Science Pre-Health (Supplemental Major)
The new Science Pre-Health supplemental major offers a customizable array of science courses that prepare students for medical school and allied health professions. Students with majors in Arts and Letters, Engineering, Keough, Architecture, and Mendoza can use this major as a curriculum guide and connection point to the Center for Health Sciences for professional advising and preparation. Medical and Professional Schools encourage students to pursue a wide range of academic pursuits along with the proper science (and other) prerequisite courses. We have a long track record of excellent professional placement for students in Arts and Letters and Engineering majors, with alumni in the health professions from every major. More recently, the demand has increased among students in the Keough School of Global Affairs and the Mendoza College of Business. While Arts and Letters students had close advising from the beginning through the Arts and Letters Pre-Health Program (APH2), other colleges did not have access to an organized curriculum beyond adding a second full major in Science Preprofessional Studies. Most students did not have space in their schedule to add a 64-credit-hour major and still wanted recognition of their additional work, with early and organized access to advising. Arts and Letters majors wanted a more flexible curriculum from the previous APH2 due to growing interest in professions such as Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Optometry, and more.
This supplementary major offers a flexible, customized approach that helps students plan effectively for different health professions. The core science courses have been reduced from 10 lab-based courses to 6 lab-based core courses. The electives have increased from 9 to 22 credits (minimum) to allow for this customization. Students will define their professional tracks with their pre-health advisor to plan their own course curriculum.
The supplemental major will be available to all students outside of the College of Science, preparing them to meet the challenges of “a world in need” without sacrificing the high standards of content and rigor expected of our pre-health majors. Our department embraces the university’s mission and is dedicated to cultivating our students’ heads, hearts, and hands in pursuit of their goals.
The leads for the Science Pre-Health supplementary major are Assistant Dean Maureen Dawson, College of Arts and Letters, and Prof. Kristian Lax-Walker, DUS of the Science Preprofessional department. Additional SPH2 advising can be obtained via Fr. James Foster, CSC, MD, Department Chair; Associate Dean Kathleen Kolberg, Assistant Chair; and Prof. Henry Vu.
Students may drop by 219 Jordan to arrange advising appointments.
Preprofessional Supplemental Major Requirements
- Total credits: 46 (minimum)
- The core science courses are universal for medical, dental, veterinary, physician assistant, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, and optometry schools.
- The remaining credits enable customization of required and recommended courses for professional schools through the tracks described on the following pages.
Program Restrictions
- Double-counting policies will follow the terms set by the College of the primary major.
- As a College of Science program, all courses for this supplemental major must be taken at the University of Notre Dame or through an ND-approved study abroad program.
- A grade point average of 2.0 or better in the major courses is required.
- Students who have a primary major in the College of Science are not eligible to add this supplemental major.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MATH 10350 | Calculus A | 4 |
| MATH 10360 | Calculus B | 4 |
| BIOS 10171 | Biology I :Big Questions | 3 |
| BIOS 11173 | Biological Investigations Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 10172 | Biology II: Molecules to Ecosystems | 3 |
| BIOS 11174 | Research Experience in Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 10171 | Introduction to Chemical Principles | 3 |
| CHEM 11171 | Introduction to Chemical Principles Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 10172 | Organic Structure and Reactivity | 3 |
| CHEM 11172 | Organic Structure and Reactivity Laboratory | 1 |
| Additional Core and 3 Science Electives (see course lists below) | 22 | |
| Total Hours | 46 | |
Additional Coursework
- An additional 22 credit hours of science courses (from the list below) fill out the supplemental major.
- Sample curricula are customized by professional school requirements.
