How to Apply to Emory University for Undergraduate Biology: Apply to Emory College and Choose a Major by the End of the Second Year, BA and BS Degrees with at Least Eleven Biology Courses, for U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

Emory University is in Atlanta, Georgia. The biology degree is offered by the Department of Biology in Emory College of Arts and Sciences. You apply to the university, not to the department. This article follows Emory’s own pages, with sections for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfer students. Chemistry is not covered here; medicine, nursing and public health are outside the scope of this article, so please see Emory’s website. The biology pages also list a Quantitative Sciences Major and a minor in Science, Culture, and Society, which are not covered here; related majors such as neuroscience are on Emory’s site.

1. Degrees and programmes in biology

• BS and BA: the department says the Bachelor of Science “is intended as preparation for scientific careers in biology or in the health professions” and requires at least 57 credit hours, including a minimum of eleven biology classes totalling 30 hours; the Bachelor of Arts lets students pursue “a typical liberal arts education while still receiving excellent training in biology” and requires at least 38 credit hours, again with at least eleven biology classes totalling 30 hours. The two requirements PDFs (effective for freshmen entering fall 2020 and for students declaring a biology major from fall 2020, updated August 2023) are headed “31 hours of biology minimum (11 or more courses)”, which differs from the 30 hours on the web pages; please rely on the department’s latest guidance.
• Biology courses common to both degrees: BIOL 141 Foundations of Modern Biology I (lecture, 3 hours) and 141L (lab, 2), BIOL 142 Foundations of Modern Biology II (3) and 142L (2); one course from each of three columns — A cell and molecular (for example 223 Developmental Biology, 250 Cell Biology, 264 Genetics: A Human Perspective), B organismal (for example 205 Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy with lab, 240 Organismal Form and Function, 360 Introduction to Neurobiology, 370 Introduction to Microbiology) and C ecology and evolution (for example 241 Evolutionary Biology, 247 Ecology, 329 Coastal Biology with lab); and at least four electives (at least 12 credit hours; 100-level courses and BIOL 497R do not count).
• Additional BS requirements: chemistry 150/150L, 202/202L and 203/203L (or the Z-track equivalents); Physics 141 or 151 with lab; and three maths courses — two semesters of calculus (MATH 111 plus MATH 116; MATH 112 may replace 116 only for a double major and with the biology advisor’s approval) and one semester of statistics (QTM 100; AP Statistics does not substitute). AP Calculus AB credit of up to 4 hours exempts MATH 111, and up to 8 hours of BC exempts MATH 111 and 116 (or 112).
• Additional BA requirements: chemistry 150 plus 150L and 202 plus 202L; the PDF lists no physics or maths requirement, and nothing further is published on the pages read, so please check the department website.
• Other rules (from the PDFs): all required courses must be taken for a letter grade; a C average is required in the major; only one cross-listed course originating in another department may count; one upper-level biology laboratory course is required (for example 205, 224, 247LW, 260, 329, 341LW, 346L, 360L, 370LW, 372, 380, 386, 486, 495A/BW, 499R; the BS and BA lists differ slightly); a maximum of 4 credit hours of BIOL 495A/BW (honors research) or 499R can count as both an elective and the upper-level lab; BIOL 141, 141L, 142 and 142L are prerequisites for most upper-level courses. Biology majors must meet their biology advisor every semester before registration, or an enrolment hold is placed on their OPUS account.
• Three suggested tracks: the department says that, for advising purposes only, it offers three tracks — Integrative Biology, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology — with suggested course schedules.
• Size: the pages read give no figure for the number of biology majors; not published.

