How to Apply to Biology at Brigham Young University: Biology, Bioinformatics, Biological Science Education and Biodiversity & Conservation in the College of Life Sciences, an Ecclesiastical Endorsement for Every Applicant, Tuition by Church Membership, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Brigham Young University (BYU), in Provo, is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the “Church” below). Undergraduate biology is taught by the Department of Biology in the College of Life Sciences. This guide follows BYU Enrollment Services and the department’s website and covers domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. Where the official pages say nothing, we write “not published” or “not stated in the pages we read” and point you to where to check. BYU also has separate departments such as Microbiology and Molecular Biology and Neuroscience, and medicine, pharmacy and nursing degrees sit elsewhere; they are outside this guide, so see BYU’s website. Biochemistry is taught by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, whose pages we read mention only “an undergraduate degree in chemistry or biochemistry” without degree names or requirements.

1. Degrees and tracks

• The department’s four undergraduate majors: the department lists Biology, Biodiversity & Conservation, Biological Science Education and Bioinformatics. Its advisement page says students in all four meet with the same department academic advisor.
• Biology major: described as giving a strong general foundation in the life sciences, from molecular biology to ecosystems, with foundational training in evolutionary biology and the diversity of plants, animals or both. It is the department’s most flexible major, with diverse electives that allow specialization or preparation for graduate or professional school. The page says it can prepare students for graduate study in molecular biology, genetics, ecology, evolutionary biology, conservation biology and other subdisciplines, and for medical, dental or other professional schools; graduates may also work as biologists in state and federal agencies, nongovernment organizations or research laboratories.
• Bioinformatics major: described as interdisciplinary between the biological sciences and the physical and mathematical sciences, emphasizing the integration of computer science with genetics and molecular biology and giving a foundation in mathematics, statistics, programming, database design and operating systems management, for students with dual interests in computer science and biology; the page shows charts of alumni occupations and graduate degrees.
• Biological Science Education major: the page we read has an introductory video and no written description; ask the department’s advisor for details.
• Biodiversity & Conservation major: listed by the department; the pages we read do not describe it in detail.
• Graduation maps and required courses: the Biology major page points to the “catalog description and graduation map” in BYU’s course catalog; the pages we read give no course lists or credit totals, so see the catalog and the department’s advisement page. The page warns pre-medical, pre-dental, PA, PT and other pre-professional students not to follow the graduation map in the catalog but to make an appointment with the Biology academic advisor to create a personalized plan that fits professional-school application and testing timelines.

2. How admission works: admitted to BYU first, major details after enrollment

• You are admitted to the university: the pages we read do not describe a separate departmental admission process or seat limit for biology; the application goes to the university. International applicants must choose an intended major when applying and may change it later; whether domestic applicants must choose one is not stated in the pages we read.
• Changing in after enrolling: the department’s advisement page says students who are not current majors in the department cannot book online and must call the main office; adding a double major or minor goes through the Life Science Advisement website, whose conditions are not described in the pages we read.
• Advisement: the department has an academic advisor plus faculty advisors for each major (Biology, Bioinformatics, Biological Science Education, Biodiversity & Conservation); the page lists graduation maps for an ecology/evolutionary research track and pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-vet, pre-PA, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy and pre-anesthesiologist-assistant tracks.

3. Prerequisites, course choices and AP/IB credit

• High school courses: the preparation page says BYU has no specific course requirements, recommends the most rigorous courses you can succeed in (AP, IB, honors, concurrent enrollment), and notes that many U.S. universities expect four years of mathematics, four of English, two to three of laboratory science, two of history or government and two or more of a foreign language. Any further high school requirements for biology are not published.
• First-year courses: the pages we read do not give the department’s required-course list or first-year prerequisites; see the “catalog description and graduation map” in BYU’s course catalog and the department advisor.
• AP and IB credit: Enrollment Services says AP scores of 3 to 5 may earn BYU credit and IB scores of 5 to 7 may earn credit, depending on when the exam was taken; the granting tables (AP Guide 2027, IB Guide 2014–2026) are PDFs whose subject-by-subject content is not in the pages we read, so see the AP and IB credit page. Whether such credit can replace required biology major courses is not stated in the pages we read.
• Biology competitions: the pages we read do not say how competitions such as the Biology Olympiad are viewed in admissions.

