Biomedical Sciences
| Degree: | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) |
| Major: | Biomedical Sciences |
| Department: | Biology Building 58C, Room 104 850-474-2748 http://uwf.edu/biology |
| College: | Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering |
| CIP Code: | 26.0102 |
| Semester Hours Required For Degree: 120 | |
The Biomedical Sciences degree is designed to prepare students who have the goal of admission to post-graduate health professional schools. The degree is designed to fulfill the prerequisites required for students pursuing advanced degrees in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant, biomedical sciences, etc.
A minimum grade of "C-" or better required in all courses in the program. Biology Program minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.
General Education
In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.
General Education Curriculum:
Students should discuss their professional goals with their advisor before selecting general education courses. The following general education courses are recommended.
For Pharmacy School, select the following:
| Humanities: | ||
| PHI 2603 | Ethics in Contemporary Society | 3 |
| SPC 2608 | Public Speaking | 3 |
| Social Sciences: | ||
| ECO 2013 | Principles of Economics Macro | 3 |
For Medical School, select the following:
| Social Sciences: | ||
| PSY 2012 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SYG 2000 | Introduction to Sociology | 3 |
Multicultural Requirement
Civic Literacy Requirement
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.
| Students Included in Cohort | Civic Literacy Competency Requirement |
| Cohort 1: Students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to fall 2018 | None |
| Cohort 2: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2018 – summer A 2021 | Complete a course or exam |
| Cohort 3: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in summer B 2021 (on or after July 1, 2021) and thereafter | Complete both a course and exam |
Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.
There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan.
Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.
Common Prerequisites
State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.
A grade of “C-” or better is required in each of the Common Prerequisite courses.
| BSC 2010+L | Biology I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| BSC 2011+L | Biology II (+Lab) | 4 |
| CHM 2045+L | General Chemistry I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2046+L | General Chemistry II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2210+L | Organic Chemistry I (+Lab) | 4 |
| CHM 2211+L | Organic Chemistry II (+Lab) | 4 |
| PHY 2053+L | Algebra-Based Physics I (+Lab) | 4 |
| PHY 2054+L | Algebra-Based Physics II (+Lab) | 4 |
| MAC 2311 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I * | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Elements of Statistics * | 3 |
| Total Hours | 39 | |
- *
Common prerequisites should be used to satisfy 9 credits of Natural Sciences and 6 credits of Mathematics for General Education Course requirements.
Major Required Courses
| BSC 2844 | Biology Skills | 1 |
| BCH 3033 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| MCB 3020+L | Microbiology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 3063 | Genetics | 3 |
| PCB 3097L | Introduction to Human Anatomy Laboratory | 3 |
| PCB 3103 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| PCB 4098 | Concepts in Human Physiology | 3 |
| or PCB 4723 | Comparative Animal Physiology | |
| PCB 4233 | Immunology | 3 |
| PCB 4524 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| PCB 4673 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| Total Hours | 29 | |
Major GPA Calculation
The upper-division courses (3000-4000 level) with the following prefixes will be used in calculating the major grade point average: BCH, BOT, BSC, HSA, HSC, MCB, MLS, PCB, and ZOO.
Upper-Division Electives
9 semester hours must come from Area 1
9 semester hours must come from Area 2
Must select 2 labs from any area part of the upper-division electives requirement
| Area 1: Cell, Molecular, and Organismal | 9 | |
| Biochemistry I Laboratory * | ||
| Biochemistry II | ||
| Plant Developmental Biology | ||
| Plant Developmental Biology Laboratory | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Plant Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Plant Biotechnology | ||
| Plant Biotechnology Lab * | ||
| Medicinal Botany | ||
| Analytical Chemistry | ||
| Analytical Chemistry Lab | ||
| Organic Chemistry III | ||
| Basic Physical Chemistry | ||
| Physical Chemistry I | ||
| Introduction to Polymer Science (+Lab) | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry | ||
| Pathophysiology | ||
| Molecular Aquatic Microbial Ecology | ||
| Clinical Genetics | ||
| Clinical Biochemistry | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory * | ||
| Hemostasis and Thrombosis | ||
| Hemostasis and Thrombosis Lab * | ||
| Diagnostic Microbiology I (+Lab) | ||
| Diagnostic Microbiology I Laboratory * | ||
| Medical Microbiology | ||
| Medical Microbiology Lab * | ||
| Immunohematology I | ||
| Immunohematology I Lab * | ||
| Genetics Lab * | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Ecology Lab * | ||
| Cell Biology Laboratory * | ||
| Concepts in Human Physiology (If not taken as part of the required courses) | ||
| Concepts in Human Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Advanced Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Immunology Laboratory * | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Developmental Biology Lab * | ||
| Molecular Biology Lab * | ||
| Human Physiology | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology (If not taken as part of the required courses) | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Sensory Biology | ||
| Area 2: Clinical, Public Health, and Other | 9 | |
| Exercise Physiology (+Lab) | ||
| Biomechanical Basis of Movement with Laboratory | ||
| Exercise Testing and Prescription (+Lab) | ||
| Sports Nutrition | ||
| Functional Kinesiology | ||
| Bioinformatics and Data Science | ||
| Bioterrorism | ||
| Tools for Data Science | ||
| Databases for Data Science | ||
| Writing for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Majors | ||
| Gerontology | ||
| Pharmacology for Health Professionals | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Drugs in Society | ||
| Principles of Human Disease | ||
| Communicable and Degenerative Diseases | ||
| Nutrition and Health | ||
| Epidemiology of Infectious Disease | ||
| Urinalysis/Body Fluids I | ||
| Urinalysis/Body Fluids I Lab * | ||
| Hematology I | ||
| Hematology I Lab * | ||
| Clinical Immunology | ||
| Clinical Immunology Lab * | ||
| Clinical Chemistry I | ||
| Clinical Chemistry I Lab * | ||
| Clinical Chemistry II | ||
| Clinical Chemistry II Lab * | ||
| Biology Seminar (Can count towards area 1 or 2 requirement) | ||
| Brain, Behavior, and Experience | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Statistics for Data Science I | ||
| Statistics for Data Science II | ||
| Sampling Theory | ||
| Regression Analysis | ||
| The remaining 13 hours can come from any of the areas | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
- *
Indicates lecture is a concurrent prerequisite.