2. How admission works: apply to the college, choose a major later

• At application: the first-year application page does not ask for a major or say that biology has its own admission standard or is admitted by major.
• When to choose a major: the biology page says “you are required to choose a major by the end of your second year”, though students may do so as early as the second semester of the first year. The Declaration of Major/Minor form is submitted in OPUS under Course Planning and Enrollment and is subject to department review, with an automated email within 24 hours; the department’s administrator then emails an advisor assignment and major information, and the advising page adds that students make an appointment with the department’s undergraduate programme coordinator to receive the requirements and an advisor.
• Entry requirements for the biology major: the pages read give no GPA threshold, prerequisite grades or cap on places; not published, please contact the department.
• Oxford College continuees: the advising page says students continuing from Oxford College to Emory College complete the Declaration of Major/Minor form on a day set by the college’s undergraduate education office, and the department then assigns an advisor; continuees are expected to have finished the general education requirements apart from writing courses.

3. Prerequisites and course selection

• High school courses: see the application section above; no specific high school biology, chemistry or calculus requirement for biology is listed. The department notes that the suggested schedules depend on AP maths or chemistry credit, pre-med/pre-health plans, summer plans and the quality of the high school biology class; nothing more specific is published.
• AP and IB credit (Emory College AP/IB chart): AP Biology 4 or 5 earns BIOL 141 (lecture only); IB Biology (Higher Level only) 5, 6 or 7 earns BIOL 141 (lecture only); BIOL 141L, 142 and 142L are still required (the department PDF’s wording). AP Chemistry 4 or 5 and IB Chemistry 5, 6 or 7 earn CHEM 150 plus 150L; AP Calculus AB 4 or 5 earns MATH 111 and BC 4 or 5 earns MATH 111 and MATH 112Z; IB Mathematics HL 5, 6 or 7 earns MATH 111; AP Physics 1 earns PHYS 141 and Physics C Mechanics PHYS 151; IB Physics 5, 6 or 7 earns PHYS 141. AP Statistics earns elective credit only and does not replace QTM 100. Only one of AP and IB is posted for the same course.
• Credit caps: the admissions office says AP and IB credit is capped at 12 credit hours, A-Level and other international exams at 12, and the combined total for entering first-year students, with college course credit, at 18; credit is evaluated after the deposit. A-Level biology is not listed in the chart read; not published.
• Undergraduate research: BIOL 499R independent research runs for at least two semesters of 4 credit hours each and is not offered in summer; students must find a research mentor first and complete a registration form that needs a permission number. It may be repeated, but counts as only one elective and one upper-level lab, after the second semester. The department says research can also be done in labs elsewhere on campus such as the medical school, the CDC, Yerkes and the Winship Cancer Center.
• Honors Program: the department awards honors to students with a GPA of 3.7 or higher in both the biology major and cumulative at the end of junior year (an appeal form exists for those below the threshold), who have also done at least one semester of lab research before starting (through SIRE, SURE, BIOL 499 or other work, not necessarily for credit or at Emory); seniors do BIOL 495A and 495BW over their last two semesters and present a thesis to a committee, with invitations emailed the summer before senior year.
• Study away: the department lists study-abroad and field-programme pages whose contents are not published on the pages read; please check the website.
• Competitions: the pages read do not say how biology olympiads are viewed in admission; not published.

4. Rounds and materials

• Which college: Emory has Emory College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta and Oxford College in Oxford, Georgia, and one Common App can go to either or both. The chemistry and biology majors are run by departments in Emory College; for Oxford students continuing to Emory College, see the “Oxford continuees” guidance on the biology advising page. Oxford College does not accept transfer applicants.
• Rounds (no year printed; please check that they apply to fall 2027 entry): Early Decision I due November 1 (aid December 2; notification by December 15); Early Decision II January 1 (aid January 6; by February 15); Regular Decision January 1 (aid February 10; by April 1); the Emory University Scholar Programs deadline is November 15, with notification by March 1. Both ED plans are binding: if Emory makes the education affordable, the student must pay the deposit and enrol.
• Materials: the Common App; a $75 fee, with waivers for eligible applicants; the personal essay and two short-answer questions specific to Emory; the school report and transcripts, submitted only by a school official such as a counsellor (not by the applicant), plus a mid-year report; and two teacher evaluations from core academic subjects (English, maths, science, social studies, world languages, visual and performing arts). Emory says it reviews the transcript, essays, short answers and activities first and turns to test scores only afterwards, and that they usually confirm impressions from the rest of the application; it adjusts its review to each high school’s standards, and high scores cannot make up for poor grades.
• Testing: optional for 2026–2027; Emory says it is test optional for first-year students who would start in fall 2027. Scores may be self-reported and official scores are required only on enrolment (verified in June/July; a negative discrepancy may lead to withdrawal of the offer). Emory superscores both the SAT and ACT and accepts the ACT with or without Science. It encourages applicants to self-report AP scores of 3 or higher.
• High school courses: no specific subject-year requirement for this major is listed; Emory says it values strong grades in challenging courses; not published beyond that.
• Interviews: international applicants may submit an optional InitialView virtual interview (see below); other interview arrangements are not mentioned on the pages read.

