How to Apply to Biology at Kent State University: A Bachelor of Science in Biology in the Department of Biological Sciences with Molecular and Cellular, Organismal, Plant and Pre-Health Concentrations, Plus a B.A. and Related Science Degrees, Test-Optional, with Admission Rules and Prerequisites for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

Undergraduate biology at Kent State University in Ohio is offered by the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Sciences and Humanities; this guide covers the Kent Campus. Based on Kent State’s website, it covers domestic students, international students (including a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students. Chemistry, physics and mathematics are not covered here; the B.S. in Biochemistry belongs to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and gets only this one mention. Health degrees such as Medical Laboratory Science, and medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and veterinary degrees, are outside this guide, so see the website for them.

1. Degrees and concentrations

• Bachelor of Science in Biology: the program page says a minimum of 120 credit hours with four concentrations: Molecular and Cellular Biology (biological processes within and between cells, gene expression and regulation), Organismal Biology (organisms in their natural environment, survival and adaptation up to whole ecosystems), Plant Biology, and Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry/Pre-Dentistry (the courses needed for admission to advanced degree programs in healthcare and biomedical science professions).
• Bachelor of Arts in Biology: for students interested in biology who also want a strong liberal arts component, with a basic background in biology and room for classes in other disciplines; it has an optional Animal Ecology concentration for students interested in animals and their environments who do not plan to apply to veterinary school.
• Other biological science B.S. degrees: Zoology (the page says it is for students interested in going to veterinary school, covering animals from genes to ecosystems); Neuroscience (cell and molecular mechanisms through cognition and behavior, with an optional Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry concentration); Environmental and Conservation Biology (two concentrations, Conservation Biology and Environmental Policy and Management); and Biotechnology (administered jointly with the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry). The department’s overview text also lists a “B.S. in Plant Biology”, but the program menu has no such page and the Biology B.S. page treats Plant Biology as a concentration; the two statements differ, so check the current pages.
• Biochemistry: the B.S. in Biochemistry is offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and is not covered here; see that department’s pages.
• Required major courses (Biology B.S. page): Biological Diversity (BSCI 10110), Biological Foundations (BSCI 10120), Elements of Genetics (BSCI 30156), Evolution (BSCI 40163), Writing in the Biological Sciences (BSCI 40600, minimum grade C), General Chemistry I and II laboratories, Basic Organic Chemistry I or Organic Chemistry I, and Calculus I (MATH 12002); each concentration then adds about 61 credit hours (the Molecular and Cellular concentration includes Cell Biology and Molecular Biology, for example). The B.S. in the College of Sciences and Humanities also requires 8 credit hours of a foreign language and the Kent Core. The minimum major and overall GPAs are both 2.000.
• First-year common courses and labs: the Molecular and Cellular Biology roadmap starts with Biological Diversity (with lab), the General Chemistry I laboratory and a general chemistry elective; semester two has Biological Foundations, the General Chemistry II laboratory and a general chemistry elective; later come Cell Biology, organic chemistry and Calculus I. The full course lists and roadmaps for each concentration are on the program page.
• Research and internships: the department page says there are 35+ active research labs, and most include undergraduates; see section 9.

2. How admission works and declaring the major

• University or college: the program page’s admission text is the general university text: you apply to the Kent Campus, reviewed on cumulative GPA, curriculum strength and grade trends. The pages read do not say that biology has its own admission line or limit; this is not published.
• When to declare, conditions, internal transfer: the pages read do not state when biology majors declare or any course or GPA conditions. This is not published; ask a college advisor (the department page has a Schedule a College Advising Appointment link).
• Contact: the department’s undergraduate office is at 330-672-3613, kentbiology@kent.edu.

