How to Apply to Drexel University for a Biology Major: A BS in Biological Sciences With Six Concentrations and Up to 18 Months of Co-op in the College of Arts and Sciences, for US, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Drexel University is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The biology degree is the Biological Sciences BS, taught by the Department of Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences; you apply to the University with the Common App or Coalition App and choose a major on the application. Below, the information from the University’s website is organised for US applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. Chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering and other majors are outside this article.

1. Degrees, tracks and how you are admitted

• Degree: the biology department page lists the undergraduate major as the Biological Sciences BS; the pages read do not list a BA. In addition to the core requirements, students choose one of six concentrations, and the degree identifies the concentration:
  • Cell/Molecular/Genetics/Biochemistry: a foundation in the tenets of modern biology and their relation to basic science and medicine;
  • Organismal Biology/Physiology: the cellular or biochemical basis of physiologic events, the diversity of organismal forms and in-depth physiology; students with pre-health interests can specialize in human physiology;
  • Ecology/Evolution/Genomics: genes and genomes, ecology and evolution, and molecular and computational tools;
  • Pathobiology: mechanisms of disease, with a foundation in immunology and microbiology;
  • General Biology: for students who want a customized path, with electives across the three concentrations above;
  • Cell and Gene Therapy: cell and gene therapy from a biological and biomedical engineering perspective.
• Related programs: accelerated programs are Biological Sciences BS/Biological Sciences MS and Biological Sciences BS/Advanced Therapeutics MS; minors are Biochemistry, Bioinformatics, Biological Sciences, Bioscience and Society, Cell and Gene Therapy, and Neuroscience. The BA/BS+MD Early Assurance program is outside this article; see the website.
• Course requirements: the department and program pages read do not list the core courses, concentration courses or credits (the course plans are in the University catalog); these are not published on those pages, so check the Drexel catalog.
• Choosing a major, timing: the first-year instructions encourage applicants to choose two different majors as first and second choices, and to say if they want to be considered for the undeclared program, First-Year Exploratory Studies; to change your major after applying, email enroll@drexel.edu. The pages read do not describe a separate admission bar or quota for biology, nor conditions for moving into Biological Sciences after entry; this is not published. When the concentration is chosen is not stated.
• Co-op and length of study: the department page says Biological Sciences majors gain up to 18 months of on-the-job experience through co-op; students choose a four-year or five-year program: no co-op (four years), one co-op (four years), or three co-ops (five years). Recent co-op employers listed include AstraZeneca, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Fox Chase Cancer Institute, GlaxoSmithKline, Moss Rehab, the Philadelphia Horticultural Society, Spark Therapeutics and ViroPharma.
• Research and lab courses: the program page says students learn by doing from the first year, including laboratory-focused courses such as Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), study abroad programs and extracurricular research, and faculty encourage students to take part in mentored research in labs and teams. The department page lists research areas: biochemistry and cell biology, disease biology, evolutionary biology and genomics, genetics and molecular biology, neurobiology, and STEM education.

2. Preparation, placement exams and research

• High school courses (sciences majors): the first-year admission prerequisites for “Arts and Sciences (Sciences)”, which names Biological Sciences, are four years of mathematics (algebra I and II, geometry, and trigonometry or pre-calculus) and two years of a laboratory science (biology, chemistry or physics). The page does not require a particular high-school biology or chemistry course; this is not published.
• Placement exams: the University’s placement exams cover mathematics, chemistry, physics, information science and modern languages; the overview page says that for fall 2026 entry all placement exams had to be completed by 24 June, with exams opening on 21 May. Which exams you need depends on your program and is shown in DrexelOne, not on the pages read; check the 2027 dates. Whether a biology-specific placement exam exists is not stated.
• AP, IB and A-Level: the credit page (2026–2027) says AP Biology 4 or 5 earns 4 credits (BIO 132); IB Biology 6 or 7 earns 4 credits (BIO 132, as per major requirements); Cambridge A-Level Biology (9700) grade A or B earns 4 credits (BIO 132); CLEP Biology 60 earns 4 credits (BIO 132). AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns 4 credits (MATH 121) and BC 4 or 5 earns 12 credits (MATH 121, 122, 123). AP scores are not a substitute for placement exams unless taken in your sophomore or junior year; May AP results reach the University only in July, so placement exams must still be completed on time.
• Undergraduate research: see section 1; whether the Biological Sciences BS requires a research project or thesis is not stated on the pages read.
• Honors: the pages read do not describe a biology honors program; this is not published.
• Competitions: see section 3.

