Majors

ILS is the honors living-learning program centered on the life sciences, and ILS students typically choose a primary major in one of the life sciences.  ILS is dedicated to forming a diverse and inclusive community of student scholars from a range of different majors, backgrounds, identities, and experiences. The features unifying the ILS community include our shared excitement about the life sciences and the belief that an education can help each of us to reach personal and professional goals.

An advantage of a life sciences major is that ILS courses are often directly applicable toward satisfying the major requirements. Some ILS students choose majors in other disciplines, for which ILS courses may also satisfy elective requirements.

The approximate distribution of ILS majors is:

70% Biological Sciences
15% Engineering
10% Chemistry and Biochemistry
5% other majors.

Common Life Science Majors of ILS Students

Biological Sciences (BSCI) 

The BSCI major focuses on fundamental principles, cutting-edge knowledge, and modern research approaches in biology. Foundational coursework includes biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics; upper level classes focus on major research areas in modern biology, including physiology and neurobiology, ecology and evolutionary biology. Departmental honors are available for junior and senior students who complete undergraduate research, a written thesis, and seminar presentation. The BSCI curriculum provides a broad and comprehensive education in the life sciences that prepares students to pursue a various post-baccalaureate educational, medical, and professional opportunities.

Biochemistry (BCHM) 

The BCHM major focuses on the understanding of biological processes from fundamental chemical perspectives and on chemical and molecular approaches toward investigating important questions in the life sciences. The introductory curriculum places strong emphasis on biological aspects of chemistry, with upper-level courses offered in wide range of chemistry and biochemistry subdisciplines. Strong junior and senior students can choose to carry out undergraduate research resulting in a written thesis and seminar presentation in the chemistry honors program. The BCHM curriculum is designed to provide a broad and comprehensive education to prepare students for a wide range of post-baccalaureate educational, medical, and professional opportunities. 

Bioengineering (BIOE)

The BIOE major focuses on the application of principles, approaches, and tools of engineering to address important problems in life sciences, including medicine. Initial coursework emphasizes fundamental engineering, mathematics, biology, physics, and chemistry from engineering perspectives; upper level courses focus on advanced bioengineering with an emphasis on medical applications. BIOE offers a departmental honors program for strong junior and senior students who complete undergraduate research, a written thesis, and seminar presentation. The interdisciplinary nature of the BIOE major facilitates the placement of its graduates in a wide range of post-baccalaureate educational, medical, and professional opportunities.

Other Majors

Other potential majors in the life sciences for ILS students include animal science/pre-vet, environmental science, public health, neuroscience, and psychology. A few ILS students major in non-science disciplines like computer science, history, or the arts, but use the ILS courses in conjunction with general science courses to satisfy the current course requirements for medical school. If a student enters ILS with a significant number of Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate credits, it is reasonable to expect that that student can successfully pursue another major outside of the life sciences.