4. Timeline and materials

• Freshman applicants, fall 2027: the application opens on 26 August 2026; the priority deadline is 2 November 2026 and the final deadline 15 December 2026, with decisions on 15 February 2027. The page says meeting the priority deadline brings no earlier decision but gives extra consideration in the holistic review; all deadlines are 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time. Freshmen who want scholarship consideration must also submit the BYU scholarship application by 2 January.
• Fee and process: the application is online; the international applicant FAQ says the fee is $35 and that after paying you must return and click “Submit Application.” Admissions says the application can take four to six weeks to complete and all materials must be received before submitting; the criteria are the same for every entry term, and no term is easier than another. BYU does not admit applicants who will be younger than 17 on the first day of class.
• Ecclesiastical Endorsement: required of all applicants and made up of two interviews that review the Honor Code and the applicant’s efforts to grow spiritually. Church members meet their bishop and stake president; applicants who are not members may do the first interview with a bishop of the Church or a leader of their own faith, and the second with the BYU chaplain. Applicants who did not attend seminary or institute can still apply and explain their situation in the application.
• Recommendations: freshmen may need up to three, depending on circumstances: a seminary recommendation if currently in seminary; an academic recommendation from a teacher of a math, English, science or social science class in the junior or senior year, if you attended high school in the last three years; and an “other” recommendation from a non-relative, required of everyone. Recommendations can only be submitted on the form BYU emails to the recommender. BYU does not say the academic recommendation must come from a biology teacher.
• Essays and activity: freshmen answer five essay prompts (1,500 characters each, one with an added 500-character short answer) and describe one meaningful activity (a 300-character description plus a 1,500-character explanation); transfer applicants write one more essay on why they are transferring.
• Standardized tests: the ACT/SAT page says scores are optional for most applicants through winter 2028; BYU follows a “Do No Harm” approach, using a score if it strengthens the application and ignoring it if not. Only single-sitting scores are accepted, not superscores. Whether a score is required is shown by the application after you complete the transcript section.
• Review and admit data: BYU says there is no secret formula; every application gets holistic review of coursework, essays and activity and recommendations, and of whether the applicant aligns with the four Aims of a BYU education (spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, lifelong learning and service). The entrance stats page (spring/summer/fall 2026): 14,067 freshman applicants, 9,870 admitted (70.2%); the middle 50% of admitted freshmen had a GPA of 3.86 to 4.00, ACT 28 to 32 and SAT 1300 to 1430, and 57% of admitted applicants chose to have a score considered. The page stresses that no GPA or score guarantees admission.
• Choosing a major: the international FAQ says all international students must choose an intended major when applying, and can change it later; whether domestic applicants must choose one is not stated in the pages we read.

5. Domestic applicants

• Tuition (2026–27, undergraduate): the tuition page sets rates by membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, not by state of residence. For fall/winter charges, 12 or more credit hours cost $3,548 for Church members and $7,096 for non-members; 9 to 11.5 credit hours cost $3,372 and $6,744; 1 to 8.5 credit hours cost $376 and $752 per credit. For spring/summer charges, 6 or more credit hours cost $1,774 and $3,548. The page says BYU is a non-profit corporation affiliated with the Church and that members pay lower tuition because of the tithes of Church members, a practice it compares to state universities charging nonresidents more; students baptized at any time during the semester or term count as members. Housing, food, books and other costs are not itemized in the pages we read; see the Enrollment Services tuition and financial aid pages.
• Scholarships: freshmen must submit the BYU scholarship application by 2 January to be considered; amounts and eligibility for individual scholarships are not given in the pages we read, so see the Enrollment Services scholarship pages.
• In-state priority or guaranteed admission: not stated in the pages we read.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: BYU defines an international applicant as one who needs a visa or documents to enter the United States, and says applicants who have lived outside the U.S. may face similar requirements. The FAQ says applicants who have or need an F-1 or J-1 visa choose the “International” citizenship option.
• Academic documents and evaluation: Enrollment Services says all secondary, pre-university and college work completed outside the U.S. (not U.S.-accredited) must be evaluated by an international credential evaluation agency at the applicant’s expense; BYU accepts evaluations from IERF and TEC (formerly SpanTran). Do not send international transcripts directly to BYU, since improperly evaluated ones are discarded. BYU treats grades 9 to 12 as secondary school (ninth grade records are optional where ninth grade is not high school, and a 13th year must be included if completed); if the final year is still in progress, records for that year and final exam results are not required. A completed IB Diploma may be evaluated or self-reported through the BYU international admissions representative. The freshman page adds that only official transcripts from U.S.-accredited schools are accepted without an evaluation.
• Minimum English scores (from the winter 2027 application cycle): section scores and the overall score must both meet the minimums. TOEFL iBT—taken before 21 January 2026: 20 in each section and 80 overall; taken on or after 21 January 2026, on the new scale: 4 in each section and 4 overall (MyBest accepted, TOEFL Essentials not accepted). IELTS Academic: 6 in each section and 6.5 overall (One Skill Retake accepted, IELTS Indicator not accepted). PTE Academic: 60 in each section and 60 overall. Cambridge B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: 172 in each section and 180 for Use of English and overall. Scores expire after two years. TOEFL institution code 4019; Cambridge code 639. The application tells you after the personal information section whether you need an English test; meeting the minimum does not guarantee admission.
• English waivers: for BYU undergraduate applicants only and decided case by case in a holistic review; factors include a high school (and college) GPA of at least 3.5, five to seven years of residence in listed countries and territories (including Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States), at least four years at an international school with an English-only curriculum with a GPA of 3.5 or higher, and the quality of essays and communications with admissions.
• International scholarships: international students can be considered for the general scholarships offered through the Financial Aid Office; new freshmen entering spring, summer or fall must submit the scholarship application by 2 January, and new or former students starting winter semester by 1 August.
• Costs: tuition is set by Church membership for all students (see above). The pages we read give no separate tuition or living-cost figures for international students and do not describe proof-of-funds requirements; see Enrollment Services’ international pages and immigration information.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not say whether the gaokao is considered; this is not published there. Contact BYU’s international admissions coordinator.
• Ecclesiastical Endorsement: the international FAQ says that applicants from mainland China, or from any area where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable reaching out to a member of the Church, should contact the International Admissions Coordinator.
• Transcripts and evaluation: schools in China are not U.S.-accredited, so secondary school records go through an IERF or TEC evaluation sent to BYU, as described above; do not send originals directly to BYU. The pages we read do not describe requirements for Chinese school-exam documents.
• English and tests: see the English requirements above; ACT/SAT are optional for most applicants, and Enrollment Services says international applicants follow the same policy as freshmen and transfers.
• International curricula: AP scores of 3 to 5 and IB scores of 5 to 7 may earn BYU credit; see the prerequisites section.