3. Rounds, deadlines and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Plans and deadlines (the deadlines page prints no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027): Early Decision (binding) 15 November, decisions mid-December, CSS Profile 25 November, tuition and housing deposit 15 January; Early Action (non-binding) 15 November, decisions mid-December, deposit 1 May; Regular Decision 15 January, decisions by 1 April, CSS Profile 1 February, deposit 1 May. FAFSA priority date 1 February (domestic applicants only). There is also Winter Entry: applications due 1 October, decisions by 1 November, deposit 13 November, and the page gives 4 January as the first day of winter term (no year printed). International students also have an International Gateway Program (fall-entry applications due 15 July, deposit 31 July), whose requirements this article does not cover. Deadlines are received-by dates, not postmark dates.
• How to apply and the fee: the Common App or the Coalition App (Scoir), with one active application at a time; the application fee is $65 and non-refundable; U.S. veterans or their dependents, children of Drexel employees and Pennsylvania residents qualify for the University’s fee waiver, and others can request a Common App or Coalition App fee waiver.
• Choosing a major: the instructions encourage applicants to choose two different majors as first and second choices, and to say whether they want to be considered for the undeclared program, First-Year Exploratory Studies; to change your major after applying, email enroll@drexel.edu.
• Materials: a 250–650-word essay through the Common App or Coalition App (paper or emailed essays are not accepted); official transcripts sent directly from each high school attended, covering all coursework in grades 9, 10 and 11 plus 12th-grade coursework in progress (self-submitted transcripts are not accepted); one letter of recommendation from a school or college counselor (BA/BS+MD Early Assurance applicants need two, one from a science teacher). The website does not require a science-teacher recommendation otherwise.
• Testing: “No Harm Test-Optional”: SAT or ACT scores are not required, and scores that do not strengthen an application are not used in the review; choosing not to submit does not affect eligibility for merit scholarships. SAT code 2194, ACT code 3556; the ACT science and writing sections are not required. BA/BS+MD Early Assurance applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.
• biology competitions and supplements: the pages read do not say how biology competitions are viewed in admission.

4. US applicants

• Costs (2026–2027, estimated first-year costs before aid): tuition $63,078, fees $2,420, housing and food $19,398. The University is private; the pages do not set separate in-state and out-of-state tuition. The tuition page also says that during a co-op term you are not billed tuition, but you still pay University fees and any applicable housing and food; the enrollment plan for transfer students may differ with the transfer credit evaluation, which affects cost. Books, materials, a computer, transportation and personal costs are extra and are taken into account in aid eligibility.
• Aid: US citizens and permanent residents submit the CSS Profile and the FAFSA (Drexel’s FAFSA school code is 003256); without the CSS Profile by the deadline there is no eligibility for institutional need-based aid. The University’s pages say that 100% of the 2025–2026 first-year class received financial aid, the average grant aid for full-time first-year undergraduates entering in fall 2025 was $40,814, the average net tuition price in 2025–2026 was $26,388 (tuition minus the average aid package), and the average offered to fall 2025 transfer students was $32,378.
• Merit scholarships: the page gives, for admitted fall 2027 first-year students, $20,000–$35,000 for Early Decision and Early Action and $10,000–$35,000 for Regular Decision; applying test-optional does not affect eligibility. No biology-specific scholarship appears on the pages read.
• State residents: the pages mention only an application-fee waiver for Pennsylvania residents; they do not describe guaranteed or priority admission.

5. International applicants

• Who counts: anyone who is not a US citizen or a permanent resident (green card holder).
• Materials: the application, essay, transcripts and recommendation in section 3; international transcripts must be sent by the school directly to Admissions or be officially signed, stamped in color and sealed; use your passport name; applicants who attended any part of secondary school outside the US submit an official academic record with notarized English translation from every secondary or postsecondary school attended, reflecting grades 9, 10 and 11 and any 12th-grade coursework in progress.
• English: applicants whose first language is not English and who have not completed three full years of instruction in English must submit an approved test: TOEFL iBT, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS, Pearson PTE, Duolingo English Test, or Cambridge English C1 Advanced / C2 Proficiency (TOEFL code 2194). Exemptions: English is your first language; at least three full years at a high school where English is the primary language of instruction; or SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 600+ or ACT English 27+. The website strongly recommends that students using the three-year exemption still submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE. The pages read do not state minimum scores for the tests; check the website.
• Proof of funds: international applicants must show financial responsibility, with sufficient support for education in the United States, to obtain the I-20/DS-2019 for a student visa.
• Aid: international students are automatically considered for merit scholarships with no extra application, and awards are notified with the admission offer; for need-based aid, submit the CSS Profile by the deadline. The FAQ says F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week, that jobs are not guaranteed, and that such income cannot be listed as a funding source on the I-20. The pages read do not say whether the University considers ability to pay in international admission; this is not published.
• Co-op and visas: the FAQ says F-1 students can do co-op through Curricular Practical Training (CPT); three co-ops (five-year plan) done full-time in the US all affect OPT after graduation, whereas one co-op (four-year plan) does not; ask International Students and Scholars Services.

