Biomedical Sciences Major
This major is specifically designed for students planning to pursue careers in the allied health professions (e.g., Nursing, PA, PT, etc.) and related areas. It is not well suited for students interested in entering medical, dental, veterinary, and similar professional schools or those wishing to continue their studies in graduate programs (masters or doctorate). Students interested in those programs should consider the BS in Biology instead.
The Biomedical Sciences major is built on a set of core courses (Cell Biology, Genetics, and Organismic Biology) after which students take a distribution of upper division courses applicable to the health sciences, including a two semester sequence in Anatomy and Physiology. This distribution strategy insures that students are trained in an array of health-related areas in biology, but also exposed to the fundamental science on which that work is based.
Goal 1: Students will be able to describe the clinical and translational aspects of the biological sciences as they relate to human health
Goal 2: Students will be able to describe the biological processes and structures necessary for life, the mechanisms controlling them, and their relation to human diseases.
Goal 3: Students will be able to describe the diversity of organisms and how they interact with, are adapted to, and evolve with, their environment.
Goal 4: Students will be able to design an experiment, operate basic laboratory equipment, reduce, statistically analyze, and present data in graphical, written or oral formats
Cornerstone Core Curriculum Requirements
Consist of 14 core and 2 overlay requirements. See below for additional detailed information on each of these requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| First Year Course Requirements | ||
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| World History Course Area | ||
| HIS 101 | Globalization in World History | 3 |
| or HIS 102 | Movements in World History | |
| or HIS 103 | Empires in World History | |
| Philosophy Requirements | ||
Either Level One or Level Two (but not both) -- must be Ethics designated. If approved, philosophy courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as Philosophy Level Two and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Philosophy Level One | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| Theology & Religious Studies Requirements | ||
If approved, Theology & Religious Studies courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive overlay. Students may not double-count the same course as CCC Theology and as a Mission Overlay course. | ||
| Theology | 3 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Diversity & INT 151 Requirements | ||
A student's Diversity course may not count for any other CCC course area requirement or as their Mission Overlay course. If approved, Diversity courses may count for a student's Writing Intensive Overlay requirement. INT 151 may not count for any other CCC requirements. This course must be taken in the first two years | ||
| Diversity | 3 | |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| Math & Natural Science Requirements | ||
If approved, Math & Natural Science Requirements may count toward overlay requirements. | ||
| Mathematics | 3-4 | |
| Natural Science | 4 | |
| Social Science Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, such Social Science Requirement may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Non-Native Language Requirement | 3-4 | |
A single Non-Native Language course may not count as an overlay course but a second language course fulfills a student's Mission Overlay requirement. | ||
| Literature Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Literature courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design Requirement | 3 | |
If approved, Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design courses may count toward a student's overlay requirements. | ||
| Overlay Requirements | ||
| Writing-Intensive | 3 | |
If approved, Writing-Intensive courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, electives, or as any CCC course area requirement except for the first-year courses (World History and Rhetoric and Composition). | ||
| Mission-Overlay | 3 | |
Mission Overlay courses may double count as major courses, minor courses, elective courses, or any of the following CCC course areas: Fine and Performing Arts, Creativity, and Design, Literature, Mathematics, Natural Science, or Social Science. | ||
| Total Hours | 47-49 | |
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIO 101 & 101L | Bio I: Cells and Bio I: Cells Lab (counts as the CCC Natural Science requirement) | 4 |
| or BIO 150L | Bio I: Cells Lab Phage | |
| BIO 102 & 102L | Bio II: Genetics and Bio II: Genetics Lab | 4 |
| or BIO 151L | Phage Lab | |
| BIO 201 & 201L | Bio III: Organismic Biology and Bio III: Organismic Biol Lab | 4 |
