How to Apply to Biology at Kansas State University: In the College of Arts and Sciences, BA or BS, with Seven BS Sub-Plans, for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Kansas State University (K-State) is in Manhattan, Kansas. Undergraduate biology is offered by the Division of Biology, whose office is at 116 Ackert Hall (Biology@ksu.edu). Here is what you need to know, based on the University’s website, for US domestic applicants, international applicants (including those from Chinese high schools) and transfer students. Biochemistry, chemistry, physics, agriculture and animal sciences, pre-health preparation and other majors are not covered here beyond a passing mention where they overlap with biology.

1. Degrees and directions in biology

• College: the Division of Biology’s breadcrumb places it under Arts and Sciences, and the College’s departments directory lists Biology.
• Degrees: the biology major page says you can earn a B.A. or a B.S. It says students build a curriculum around one of six focus areas: human health biology, animal biology, plant biology, cellular and molecular biology, ecology and evolutionary biology, and integrative biology, and that the major prepares students for careers in human and animal health, research and science education. The BS requirements PDF, however, lists seven sub-plans: those six plus Computational Biology (40 credits). The page and the PDF differ slightly, so confirm with the Division.
• BA requirements (Fall 2025 curriculum PDF; 120 credits, 45 of them at 300 level or higher): the K-State Core (35 credits); BIOL 100 Biology First-year Orientation (1); a 9-credit outside concentration; required biology courses BIOL 198 Principles of Biology (4), BIOL 398 Principles of Genetics (4), evolution (BIOL 520 or 521) and ecology (BIOL 263 or 529); chemistry CHM 210 and 230 (4 each); biochemistry and organic chemistry (BIOCH 265, or CHM 350+351, or CHM 531+532); mathematics (MATH 100, 150 or 220, 3-4 credits); physics (PHYS 113, 115 or 213); 15 credits of biology electives; restricted electives in humanities, fine arts and social science (3 credits each); and a second-language requirement (3-16 credits, three ways to meet it, including meeting the English proficiency admission standard for students whose first language is not English).
• BS requirements (same PDF): the K-State Core (35 credits); BIOL 100; a 9-credit outside concentration; BIOL 198, 398 and evolution (BIOL 520 or 521); CHM 210 and 230; organic chemistry (CHM 350 or 531 with the matching lab); BIOCH 521 General Biochemistry; MATH 220 Calculus I; PHYS 113 and 114; one course (3-4 credits) from CC 110/111, CC 210, CIS 200, MATH 221, MATH 551, MATH 615, STAT 225, 240, 701 or 703; 26-40 credits of a sub-plan and biology electives; and restricted electives in arts/humanities and social sciences (3 credits each). Each sub-plan’s core courses (for example BIOL 221, 513 and 541 for Animal Biology, BIOL 255, 541 and 580 for Cellular and Molecular Biology, or BIOL 734 and several computing courses for Computational Biology) are listed in the PDF.
• Minor: the Division’s advising page mentions a biology minor and a minor adviser; the minor’s course requirements are not published in the pages read.

2. Admission route: apply to the University, or to the major

• The admissions “majors with different requirements” table (updated 4 March 2026) does not list biology, and no separate admission line or capacity is published for it; you apply to the University.
• When to declare biology and whether grades or capacity conditions apply are not stated in the pages read; the Division says it has a Director of Undergraduate Studies and several academic advisers who help with goal setting, career planning, schedules, and finding research or internships.
• Conditions for moving into biology from another major are not stated in the pages read.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school coursework: the pages read state no high school prerequisites for biology and describe no placement test; this is not published there, so ask the Division and admissions.
• Foundation courses after entry: the requirements sheets recommend BIOL 198 Principles of Biology (4 credits) as the K-State Core natural science with lab, and MATH 220 (BS) or MATH 100/150/220 (BA) for mathematics. Chemistry starts at CHM 210 and 230; prerequisites for BIOL 198 or CHM 210 are not stated in the pages read.
• AP, IB and exam credit: the AP page says scores of 2 and 1 earn no credit, most courses require 3 or higher, credit is recorded as credit only and does not enter the K-State GPA, and minimum scores are set at state level. Which course AP or IB biology maps to is in the University’s test-credit lookup, whose table is not published in the pages read; check the website.
• Research, internship and graduation requirements: the requirements sheets do not list a thesis as required; BIOL 695 (Internship in Biology) and BIOL 698 (Research in Biology) appear among options in some sub-plans.
• Honors: the pages read do not describe a biology honors programme.
• Competitions: the website does not say how biology competitions are viewed in admission.

