How to Apply to Biology at Arizona State University: In the School of Life Sciences, Nine Degree Programs Including Biological Sciences, Microbiology and Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, Declared on the Application, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

At Arizona State University (ASU; main campus in Tempe), the undergraduate degrees most directly about biology are offered by the School of Life Sciences (SOLS) in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, while the School of Molecular Sciences (SMS) offers the biochemistry degrees. This guide follows the Admission office and the two schools’ websites, covering US domestic, international and Chinese applicants, with transfer students at the end. Medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health and biomedical engineering degrees are outside this guide, so please see the university website; chemistry is not covered here.

1. Degrees and tracks

• School of Life Sciences majors: the SOLS undergraduate admission page says the School is home to nine immersive, online and accelerated undergraduate degree programs. The SOLS course requirements page lists: Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Biology and Society, Conservation Biology and Ecology, Genetics, Cell and Developmental Biology, Medical Microbiology, Microbiology, Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology, and Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior. The page shows on-campus and online course options (the online section lists only some of the majors — check the website). The degree type (B.S./B.A.) is not stated on the requirements page; check the website.
• Common core courses (not identical across majors): the requirements page shows that most majors’ cores include BIO 181 General Biology I (4 credits) and BIO 182 General Biology II (4), and many add BIO 340 General Genetics and BIO 345 Evolution; related-field requirements include CHM 113 and 116 General Chemistry I and II, organic chemistry (or a pre-health sequence), physics, math (MAT 117 College Algebra for Biological Sciences; MAT 251 Calculus for Life Sciences for Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology and Neurobiology, among others) and STP 231 Statistics for Biosciences. This is only what the page lists; check each major’s latest requirements. Biological Sciences asks for two laboratory/research courses, and undergraduate research (495), honors directed study (492) or an internship (484) can stand in for one.
• Biochemistry (School of Molecular Sciences): the SMS research page mentions B.A. Biochemistry, B.S. Biochemistry and B.S. Biochemistry (Medicinal Chemistry); the SMS admission page says the School has no special admission requirements, so students declare the major on the application and meet the university’s general requirements. Detailed coursework is not on the pages read — check the SMS website.
• Accreditation and placement years: the pages read do not describe Royal Society of Biology (RSB) or similar accreditation, or degrees with a placement year. The SOLS requirements page says an internship (BIO/MIC 484) or medical/dental field placement (BIO 390) can replace part of the lab requirement.

2. How admission works: declare the major on the application, with no separate school cut-off

• At application: the SOLS undergraduate admission page lays out the steps as explore the degrees, apply to ASU, then complete the tasks in My ASU once admitted — with no separate school-level application or cut-off; admission standards are the university-wide ones in section 5. Admission says that if your first-choice major has higher requirements you will be asked to select a second major without them; whether life sciences majors are among them is not stated on the pages read — check ASU’s Degree Search.
• After entry: the SOLS advising page says newly admitted students receive a welcome email from SOLS advising within 1–3 days of admission and, after online onboarding modules, can schedule an initial advising appointment; on-campus students are encouraged to book a 30-minute appointment in My ASU in advance. See the advising page for how first-year advising works.
• Pre-health: the SOLS pre-med FAQ says the School has no major called “pre-health” because each health professional school has its own requirements and any major works if you complete the prerequisites; it says many of the School’s courses fulfill common prerequisites (general biology, cell biology, microbiology, genetics, anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, general and organic chemistry, physics, statistics).

3. Prerequisites and course advice

• High school courses: university-wide requirements are in section 5 (4 years of math, 3 years of lab science with one year each of biology, chemistry, earth science, integrated sciences or physics, and so on). SOLS pages do not state a required high school biology, chemistry or calculus background for these majors, nor A-Level, AP or IB biology or chemistry requirements — not published on the pages read; ask the School’s advisors.
• First-year foundation courses: see section 1 — BIO 181/182, CHM 113/116, math (MAT 117 or MAT 251) and STP 231; lab courses are listed by major on the requirements page.
• AP/IB and other exam credit: the SOLS pages read do not say how AP/IB biology or chemistry credit is applied; the SMS transfer page says AP, IB and CLEP scores must be sent directly to Admission and only credit on official documents is added to the ASU record.
• Math placement: the SMS freshmen page says new freshmen complete ALEKS math placement before orientation; the SOLS pages read do not state a separate math placement requirement.

