BioHealth Sciences Major

Positively impacting local, regional and global health

BioHealth Sciences Major

Positively impacting local, regional and global health

From the study of infectious microbes to vaccines and biomedical research, the interdisciplinary biohealth sciences major equips you to excel in health-related professional and medical schools as well as pharmaceutical and clinical research. A savvy health-educated workforce will help drive innovation in medicine, research and biomedical technologies in the 21^st century.

At OSU, you will discover one of the nation’s top biohealth sciences programs that combines a strong foundation in biological science with its application to human health and society.

As a BioHealth Sciences major, you will receive excellent training for a variety of professional programs including: dentistry, physician assistants, pharmacists, physical therapists, optometrists, podiatrists, doctors and clinical laboratory scientists. As a future healthcare provider, you will be prepared to meet the challenges of the increasing diversity of our nation through training on cultural competence and cross-cultural issues.

What will you do as a BioHealth Sciences major?

This major consists of a strong biological and physical science foundation combined with a variety of health and social sciences courses in a unique blend formulated to meet the needs of students interested in a career in the health care field.

Located in the Department of Microbiology, the BHS major offers you a total of seven academic options to supplement and broaden your studies in the field: Pre-Clinical Lab, Pre-Dental, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Med/Pre-Podiatry, Pre-Optometry, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Physician Assistant.

Through dynamic and interactive science and laboratory courses, you will deepen your understanding about human health, the origins of disease and the research for future cures. Health and social science courses will give you context to succeed as a healthcare provider. Undergraduate research opportunities, internships, volunteer activities and clinical experiences will prepare you to excel in professional programs and health care jobs.

BioHealth Sciences Advising

Connect with one our specialized advisors who can provide academic guidance while you pursue your major.

Find your advisor

Jobs in healthcare

As a BHS student, you will have the opportunity to interact with medical and industry professionals to gain hands-on experience and skills and to explore potential career paths through job shadowing. Our students find rewarding jobs in the fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, podiatry, physician assistantship, physical therapy and clinical laboratory science.

The comprehensive BHS curriculum provides unique pathways to enter competitive careers and graduate programs. For example, the BHS major with the Pre-Pharmacy Option is designed to meet requirements for admission to a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) professional program jointly offered by OSU and OHSU (Oregon Health and Science University) as well as other pharmacy schools across the United States.

BioHealth Sciences Options

Clinical laboratory scientists (also known as medical laboratory scientists or medical technologists) perform routine and highly specialized diagnostic procedures in clinical laboratories. Most pre-clinical laboratory science (pre-CLS) students complete their degree in BioHealth Sciences/Pre-CLS option before attending a clinical laboratory science program (4+1 program).

The BHS major combined with the pre-clinical laboratory science (pre-CLS) option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to CLS programs across the U.S. Students are urged to carefully check admission requirements at their schools of interest and work closely with admission representatives in order to make sure they are meeting all current requirements.

The pre-CLS option cannot be combined with any other option offered within the BHS major.

The BioHealth Sciences major combined with the pre-dentistry option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to dentistry schools across the U.S. A member of the pre-dental committee is assigned to each student within the pre-dentistry option to serve as your advisor and assist you with the process of applying to dental schools.

Students may not combine the pre-dentistry/BioHealth Sciences option with any other option offered with the BHS major.

There are two traditional paths to becoming a doctor: allopathic medicine, which leads to Doctor of Medicine (MD), or osteopathic medicine, which leads to a Doctor of Osteopathy (DO). Both provide the education and training necessary to practice medicine. A podiatrist is a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM), trained specifically to diagnose and treat conditions of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg.

The BioHealth Sciences major combined with the pre-medicine/podiatry option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to allopathic, osteopathic, or podiatric medical schools across the U.S. This option within the BHS major is also suited for post-baccalaureate students who already have a bachelor's degree in another subject and need science course work to apply to medical school. The option includes advanced courses in microbiology, zoology and the humanities.

Optometry is a health care profession that focuses on vision care and the diagnosis, examination and treatment of eyes. The biohealth sciences major combined with the pre-optometry option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to optometry programs across the U.S. The option includes advanced courses in biology and elective courses in physics and biochemistry and biophysics.

Students may not combine the pre-optometry option with any other option offered with the BHS major.

Thirty percent of BioHealth Sciences students are in the pre-pharmacy program. The pre-pharmacy/BHS option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to pharmacy schools across the U.S., including OSU’s Doctor of Pharmacy professional program. Students are urged to carefully check admission requirements at their schools of interest and work closely with admission representatives in order to make sure they are meeting all current requirements.

Students may not combine the pre-pharmacy/biohealth sciences option with any other option offered with the BHS major.

The biohealth sciences major combined with the pre-physical therapy option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to PT programs across the U.S. Satisfactory completion of the pre-PT option facilitates, but does not guarantee, admission to a PT program; applicants are selected on a competitive basis. The option includes advanced courses in biology, kinesiology and psychology.

Students may not combine the pre-physical therapy option with any other option offered with the BHS major.

Physician assistants work in collaboration with doctors and are licensed to diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans and prescribe medications. The biohealth sciences major combined with the pre-physician assistant option is designed to meet most or all of the requirements for admission to PA programs across the U.S. Satisfactory completion of the pre-PA option facilitates, but does not guarantee, admission to a PA program. This option includes advanced courses in biology, public health and psychology.

Students may not study the pre-physician assistant option alongside any other option offered with the BHS major.

Sample courses

Human Microbiome
Human Virology
Immunology
Mechanisms of Disease
Biomedical Ethics

Careers of our recent graduates

Neurosurgery Physician Assistant, Providence

Senior Biologist, Eli Lilly and Company  

Physical Therapist, ProMotion AFR

Optometrist, Mile High Eye Institute

Registered Nurse, Providence St. Vincent Health Center

Clinical Research Associate, Formosa Biomedical Technology Corporation

Formulation Technical Team Lead, BioFire Diagnostics

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Intern, John Peter Smith Hospital

Dental Student, OHSU School of Dentistry

Pharmacist, Pacific University School of Pharmacy/Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center

"You learn so much in the BioHealth Sciences program that is hands-on besides things that you would learn in a textbook. I have worked with plasmids, origin of replication, glycolysis and I was able to apply my knowledge of everything I learned in the classroom."

Van Ahn Vu (BioHealth Sciences '16), Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Portland, Ore.

Meet our students and alumni

First-gen biohealth grad achieves 'next step' toward career as a dentist

Gabriela Cortes Cortes is proud not to have let any obstacle, including a pandemic or the challenges of a first-generation student, hold her back from earning a four-year degree in the College of Science.

BioHealth senior’s race to the medical school finish line

Jacob Maynes, a senior majoring in biohealth sciences, will start medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Erie, Pennsylvania, this July after only three years of college.

Meet a Science Grad: Steven Kurtz

Meet Steven Kurtz, BioHealth Sciences alumnus who is studying to become a physician assistant and extreme sports enthusiast.

Biohealth student snags prestigious bioethics internship at Mayo Clinic

Biohealth Sciences major Sydney Phu selected for a prestigious bioethics summer internship at the Mayo Clinic.

Online degree

You may also pursue the BHS major online, learning from the same faculty in Oregon State’s Department of Microbiology who teach on campus. In the online program, which does not include academic options, you can tailor your degree plan through science electives or add a minor, such as a minor in public health, psychology or Spanish to strengthen your résumé. Online students receive the same OSU diploma and transcripts as OSU's on-campus students.