6. Applicants from China

• Transcripts and diplomas: the international transcript-requirements page lists China separately. Current high school students: an official transcript from the third year of junior school and from years 1 and 2 of senior school, with a certified English translation if not in English. High school graduates: the junior-year-3 transcript and final transcripts from senior years 1, 2 and 3, plus official copies of the original Chinese graduation certificate with a certified English translation. (The general text on the page says “notarized” English translation while the China entry says “certified”, so confirm with Admissions.)
• Gaokao: the application pages read (international instructions, international FAQ, transcript requirements) do not say whether or how Gaokao results are used; this is not published. Ask Admissions (enroll@drexel.edu). Huikao records are likewise not mentioned.
• English and testing: see sections 5 and 3.

7. Outcomes and department programs

• Outcomes: the program page says graduates pursue careers in medicine, nursing, veterinary sciences, dentistry and other allied health professions; many hold research positions in the private sector, become technicians in government and academic labs, or work as research scientists and professors in cancer biology, cell and molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology and forensic biology; other paths include education, genetic counseling, clinical trials coordination, bioinformatics, genomics, clinical lab medicine, public health, policy, science journalism and law.
• Summer research: the program page mentions student research as summer STAR scholars (for example building a DNA barcode library for lichens); how to apply is not described on the pages read.
• Degrees outside this article: the University also has nursing and health-sciences degrees and a BA/BS+MD Early Assurance program; they are outside this article, so see the website.

8. Transfer students

• Deadlines (the page is labelled for the 2026–2027 academic year; look for the fall 2027 version): fall term: priority deadline 15 April (application fee waived if you apply by then), later applications reviewed on a rolling basis until one month before the term; international applicants who do not live in the US also have a 14 June fall I-20 application deadline and 15 July as the last date Admissions can consider an international transfer. Winter term (January): priority deadline 15 October; international 1 November. Spring term (March): domestic priority deadline 15 January. Transfer applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Materials: Drexel’s own application (full-time transfer programs); a 250–650-word essay, where the committee prefers you to discuss your transfer experience and why you are interested in Drexel; official transcripts from every college attended (including courses in progress) whether or not you plan to transfer the credits; official high school transcripts if you have fewer than 24 semester credits; international applicants submit an official academic record with notarized English translation from every postsecondary school, with syllabi or course descriptions for credit evaluation. SAT and ACT are not required for transfers. The application fee is $65; the page says it is currently waived for applicants who apply by the priority deadlines and afterwards only in certain cases.
• Prerequisites: the transfer prerequisites page for Biological Sciences requires college-level Biology I and Biology II, noting that other sciences may be considered in place of Bio I and II. The pages read do not state a GPA or places for transferring into Biological Sciences; this is not published.
• English: international transfer applicants whose first language is not English take an approved test, unless they completed English Composition I and II (and III at a quarter institution) with a C or better at a regionally accredited US institution, studied and graduated from a high school or university where English is the primary language of instruction for at least three years, or scored 600+ on SAT reading or 27+ on ACT English within the last two years. English scores are valid for two years from the test date.
• Aid: transfers need the FAFSA for institutional need-based aid; those with an associate degree from an accredited community college qualify for the Drexel Promise, a renewable scholarship for 50% of tuition; international transfers who get the Drexel Promise do not submit the CSS Profile and are not eligible for additional aid; other international transfers submit the CSS Profile. Second-bachelor’s and part-time applicants are not eligible for institutional aid.
• Credit: Transfer applicants submit official transcripts from every college with syllabi or course descriptions for credit evaluation; the transfer pages read do not state specific transfer-credit rules for biology courses, so this is not published. The tuition page notes that the enrollment plan for transfer students may differ with the transfer credit evaluation, which may affect cost.

Checklist

US applicants:

• Common App or Coalition App; $65 fee; ED and EA 15 November, RD 15 January (check the year); 250–650-word essay; official transcripts; one counselor recommendation; testing optional (“No Harm”)
• CSS Profile and FAFSA (school code 003256) by the deadlines; merit scholarships need no separate application

International applicants (including China):

• English test (TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, DET and others) or an exemption; transcripts covering grades 9–11 and 12th-grade work in progress with translations; proof of financial responsibility; CSS Profile if you want need-based aid
• The China transcript list is in section 6; Gaokao use is not published

Before and after arrival:

• Complete the placement exams your program requires on time (24 June for fall 2026 entry; check 2027); AP scores do not replace them unless taken in sophomore or junior year
• Choose one of the six concentrations; no tuition is billed in a co-op term

Transfer students:

• Fall priority 15 April, winter 15 October, spring 15 January (labelled 2026–2027; check); college-level Biology I and II (other sciences may be considered)

Sources: Drexel University, Biology department; Biology degrees; Biological Sciences BS program; Placement exams; AP/IB credit; Application overview; First-year instructions; Admission prerequisites; Deadlines; Testing policy; International instructions; International transcript requirements; International FAQ; Transfer instructions; Transfer prerequisites; Transfer deadlines; Undergraduate financing; Tuition and costs. The first-year aid page names fall 2027 for its merit-scholarship ranges; most other application pages print no year, and the transfer deadlines page is labelled for the 2026–2027 academic year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry and see the University’s website for the latest.