Undergraduate Majors

With more than 40 majors to choose from, our curriculum offers you unparalleled opportunity to pick your path and find the right fit for you, whether you’re interested in Natural Sciences and Mathematics or Social Sciences, or Humanities like History and English are more your style. 

Many of our majors also offer opportunities for internships and co-ops both locally and nationally, study abroad and service learning, where you make real-world impact on your community.

If you’re not sure which major is right for you, you’re not alone. Many incoming students aren’t sure with path is the right one—which may be why many of our first-year students choose our Exploratory Studies Program. Through Exploratory Studies, you’ll learn more about what each major has to offer, and whether it’s right for you. 

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Why study Medical Sciences?

This major is jointly housed in the UC College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and is designed to ensure pre-medicine students who successfully complete the program are prepared to enter a medical school. UC offers a range of pre med programs and support services to help students find the best pathway to achieve their goals.

Medical Sciences comprises biological sciences, applied sciences & stem cell engineering, informatics and technology, with an emphasis on human health and disease. Medical Sciences provide the scientific basis for modern medical practices.

The Bachelor of Science in Medical Sciences will develop firsthand skills in scientific research, creative inquiry, writing and presenting, and working in medical facilities. Along with a strong foundation of knowledge in the core academic disciplines including chemistry, biology, physics, calculus, statistics, as well as the humanities, and social sciences, the program offers new foundational courses in integrative medicine. Students will be mentored by medical and graduate students, residents, medical researchers and faculty members of the College of Medicine and Children’s Hospital. This academic and mentoring foundation will serve as the platform for advanced courses in physiology, genetics, pharmacology, biochemistry, and other medical sciences courses, which uniquely define this Major. Our expectation is that each student will navigate their studies within a close cohort of peers, and develop into a skilled student able to make informed decisions to successfully enter a field that they find satisfying, rewarding, and fascinating.

We are dedicated to your success. Students who successfully complete the program are prepared to enter a medical school, or a graduate program in a health sciences or other scientific discipline. These can include traditional medicine (MD), Osteopathic Medicine (DO), Physician Assistant (PA), Anesthesia Assisting, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, Chiropractic Medicine (DC), or a doctoral degree (PhD) in chemistry, biology, neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology, or a variety of other medically-related disciplines. Some of our students choose to enter graduate degree programs such as a master's in Public Health (MPH). This career path requires a very strong academic commitment. Not only should students maintain excellent academic performance, but also develop an intellectual curiosity. They must acquire the analytical skills and logical abilities to conduct scientific research, as well as excellent critical thinking and communication skills. Students should also possess a strong sense of social responsibility and a desire to contribute to human society.

If your objective is a career in medicine, UC's Pre-Professional Advising Center should be your first stop in preparing for medical school. In addition, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) provides information for prospective medical students at its website:

Additional Online Resources:

UC Pre-Medical Programs:

  • Pre-Medical School Programs—UC offers a range of programs to enrich the experience of undergraduate students whose goal is medical school, including summer programs and MCAT review
  • Master's in Physiology Program—UC's gap-year or special master's program designed to help students improve their credentials for admission to medical school

Career Possibilities

Find out more about careers in medicine at the AAMC website

Exploring Other Health Professions

Find everything you want to know about a wide variety of health careers at ExploreHealthCareers.org

UC Master's Programs in Health Sciences/Health Professions:

Minoring in Medical Sciences

In addition to the major program, the Medical Sciences program also offers a minor for students in other programs. The minor is competitive with applications reviewed annually. Click the links below to learn more, and to apply.

Medical Sciences Minor Program Outline

College of Medicine, Medical Sciences Minor Website

UC Advantages and Special Opportunities

University Honors Program (UHP)

The UHP is a university-wide program offering enrichment to undergraduate students through experiential, reflective, integrative and interdisciplinary learning. The UHP recognizes that there are many outstanding, high achieving undergraduates who are not admitted to the program as incoming freshmen. We encourage interested UC students to apply to the UHP through the transition admission process during their first or second year.

Opportunities for Academic and Professional Development

Applying for a prestigious fellowship will advance a student professionally and personally, and it signals to future employers that a student has the vision, transformational thinking skills, and drive to make significant contributions wherever their career takes them.

UC’s Office of Nationally Competitive Awards (NCA) is a resource for outstanding students who wish to compete for these highly competitive fellowships. We encourage students to meet with us in their freshman year to identify appropriate opportunities and to receive guidance on developing themselves as competitive candidates. Contact nca@uc.edu to schedule an appointment.

Special Programs

UC Biomedical Research Programs:

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Medical Sciences Program is very competitive. Students are expected to have a minimum 29 ACT or 1300 SAT, an unweighted High School GPA of 3.5 or higher, and involvement in extracurricular activities. With these criteria in mind, the program pays very close attention to co-curricular activities as well as the personal statement and essay that is submitted as part of the application for admission to UC. Applications are reviewed holistically keeping all of these aspects in mind.

Note: Meeting the above academic standards does not guarantee admission.

Accreditation

The University of Cincinnati and all regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Quick Facts

BS in Medical Sciences

Full-Time Program Duration

4.0 Years

Location

East Campus

Interest Areas:

Engineering

Medicine & Health

Natural Science & Math

Contact

CVC 2925
231 Albert Sabin Way
 Cincinnati, OH 45267
Phone: (513) 558-5534
Anil Menon, PhD
anil.menon@uc.edu