BioHealth Sciences Undergraduate Major (BS, HBS)
This program is available at the following locations:
- Corvallis
- Ecampus
Options available:
- Pre-Clinical Laboratory Science
- Pre-Dentistry
- Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry
- Pre-Optometry
- Pre-Pharmacy
- Pre-Physical Therapy
- Pre-Physician Assistant
Administered by the Department of Microbiology under the School of Life Sciences in the College of Science.
The undergraduate BS degree in BioHealth Sciences (BHS) is designed for students seeking an interdisciplinary background in the life sciences, public health, and social sciences. The major consists of a comprehensive core with a strong biological and physical science foundation combined with a variety of health and social science courses. The BHS degree is designed to prepare students to enter a variety of careers requiring a bachelor’s degree, such as health care administration, human services and various technical positions, and to further the advancement of those already in health-related careers.
Students may elect to complete one transcript-visible option in Pre-Clinical Laboratory Science, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physical Therapy, or Pre-Physician Assistant. An option is not required for degree completion, but these are designed to provide students with excellent training for a variety of professional programs. Options require additional credits beyond the standalone BHS major, but most full-time students can complete their degree, including major and option requirements, in four years. Specific option courses cannot be completed online through Ecampus. These courses must be taken either in-person at an OSU campus or via transfer credits.
Major Code: 606
Upon successful completion of the program, students will meet the following learning outcomes:
- Apply scientific knowledge from multiple fields to critically analyze health-related problems.
- Communicate science and health concepts, data, and analytical arguments clearly, professionally, and concisely.
- Practice flexible professional skills needed for careers in health sciences professional fields.
- Recognize, evaluate, and respond appropriately to the needs of a diverse demographic population.
Students majoring in BioHealth Sciences cannot seek a dual or double major in Biochemistry & Biophysics, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biology, Microbiology or Zoology.
Grade Requirements
BHS majors must complete the following courses with a grade of C- or better: (MTH 227 or MTH 251Z), ((CH 122, CH 122, CH 123) or (CH 221Z/CH 227Z, CH 222Z/CH 228Z, CH 223Z/CH 229Z)), ((BI 221Z, BI 222Z, BI 223Z) or (BI 204, BI 205, BI 206)), CH 331 and CH 332.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and Statistics Core | ||
| ST 243Z | +ELEMENTARY STATISTICS I | 4 |
| or ST 351 | INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | |
| Select two MTH courses from the following: | 8 | |
| +*PRECALCULUS I: FUNCTIONS | ||
| +*PRECALCULUS II: TRIGONOMETRY | ||
| +*CALCULUS AND PROBABILITY FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES I | ||
| CALCULUS AND PROBABILITY FOR THE LIFE SCIENCES II | ||
| +*DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS | ||
| INTEGRAL CALCULUS | ||
| Chemistry and Physics Core | ||
| PH 201 & PH 202 & PH 203 | +*GENERAL PHYSICS and *GENERAL PHYSICS and *GENERAL PHYSICS | 15 |
| General Chemistry | ||
| Select one of the following series: | 15 | |
| Series A | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY I and +*GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY 1 | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and *GENERAL CHEMISTRY II LABORATORY 1 | ||
| GENERAL CHEMISTRY III and *GENERAL CHEMISTRY III LABORATORY 1 | ||
| Series B | ||
| +GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *GENERAL CHEMISTRY and *GENERAL CHEMISTRY 1 | ||
| Organic Chemistry | ||
| CH 331 & CH 332 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 8 |
| Biological Sciences Core | ||
| BHS 290 | +CAREER PREPARATION: BIOHEALTH SCIENCES AND MICROBIOLOGY | 1 |
| BI 221Z & BI 222Z & BI 223Z | +*PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: CELLS and *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: ORGANISMS and *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION 1 | 15 |
| or BI 204 & BI 205 & BI 206 | +*INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I and *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II and *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY III | |