- Students preparing for Medical, Dental, and Veterinary schools will typically exceed the minimum and will have credit counts of approximately 52.5 credit hours
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Science electives - courses may be proposed for addition | ||
Allowable courses for the 22 science elective credits: | ||
| CHEM 20273 | Organic Reactions and Applications 1 | 3 |
| CHEM 21273 | Organic Reactions and Applications Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 20274 | Chemistry Across the Periodic Table | 3 |
| CHEM 21274 | Chemistry Across the Periodic Table Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| CHEM 40420 | Principles of Biochemistry | 3 |
| PHYS 20210 | Physics for Life Sciences I 1 | 3 |
| PHYS 21210 | Physics for Life Sciences I Lab 1 | 1 |
| PHYS 20220 | Physics for Life Sciences II * | 3 |
| PHYS 21220 | Physics for Life Sciences II Lab * | 1 |
| PHYS 40435 | Physics of the Brain | 3 |
| BIOS 20241 | Molecular Cellular Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 21241 | Molecular Cell Biology Research | 2 |
| BIOS 20303 | Fundamentals of Genetics | 3 |
| BIOS 21303 | Fundamental Genetics Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 20250 | Classical and Molecular Genetics | 4 |
| BIOS 21250 | Classical and Molecular Genetics Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOS 30341 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 31341 | Cell Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 30342 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 30344 | Vertebrate (Human) Physiology | 3 |
| BIOS 41344 | Vertebrate (Human) Physiology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 30301 | Embryology | 3 |
| BIOS 30401 | Principles of Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOS 31401 | Principles of Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| BIOS 40339 | Human Gross Anatomy | 3 |
| BIOS 40340 | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOS 40411 | Biostatistics | 4 |
| BIOS 40415 | Medical and Veterinary Parasitology | 3 |
| BIOS 41415 | Medical and Veterinary Parasitology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 40580 | Neurobiology of Pain | 3 |
| BIOS 40436 | Introduction to Molecular and Medical Pharmacology | 3 |
| BIOS 40507 | Epigenetics: Genetics, Ecology, and Plasticity | 3 |
| ACMS 20340 | Statistics for Life Sciences | 3.5 |
| ACMS 21340 | Statistics for Life Sciences Lab | 0 |
| ACMS 21220 | Scientific Computing with Python Lab | 0 |
| MATH 20550 | Calculus III | 3.5 |
| MATH 20480 | Intro to Dyn Sys for Scientist | 3 |
| MATH 20580 | Introduction to Linear Algebra and Differential Equations | 3.5 |
| Other science courses as approved by the advisor and DUS | ||
- 1
Or equivalent courses engineering majors may substitute Calculus 1 and 2 (MATH 10550 + 10560) with the accompanying tutorials.
- 2
For a course to be a science elective, it must meet the following rules: (1) It is offered through one of the departments of the College of Science or through the college itself. (2) It is a major's level; that is, other science majors are required to take this course to meet a major requirement or it has a prerequisite course that is offered for science majors, or the Bulletin description for the course states that it is a science elective in the College of Science.
- *
Or equivalent, particularly for EG majors
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| For students considering Medical school / Dental school / Veterinary school: | ||
| CHEM 20273 | Organic Reactions and Applications | 3 |
| CHEM 21273 | Organic Reactions and Applications Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 20274 | Chemistry Across the Periodic Table | 3 |
| CHEM 21274 | Chemistry Across the Periodic Table Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 20210 | Physics for Life Sciences I | 3 |
| PHYS 21210 | Physics for Life Sciences I Lab | 1 |
| PHYS 20220 | Physics for Life Sciences II | 3 |
| PHYS 21220 | Physics for Life Sciences II Lab | 1 |
| Science electives include biochemistry, physiology, statistics, cell biology, and (maybe) anatomy | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| For students considering Physician Assistant programs: | ||
| CHEM 20273 | Organic Reactions and Applications | 3 |
| CHEM 21273 | Organic Reactions and Applications Laboratory | 1 |
| Anatomy with lab | 4 | |
| Physiology with lab | 4 | |
| Microbiology with lab | 4 | |
| Statistics | 3.5-4 | |
| Biochemistry | 3 | |
| Science electives | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| For students considering post-baccalaureate Nursing programs: | ||
| Anatomy plus lab | 4 | |
| Physiology plus lab | 4 | |
| Microbiology plus lab | 4 | |
| Statistics | 3.5-4 | |
| Science electives (typically Cell Biology, Genetics...) | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| For students considering Physical Therapy programs: | ||
| PHYS 20210 | Physics for Life Sciences I | 3 |
| PHYS 21210 | Physics for Life Sciences I Lab | 1 |
| Anatomy plus lab | 4 | |
| Physiology plus lab | 4 | |
| Statistics | 3.5-4 | |