3. First-year requirements and prerequisites

• How admission works: first-year admission to the Kent Campus is selective; the site says decisions are based on cumulative GPA, the strength of your high school college-preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses, whose first-year admission is open to anyone with a high school diploma or equivalent. This guide covers the Kent Campus.
• High school courses: the site lists the college-preparatory curriculum recommended by the Ohio State Board of Education: 4 units of English (emphasis on composition), 4 of mathematics (Algebra I, II and Geometry, with at least Algebra II complete), 3 of science, 3 of social studies, 2 of foreign language and 1 of the arts (or an additional unit of foreign language). The pages read set no higher GPA or high school biology or calculus requirement for biology majors (the majors with their own minimums include aerospace engineering, architecture, cybersecurity engineering, education, fashion, interior design, mechatronics engineering, nursing and speech pathology and audiology, but not biology).
• Test-optional: Kent State is test-optional; first-year and transfer applicants are not required to submit the SAT or ACT. The application asks whether you want test scores considered, and once you choose you cannot change it online. Codes: SAT 1367, ACT 3284.
• AP / IB credit: the pages read do not say which required courses AP or IB science or math scores replace. This is not published; ask the department’s undergraduate office or a college advisor.
• Honors College: applicants for any major may take part in the Honors College program; criteria are reviewed after admission and qualifying students are invited to apply with an essay.
• Math starting point: the pages read do not describe a math placement test; the Molecular and Cellular Biology roadmap starts with Biological Diversity and a general chemistry lab in the first term, with Calculus I in the third, so confirm your course choices with a college advisor.

4. How and when to apply (2027 entry)

• Application: you can use the Kent State Application or the Common App, whichever you prefer. The application fee is $50 (non-refundable) for out-of-state students and $70 (non-refundable) for international applicants.
• First-year dates (the site prints no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027): application opens August 1; priority deadline November 1; merit scholarship deadline January 15; National College Decision Day May 1. The application and all materials must be submitted seven days before the start of the semester.
• Transcripts: official transcripts must be sent directly by your school; current high school students’ transcripts should include at least three years of coursework.
• International deadlines (no year printed, so check that they apply to 2027 entry): October 1 for the spring semester and June 1 for the fall semester; the site also says late applications are accepted but recommends applying early.
• Essays and recommendations: the pages read do not mention an essay or recommendation requirement for first-year applicants (the Honors College application includes an essay). This is not published; follow the application system.
• Science competitions: the pages read do not say how biology competitions are viewed in admission.

5. Domestic students

• Tuition (2026-2027, Kent Campus, Golden Guarantee plan): per semester at 12–18 credit hours, $6,924.20 for Ohio residents and $12,149.00 for non-Ohio residents. The site’s two-semester at-a-glance estimate: Ohio residents, tuition $13,848.40 plus food and housing $14,360, total $28,208.40; non-Ohio residents, tuition $24,298 plus food and housing $14,360, total $38,658. Program and special course fees are additional (the pages read list no program fee for biology majors), and each credit hour above 18 costs another $629.06.
• Golden Guarantee: the site says that for eligible students, the Ohio resident undergraduate tuition rate, career services fee and room and board plan charges will not increase for the duration of the applicable cohort.
• Scholarships: first-year students from Ohio and from outside Ohio are automatically considered for various merit scholarships, and transfer students are considered for merit scholarships after admission. The scholarships page says the requirements for these include being a U.S. citizen, being admitted to a bachelor’s degree-granting major and planning to enroll full-time on the Kent Campus. Amounts and criteria are on separate pages that this guide did not read.
• Priority or guaranteed admission for state residents: not mentioned in the pages read. This is not published.