8. Undergraduate research, funding and outcomes

• Mentored research: the department strongly encourages all majors to start as soon as they can: find what sparks your curiosity, find a professor who shares it, and read up on their research before contacting them. Not every lab has funding; Mentored Research (BIO 494R) or Introduction to Mentored Research (BIO 194) are ways to start, professors often eventually pay students, and in rare cases do not; the College Undergraduate Research Awards (CURA) are grants given exclusively to undergraduates. Topics include ecology, evolution, education, entomology, plant biology, biodiversity/conservation and bioinformatics/genetics.
• Experiential learning funds and scholarships: the department lists an Experiential Learning Funds application (any time), a College of Life Sciences Internship Travel Grant application (any time), a Department Scholarship application (due 2 January each year) and a University Scholarship application (due 2 January each year). Amounts are not given in the pages we read.
• Outcomes: the pages we read give no employment figures for biology, only the possible directions described above; the bioinformatics page shows alumni occupation and graduate degree charts as images without numbers in the text.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts as a transfer student: Enrollment Services says high school graduates with at least 0.5 graded college credit completed after graduation; students who only took college credit while in high school (concurrent enrollment) are treated as freshmen, and BYU does not offer a second bachelor’s degree.
• Two cases: with fewer than 24 graded college credits, submit official transcripts for all college work and self-report high school work in the application (the system tells you whether an ACT or SAT score is required); with 24 or more graded credits, submit official transcripts for all college work. AP, IB and Cambridge credits, ungraded or pass/fail credits, and credit from non-accredited institutions do not count as graded credit.
• Deadlines (fall 2027): the application opens on 26 August 2026 and there are two deadlines, 15 December 2026 and 1 June 2027; the page says transfer applicants who meet the earlier deadline receive a decision by 15 February 2027, and lists 28 June 2027 as the notification date for the other. Transfer students who want scholarship consideration must apply for admission by 15 December and submit the scholarship application by 2 January.
• Materials: one extra essay on why you are transferring; only one “other” recommendation is required. International transfers have college and secondary work completed outside the U.S. evaluated by IERF or TEC, with the report sent to BYU.
• Credit transfer: Enrollment Services has a separate transfer credit policy page whose rules are not given in the pages we read; AP scores of 3 to 5 and IB scores of 5 to 7 may earn credit depending on when the exam was taken.
• Department-specific transfer information: the pages we read give no Biology requirements for transfer students (such as GPA or prerequisite sequences); ask the department advisor.

Sources: Brigham Young University, Biology: biology major; Biology: advisement; Biology: research; Biology: biological science education major; Biology: experiential learning funds and scholarships; Biology: bioinformatics major; Colleges and departments; Freshman applicants; Application deadlines; Preparation recommendations; What we look for; Entrance stats; Essays and activity; ACT/SAT scores; International students; International: how to apply; International applicant FAQs; Evaluating international work; English proficiency requirement; Transfer applicants; Tuition; International student scholarships; AP and IB exam guides. Costs are the 2026-27 figures shown; check Brigham Young University for the latest details.