Undergraduate Program (BS)
Biomedical Sciences
Some people just know they want to be a doctor when they grow up. Others discover their passion for healing along the way. Either way, at Xavier, your love of medicine is matched only by our faculty's love for teaching it. They give you the biology, chemistry and physics background you need to prepare for admission to medical or other professional health programs.
Sample Four-Year Biomedical Sciences Course Sequence
First Year
| First Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology 160: General Biology I | 3 |
| Biology 161: General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| Chemistry 160: General Chemistry I | 3 |
| Chemistry 161: General Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| Core 100: First-Year Seminar or Theo 111 | 3 |
| Core 101: First-Year Co-Curriculum Program I | 0 |
| Math 140/170 or Math 156/171 | 3 |
| Second Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology 162: General Biology II | 3 |
| Biology 163: General Biology II Lab | 1 |
| Chemistry 162: General Chemistry II | 3 |
| Chemistry 163: General Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| Core 100: First-Year Seminar or Theo 111 | 3 |
| Core 102: First-Year Co-Curriculum Program I | 0 |
| English 101: English Comp or English 115 Rhetoric | 3 |
| Math 140/170 or Math 156/171 | 3 |
This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major.
Consult the official Xavier University catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Sophomore
| First Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Chemistry 240: Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| Chemistry 241: Organic Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| Physics 160: College Physics I | 3 |
| Physics 161: Introductory Physics I Lab | 1 |
| Philosophy 100: Ethics as an Intro to Phil | 3 |
| Second Language | 3 |
| Second Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Chemistry 242: Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| Chemistry 243: Organic Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| Physics 160: College Physics II | 3 |
| Physics 160: College Physics II Lab | 1 |
| Philosophy 200: Philosophical Perspectives Elective | 3 |
| Psychology 101: General Psychology | 3 |
| Second Language II | 3 |
This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major.
Consult the official Xavier University catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Junior
| First Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology 410: Human Physiology | 3 |
| Biology 411: Human Physiology Lab | 2 |
| Biology 440/ Chemistry 440: Biochemistry | 3 |
| English 205: Lit & the Moral Imagration | 3 |
| Psychology 261: Social Psychology | 3 |
| Second Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology 230: Genetics | 3 |
| Biology 231: Genetics Lab | 1 |
| Biology 354: Human & Comparative Anatomy | 3 |
| Biology 355: Human & Comparative Anatomy Lab | 2 |
| Sociology 101 Introduction to Sociology (DCR)* | 3 |
| MCAT pre class (optional) | 0 |
This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major.
Consult the official Xavier University catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Senior
| First Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology or Chemistry Senior Capstone** | 1-2 |
| Historical Perspectives Elective | 3 |
| Humanities Elective | 3 |
| Creative Perspective Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 |
| Theological Perspective | 3 |
| Second Semester | Semester Hours |
|---|---|
| Biology or Chemistry Senior Capstone** | 1-2 |
| Biology 450: General Microbiology | 3 |
| Biology 451: General Microbiology Lav | 2 |
| Chemistry 435: Medicinal Chemistry | 3 |
| E/RS Focus Elective* | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 |
This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major.
Consult the official Xavier University catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Sample Courses
Xavier is known for providing an education that’s both challenging and personal. Here are some courses that are part of the Biomedical Sciences major at Xavier:
General Biology I (BIOL 160) - Principles of molecular, cellular, and organismal biology, emphasizing the physiology of vertebrates.
Genetics (BIOL 230) - Principles of heredity and molecular genetics.
General Chemistry I (CHEM 160) - This course is the first in a two semester sequence of general chemistry. This is a pre-professional course approved by the American Chemical Society for chemistry majors and required of many other science majors. Fundamental principles of chemistry including atomic and molecular structure, states of matter, stoichiometry, energy relationships, periodic table and solution chemistry. The following mathematical concepts are used: scientific notation, logarithms, the quadratic equation and proportionality.
College Physics I (PHYS 160) - An algebra-based approach to introductory physics for premedical, pre-dental and other students. Topics include mechanics, heat, and sound.
82% Of Xavier students who apply to medical school are accepted compared to 40% nationally
82%
Of Xavier students who apply to medical school are accepted compared to 40% nationally
STAND OUT THAT'S THE XAVIER DIFFERENCE
GET ACCEPTED
Apply to medical and dental schools with a better chance of being accepted. That's because 100% of Biomedical Sciences students have additional advising through the Pre-Professional Health Advising program.
HANDS ON
Learn by doing in 14 research and teaching laboratories equipped with compound and stereoscopic microscopes, models, specimens, and specialized equipment for the study of vertebrate physiology, plant biology, development, anatomy, genetics, and bacteriology.
ORGINAL RESEARCH
Engage in research side-by-side with faculty and present findings at regional and national meetings.
Xavier by the numbers
14
LABS ON CAMPUS
100%
PLACEMENT RATE
20
AVERAGE SIZE OF CLASSES
82%
MEDICAL SCHOOL ACCEPTANCE RATE (COMPARED TO 40% NATIONALLY)
The Xavier Experience. There's Nothing Like It.
Play Video
MATT PELLERITE: BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO AT-RISK POPULATIONS
Natural Sciences major Matt Pellerite got his first taste of "public health" when he signed up for Xavier's Over-the-Rhine service learning program and learned the importance of caring for whole communities.
MARINE SAYS THERE'S 'NO COMPARISON' IN HOW XAVIER HELPS STUDENT VETERANS
Derek, a 23-year-old pre-med major at Xavier, is also a Marine. He served for four years. Then it was on to the next challenge: A degree from Xavier.
JACOB KHOURY: EXPLORING EVOLUTIONARY MEDICINE IN PERU
Jacob Khoury, a pre-med student majoring in Biomedical Sciences, pursued an academic research project that led him into the jungles, mountains and cities of Peru.
Careers After Xavier
Graduates go on to work at top companies like
Xavier is in the heart of Cincinnati
Los Angeles, New York or Chicago