| BIO 260 & 260L | Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy & Physiology Lab I | 4 |
| BIO 261 & 261L | Anatomy and Physiology II and Anatomy & Physiology Lab II | 4 |
| BIO 290 | Career Development Seminar | 0 |
| CHM 120 & 120L | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I | 4 |
| CHM 125 & 125L | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Lab II | 4 |
| CHM 210 & 210L | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I | 4 |
| CHM 215 & 215L | Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Lab II | 4 |
| PHY 101 & 101L | General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I | 4 |
| or PHY 105 & 105L | University Physics I and University Physics Lab I | |
| MAT 148 | Applied Statistics Plus (Spring of first year) | 4 |
| Mathematics (will count as CCC: Mathematics) | 3-4 | |
| MAT 155 | Fundamentals of Calculus | 3-4 |
| or MAT 161 | Calculus I | |
| Four courses total, with at least one course from each of the following three groups: | 9-12 | |
| Group A: Clinical and Translational Biology | ||
| Nutrition | ||
| Biotechnology | ||
| Bacterial Pathogenesis | ||
| Histopathology | ||
| Basic Concepts & Proc MLS | ||
| Parasitology | ||
| Group B: Biological Foundations of Medicine | ||
| Virology | ||
| Principals &App of Immunology | ||
| Advanced Cell Biology | ||
| Biochemistry | ||
| Molecular Genetics | ||
| Neurobiology | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Human Genetics | ||
| Neurological Disorders | ||
| Group C: Connect and Impacts of Biology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Plant Physiological Ecology | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Bioinformatics | ||
| Applied & Environ Microbiology | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Environmental Science | ||
| Aquatic Biology | ||
| Total Hours | 59-64 | |
Free Electives
To be awarded a bachelor's degree at Saint Joseph's University, students must complete at least 120 total credits. As such, elective credits may be required in addition to Cornerstone Core Curriculum (CCC) and major requirements. Any credits necessary to reach at least 120 total credits outside of the CCC and major requirements are considered free electives. Under the CCC, there are no fixed number of electives required. A student's total number of electives will vary based on major requirements, transfer credits, as well as math and language placement.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | |
| BIO 101 & 101L |
Bio I: Cells and Bio I: Cells Lab |
4 |
| CHM 120 & 120L |
General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I |
4 |
| MAT 155 | Fundamentals of Calculus | 3 |
| ENG 101 | Craft of Language | 3 |
| Non-Native Language | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIO 102 & 102L |
Bio II: Genetics and Bio II: Genetics Lab |
4 |
| CHM 125 & 125L |
General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Lab II |
4 |
| INT 151 | Inequality in American Society | 1 |
| MAT 148 | Applied Statistics Plus | 4 |
| World History | ||
| Hours | 13 | |
| Sophomore | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIO 201 & 201L |
Bio III: Organismic Biology and Bio III: Organismic Biol Lab |
4 |
| CHM 210 & 210L |
Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I |
4 |
| Philosophy Level One | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| BIO 290 | Career Development Seminar | 0 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| Clinical and Translational Bio Elective | 3-4 | |
| CHM 215 & 215L |
Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Lab II |
4 |
| Social Science | 3 | |
| Theology | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 16-17 | |
| Junior | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIO 260 & 260L |
Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy & Physiology Lab I |
4 |
| PHY 101 & 101L |
General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I |
4 |
| Overlay/Elective | 3 | |
| Philosophy Level Two | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIO 261 & 261L |
Anatomy and Physiology II and Anatomy & Physiology Lab II |
4 |
| Biological Foundations of Medicine Elective | 3-4 | |
| Religious Studies | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 13-14 | |
| Senior | ||
| Fall | ||
| Context and Impacts of Biology Elective | 3-4 | |
| Diversity | ||
| Free Elective | 3-4 | |
| Overlay/Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3-4 | |
| Hours | 12-15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BMS Major Elective (any category) | 3-4 | |
| Fine & Performing Arts, Design, & Creativity | 3 | |
| Literature | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 6 | |
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Total Hours | 117-123 | |
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As Biomedical Science majors take a large number of lab-based four-credit courses, they are able to take multiple semesters of just four courses, instead of the normal five.