4. Timeline and materials

• Rounds and deadlines (fall 2027 entry, Admission first-year page): the fall 2027 application opens in early July 2026; 1 November is the priority admission date and 15 January 2027 is the regular admission date. The site says the earlier you apply, the earlier you hear and the more scholarship opportunity you can secure; decisions begin in the first week of September, and students who do not meet the admission standards go to individual review, which may take longer.
• How to apply and the fee: use ASU’s own application or the Common App — only one is accepted, with no preference — and the site says neither requires an essay or personal statement. Nonrefundable fees: Arizona residents $55, domestic nonresidents $85, ASU Online $75, international nonresidents $90.
• Transcripts and self-reported grades: you may self-report high school grades in the application to speed up the decision; otherwise your school must send an official transcript. College credit requires official transcripts from the issuing institution.
• Testing: SAT/ACT scores are not required and may be submitted for course placement or as supplemental information; in the scholarship notes the site recommends submitting scores for merit-based scholarship consideration.
• Recommendations: the admission pages read do not require recommendation letters or a science-teacher recommendation.
• Honors: Barrett, The Honors College requires a separate application; the site gives an early action deadline of 1 November.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how science olympiads or similar competitions are viewed in admissions.

5. US domestic applicants

• Course requirements (Admission): 4 years of math; 4 years of English (non-ESL/ELL); 3 years of lab science (1 year each from biology, chemistry, earth science, integrated sciences or physics); 2 years of social science (including 1 of American history); 2 years of the same second language; 1 year of fine arts or career and technical education. Admission may be granted with one deficiency in no more than two competency areas, but not in both math and lab science, and each area needs at least 2.00.
• Aptitude requirements (meet one): top 25% of the graduating class; a 3.00 unweighted GPA in the competency courses; ACT 22 (24 for nonresidents); or SAT 1120 (1180 for nonresidents). The site also says these are the general university requirements, applicants who do not meet them may be reviewed individually, and some degree programs have higher requirements — check ASU’s Degree Search; if your first-choice major has higher requirements you will be asked to select a second major without them.
• Costs (Admission, 2026–27): average resident tuition and mandatory fees are $14,814 per year; nonresident tuition and fees are $39,262 per year. The out-of-state first-year expense table lists base tuition $35,715, tuition surcharge $350, Advanced Technology Fee $200, undergraduate college fees up to $2,190, student-initiated fees $807, on-campus housing and food $18,819 (estimated for the Tempe campus), books and materials $1,320, travel $1,650 and personal $2,343, with a printed total of $63,394. This guide does not add them up itself.
• Aid and scholarships: Arizona residents can look at the Arizona Promise Program (Pell-eligible students, valued up to $14,215 a year), the President Barack Obama Scholar Program and the College Attainment Grant, which cover tuition, plus the New American University (NAMU) President’s Award ($9,000 a year; the page says this reflects 2027–28 amounts) and the University Grant ($3,000 a year, FAFSA required, household income $120,000 or less). Nonresidents can look at the NAMU President’s and Provost’s Awards ($15,500 to $17,500 a year), the Academic Achievement, University and Dean’s Awards ($10,000 to $13,500) and the ASU Commitment Scholarship (up to $7,500). NAMU awards are considered automatically with no separate application; ASU’s FAFSA school code is 001081 and 15 January is the priority date for need-based aid.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: the pages read do not state guaranteed admission.

