficiency; SAT/ACT optional; and the International Student Certification of Finances and Financial Assistance Application Form (available in the applicant portal after you apply).
• English: if English is not your native language, send an official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or Pearson PTE report. The site says there are no specific minimum scores and gives these general indicators: TOEFL iBT 4.5 overall with no sub-score below 4 (new scale as of January 2026), or 85 overall with no sub-score below 20 (both are listed); IELTS 6.5 with no sub-score below 6; Duolingo 120 with no sub-score below 100; PTE 61 with no sub-score below 55; PEXT 71 with no sub-score below 65. Meeting them does not guarantee admission. English is assessed holistically (scores, transcript, essay, recommendations); applicants who qualify academically but need language support may be recommended the English for Academic Success program for 1–4 semesters before starting the degree.
• Interview: optional but “strongly encouraged”, and for international students it can supplement English proficiency evidence; book one with Clark or submit one through InitialView or Vericant.
• Funds and aid: all admitted undergraduates, regardless of citizenship, are considered automatically for merit scholarships. The Presidential Scholarship (3–5 students, covering tuition, room and board; recipients still owe roughly $12,000–$15,000 a year) has no separate application; finalists are interviewed. For need-based aid, submit the international CSS Profile by the admission deadline along with the certification of finances form. The site says the admissions process is need-aware: ability to pay can affect the decision, and an application may be denied if indicated need exceeds what Clark can offer; it cannot admit international students who need full funding. International students typically pay around $40,000 a year after scholarships and aid, against a total cost of attendance of about $85,000 (the international page’s figure; the 2026-2027 cost page states $82,753).
• International credit: AP, British A-Level and IB can earn advanced standing (see the transfer credit page: AP 4/5 up to eight units; A-Level grade C or higher up to eight units; an IB Diploma with 24+ points earns four units, and with 36+ points and 5 or higher in all six exams earns eight); other international programs are evaluated case by case.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the site does not say whether or how gaokao results are used. Not published; ask undergraduate admissions at intadmissions@clarku.edu.
• Transcripts: the international page names China: for countries with a 6-3-3 system, Clark needs a middle school transcript showing at least the final (third) year, equivalent to U.S. 9th grade, in addition to the first two years of the three-year secondary school; an application with only two years of credentials cannot be reviewed.
• English: see above; official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or PTE reports are accepted. The site does not say gaokao English can substitute.
• Interview: optional but strongly encouraged; Vericant is one of the listed platforms.
• International curricula: AP, A-Level and IB results can earn advanced standing credit as above.
• Credential evaluation, country page: international transfer applicants coming from a college outside the U.S. must submit a foreign credential evaluation (course-by-course, at their own cost); the pages we read name no evaluator for first-year applicants and have no separate China page.
• Science preparation: see section 3; no specific prerequisites are published.

8. Outcomes

• The biology page says majors go on to graduate school, the health professions (medical, dental, veterinary) or public school teaching, with other paths in biomedical research, biotechnology, environmental science, conservation biology and forestry; example job titles on the page include internal medicine physician, health care consultant, associate scientist at a pharmaceutical company, radiologist and fisheries technician.
• The major map uploaded in 2023 says biology graduates work in laboratory and pharmaceutical research, education, the health professions, forensic science, law, government and environmental science, and names graduate schools such as Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science, Tufts University, Texas A&M University and Yale School of Medicine.
• The BCMB page lists careers such as veterinarian, senior scientist, cardiothoracic surgeon, biochemist and regulatory associate. None of these pages gives a year or a placement rate, so check the originals.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer student: someone with a final high school credential who has matriculated as a full-time degree-seeking student elsewhere, or has taken at least 12 semester credit hours of college work after the credential. The site says about 75 transfer students enroll each year (fall and spring combined); only full-time enrollment is considered.
• Application and timing: the Transfer Common App or the Clark Transfer App (submit one), no fee, rolling. The sources differ on the fall deadline: the transfer page gives 1 February to 21 August; the apply and application process pages give 1 February to 1 June; the cost page’s financial aid table gives 1 February to 1 May. Spring is 1 September to 1 November. Confirm with admissions.
• Materials: one recommendation (preferably from a faculty member at your most recent college); a Mid-Term Report form (required if you are in your first full-time college semester); a final high school transcript (or equivalency credential); transcripts from every college attended; a College Report form; SAT/ACT optional.
• Biology-specific requirements: the pages we read give no GPA threshold and no prerequisite courses for the major. Not published. General rule: applicants with a high school GPA below 2.5 must first complete at least one full year of college work (eight Clark units). The site also describes a Massachusetts transfer guarantee for an associate’s degree with a GPA of at least 2.50; see the page for the terms.
• Credit: college courses with a C or higher can transfer, up to 16 units (a Clark unit is about four semester hours); Clark does not pre-evaluate credit, evaluates it at admission, and does not guarantee it. A degree needs at least 32 units, at least 16 of them in residence.
• International transfers: proof of English proficiency and a foreign credential evaluation are also required.

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 1 November (Early Decision I / Early Action) or 15 January (Early Decision II / Regular) through the Common App or Scoir, confirming fall 2027 dates
• Transcript, counselor and teacher recommendations; SAT/ACT optional; ask admissions about biology-specific admission and high school prerequisites

International students (including applicants from China):

• Same deadlines; transcripts (including the last middle school year where applicable), two recommendations, English scores, certification of finances and aid form; the site says admission is need-aware
• How gaokao is used is not published; ask intadmissions@clarku.edu

Transfer students:

• Rolling; recommendation, transcripts from all colleges, final high school transcript and college report form; credit is evaluated at admission

Sources: Clark University, Department of Biology; Biology undergraduate programs; Biology major; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major; Biology major map (PDF); Schools and departments; Apply and deadlines; Application process; International students; Cost and financial aid; Transfer students; Transfer credit and advanced standing. Costs are for 2026-2027 and deadline pages show no year; check Clark’s website for the latest.