The plan listed below is designed to provide suggestions for sequencing your major courses, but there are also other ways to sequence most majors. This plan is meant to provide aid in early, provisional planning. Please consult with your academic advisor to make strategic academic decisions about which courses to take each semester.
Sample Four Year Plan: Biology (BS), Pre-Med Track
This sample academic plan was developed by the Pre-Med Committee to assist students interested in pursuing medical school after graduation from Truman with course sequencing. The listed courses fulfill the Biology (BS) degree requirements while also incorporating prerequisites required by most medical schools. For a list of suggested pre-medical prerequisite courses, click here.
Semester 1
- TRU 120: First Year Seminar (3 cr)
- BIOL 107: Cells, Molecules, & Genes (4 cr)
- MATH 198: Analytic Geometry & Calculus (5 cr)
- CHEM 130: Chemical Principles I (4 cr)
Semester 2
- BIOL 104: Ecology and Evolution of the Organism (4 cr)
- CHEM 131: Chemical Principles II (4 cr)
- ENG 190: Writing as Critical Thinking (3 cr)
- COMM 170: Public Speaking (3 cr)
Semester 3
- BIOL 210: WE/Intro to Writing about Biology (3 cr)
- BIOL 304: General Microbiology OR BIOL 301: Introduction to Ecology (4 cr)
- CHEM 329: Organic Chemistry I (3 cr)
- Elementary Foreign Language I (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)
Semester 4
- BIOL 300: Genetics (4 cr)
- CHEM 330: Organic Chemistry Lab I (1 cr)
- CHEM 331: Organic Chemistry II (3 cr)
- STAT 190: Statistics (3 cr)
- PSYC 166: General Psychology (3 cr)
- Elementary Foreign Language II (3 cr)
Semester 5
-BIOL 322: Principles of Human Physiology (or BIOL 315, 332, 330) (3 cr)
- CHEM 332: Organic Chemistry Lab II (1 cr)
- PHYS 185: College Physics I (4 cr)
- HLTH 255: Introduction to Community and Public Health (3 cr)
- JINS 3XX: WE/Junior Interdisciplinary Seminar (3 cr)
Semester 6
- BIOL Elective or Learning Plan course (4 cr)
- CHEM 335: Biochemistry I (3 cr)
- PHYS 186: College Physics II (4 cr)
- HLTH 270: Health Systems and Consumers (3 cr)*
*Fulfills Intercultural Perspective requirement.
Semester 7
- BIOL Elective or Learning Plan course (4 cr)
- BIOL Elective or Learning Plan course (4 cr)
- Writing-Enhanced course (3 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum course (3 cr)
Semester 8
- BIOL 545: Senior Seminar (1 cr)
- BIOL Elective or Learning Plan course (4 cr)
- Dialogues Curriculum courses or Electives (9 cr)
NOTES:
- WE = Writing Enhanced course
- If you have not completed the Civics Exam, we recommend doing so in your first year.
- Truman students are required to complete a Portfolio to graduate. We recommend starting to compile your work for the Portfolio sooner than later.
- Students must complete their Application to Graduate the semester prior to graduating. Apply to graduate through TruView.
- Graduating seniors need to complete their seniors test and questionnaire. We recommend reviewing the Assessment & Testing page to plan accordingly.
- The Dialogues curriculum requires a certain number of courses/credit hours in the following Perspectives: Social, Arts and Humanities, STEM, Communications, and Statistics. The exact number of courses a student will be required to take during their undergraduate career varies individually according to the credit transferred in.
Department Chair: Please contact the Center for Academic Excellence with any updates to the plan above. Revised 10-4-2025.
This is a sample course sequence to illustrate class offerings for this major. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certifying completion of degree requirements based on requirements specified in Truman's Official Catalog.