6. International applicants

• Academic requirements: the international first-year page says applicants need a 3.00 GPA (B or better, A = 4.00) from a secondary school and three years of high school coursework (grades 9–11 if still in school, grades 10–12 if finished), plus a completed high school diploma or certificate; international students who completed high school outside the US must meet the math (four years) and lab science (three years) competencies; some programs have higher admission or English requirements. Records are sent directly from schools or exam boards, documents not in English need a certified translation, and ASU does in-house credential evaluation at no extra cost while also considering course-by-course evaluations from four named agencies.
• English requirements (the “all other majors/colleges” tier, Admission): IELTS 6.0; TOEFL iBT 61, or an overall 3.5 (3.5 in each section) on the new scale for exams taken on or after 21 January 2026; PTE 53; Duolingo 95; Cambridge English (B2 First, C1 Advanced, C2 Proficiency) 170. Engineering, journalism and some other programs have higher scores (listed on the page). Scores must be within two years of the start date; IELTS General Training, TOEFL paper edition and PTE Academic Online are not accepted. Completing ASU’s Global Launch English programs also counts, and exemptions exist, for example for a secondary or higher degree taught solely in English or four years of English at a US high school. Applicants who meet academic but not English requirements may receive conditional admission, with up to three semesters to meet the English requirement.
• Costs (Admission, 2026–27 international undergraduate): base tuition $39,062, tuition surcharge $350, Advanced Technology fee $200, undergraduate college fees up to $2,190, student-initiated fees $807, on-campus housing and meals $18,819, books and materials $1,320, travel $1,650, personal $2,343, health insurance $2,765 (the page notes these are 2025–26 rates), international student fee $400, with a printed total of $69,906. This guide does not add them up itself. Proof-of-funds amounts and I-20 details are not printed on the pages read — check the website.
• Scholarships: international first-year and transfer F-1 students may be considered for the New American University (NAMU) scholarship (merit-based, limited number); colleges and departments also offer scholarships with varying amounts and criteria; international students do not qualify for federal and state aid (unless an eligible noncitizen).
• Deadlines: the international first-year page lists fall 2026 (15 January 2026 priority) and spring 2027 (1 November 2026 priority) and does not print fall 2027; the general first-year page gives fall 2027 as 1 November priority and 15 January 2027 regular. Ask Admission which applies to international applicants.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao and Chinese high school records: the admission pages read do not say whether or how the gaokao is used — not published. The international page has a drop-down of comparable-degree requirements by country (China included), but its content did not appear on the pages read — check the requirement for China on the website and contact Admission.
• General requirements: applicants from China follow the international requirements in section 6: a 3.00 secondary GPA, three years of high school coursework, a high school diploma, proof of English, English-translated records and so on.
• International curricula: the international page links to guidance for Cambridge examinations and the IB Diploma and Career-related Programmes, whose content did not appear on the pages read — check the website.