5. U.S. applicants

• Costs (2026-27, Emory College, Oxford College and Goizueta; financial aid worksheet last updated July 1, 2026): tuition $70,300, fees $1,148, housing (average) $13,222, food $9,184; indirect costs: travel $1,100, personal $1,620, books $1,286, direct loan fees $88; the worksheet’s estimated total is $97,948 (not including the university health insurance). Emory is private, and the worksheet gives a single tuition figure with no in-state/out-of-state split; no extra fee for this major is listed; not published.
• Aid (the aid office’s wording): Emory “meets 100% of financial need for first-degree undergraduate students”; through Emory Advantage, students with demonstrated need are offered institutional grants in place of need-based loans; from fall 2026, Emory Advantage Plus lets students whose families earn $200,000 or less (with typical assets) attend tuition free. Aid is applied for with the CSS Profile and FAFSA, with deadlines by plan in the table above.
• Merit scholarships: the Emory University Scholar Programs offer partial to full merit scholarships; applicants choose whether to be considered, with a November 15 deadline.
• In-state preference: not mentioned on the pages read; not published.

6. International applicants

• How to apply: international students apply as first-year applicants with the same requirements, plus English proficiency and financial certification.
• English: applicants whose primary language is not English must show they can succeed in a rigorous English-speaking classroom. Any one of the following suffices: SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing 700+; ACT English 30+; or the most recent four years at a school where English is the language of instruction for all academic subjects (excluding world languages). Otherwise one of TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo is required. Emory gives expectations, not strict cutoffs: TOEFL iBT 100 on the old 0–120 scale; since January 21, 2026 the TOEFL iBT uses a 1–6 scale (in 0.5 steps) and Emory recommends 5.5 or higher; TOEFL ITP at CEFR C1; TOEFL ITP Plus (mainland China only) about 63–68 in each section; IELTS overall 7.5; and for Duolingo “Emory’s most competitive applicants typically score above 130 out of 160”. Duolingo fee waivers are given case by case after applying.
• Financial certification: a Documentation of Finances or a bank statement showing sufficient funds for all expenses; applicants seeking aid still submit it, but it need not show funds for the whole first year.
• Interview: international applicants may submit an optional InitialView virtual interview; it does not replace English testing.
• Aid: Emory offers need-based aid to a select group of international students each year. The international aid page says to apply under Regular Decision to be considered for need-based aid, to answer “yes” to the aid question, to submit the CSS Profile and tax documents (translated into English and converted to US dollars) before February 5, and that “only students who apply for and receive financial aid in their first year will be eligible for aid in the future”. International students may apply for merit scholarships through the Scholar programs, which the aid office calls highly competitive with limited funding, applying before December. The undergraduate aid page says Emory meets 100% of need for first-degree undergraduates while the international page says aid goes to a select number of international students; please check both on Emory’s site.
• After admission: visa and immigration steps and mandatory medical insurance (international students are automatically enrolled in the university plan unless they show equivalent coverage).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the admissions office’s recommended-credentials document (its file name says Fall 2024) lists for China the “Chinese National High School Diploma (Senior 1-3) with preparation for the Chinese National Higher Education Entrance Examination (Gao Kao)”. How Gaokao results are used in review is not published on the pages read; please contact the admission representative for your region.
• Interview: for applicants from mainland China, Emory “strongly recommends” the InitialView interview and considers it the preferred option when available; it is not required and does not replace TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo.
• English: see the previous section; TOEFL ITP Plus is for mainland China only.
• Other: China-specific guidance on transcripts or school-leaving examinations beyond the above is not published.