6. International students

• Education level and GPA: international first-year applicants must finish secondary school in their home country by enrollment; anyone who has enrolled in a post-secondary institution applies as a transfer student. The site gives the minimum for first-year applicants as a 2.5 GPA on the U.S. 4.0 scale; those who want a program whose selective requirements they do not meet may be considered for the pre-major. International applicants also do not need to submit SAT or ACT scores.
• English minimums (undergraduate; one of the following): TOEFL iBT 71 (including Home Edition; MyBest scores not accepted); revised paper-based TOEFL 18 (average score); IELTS Academic or IELTS Indicator 6.0; Duolingo 100; PTE Academic 48; completion of the Kent State ESL Center Level 8 intensive English program with at least a 3.75/4.0 GPA; ELS Level 112 completion; SAT evidence-based reading and writing of at least 510; or ACT English of at least 21. The TOEFL institution code is 1367.
• Conditional admission: undergraduate applicants who do not meet the minimum language score may be admitted conditionally if they meet the academic requirements; they take English classes at the ESL Center before entering their program.
• English waivers: the waiver page lists countries and territories that are mostly English-speaking (for example Australia, Canada except Quebec, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Singapore for English-medium education only); China is not on the list. Other exemptions include an SAT evidence-based reading and writing score of at least 510 or an ACT English score of at least 21; IB English A at least 5 at higher level (6 at standard level); an A, B or C in Cambridge O-Level, A-Level, GCSE or IGCSE English Language (First Language); and three years of full-time study at a U.S. secondary school.
• Documents: the online application and fee ($70); a copy of your passport biographical page; English proficiency scores; your secondary school graduation certificate and transcripts (certified English translation plus the original language); and any extra documents a major requires. Financial documents (bank statements showing enough funds for education and living expenses) are only required after acceptance; if a sponsor pays, a Kent State Affidavit of Financial Support is used. After admission you must bring your final official transcript and diploma to International Admissions within the first semester or your account is put on hold.
• 2026-2027 costs for an international undergraduate: tuition $24,298 (12–18 hours, two semesters) and living expenses $14,360. For medical insurance and books and supplies, the tuition page says $3,704 for a $42,362 total, while the international aid page’s estimate says $3,935 for a $42,593 total; the two differ, so check the current pages. International students must buy the university’s health insurance (a waiver may be requested if you meet the criteria) and pay a $20 International Student Activity Fee each semester. For an I-20, proof of $4,500 is needed for a spouse or first dependent and $2,500 for each additional dependent.
• Global Scholarship: considered automatically for admitted international undergraduates on the Kent Campus (F-1, first-year or transfer); no separate application. By U.S.-scale GPA: 3.70 and above, $12,000 a year; 3.6–3.69, $10,000; 3.5–3.59, $7,000; 3.49 and below, $4,300. It renews; first-year students can receive it for eight semesters. Renewal requires continuous full-time in-person enrollment that meets immigration requirements on the Kent Campus and good academic standing. To be eligible you must be admitted by July 1 for fall, November 1 for spring or March 1 for summer. For students admitted to the Honors College, the Global Scholarship table lists $15,000 a year plus an Honors Scholarship of $2,000, and the Honors section lists $17,000 for Honors admission with a Global Scholarship at a 3.70 GPA or above. Honors Scholarship applications (new freshmen only) are due December 1 for spring and January 15 for fall. The site stresses that international scholarships are partial and do not cover full tuition, fees and living expenses.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages read do not say whether Gaokao results are used or what score is needed. This is not published; check with International Admissions.
• Transcripts: the international transcript page asks applicants from China to upload their 10th, 11th and 12th grade transcripts and graduation certificate, in English and in the native language; those who have not graduated upload the coursework taken so far. Whether huikao (academic proficiency test) records are needed is not published.
• Tests and English: international applicants also need no SAT or ACT; English requirements are in the previous section, and China is not on the waiver list. No A-Level or IB admission scores are published.
• Interview and contacts: the pages read mention no interview requirement; undergraduate admissions is at 1-800-988-5368 and international admissions at 330-672-7970.

8. Transfer students

• Requirements: transfer admission to the Kent Campus is also selective; anyone who attended an educational institution after high school applies as a transfer student; the minimum cumulative GPA is 2.0 on a 4.0 scale; the application fee is $50 for out-of-state students. The transfer page lists extra requirements only for programs such as aerospace engineering, architecture, business, cybersecurity engineering and nursing, and none for biology. This is not published for biology; ask a college advisor.
• Materials: official transcripts from every college attended, even if you think the credit will not transfer; applicants with fewer than 12 semester hours of college coursework (not counting credit earned in high school) also send a high school transcript; test scores are optional. The application and all materials are due seven days before the semester starts.
• Credit transfer: college-level courses at a regionally accredited Ohio institution transfer with a D or better if taken in fall 2005 or later; courses at accredited non-Ohio institutions and international credit transfer with a D or better if taken in fall 2010 or later (earlier courses need a C or better). Kent State offers the Flash Credit Estimator. Whether a given biology course counts toward the major is not stated in the pages read.
• International transfer students: transcripts from schools outside the U.S. can be uploaded to the portal, with an official translation if not in English, and the final transcript and diploma must be presented after admission. The Global Scholarship is also open to transfer students, for up to eight semesters depending on the credits transferred.

