Bachelor of Science in Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dentistry Option

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Embark On Your Journey From the Classroom to the Clinic

Whether you aspire to create beautiful smiles or become a real-life Meredith Grey, pursue your path with the Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dentistry Option for the Bachelor of Science in Biology degree. You’ll obtain the academic background, skills, and experience to succeed in graduate school and embark on a fulfilling career in the medical or dental field. 

The Eastern Washington University Pre-Med and Pre-Dentistry Option is designed to help you meet the prerequisites and demands of medical or dental school, providing a strong foundation in biology with supporting courses in general chemistry, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. You’ll also gain valuable practical experience through internships, volunteer work, or shadowing opportunities in medical or dental settings, which will strengthen your graduate school applications.

At EWU, you’ll thrive in a supportive, collaborative learning environment that promotes academic and professional growth. We also offer personalized advising throughout your studies to ensure you stay on track with the specific courses and activities needed for your future career in medicine or dentistry.

Curriculum & Requirements

Academic Plan

What You'll Learn

The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.

Biology Major with Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dentistry Option, Bachelor of Science (BS)

This curriculum is recommended for students planning a career in medicine or dentistry. The schedule of classes is designed to prepare students for the aptitude examination (MCAT or DAT) which is taken during a student’s junior or early senior year. Students interested in other health care professions (e.g., physical therapy, physician’s assistant) need to see a department advisor to plan a curriculum.

Graduation Requirements: complete the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Major Field Test for Biology.

Grade Requirements: a cumulative GPA ≥2.0 for all courses in student’s curriculum in Biology.

Required Biology Courses
BIOL 171BIOLOGY I5
BIOL 172BIOLOGY II5
BIOL 173BIOLOGY III5
BIOL 270BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION3
BIOL 310FUNDAMENTALS OF GENETICS5
Choose one of the following5
MICROBIOLOGY
BOTANY
INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
Choose one of the following5
CELL BIOLOGY
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
Choose one of the following4-5
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY III
PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
PRINCIPLES OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
PRINCIPLES OF MICROBIAL PHYSIOLOGY
Required supporting courses
BIOL 371PRE-MEDICAL, DENTAL, VETERINARY AND PHARMACY PREPARATION1
BIOL 380DATA ANALYSIS FOR BIOLOGISTS5
or MATH 161 CALCULUS I
or MATH 380 ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
CHEM 171
& 171L
& CHEM 172
& CHEM 172L
& CHEM 173
& CHEM 173L		GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY III
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III		15
CHEM 351ORGANIC CHEMISTRY4
CHEM 352ORGANIC CHEMISTRY4
CHEM 353ORGANIC CHEMISTRY3
CHEM 371PRE-MEDICAL, DENTAL, VETERINARY AND PHARMACY PREPARATION1
CHEM 372ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I3
CHEM 480BIOCHEMISTRY5
PHYS 131INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS I4
PHYS 132INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS II4
PHYS 133INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS III4
PHYS 161MECHANICS LABORATORY1
PHYS 162HEAT AND OPTICS LABORATORY1
PHYS 163ELECTRONICS LABORATORY I1
Electives–choose three additional courses, two (9-10 credits) must be in Biology14-15
MICROBIOLOGY
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY II
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY III
BIOLOGY OF AGING
BIOLOGY OF SYMBIOSIS
PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL PHYSIOLOGY
MOLECULAR BIOTECHNIQUES
FIELD BOTANY
MEDICAL BACTERIOLOGY
EVOLUTION
IMMUNOLOGY
VIROLOGY
BIOLOGY OF CANCER
CELL BIOLOGY
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
ECOLOGY
HEMATOLOGY
NEUROBIOLOGY
MUSCLE PHYSIOLOGY
EMBRYOLOGY
INTERMEDIARY METABOLISM
BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY 1
MEDICAL APARTHEID: EXPLORING MEDICAL EXPERIMENTATION, IMPLICIT BIAS, HEALTH DISPARITY
MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
CHICANO AND LATINO HEALTH
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
PHYSIOLOGY OF EXERCISE
NUTRITION
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT
ADULT DEVELOPMENT
SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES OF PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN RELATIONS
HUMAN MEMORY AND COGNITION
HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN
INTRODUCTION TO TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
Required Senior Capstone
BIOL 490SENIOR CAPSTONE5
Total Credits112-114

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 1715BIOL 1725BIOL 1735
CHEM 171
& 171L (Natural Science BACR 1)		5BIOL 2703CHEM 173
& 173L		5
MATH 1415CHEM 172
& 172L (Natural Science BACR 2)		5ENGL 2015
 ENGL 1015 
 15 18 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 3105BIOL 3015BIOL 436 or 4385
CHEM 3514CHEM 3524CHEM 3533
Diversity - graduation requirement15CHEM 3723MATH 1425
 Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5 
 14 17 13
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 3711CHEM 3711PHYS 133
& PHYS 163		5
BIOL 380 or MATH 1615CHEM 4815Humanities & Arts BACR 215
CHEM 4805PHYS 132
& PHYS 162		5Social Science BACR 115
PHYS 131
& PHYS 161		5Humanities & Arts BACR 115 
 16 16 15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
Biology Elective25Biology Elective25BIOL 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)5
Social Science BACR 215Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective5Biology Elective25
Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective3Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective3Global Studies - graduation requirement15
 13 13 15
Total Credits 180
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Electives–choose three additional courses from the approved list, two (9-10 credits) must be in Biology.

Two pre-med students have a discussion in class
A pre-dentistry student gets hands-on practice in class.

Why Study Biology at EWU?

Research Opportunities

Research Opportunities

Lead independent research projects and present your findings at scientific conferences.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

State-of-the-Art Facilities

Access modern labs and equipment that prepare you for real-world challenges.

Career Connections

Career Connections

Network with industry leaders and alumni thriving in diverse biological sciences fields.

Applied Learning

Applied Learning

Engage in fieldwork, internships, and research projects that bring biology to life.

Explore Our Facilities

Expert Faculty

Expert Faculty

Learn from experienced professors passionate about teaching and research.

Meet Our Faculty

Where Our Graduates Work

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • Providence Health & Services
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
  • Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies
"Whether you’re interested in fisheries, looking at plants, soils, or mammalian life evolution, there’s a professor here doing research that would be within your interests." — Rachel Pentico '21

Student Story

Alumna Christina Ramelow highlights the unique advantages of studying biology at EWU, especially for students looking to pursue a degree track that aligns with their career aspirations.

At Eastern, students gain more than just knowledge—they gain the tools, support, and opportunities to turn their dreams into reality.

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