| BB 314 | CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 4 |
| MB 302 | GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY | 3 |
| MB 303 | GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY 1 | 2 |
| or BHS 305 | LABORATORY AND COMPUTATIONAL SKILLS IN MICROBIOLOGY | |
| BB 450 & BB 451 | GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY and GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY | 7 |
| BHS 329 | MECHANISMS OF DISEASE: INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PATHOLOGY | 3 |
| MB 310 | BACTERIAL MOLECULAR GENETICS | 3-4 |
| or BI 311 | GENETICS | |
| MB 416 | IMMUNOLOGY | 3 |
| or BHS 316 | PRINCIPLES OF IMMUNOLOGY | |
| BHS 008 | +BEYOND OSU II: ENGAGE | 0 |
| Difference, Power, and Oppression - Advanced | ||
| MB 330 | +*DISEASE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| Writing Intensive Course | ||
| BHS 323 | ^MICROBIAL INFLUENCES ON HUMAN HEALTH | 3 |
| or MB 385 | ^EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND EPIDEMICS | |
| Health and Social Sciences Core | ||
| H 210 | *INTRODUCTION TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM | 3 |
| H 225 | +*SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH | 4 |
| PHAR 210 | TERMINOLOGY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES | 2 |
| PSY 201Z | +*INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY I | 4 |
| PSY 202Z | +*INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY II | 4 |
| Upper-Division Science | ||
| Select 11 credits from the following or complete an option: | 11 | |
| *INTRODUCTION TO MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | ||
| +*MOLECULAR MEDICINE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO NEUROSCIENCE | ||
| ADVANCED CELL BIOLOGY | ||
| MACROMOLECULAR STRUCTURE | ||
| APPLIED BIOINFORMATICS | ||
| ADVANCED HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY and ADVANCED HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| ADVANCED HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY and ADVANCED HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| ADVANCED HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY and ADVANCED HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| POPULATION BIOLOGY | ||
| QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS | ||
| ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| INORGANIC CHEMISTRY | ||
| INORGANIC CHEMISTRY | ||
| ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY | ||
| BACTERIAL PHYSIOLOGY AND METABOLISM | ||
| AQUATIC MICROBIOLOGY | ||
| IMMUNOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| MICROBIAL GENOME EVOLUTION AND BIODIVERSITY | ||
| AQUATIC MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| BACTERIAL PATHOGENESIS | ||
or BHS 320 | HUMAN BACTERIOLOGY | |
| VIROLOGY | ||
or BHS 340 | HUMAN VIROLOGY | |
| PATHOGENIC MICROBES LABORATORY | ||
| THE HUMAN MICROBIOME | ||
| FOOD MICROBIOLOGY | ||
| FOOD MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY | ||
| MICROBE-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS | ||
| MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY | ||
| FERMENTATION MICROBIOLOGY | ||
| GENERAL PARASITOLOGY | ||
| FISH DISEASES IN CONSERVATION BIOLOGY AND AQUACULTURE | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | ||
| ANIMAL BEHAVIOR | ||
| ENVIRONMENTAL PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| VERTEBRATE PHYSIOLOGY I | ||
| VERTEBRATE PHYSIOLOGY II | ||
| BEHAVIORAL NEUROBIOLOGY | ||
| RESEARCH 2 | ||
or BHS 410 | SCIENCE INTERNSHIP | |
or MB 401 | RESEARCH | |
or MB 403 | THESIS | |
or MB 405 | READING AND CONFERENCE | |
or MB 407 | SEMINAR | |
or MB 410 | OCCUPATIONAL INTERNSHIP | |
| SPECIAL PROJECTS 3 | ||
or BI 309 | TEACHING PRACTICUM | |
or BI 409 | ADVANCED TEACHING PRACTICUM | |
| Remaining Core Ed, Option and/or Electives | 54-55 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course
- 1
BI 221Z, BI 222Z, BI 223Z, CH 221Z/CH 227Z, CH 222Z/CH 228Z, CH 223Z/CH 229Z, and MB 303 are required courses for all BHS Pre-professional School Options (Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Clinical Laboratory Science, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Medicine/Pre-Podiatry Option, Pre-Dentistry, Pre-Optometry, and Pre-Physician Assistant Options)
- 2
Students may apply 1-3 credits of the following: BHS 401, BHS 410, MB 401, MB 403, MB 405, MB 407, MB 410
- 3