4. How to apply, dates and testing

• How to apply: the University’s online application or the Common App (the Common App opens on 1 August for students entering their senior year). Submitting the application automatically triggers a review for general university scholarships.
• Priority dates (scholarship priority-dates page, no year shown, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): domestic freshmen, 1 December for both fall and spring; domestic transfer students, 1 May for fall and 1 December for spring; international freshmen and transfer students, 1 May for fall and 1 December for spring. To be considered for scholarships you must apply for admission by the date; later applicants may still receive awards, but not guaranteed, until funds are exhausted.
• Application fee: $80 for international applicants, non-refundable (credit card, money order or bank draft, or Flywire in local currency). The fee for US applicants is not stated in the pages read; see the apply page.
• Essays and recommendations: the pages read do not mention an additional essay or recommendation for biology; this is not published there, so confirm with admissions.
• Testing and high school requirements: the pages read do not say whether test scores are required, or give a minimum GPA or high school course requirement for freshmen; this is not published there, so check the admissions pages and ask admissions. The scholarships page says a recent GPA is needed for scholarship review (submitted with the application or as an official transcript), and recommends providing ACT/SAT scores so you can be evaluated for maximum scholarships.
• Majors with different requirements: the admissions table (updated 4 March 2026) lists architecture and design programmes, the College of Engineering (selective for domestic freshmen and transfers), music (audition), the College of Business Administration (transfer GPA 2.5), psychology (transfer GPA 2.5) and the professional pilot programme. Biology is not in the table, and no separate admission line for it is published.

5. US domestic applicants: scholarships and costs

• University scholarships: the scholarships page says applying for admission means you are automatically considered, with no extra forms or essays; apply by the priority date and provide your most recent GPA; you can self-report GPA and test scores for a provisional offer, but official scores must arrive by 1 April. US high school seniors who want an upgrade must send an updated transcript and official ACT/SAT by 1 April; information received after 1 April is not used for freshman awards. The final high school transcript is due by 1 July.
• Competitive scholarships: incoming domestic freshmen can also apply for competitive scholarships; supplemental applications are due 15 December. On the K-State Scholarship Network (KSN), incoming domestic freshmen apply by 1 February; transfer students and all international students by 15 March.
• Kansas residents: the admissions page says resident tuition classification is determined by Kansas statutes and Board of Regents regulations; the pages read do not give home-state priority or guaranteed admission terms, and this is not published there.
• Costs: tuition, housing and fees (including the resident and non-resident rates) are not in the pages read; this is not published there, so check the Office of Student Financial Assistance cost pages for the 2027-28 figures.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: everyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident. The website says the University has more than 2,000 international students, scholars and faculty from more than 100 countries, and that you can start as a freshman or transfer student.
• Steps (international step-by-step guide): apply online (about 30 minutes); pay the $80 fee; submit transcripts for all previous academic coursework (high school and any university, college, vocational, community college or technical study), with an English translation plus a copy in the original language if not in English, and failure to submit all transcripts can result in denial of admission or dismissal; send a passport copy; to get an I-20, submit the Affidavit of Financial Support and bank statement showing the ability to pay for one academic year; send PDFs to international@k-state.edu; evaluation takes about two weeks.
• Grade requirements for international freshmen: the pages read publish no GPA threshold; this is not published there, so ask admissions.
• English (English proficiency page): English proficiency is not required for admission, but you must meet the standards before you enrol in courses. To waive English classes, submit scores no more than two years old: IELTS 6.5; TOEFL 79 (tests before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 (tests on or after that date); Duolingo 110; PTE 53; SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 460; ACT English 21; Cambridge B2 First grade A or C1 Advanced grades A-C; AS/A Level English Language C; O Level/IGCSE English Language A; IB Group 1 English A 4 or higher or English B HL 6 or higher; or four years of English at a US high school with grades of C or higher. Otherwise you join the English Language Program (ELP), placed into basic, intermediate or advanced English by the WildCAT test or the on-arrival EPT; depending on your major, English classes may count toward your degree, and whether Biology qualifies is not published.
• Scholarships: international students are also automatically considered for university scholarships (international freshman fall priority date 1 May); KSN profile by 15 March. The competitive scholarships page is for incoming domestic freshmen only.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say how the Gaokao is used, and give no China-specific instructions, interview or accreditation requirements; this is not published there, so contact admissions.
• Transcripts: submit transcripts for all coursework as in section 6, with English translations of non-English documents. Whether school-leaving examination (huikao) materials are needed is not published.
• Exam credit: the AP page says scores of 2 and 1 earn no credit, most courses require a 3 or higher, credit is recorded as credit only and does not enter the K-State GPA, and minimum scores are set at state level. IB and Cambridge A/AS Level credit have their own pages; whether Gaokao results can earn credit is not published.
• English: applicants from China can use any option in section 6 to waive English classes, or be placed by testing after arrival.

