The Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Biology

The UWS Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program is of particular interest to the student who is admitted to the chiropractic program without having yet earned a bachelor’s degree, but who may wish to have that degree for either personal or professional reasons. The design of the program is modeled after the general educational components of the traditional liberal arts biology major. Degree requirements can be fulfilled through the required pre-chiropractic courses combined with courses contained in the chiropractic program.

The degree is awarded to current UWS students who successfully complete the basic science courses in the first five quarters of the chiropractic program. The bachelor’s degree may also be an option for alumni who graduated in January 1981 or later.  Applications submitted by graduates will be considered by the Dean of Undergraduate & Continuing Education on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, the additional coursework described below may be required.

Because University of Western States is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the UWS Bachelor of Science in Human Biology fulfills most bachelor’s degree requirements for graduate study, employment, or licensure.

All UWS policies and procedures that apply to the Doctor of Chiropractic program also apply to students in the B.S. program unless otherwise specified here or in the Administrative Policy.

Learning objectives

Students completing the bachelor’s degree at University of Western States will be able to

1. Critically appraise the literature on health-related topics;
2. Compile, read, and synthesize information from multiple primary, secondary and tertiary literature sources;
3. Demonstrate a strong foundation of knowledge in health care related biological sciences and in the fundamentals of scientific analysis of data and communication of results.

Course Requirements 

A bachelor’s degree traditionally represents a minimum of four years of college 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 University of Western States bachelor’s degree in human biology. (All credit hours listed below are quarter credits. For purposes of conversion, 1.5 quarter credits equal 1 semester credit.)

A total of 186.5 quarter credits are required for the UWS bachelor’s degree. They are distributed in the following areas:

Degree requirements may also be viewed in terms of a combination of pre-chiropractic courses and courses taken in the WSCC D.C. program.

Pre-chiropractic courses—90 quarter credits

The 90 pre-chiropractic quarter credits in science and humanities and social science necessary for the bachelor’s degree are compatible with the prerequisites for the Doctor of Chiropractic program.  Please see that section of the catalog for a full description of required prerequisite courses.

The basic science courses and Evidence Based Practice I and II, taken in the first five quarters of the chiropractic program are applied toward the Bachelor’s degree using all of the lecture credits and .5 of the lab credits.

General Education Requirements

* Fifteen natural science credits are applied toward the general education requirements, leaving 12 of the 27 non-biology, natural science credits to be applied toward other required courses and electives. The total of 27 credits is based on 9 credits each in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics.

 Human Biology Major Requirements

Other Required Courses and Electives

*Twelve natural science credits are applied here. The other 15 non-biology, natural science credits are applied to the general education requirements. (See above.)

**These may be any college-level courses from a regionally accredited institution.

Additional UWS B.S. courses for graduates

In addition to meeting current admissions criteria, graduates may be required to complete the following courses as determined by the Dean of Undergraduate and Continuing Education:

Academic Standards, B.S. Program

A student must have a cumulative UWS GPA of 2.0 or higher at the completion of the B.S. degree requirements to be eligible to receive the B.S. degree. For current DCP students, continuing enrollment in the B.S. program is contingent upon eligibility for continuing enrollment in the D.C. program.

Transfer Credit

In the case of a student transferring to UWS from another chiropractic or health-profession school, the standards for approval of transfer credits in the B.S. program are the same as for the D.C. program.

B.S. Program Tuition and Fees

Tuition for the B.S. program is established by the UWS Board of Trustees. There is a non-refundable application fee for the program. There is also an enrollment fee for any quarter during which a student is not enrolled in the D.C. program. There is a graduation fee due at the completion of all bachelor’s degree requirements.  

Enrollment Status and Financial Aid

Eligibility for financial aid can be determined by the Financial Aid office. 

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Withdrawal from the Biostatistics or Baccalaureate Project Writing Methods classes is allowed if a student has a passing average in the class. For students with financial aid, withdrawal may result in a restructuring of the expense budget, and financial aid may need to be repaid.