9. Costs, undergraduate research and outcomes

• Costs: see sections 5 and 6. Laboratory or program fees for biology courses are not listed in the pages read; rely on your Kent State bill and the University Fee Register.
• Department scholarships and awards: the department page lists undergraduate awards including the Dorcas J. Anderson Faculty Scholarship Award (zoology majors, 3.5 GPA), the Biological Sciences Pre-Medicine Award (seniors, 3.5 GPA), the Ralph W. Dexter Faculty Scholarship Award (seniors, 3.5 GPA), the James Rinier Conservation Scholarship (junior or senior conservation majors, U.S. citizens), the Hobbs Scholarship (biology or botany, academic merit and financial need, 3.0 GPA), the Cooke and Andreas Scholarship (botany or environmental and conservation biology, sophomores and above, 3.0 GPA) and the Dr. & Mrs. Robert W. Squires Scholarship Award (environmental microbiology, biotechnology or similar, 3.0 GPA), among others; the page says calls for applications come at the start of the spring semester. Whether most of these are open to international students is not stated (one explicitly requires U.S. citizenship), so this is not published.
• Undergraduate research: the department page says there are 35+ active research labs and most include undergraduates, with faculty in Biological Sciences and at NEOMED taking new student researchers. You can contact lab groups, your faculty advisor, the university’s Office of Student Research or the department’s undergraduate research advisor (BSCIresearch@kent.edu). BSCI 20196 Introduction to Individual Investigation is for students with at least 8 credit hours of biology (S/U graded); BSCI 40196 Undergraduate Individual Investigation is a more advanced, letter-graded research course; the Senior Honors Thesis is registered through the Honors College.
• Internships: students find their own internship partners; they may be paid or unpaid, during the academic year or summer, and can earn academic credit with departmental approval (BSCI 40192).
• Study abroad: the department page says it works with the college and the Office of Global Education to offer study abroad for majors in Italy (the Florence Summer Institute and a spring semester in Florence), Costa Rica, South Africa, Australia and the Galápagos, with courses taught as Kent State BSCI classes.
• Outcomes: the department home page says the degrees prepare students to enter the workforce or attend graduate or professional school; the Zoology page lists employers such as national and local parks, zoos and aquaria, museums and animal research facilities; the Environmental and Conservation Biology page lists wildlife ecologists, environmental educators, forest managers and environmental consultants. The pages read give no placement rates or salary figures.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Complete 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II) and 3 science units; the Kent Campus reviews GPA and course rigor, and tests are optional
• Apply by the November 1 priority deadline (check that it applies to 2027) and by January 15 for merit scholarships
• Before enrolling, confirm the degree type (B.A. or B.S.), concentration and first-term courses with a college advisor

International students (including applicants from China):

• A 2.5 U.S.-scale GPA; prepare IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 71; applicants from China upload 10th–12th grade transcripts and graduation certificate in English and the native language
• Apply by June 1 for fall (check the year), be considered automatically for the Global Scholarship, and ask International Admissions about Gaokao use

Transfer students:

• A 2.0 cumulative GPA and transcripts from every college; use the Flash Credit Estimator and ask a college advisor which biology courses transfer

Sources: Kent State University, Biological Sciences undergraduate programs; Biology B.S.; Biology B.A.; Zoology B.S.; Neuroscience B.S.; Environmental and Conservation Biology B.S.; Biotechnology B.S.; Biological Sciences awards and scholarships; Research opportunities and internships in biology; Biology study abroad; First-year requirements; International first-year requirements; English requirement waivers; International transcript requirements; Transfer requirements; Tuition and fees; International student aid and tuition; International scholarship resources; Scholarships. Costs are for 2026-2027; most admission-page deadlines carry no year, so check that they apply to fall 2027 entry. Check Kent State for the latest details.