BioHealth Sciences Undergraduate Major (BS)

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Oregon State University

Program Overview

Oregon State University’s BioHealth Sciences BS is an interdisciplinary four-year program that combines biological and physical sciences with health and social sciences, making it well suited to students planning careers in healthcare, clinical research, public health, or professional health programs. Students build a strong scientific foundation while choosing from specialized options such as Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant, and Pre-Clinical Laboratory Science.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students establish their scientific and quantitative foundation through General Chemistry I, II and III, mathematics, and Elementary Statistics I or Introduction to Statistical Methods. The year also introduces professional direction through BHS 290: Career Preparation: BioHealth Sciences and Microbiology, alongside Introduction to Psychology I and core education courses.

Year 2: The curriculum moves into biological and health sciences with Principles of Biology: Cells, Organisms, Ecology and Evolution, Organic Chemistry, and Terminology of the Health Sciences. Students also study Social Determinants of Health, Introduction to the Health Care System, and General Microbiology with General Microbiology Laboratory or Laboratory and Computational Skills in Microbiology, connecting scientific knowledge with healthcare applications.

Year 3: Students develop more advanced scientific understanding through General Biochemistry, General Physics, and Principles of Immunology or Immunology, while completing option-specific or elective coursework. This stage strengthens the biological, chemical and physical science preparation required for professional health pathways.

Year 4: The final year focuses strongly on human health and disease through Microbial Influences on Human Health or Emerging Infectious Diseases and Epidemics, Cell and Molecular Biology, and Genetics or Bacterial Molecular Genetics. Students complete Mechanisms of Disease: Introduction to General Pathology and Disease and Society, alongside upper-division science and option coursework, bringing together biological science, health and social perspectives.

Focus areas: Life sciences, public health, health sciences, social sciences, microbiology, human health, immunology, pathology, genetics, biochemistry, healthcare systems, clinical laboratory science and pre-professional healthcare preparation.

Learning outcomes: Students learn to apply scientific knowledge from multiple fields to critically analyze health-related problems; communicate science, health concepts, data and analytical arguments clearly and professionally; develop flexible professional skills for health-science careers; and respond appropriately to the needs of diverse populations.

Professional alignment (accreditation): The BioHealth Sciences BS is administered by the Department of Microbiology within the School of Life Sciences, College of Science and offers transcript-visible pre-professional options designed to prepare students for professional programs in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, physical therapy, physician assistant studies and clinical laboratory science. The university's official program information does not state a separate professional accreditation for the BioHealth Sciences BS itself; therefore, no program-specific accreditation is claimed here.

Reputation (employability rankings): Oregon State University reports a 74% medical school acceptance rate on its official undergraduate admissions site; the university also reports $422 million in research funding, supporting a substantial research environment in areas including health and wellness. These are university-level figures rather than rankings specific to the BioHealth Sciences BS.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Oregon State University’s BioHealth Sciences BS combines biological science with health-focused coursework and gives students opportunities to apply what they learn through laboratory classes, research, internships, and experiential learning. Students can work with faculty on research projects, develop laboratory and analytical skills, and gain exposure to health-related professional environments through the program’s connections across OSU’s health and life-science community. These opportunities include:

Laboratory experience: The major includes hands-on science courses where students develop practical laboratory skills in areas such as biology, chemistry, microbiology, and anatomy and physiology.
Undergraduate research: Students can participate in faculty-mentored research through OSU’s undergraduate research opportunities, including research conducted within the College of Health and related life-science departments.
Internships and field experience: The program supports experiential learning through internships and other field-based opportunities, allowing students to connect classroom knowledge with professional health and biomedical environments.
Health-focused facilities: Students benefit from OSU’s College of Health, which provides an interdisciplinary environment focused on human health, prevention, rehabilitation, and health-related research.
Research institutes and centers: OSU’s health and life-science research environment includes specialized centers and institutes where students can encounter research in areas such as nutrition, environmental health, infectious disease, and human health.
Analytical and digital skills: BioHealth Sciences students develop scientific data and analytical skills through coursework in biological and health sciences, supporting preparation for research, healthcare, and graduate-level study.
OSU Libraries: Students have access to OSU Libraries, including scientific databases, research collections, electronic journals, and research-support services that can be used for health and biological science coursework and projects.
Professional exposure: The program is designed to prepare students for health-related careers and further professional education, giving students opportunities to connect their undergraduate studies with medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, and other health professions.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Oregon State University’s BioHealth Sciences BS prepares students for careers and further education across health, biomedical, laboratory, and life-science fields. The program is designed with flexibility for students interested in health professions, graduate study, or employment in health-related and biomedical settings.

Career roles: Clinical Laboratory Technician, Research Assistant, Biomedical Researcher, Health Sciences Professional.

The degree also provides several pathways for building professional experience and planning for life after graduation:

Career support: OSU’s College of Health Career Services helps students explore careers, prepare for employment, develop professional skills, and connect their academic experience with career opportunities.
Employment and salary: OSU publishes career and salary information through its Career Services and First-Destination resources; program-specific BioHealth Sciences salary figures are not stated on the official program page, so no program-specific figure is provided here.
Experiential preparation: BioHealth Sciences students can complete internships, research, and other experiential learning opportunities that allow them to apply health-science knowledge in professional settings.
Health-sector connections: The program is housed in OSU’s College of Health, which brings together education and research in areas including human health, public health, kinesiology, nutrition, and health care. Students can therefore build connections across a broad health-science environment.
Professional preparation: BioHealth Sciences is structured to accommodate students preparing for professional health programs, including medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other health professions.
Graduation outcomes: OSU provides career and graduate-school outcome information through its first-destination resources; a specific employment rate for BioHealth Sciences graduates is not stated on the official program page.
Accreditation value: Oregon State University is institutionally accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). This provides continuing institutional recognition of the university and its academic programs; professional health programs may have their own separate accreditation requirements.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the BioHealth Sciences BS, students can continue into graduate and professional health programs depending on their chosen career pathway. OSU specifically positions the major for students pursuing professional health careers, while the broad biomedical and health-science foundation can also support progression into graduate study in health and related life-science disciplines.