Bachelor of Science in Human Biology (BS-HB)

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Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Science in human biology completion program is to equip students with a solid foundation in health and pre-medical sciences. The program also offers currently enrolled chiropractic and naturopathic medicine students and chiropractic program alumni a means by which to complete an undergraduate degree.

About the Program

The BS in human biology degree is available to eligible UWS chiropractic (DC) program students, eligible naturopathic medicine (NMD) students and all chiropractic alumni who have not previously earned an undergraduate degree. A student who has earned an undergraduate degree in a field of biology other than human biology may request a transcript review to determine whether they are eligible to receive the BS in human biology degree from UWS. The coursework for the student’s prior biology degree must be substantially different than the UWS BS in human biology coursework to award a second bachelor’s degree. The design of the program is modeled after the general educational components of the traditional liberal arts biology major. The degree may fulfill the bachelor’s degree portion of the requirements for DC licensure in states that require a bachelor’s degree, and requirements for potential employment or admission to graduate programs. All NMD students must have earned an undergraduate bachelor’s degree prior to earning the doctor of naturopathic medicine degree. States that require a bachelor’s degree in addition to the DC degree for chiropractic licensure are listed and updated on the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Board website.

For current students in the chiropractic or naturopathic medicine programs, credits for the BS degree may come from a student’s previous undergraduate work (at least 135 quarter credits or 90 semester credits). Prior coursework must include general education coursework and life/physical sciences requirements, in addition to any needed electives to reach the degree total. The major portion of the degree comes from coursework in the basic sciences of the chiropractic or naturopathic program, plus two evidence-informed practice courses. The credits from the chiropractic or naturopathic program are associated to both the BS and DC or NMD degree. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher at the completion of the bachelor’s degree requirements to be eligible to receive the BS degree.

Degree Requirements

A bachelor’s degree traditionally represents a minimum of four years of undergraduate study with a core education of cultural and communication proficiency, a suitable depth of coursework in the major area, plus a breadth of general educational experience. This tradition is incorporated into the UWS bachelor’s degree in human biology. Students primarily obtain the general education, life and physical sciences, and elective credits prior to matriculation into the UWS doctor of chiropractic or doctor of naturopathic medicine programs. Admittance to the first professional degree programs (DC or NMD) does not guarantee that the student has met the general education, life and physical sciences, and elective requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The human biology major requirements are obtained while enrolled in the UWS doctor of chiropractic or doctor of naturopathic medicine programs. All credit hours listed below are quarter credits. For conversion, 1.5 quarter credits equal 1 semester credit.

The bachelor’s degree requires a total of at least 180 quarter credits distributed in the following areas:

Courses that satisfy the life and physical sciences coursework requirement include biology, physics, chemistry, exercise physiology, anatomy, physiology, etc. UWS also offers online pre-professional courses to satisfy this requirement, including General Chemistry and Introduction to Biochemistry. Undergraduate courses are listed on the UWS website.

Only courses for which a grade of C- or above, or a grade of P, is recorded on the student’s transcript can be applied toward the requirements of the Bachelor of Science program.

General Education Requirements

To pursue the BS in human biology degree at UWS, students must have at least 45 quarter credits of general education coursework. Areas of study that satisfy general education requirements include humanities, social studies/social sciences, mathematics, writing, speaking, etc.

Admissions Requirements

Students who meet the admission requirements for the DC or NMD also meet the admission requirements for the BS program. Admittance to the DC or NMD degree programs does not guarantee conferral of the Bachelor of Science degree. Current UWS DC students may declare their intent to earn the Bachelor of Science in human biology degree at any time by submitting the intent form to the registrar’s office. NMD applicants who do not have a conferred bachelor’s degree must apply for the Bachelor of Science degree at the time of application to the NMD program.

Requirements for DC Alumni

The BS in human biology may also be an option for DC alumni. UWS chiropractic alumni wishing to earn the Bachelor of Science in human biology degree need to complete an application. Alumni may need to submit transcripts. The registrar’s office and the appropriate dean’s office are responsible for determining whether a student’s coursework meets the criteria established by the university. Degree applications submitted by alumni will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Graduates who have not completed the evidence-informed practice course sequence will be required to complete the series to meet the learning outcomes of the program. These additional courses are graded on a Pass/No Pass basis and can be completed from a distance. Students can enroll in fall, winter, spring or summer based on course availability.

Transfer Credit and Course Association

In accordance with Policy 2007 Transfer Credit students in the bachelor’s degree completion program must earn 25% of the program credits at UWS. The human biology major is comprised of courses in the doctor of chiropractic and doctor of naturopathic medicine programs. Once completed, the major courses are associated to the human biology enrollment.

Program Learning Outcomes - BS-HB

Students completing the BS in human biology will be able to:

1. Describe the biomolecular and biochemical basis of life at the cellular level.
2. Differentiate normal human physiology and morphology from disease processes.
3. Critically appraise health-related scientific literature.