1-3 ch of directed independent study (DIS) may count towards any area electives and lab requirement
Accelerated Bachelor's (BS) in Biomedical Sciences /Master's (MS) in Biology Option
Minimum Requirements For Admission:
- Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or better
- Undergraduate Major GPA of 3.5 or better
- A grade of B (3.0) or better in each Bachelor of Sciences in Biomedical Sciences core courses
- Two letters of recommendation
Process:
A prospective student who meets the minimum requirements for admission for the Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s (BS/MS) program must schedule a meeting with their undergraduate advisor and the Biology graduate coordinator to discuss and develop a degree plan for the student's Accelerated BS/MS program. The student must then submit an application for the Accelerated BS/MS Biology Program and two letters of recommendation to the Biology graduate coordinator.
Program Requirements:
Students must have completed 75 undergraduate credit hours, including credits earned from advanced placement, prior to applying to the Accelerated BS/MS program in Biology. Transfer students must have completed a minimum of two semesters and at least 24 credit hours at the University of West Florida prior to application to the Accelerated BS/MS program. Admission into the Accelerated BS/MS program does not guarantee admission into the Biology MS program upon completion of the Biology BS undergraduate degree. Students must still submit an Express Admission application for the Biology MS program. Students who are a part of the BS/MS program cannot be provisionally or conditionally admitted into the Biology MS program.
Upon admission into the Master’s In Biology program, 12 graduate credit hours completed as an undergraduate student will count for 12 semester hours of coursework for the Master’s program. Students in the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Program in Biology must earn a grade of B (3.0/4.0) or better in each of the graduate-level courses that are being applied to both degrees. Courses completed with a grade of B- or below cannot be applied to the Master’s degree. Any dual-listed 4000/5000 level Biology courses are permitted. The student must take the class at the 5000 level to count for accelerated credit.
If a student in the program completes the Bachelor’s degree requirements with an overall GPA of less than 3.25/4.0, the student is no longer eligible to apply the graduate credit hours to both degrees. A student who becomes ineligible to continue participating in or withdraws from the Accelerated BS/MS program cannot apply any graduate credit hours toward both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the credit hours towards completion of the BS degree or toward a future Master’s degree).
Students who are enrolled in the program are eligible for graduate assistantship positions only after completing the Bachelor’s degree.
Application Deadlines:
All application materials must be submitted by the dates listed below for admission into the following semesters.
Summer: March 1
Fall: June 1
Spring: October 1
Program Requirements
General Education
In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.
General Education Curriculum:
Multicultural Requirement
Civic Literacy Requirement
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.
| Students Included in Cohort | Civic Literacy Competency Requirement |
| Cohort 1: Students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to fall 2018 | None |
| Cohort 2: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2018 – summer A 2021 | Complete a course or exam |
| Cohort 3: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in summer B 2021 (on or after July 1, 2021) and thereafter | Complete both a course and exam |
Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.
There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan.
Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.
Common Prerequisites
State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.
A grade of C- or better is required in each of the common prerequisite courses.
| BSC 2010+L | Biology I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| BSC 2011+L | Biology II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2045+L | General Chemistry I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2046+L | General Chemistry II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2210+L | Organic Chemistry I (+Lab) | 4 |
| CHM 2211+L | Organic Chemistry II (+Lab) | 4 |
| MAC 2311 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I * | 4 |
| PHY 2053+L | Algebra-Based Physics I (+Lab) | 4 |
| PHY 2054+L | Algebra-Based Physics II (+Lab) | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Elements of Statistics * | 3 |
| Total Hours | 39 | |
- *
Common prerequisites that should be used to satisfy 9 credits of Natural Sciences and 6 credits of Mathematics for General Education course requirements.
