Biology BS in Pre Medical Pre Health

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Georgia State University

Program Overview

The Biology, B.S. with Pre-Medical/Pre-Health Concentration at Georgia State University is designed for students who want a strong life-science foundation while preparing for medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary, and other health-profession pathways. Students study core biology alongside chemistry, physics, mathematics, and advanced subjects such as Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics, and Microbiology, with access to undergraduate research and dedicated pre-health advising.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their scientific foundation through BIOL 2107 Principles of Biology I, BIOL 2108 Principles of Biology II, and introductory chemistry courses, while completing mathematics and university core requirements. These courses introduce fundamental biological concepts and laboratory-based scientific study that support the more advanced pre-health curriculum.

Year 2: The curriculum develops stronger preparation for health-profession programs through Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 2400), Organic Chemistry II (CHEM 2410), and the associated organic chemistry laboratory sequence. Students also progress into physics and upper-level biology while completing the prerequisite science coursework commonly required by professional health programs.

Year 3: Students move into advanced biological sciences including BIOL 3800 Molecular Cell Biology, BIOL 3900 Genetics, and related laboratory coursework, building a deeper understanding of cellular mechanisms, heredity, and biological research. The Pre-Medical/Pre-Health pathway also supports completion of physics, organic chemistry, and other prerequisite subjects for professional-school applications.

Year 4: Students consolidate their advanced biology knowledge through subjects such as BIOL 3810 Molecular Cell Biology Laboratory-CTW, BIOL 3880 Microbiology, BIOL 3910 Genetics Laboratory, or other approved concentration electives. Students can also strengthen their preparation for professional study through research, advising, and completion of remaining pre-health prerequisites.

Focus areas: Pre-Medical/Pre-Health, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology, Microbiology, Neurobiology, Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology.

Learning outcomes: Scientific literacy, critical reading of peer-reviewed literature, interpretation of scientific data, civic engagement with science-related issues, professionalism, and the work ethic needed for scientific and health-related career pathways.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Georgia State University states that the Biology B.S. provides preparation for health-profession pathways, including medicine and other professional programs; the university does not state a separate professional accreditation specifically for the Biology B.S. Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration on the official program page.

Reputation (employability rankings): The official Georgia State Biology program pages highlight career possibilities, undergraduate research, and health-profession preparation, but do not publish a program-specific QS, Guardian, or other employability ranking for the Biology B.S.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

The Biology B.S. with Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration at Georgia State University connects classroom learning with hands-on laboratory research, independent investigation, and health-focused scientific experiences. Students can participate in Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), faculty research laboratories, biology internships, and small-group experimental projects while accessing specialized research infrastructure across the Atlanta Campus. The program is particularly suited to students preparing for medical and other health-professional pathways because Georgia State specifically offers the Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration within the Biology B.S.

Students can build practical experience through several program-specific opportunities:

Course-Based Undergraduate Research: CUREs place students in small research groups under the guidance of Biology faculty, with students receiving course credit and potentially contributing to research publications or an Honors Thesis. Current Fall 2026 examples include Genotyping Free-Living Amoeba and Molecular Evolution, where students develop skills in amoeba isolation, culturing, identification, genotyping, molecular evolution, molecular biology, and protein-engineering research methods.
Independent laboratory research: Through BIOL 4910: Undergraduate Research in Biology, students can conduct an independent laboratory investigation with a Biology faculty mentor. Research may be completed for academic credit and can involve working in grant-funded faculty laboratories alongside principal investigators and graduate or postdoctoral researchers.
Small-group experimental projects: BIOL 4905: Theme-Based Biology Laboratory has students work in small groups to develop biological hypotheses, design experiments, conduct the experiments, and analyze their results.
Internships: The Biology Internship Program allows students to gain experience in an area of interest while earning academic credit; Georgia State also provides information on current externship opportunities.
Specialized biological research facilities: The Biology Advanced Biotechnology Core provides analytical and quantitative tools for molecular research, while the Imaging Core provides laser-scanning confocal, biological light, and electron microscopy capabilities.
Cell, Protein and DNA Core: Located primarily in the Petit Science Center, these facilities provide sophisticated molecular research instrumentation and support technologies used in molecular-based undergraduate and graduate teaching laboratories. Researchers receive equipment and laboratory-safety training before accessing the facilities.
Biomedical research infrastructure: Georgia State's research facilities include the High Containment Core, Mass Spectrometry Core, Advanced Translational Imaging Facility, Transgenic and Gene Targeting Core, and other facilities that support biological and biomedical research.
Molecular Basis of Disease: Biology students can engage with this interdisciplinary program spanning Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Neuroscience, and Physics and Astronomy, providing an especially relevant research environment for students interested in disease biology and medicine.
Bio-Bus community experience: Students can participate in the Biology Department's Bio-Bus program, a mobile teaching laboratory that brings science education and outreach activities to primary and secondary schools throughout metro Atlanta.
Research presentation: Undergraduate research can be presented at the Georgia State Undergraduate Research Conference (GSURC) and the Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, giving students opportunities to communicate their scientific work to broader academic audiences.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Biology B.S. with Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration at Georgia State University is designed to give students a strong biological sciences foundation while preparing them for health-professional pathways. Graduates can build experience through undergraduate research, internships, and dedicated pre-health advising, with potential career directions including research scientist, laboratory manager, clinical research coordinator, and pharmaceutical research associate.

Career and Employment Opportunities:

Career services: University Career Services provides in-person and virtual career counseling, resume assistance, interview preparation, Handshake job-search resources, career fairs and access to internships and full-time opportunities. Its STEM career pathway specifically identifies Biology and related life-science careers.
Typical roles: Research Scientist, Laboratory Manager, Clinical Research Coordinator, Pharmaceutical Research Associate are career examples listed by Georgia State for the life, physical and earth sciences pathway.
Employment and salary figures: Georgia State's STEM career information lists a $48,000–$68,000 starting salary range for Pharmaceutical Research Associate. The university does not publish a program-specific employment rate or graduate salary figure for the Biology B.S. Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration on the official program page.
Research and professional experience: Students can participate in the Program for Undergraduate Research in the Life Sciences, undergraduate research, and biology internships that can provide academic credit and career-related experience. BIOL 4910, Undergraduate Research in Biology, involves an independent laboratory investigation conducted with a Georgia State Biology instructor.
Pre-health support: The Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni (CASA) provides centralized pre-health programming focused on medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry and pharmacy, including resources for understanding professional-school admission and MCAT preparation.
Long-term accreditation value: Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award baccalaureate and graduate degrees. Georgia State notes that accreditation is important for acceptance and transfer of college credits and that an accredited undergraduate degree is a standard prerequisite for admission to most graduate programs.
Graduation outcomes: The Biology B.S. provides pathways into research, medicine, entrepreneurship, education and other areas, while the Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration is specifically positioned for students pursuing health-profession education. Georgia State also identifies biology as a logical foundation for premedical, pre-veterinary, pre-pharmacy and other allied-health pathways.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Biology B.S. Pre-Medical/Pre-Health concentration, students can continue into professional programs such as medical, dental, veterinary or pharmacy school, subject to each institution's admission prerequisites. Georgia State also offers further study through graduate and combined-degree opportunities, including the Dual B.S./M.S. in Biology and Dual B.S. in Biology/M.S. in Health Sciences.