8. Departmental support and outcomes

• Departmental support: the biology site lists awards, fellowships and grants (including the Marsteller and Stokes awards); the pages read give only the section names, so amounts and conditions are not published here; please check the department website.
• Outcomes: the degree-options page says “many biology students are on the pre-med track” while also being prepared for industry, medicine or academia; it gives no percentages for graduate destinations; not published.
• Health-professions advising: three biology faculty members advise students interested in physical therapy, physician assistant, medicine and veterinary medicine, meet prospective students and parents and write letters of recommendation; a university-wide pre-health office handles medical school applications.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: a high school graduate who has completed one year (or is in the second semester of the first full year) as a full-time student in a degree-seeking programme at a two- or four-year institution; at least 28 credit hours completed or in progress before applying (not counting AP, IB or dual-enrolment credit); a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all college work (Emory says most admitted students have 3.5 or better); the ability to complete two years (four semesters) at Emory; and at most 62 semester hours of transfer credit.
• Deadline: fall enrolment only, March 15 (aid March 17, notification by early May; no year printed, so please check). Oxford College does not accept transfer applicants. Emory takes 100 to 120 transfer students a year.
• Materials: the Common App; a college official report; official transcripts from every college attended (including summer work); complete high school transcripts; one faculty recommendation or academic evaluation; a $75 fee or waiver; TOEFL/IELTS (recommended for non-native speakers); SAT/ACT optional.
• Required courses and credit: no courses are required to apply; Emory does not evaluate credit before admission, only afterwards.
• Aid: transfer applicants must apply for aid with their application; merit-based aid is not available to transfer students and need-based aid is not available to international transfer students.

Transferring into biology

• The biology department’s own rules for transfer credit (which courses can replace BIOL 141/142 and how transfer students fit into the sequence) are not published on the pages read; the biology advising page has a “Transfer Students” section whose contents are not published on the pages read, so please check the department website and the Emory College undergraduate education office.
• GPA or prerequisite requirements for declaring biology after transfer: not published.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common App; ED I November 1, ED II and Regular Decision January 1 (check the year); $75 fee; testing optional; two teacher evaluations from core subjects
• Choose a major by the end of the second year; at least 11 biology courses including BIOL 141/141L/142/142L, one course from each of three columns and an upper-level lab; the BS also needs chemistry, physics, calculus and statistics

International applicants (including China):

• English evidence (TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo, or SAT reading and writing 700+, ACT English 30+, or four years of English-medium schooling); financial certification; InitialView interview strongly recommended for mainland China; ask the admission representative how Gaokao results are used
• Need-based aid goes to a select group of international students and is considered only under Regular Decision

Transfer students:

• March 15 (check the year), fall only; at least 28 credit hours and a 3.0 GPA; at most 62 semester hours transfer

Sources: Emory University, Biology: degree options; Biology: BS major; Biology: BA major; Biology: BS requirements (PDF); Biology: BA requirements (PDF); Biology: advising; Biology: undergraduate research; Biology: honors program; Plans and deadlines; Application requirements; Standardized exam and English policies; AP, IB and college credit; First-year applicants; International applicants; Recommended credentials by country (PDF); Transfer applicants; Registrar AP/IB credit chart (PDF); 2026-27 cost of attendance worksheet (PDF); Undergraduate financial aid; Aid for international students. Emory’s admissions pages state the 2026–2027 application cycle (the testing page also says first-year students who would start in fall 2027), and most dates carry no year, so please check that they apply to fall 2027 entry; costs are 2026-27 figures. Rely on Emory’s latest official pages.