Major Required Courses
| BSC 2844 | Biology Skills | 1 |
| BCH 3033 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| MCB 3020+L | Microbiology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 3063 | Genetics | 3 |
| PCB 3097L | Introduction to Human Anatomy Laboratory | 3 |
| PCB 3103 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| PCB 4098 | Concepts in Human Physiology | 3 |
| or PCB 4723 | Comparative Animal Physiology | |
| PCB 4233 | Immunology | 3 |
| PCB 4524 | Molecular Biology | 3 |
| PCB 4673 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| Total Hours | 29 | |
Major GPA Calculation
The upper-division courses (3000-4000 level) with the following prefixes will be used in calculating the major grade point average: BCH, BOT, BSC, HSA, HSC, MCB, MLS, PCB, and ZOO.
Upper-Division Electives
9 semester hours must come from Area 1
9 semester hours must come from Area 2
Must select 2 labs from any area part of the upper-division electives requirement.
| Area 1: Cell, Molecular, and Organismal | 9 | |
| Biochemistry I Laboratory * | ||
| Biochemistry II | ||
| Plant Developmental Biology | ||
| Plant Developmental Biology Laboratory * | ||
| Plant Physiology | ||
| Plant Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Plant Biotechnology | ||
| Plant Biotechnology Lab * | ||
| Medicinal Botany | ||
| Analytical Chemistry (+Lab) | ||
| Organic Chemistry III | ||
| Basic Physical Chemistry | ||
| Physical Chemistry I | ||
| Introduction to Polymer Science (+Lab) | ||
| Inorganic Chemistry | ||
| Pathophysiology | ||
| Clinical Genetics | ||
| Molecular Aquatic Microbial Ecology | ||
| Clinical Biochemistry | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics | ||
| Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory * | ||
| Diagnostic Microbiology I (+Lab) * | ||
| Diagnostic Microbiology I Laboratory * | ||
| Medical Microbiology | ||
| Medical Microbiology Lab * | ||
| Immunohematology I | ||
| Immunohematology I Lab * | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Ecology Lab * | ||
| Genetics Lab * | ||
| Cell Biology Laboratory * | ||
| Concepts in Human Physiology (if not taken as part of the required courses) | ||
| Concepts in Human Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Advanced Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Immunology Laboratory * | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Developmental Biology Lab * | ||
| Human Physiology | ||
| Sensory Biology | ||
| Area 2: Clinical, Public Health, and Other | 9 | |
| Exercise Physiology (+Lab) | ||
| Biomechanical Basis of Movement with Laboratory | ||
| Exercise Testing and Prescription (+Lab) | ||
| Sports Nutrition | ||
| Functional Kinesiology | ||
| Bioinformatics and Data Science | ||
| Bioterrorism | ||
| Tools for Data Science | ||
| Databases for Data Science | ||
| Writing for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Majors | ||
| Gerontology | ||
| Pharmacology for Health Professionals | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Drugs in Society | ||
| Principles of Human Disease | ||
| Communicable and Degenerative Diseases | ||
| Nutrition and Health | ||
| Epidemiology of Infectious Disease | ||
| Urinalysis/Body Fluids I | ||
| Urinalysis/Body Fluids I Lab * | ||
| Hematology I | ||
| Hematology I Lab * | ||
| Hemostasis and Thrombosis | ||
| Hemostasis and Thrombosis Lab * | ||
| Clinical Immunology | ||
| Clinical Immunology Lab * | ||
| Clinical Chemistry I | ||
| Clinical Chemistry I Lab * | ||
| Clinical Chemistry II | ||
| Clinical Chemistry II Lab * | ||
| Biology Seminar (Can count towards area 1 or 2 requirement) | ||
| Brain, Behavior, and Experience | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Statistics for Data Science I | ||
| Statistics for Data Science II | ||
| Biostatistics | ||
| Sampling Theory | ||
| Regression Analysis | ||
| The remaining 13 hours can come from any of the areas | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
- *
Indicates lecture is a concurrent prerequisite.
1-3 ch of directed independent study (DIS) may count towards any area electives and lab requirement.
Graduate Level Courses
| Up to 12 credit hours of advisor approved 5000 level courses listed below will be allowed to substitute for the undergraduate degree requirements. Other 5000 level courses may be allowed to substitute with advisor approval. | 1-12 | |
| Approved Substitutions for Major Required Courses | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Principles of Evolution | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| Approved Substitutions for Area 1 Electives | ||
| Plant Developmental Biology | ||
| Plant Developmental Biology Laboratory * | ||
| Medicinal Botany | ||
| Bioinformatics and Data Science | ||
| Tools for Data Science | ||
| Databases for Data Science | ||
| Public Health Preparedness | ||
| Epidemiology of Infectious Disease | ||
| Molecular Aquatic Microbial Ecology | ||
| Advanced Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Immunology Laboratory * | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Molecular Ecology | ||
| Sensory Biology | ||
| Approved Substitutions for Area 2 Electives | ||
| Biology Seminar (can count towards any area) | ||
| Statistics for Data Science I | ||
| Statistics for Data Science II | ||
| Total Hours | 1-12 | |
- *
Indicates the lecture is a concurrent pre-requisite.
1-3 credit hours of directed independent study at the 5000 level may be applied to electives for any area and will count towards the lab requirement. Students should confer with an advisor when selecting electives.