8. Costs, research, scholarships and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6.
• Research and internships: the SOLS admission page says its undergraduate research programs offer hands-on research, internships and other experiential learning; the requirements page shows undergraduate research (BIO/MIC/MBB 495), honors directed study (492) and internships (484) counting toward major requirements. The Molecular Biosciences and Biotechnology core includes 6 credits of internship and/or undergraduate research (MBB 484/495) and two capstone courses (MBB 490, 491). Details of the School’s research programs are not on the pages read — check the website.
• Accelerated bachelor’s/master’s (SOLS): the School says eligible undergraduates can share up to 12 credits between degrees, completing a 120-credit bachelor’s and 30-credit master’s in 138 credits instead of 150; requirements include at least 75 credits, a 3.0 GPA and at least two full semesters or 30 credits remaining; research-and-thesis programs (on campus only) are Biology, Biology and Society, Microbiology, and Molecular and Cellular Biology, and coursework-and-capstone programs are Biology and Computational Life Sciences. Phase 1 deadlines are 15 July to begin sharing coursework in the fall and 15 December for the spring (no year is printed — check).
• School scholarships: SOLS says scholarships are applied for through Scholarship Universe (filter for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Life Sciences); the application needs an unofficial transcript, a résumé, a letter of recommendation and a 300–500 word personal statement; the page gives a 2026–2027 deadline of 8 March 2026, with letters due 15 March 2026 (already past — check the website for the next cycle). Individual award names and amounts require a My ASU login and were not read.
• Molecular Sciences scholarships: the SMS page says its 2026–2027 scholarships have 15 February deadlines, such as the Bateman Memorial Scholarship ($1,500; Arizona-resident first-year chemistry, biochemistry or biophysics students); see the SMS scholarships page.
• Outcomes: the SOLS pages read print no employment data. The SMS undergraduate overview says its degrees train students for scientific research, health professions such as doctors, dentists and pharmacists, teaching, forensics, and regulation and policy.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: applicants with 12 or more transferable semester credits earned after high school from a regionally accredited institution, with grades of C- or better; those with fewer than 12 are evaluated as first-year applicants.
• Requirements: with 12–23 transferable credits, a minimum 2.50 cumulative transfer GPA and the first-year admission requirements; with 24 or more, a minimum 2.50 cumulative transfer GPA; with an associate degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution, a minimum 2.00. Some programs have higher requirements (see Degree Search).
• Deadlines (Admission transfer page): for fall 2027 the priority admission deadline is 15 January 2027 (the page notes it is a priority, not final, deadline and ASU accepts applications on a rolling basis until the term starts), with an enrollment deposit deadline of 1 June 2027; for spring 2027 the enrollment deposit deadline is 1 December 2026. The international transfer page gives a spring 2027 priority deadline of 1 October 2026 and fall 2027 of 15 January 2027. The page asks applicants to allow at least two to four weeks for a decision once materials are complete.
• Materials: official transcripts from every institution attended; high school transcripts are also required in some cases, such as fewer than 24 transferable credits. ACT/SAT scores are not required.
• Credit transfer: the site offers the Transfer Guide credit tool. The School of Molecular Sciences transfer page adds that ASU accepts up to 64 credits from a regionally accredited two-year college and requires at least 30 semester hours of resident credit at the campus you graduate from.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• ASU application or Common App; priority 1 November 2026, regular 15 January 2027; fee $55 (Arizona residents) or $85; no SAT/ACT and no essay required; grades can be self-reported
• High school: 4 math, 4 English, 3 lab science, 2 social science, 2 second language, 1 fine arts or CTE; meet one aptitude requirement (top 25%, 3.00 GPA, ACT/SAT)

International applicants (including China):

• 3.00 secondary GPA; IELTS 6.0, TOEFL 61 (3.5 on the new scale), Duolingo 95, PTE 53 or Cambridge 170; fee $90; English translations of documents
• How the gaokao is used is not published; ask Admission

After entry:

• Declare a life sciences major on the application; complete the My ASU tasks and onboarding modules and book a School advisor; for biochemistry see SMS (ALEKS before orientation)

Transfer students:

• 12+ transferable credits, GPA 2.50 (2.00 with an associate degree); fall priority 15 January 2027; use the Transfer Guide for credits

Sources: Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences: undergraduate admission; School of Life Sciences: course requirements; School of Life Sciences: advising; School of Life Sciences: scholarships; School of Life Sciences: accelerated bachelor’s/master’s; School of Life Sciences: pre-med FAQ; School of Molecular Sciences: undergraduate admission; School of Molecular Sciences: undergraduate research; The College: natural sciences; Admission: first-year requirements; Admission: course competency requirements; Admission: international first-year; Admission: international English proficiency; Admission: transfer students; Admission: international transfer; Admission: resident first-year cost; Admission: out-of-state first-year cost; Admission: international cost. Information is for the fall 2027 entry cycle (cost pages show 2026–27); where a page prints no year, check that the date is for fall 2027 entry. Check ASU’s website for the latest.