Students may apply 1-3 credits of the following: MB 406, BI 309, BI 409
Major Code: 606
Degree plans are subject to change and the following is only an example of how students may complete their degree in four years. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best degree plan for them. Contact details for advisors can be found on the Academic Advising page.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| CH 221Z & CH 227Z or CH 121 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I or +GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| Math Course | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Quantitative Literacy & Analysis | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Transitions | 2 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| CH 222Z & CH 228Z or CH 122 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY II or *GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| WR 121Z | +*COMPOSITION I | 4 |
| Math Course | 4 | |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities Global | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BHS 290 | +CAREER PREPARATION: BIOHEALTH SCIENCES AND MICROBIOLOGY | 1 |
| CH 223Z & CH 229Z or CH 123 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY III or *GENERAL CHEMISTRY | 5 |
| PSY 201Z | +*INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY I | 4 |
| ST 243Z or ST 351 | +ELEMENTARY STATISTICS I or INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICAL METHODS | 4 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BI 221Z or BI 204 | +*PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: CELLS or +*INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY I | 5 |
| CH 331 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 4 |
| PHAR 210 | TERMINOLOGY OF THE HEALTH SCIENCES | 2 |
| PSY 202Z | +*INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY II | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BI 222Z or BI 205 | *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: ORGANISMS or *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY II | 5 |
| CH 332 | ORGANIC CHEMISTRY | 4 |
| H 225 | +*SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH | 4 |
| Core Ed: Arts & Humanities General | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BI 223Z or BI 206 | *PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY: ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION or *INTRODUCTORY BIOLOGY III | 5 |
| H 210 | *INTRODUCTION TO THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM | 3 |
| MB 302 | GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY | 3 |
| MB 303 or BHS 305 | GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY or LABORATORY AND COMPUTATIONAL SKILLS IN MICROBIOLOGY | 2 |
| Option or Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BB 450 | GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY | 4 |
| PH 201 | +*GENERAL PHYSICS | 5 |
| Option or Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Winter | ||
| BB 451 | GENERAL BIOCHEMISTRY | 3 |
| PH 202 | *GENERAL PHYSICS | 5 |
| Option or Electives | 7 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BHS 316 or MB 416 | PRINCIPLES OF IMMUNOLOGY or IMMUNOLOGY | 3 |
| PH 203 | *GENERAL PHYSICS | 5 |
| Core Ed: Writing Elevation | 3-4 | |
| Core Ed: Seeking Solutions | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BHS 323 or MB 385 | ^MICROBIAL INFLUENCES ON HUMAN HEALTH or ^EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND EPIDEMICS | 3 |
| BB 314 | CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY | 4 |
| Upper-Division Science | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Winter | ||
| BI 311 or MB 310 | GENETICS or BACTERIAL MOLECULAR GENETICS | 4 |
| Upper-Division Science | 5 | |
| Option or Electives | 6 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BHS 008 | +BEYOND OSU II: ENGAGE | 0 |
| BHS 329 | MECHANISMS OF DISEASE: INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PATHOLOGY | 3 |
| MB 330 | +*DISEASE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
| Upper-Division Science | 4 | |
| Option or Electives | 5 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 180 | |
- *
Baccalaureate Core course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in a catalog year up to 2024-2025
- +
Core Education course. Applies to general education requirements for undergraduate students in catalog year 2025-2026 and beyond
- ^
Writing Intensive Curriculum (WIC) course