Applied Biological Sciences, BS

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Arizona State University Tempe

Program Overview

ASU’s Bachelor of Science in Applied Biological Sciences is designed for students who want a rigorous, flexible biology degree that can be tailored to pre-med, pre-dental or other health-professional pathways, or to a broader career in the life sciences. You will build a strong foundation in core biological concepts while choosing a track that aligns your coursework with your future goals.

Curriculum structure

Year 1: You begin with foundational science that sets the stage for advanced study, taking courses such as BIO 181 General Biology I and BIO 182 General Biology II to master core ideas about cells, genetics, evolution and organismal biology. Alongside these, you complete first-year composition and a college-specific seminar (ASU 101) to strengthen academic writing and transition skills, while starting the math sequence with MAT 210 Brief Calculus or MAT 251 Calculus for Life Sciences.

Year 2: Your second year deepens scientific literacy with General Chemistry and introduces statistics for the life sciences through ABS 350 Applied Statistics (or STP 420 Introductory Applied Statistics). You also start upper-division biological science with ABS 311 Molecular and Cellular Biology (or alternatives such as ABS 314 Applied Plant Physiology or BIO 360 Animal Physiology), and take ABS 370 Ecology to connect organismal biology with environmental systems.

Year 3: By your third year, you move into specialized, career-focused study. Core courses include BIO 340 General Genetics and ABS 390 Professional Identity and Career Foundation, which helps you clarify professional goals and build a plan for internships, research or health-professional school. Depending on your track, you may take courses such as ABS 302 Ethical and Policy Issues in Biology, ABS 312 Structure and Function, or ABS 318 Unseen Life on Earth to strengthen readiness for health professions or research roles.

Year 4: In your final year, you consolidate your learning through advanced electives and a capstone-style experience in ABS 490 Applied Biological Sciences Seminar, where you integrate knowledge across the major and reflect on professional identity. Students on the Health Professionals track can add experiences such as ABS 484 Internship or topic courses like ABS 494 Emerging Infections & Epidemics, positioning them strongly for graduate or professional programs.

Focus areas

General Biology track or Health Professionals track, with options to emphasize areas such as molecular and cellular biology, ecology, physiology, ethics and policy in biology, and emerging topics in health and infectious disease.

Learning outcomes

Graduates demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of core biological concepts (energy and matter dynamics, genetic information flow, structure–function relationships), can apply biological principles to societal and ethical challenges, and are prepared for experience-based learning through research, internships and field experiences.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a recognized U.S. regional accreditor; ASU has held continuous HLC accreditation since 1931, with reaffirmation most recently in 2023.

Reputation (employability rankings)

ASU is ranked among the world’s best universities for graduate employability: No. 37 globally and No. 14 among U.S. institutions in the latest Global Employability University Ranking, and it places highly for employer reputation in QS World University Rankings (35th globally for employer reputation in 2027).

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

ASU's Applied Biological Sciences program — you're not stuck memorizing textbooks in a lecture hall all day. You're based at the Polytechnic campus, where the science labs in Santa Catalina Hall put you right in the middle of real biological work from your very first semester. And because the Sonoran Desert is essentially your backyard classroom, you get field experience that a lot of bio students only ever read about. Whether you're leaning toward pre-med, environmental science, or wildlife biology, this program is designed to get your hands dirty, literally, long before you walk into a job interview or a grad school application:

Coursework takes you out into the Sonoran Desert and the greater Phoenix-area ecosystem, so you're learning biology in a real environment, not just from data on a page
Core science courses like General Biology I and II and General Genetics include lab components where you actually build technical skills, not just watch demonstrations
You have the chance to work directly alongside faculty on active research projects, contributing to real biological studies
Internships are woven into the program, so you leave with genuine workplace experience already under your belt
Regular field trips connect what you're learning in class to real ecosystems and environments
Service-learning projects let you apply your biology training to actual community and environmental needs
Courses like Discovering the Professions and Professional Identity and Career Foundation are built specifically to help you turn your science background into a clear career direction
Your capstone seminar has you pulling everything together into a professional-level project before you graduate
ASU's Polytechnic campus also gives you access to unique facilities like the Indoor Farming Lab, where students get involved in sustainable agriculture and vertical farming work
You get to choose between a General Biology track or a Health Professionals track, so your hands-on experiences line up with whatever you're actually working toward
Through ASU's Global Education programs, which include more than 300 options across 65-plus countries, you can even take your fieldwork abroad while staying on pace to graduate
And if you're a high achiever, you can pair this degree with an Applied Biological Sciences master's and finish both in as little as five years, giving you even more research experience along the way

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of ASU's Applied Biological Sciences program walk away genuinely prepared, both for the workforce and for advanced study, because the degree is built around real biological training rather than just theory. You come out ready for roles like biological scientist, microbiologist, medical scientist, or health sciences manager, and the program also sets you up for professional school paths in medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy. Here's what backs that up:

ASU's Career and Professional Development Services gives you access to Handshake, the university's job and internship platform, along with PathwayU for career and personality assessments, LinkedIn Learning courses, one-on-one career advising appointments, resume and cover letter reviews, and regular career fairs, all designed to help move you from student to hired
Median salaries tied to this degree include Biological Scientist at $98,920, Microbiologist at $87,990, Medical Scientist at $103,410, and Health Sciences Manager at $167,220, with projected job growth ranging from about 4.7% up to 12.6% depending on the role
Students get real exposure to industry through hands-on partnerships, including ASU's Indoor Farming Lab collaboration with Homer Farms, a campus-born vertical farming startup that partners with ASU Dining Services and has been in talks with grocery chains like Fry's and Kroger
The degree is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, which means it holds long-term recognition and credibility with employers and graduate programs alike, now and years down the road
Graduates move into entry-level careers in wildlife and restoration ecology, urban horticulture, and secondary education, while others go on to graduate and professional schools in fields like biological research, dentistry, environmental biotechnology, human health, medicine, and physical therapy

Further Academic Progression:

If you want to keep going after your bachelor's, ASU makes that path smooth. This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's option, letting you earn your BS and an Applied Biological Sciences MS in as little as five years total. That master's program builds on your undergraduate foundation with advanced coursework in ecology and sustainable ecosystem management, combining fieldwork and lab research, and it wraps up with your choice of a thesis, an applied project, or a capstone experience. From there, the degree also positions you well for professional and doctoral programs in medicine, dentistry, and physical therapy, so you've got real flexibility in how far you want to take your biology background.