8. Costs, scholarships and outcomes

• Division scholarships: departmental scholarships are not published in the pages read; check the Division’s website and the KSN platform. University-level scholarship rules are in section 5.
• Undergraduate research: the Arts and Sciences undergraduate research awards are open to degree-seeking students in any College of Arts and Sciences major: a one-summer or one-semester project with a College faculty mentor, $1,500 per awardee (applied to the financial aid package and refunded if the project is not completed); at least about 100 hours of direct hands-on research, not laboratory support or reading; awardees may enrol in DAS 401 (0-3 credits); deadlines 1 November for spring, 1 March for summer and 1 May for fall projects (no year shown, so check). The awardee list on that page includes several biology and human health biology students mentored by biology faculty. The Division’s own research page is not summarised here; see its website.
• Outcomes: the biology major page says the major prepares students for careers in human and animal health, research and science education; it prints no employment or graduate-school rate.

9. Transfer students

• Who counts: the transfer page says that once you have attempted college credit after high school graduation you are a transfer student (college courses taken during high school do not count); with 24 or more college credit hours you need not submit a high school transcript.
• University-level requirements: a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all transfer coursework; students with fewer than 24 transferable credit hours when they start also need a 3.25 high school GPA or a 21 ACT (1060 SAT). Whether biology asks transfer students for an additional GPA or prerequisite sequence is not in the admissions table, and the department’s requirements are not in the pages read.
• Credit: the unit is the semester hour (1 quarter hour = 0.67 semester hour); a D transfers, but you may need to repeat a foundation or program course; English language courses from international schools are not accepted. No more than 65 hours can come from a community college; up to half of the hours for a bachelor’s degree can be taken at a two-year college; 120 credits to graduate, 45 of them upper-division, at least 30 at K-State and 20 of them in residence. The page also mentions Kansas Board of Regents guaranteed-transfer courses, Reverse Transfer and DirectLink for Kansas community college students.
• Dates and scholarships: transfer priority dates are 1 May for fall and 1 December for spring; KSN profile for transfer students by 15 March; final official college transcripts by 1 July.

Checklist

US domestic applicants:

• Apply by 1 December (scholarship priority date); update grades by 1 April; final transcript by 1 July; KSN profile by 1 February
• Ask the Division about the degree (BA or BS), the sub-plan and the conditions for declaring the major

International applicants (including China):

• Fall priority date 1 May; $80 application fee; transcripts for all coursework (with English translations), passport copy, Affidavit of Financial Support and bank statement
• English: IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 79 (4.5 on the new scale), Duolingo 110 and others waive English classes; whether the Gaokao is considered is not published

After entry:

• 120 credits; BIOL 198 and 398, chemistry CHM 210 and 230, mathematics and physics; the BS also needs a sub-plan

Transfer students:

• Transfer GPA of at least 2.0; with fewer than 24 credits, also a 3.25 high school GPA or ACT 21; at most 65 hours from a community college; fall priority date 1 May

Sources: Kansas State University, , Division of Biology; Biology major; Biology BA requirements (PDF); Biology BS requirements (PDF); Biology: undergraduate advising; College of Arts and Sciences departments; Arts and Sciences undergraduate research awards; Undergraduate apply; Incoming freshmen; International undergraduate admissions; International step-by-step guide; Transcripts; English proficiency; Majors with different requirements; Advanced Placement credit; Transfer requirements; Future transfer students; Future student scholarships; Scholarship priority dates. The priority-date and research-award pages show no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; see K-State’s website for the latest.