Biomedical Sciences

The Biomedical Sciences (BMS) major provides students with rigorous academic training in the key aspects of biomedical science, but also  challenges students to think about biomedical topics from a broader lens supported by our institution’s liberal arts emphasis. Further, this major requires students to delve into experiences that promote development of practical skills as well as intangible skills of collaboration, communication, and professionalism.

Program Objectives

Students will demonstrate fundamental knowledge of cellular, molecular, and physiological concepts relevant to human health and disease and be able to effectively convey scientific information via oral, written, and/or visual formats.

Students will demonstrate the ability to locate, understand, and critique published

biomedical science literature using the scientific method as a framework as well as demonstrate the ability to analyze and interpret data.

Students will use multiple perspectives to address complex problems in health and medicine and be able to identify and articulate connections between biomedical science concepts and hands-on experiences via reflection, analysis, and synthesis.

Major Requirements

(Printable copy of Major Requirements is available to current students and faculty/staff.)

Specific Guidelines

1. Please note that students may not double-major in Biomedical Sciences and any of these: Biochemistry, Neuroscience, or Biology.  Students may also not complete a major in Biomedical Sciences and a minor in Biology.
2. Students must complete at least two Core or Biomedical Sciences Electives biology courses at the 300 or 400 level.  SYE courses or Independent Research courses at the 300 or 400 level may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
3. SYE courses may not be counted as Biology Elective courses.
4. Anatomy & Physiology I & II (with Lab) taken at another institution may be transferred to count toward Core or Biomedical Sciences Electives (if approved at the 200 level).  Students will still need to meet the requirement of two Core or Biomedical Sciences Elective courses at the 300 or 400 level.
5. Only two courses total (from any category) may be transferred from another institution (including study abroad) to count toward the BMS major requirements.

Core

All of these:

BIOL 101: General Biology I with Lab

BIOL 102: General Biology II with Lab

BIOL 245: Genetics OR BIOL 250: Intro to Cell Biology

CHEM 103: General Chemistry I with Lab 

CHEM 104: General Chemistry II with Lab

STAT 113: Applied Statistics

Two of these:

BIOL 231: Microbiology with Lab

BIOL 315: Human Nutrition

BIOL 341: Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab

BIOL 351: Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab

CHEM 221: Organic Chemistry I with Lab 

CHEM 222: Organic Chemistry II with Lab 

Biology Electives (4 courses; 3 of these must include lab)

BIOL 227 Mammalogy with Lab

BIOL 231 Microbiology with Lab*

BIOL 245 Genetics*

BIOL 250 Intro to Cell Biology*

BIOL 252: Research Methods in Cell Biology (Lab)

BIOL 258: Ethnobotany with Lab

BIOL/NRSCI 288: Intro to Neuroscience with Lab

BIOL/CHEM/BIOCH 309: Biochemistry

BIOL 315: Human Nutrition*

BIOL 333: Immunology with Lab

BIOL 341: Anatomy & Physiology I with Lab*

BIOL 350: Cancer Biology

BIOL 353: Human Embryology

BIOL 351: Anatomy & Physiology II with Lab*

BIOL 370: Hormones, Disease, and Development

BIOL/NRSCI 387: Cellular Mech. of Memory

BIOL/NRSCI 388: Drugs & the Brain with Lab

BIOL/NRSCI 389: Advanced Neuroscience

BIOL 392: Res Meth Fluor/Conf Microscopy (Lab)

BIOL 395: Res Methods in Molecular Biology (Lab)

BIOL 399 Current Topics in Neuroscience

BIOL 4033 Biology-Physics (300 level)

ABROAD:

Anatomy & Physiology 2 (200 level lab course)*: AUSTRALIA (James Cook University)

Neuropharmacology (300 level course): AUSTRALIA (James Cook University)

Neuroscience of Fear (BIOL/NRSCI 233): ITALY summer course

* if not taken to fulfill a CORE requirement

Biomedical Context Electives (2 courses)

ANTH 242: Dealing with the Dead

ANTH 270: Plagues and Peoples

ANTH 3072: Medicines and Meanings w/ CBL

ANTH 4020: Anthropology of the Body

BIOL 412: Cross-Cultural Healing

EDUC 325: Sexuality Education

ENGL/AFS/FR: Zombies, Epidemics & Illnesses in the Francophone World

GNDR 224: Global Advocacy for Women’s Sexual Reproductive Health & Rights

GS264: Global Public Health: Critical Approaches

GS 268: Global Health and Justice

GS 365: Rethinking Population, Health, and Environment

HIST 294: Medicine & Empire

HIST 3097: Public Health in History

HIST 4017: Health and Healing in Africa

PCA 335: Sex Talk

PCA 370: Against Health: Rhetoric & the Health Humanities

PH/AFS/FR: Intro to Health Humanities

PHIL 347: Philosophy of Psychiatry

PHIL 354: Biomedical Ethics

REL 3024: Women, Religion, and Food

SOC 225: Women’s Health & Aging

SOC 246: What’s so bad about Aging? w/CBL

SOC 275: Medical Sociology

SOC 308: Death & Dying

ABROAD:

Ethical and Scientific Legacy of Nazi Medical Crimes: DENMARK (DIS)

Medical Ethics: DENMARK (DIS)

Experiential Learning Component

Students complete one of the options below and complete an accompanying Reflection Statement.  More details on satisfying this major requirement can be found here.

Credit-bearing options

BIOL 304 & 305 Health Coaches I and II (total: 1 unit)

SYE Research (489/490): at least 1 unit of research in one of these departments: Biology, Biochemistry, Biophysics, Chemistry, Neuroscience, Psychology

Non-credit bearing options*

Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training

Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) training

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) training

Hospice training and volunteering

Approved external internship

Approved external research opportunity

St. Lawrence University Fellowship (biomedical sciences focused project)

McNair Fellowship (biomedical sciences focused project)

CSTEP Internship/Fellowship (biomedical sciences focused project)

* Non-credit bearing options can be completed inside or outside of St. Lawrence University but must be approved by the program directors.