SAR: Human Physiology

Sample Pathway

Human physiology is a good major if you are interested in the study of human biology or if you are planning to go to medical school, as the pre-med requirements are built into the curriculum. You may, however, choose to pursue other areas of health care or prepare for a career in medical research using human physiology as your foundation. Graduates of the human physiology program have gone on to careers in medicine, public health, dentistry, physician assistant, nursing, other clinical therapy careers, medical research, and health care administration. Dr. Dustin Allen is the director.

Below is an example of a four-year plan of a College of General Studies student pursuing a degree in human physiology. Students will work with their CGS academic advisors and Sargent College to plan their own pathway to a human physiology degree.

Gap Semester Recommended external course: General Chemistry I (equivalent to CAS CH 101)* Note: Prior approval must be granted for external coursework. Students must consult with their CGS academic advisor before enrolling in classes.
  Semester I Semester II
Freshman Year CGS RH 103
CGS SS 103
CGS HU 103
CAS CH 102		 CGS Required Courses (London or Boston-New England semester)
Sophomore Year CGS NS 201
CGS SS 201
CGS MA 121 or CAS MA 121
CAS CH 203		 CGS HU 202
CAS BI 108
CAS PS 101
CAS CH 204
Summer Term CAS BI 315
Junior Year CAS PY 105
CAS BI 203
CAS MA 115 (or CAS MA 122)
SAR HS 251		 CAS PY 106
CAS CH 373 or CAS CH 421**
SAR HP 252 or SAR HP 353 (HP 353 should be taken junior or senior year only)
SAR HS 342
Senior Year (courses can be taken fall or spring) SAR HS 369
SAR HS 375 (offered in the fall) or SAR HS 371 (offered in the spring)
SAR HS 410 or SAR HS 495
CAS MA116 or MA214
Two electives (8 credits). Please see the SAR Bulletin for current list. These electives should be taken senior year.
Two Hub or General electives***

*Please note that the order of topics in chemistry courses depends strongly on the book, the professor, and the pace of the course. There are also other ways to fulfill the General Chemistry I and II sequence. For more information and suggestions, please consult with your CGS academic advisor.

**CAS CH 421 is only offered in the fall semester.

***Choose your electives carefully to fulfill any remaining BU Hub requirements. External courses are not eligible for Hub general education credit. Please note that external courses are not eligible for Hub general education credit.

Note: For students planning to apply to physician assistant or nursing graduate programs, the program recommends taking microbiology with a lab: CAS BI 311 (CAS BI 206 is a prerequisite). Depending upon the specific graduate programs to which you apply, CAS BI 114 or GMS BT 426 may also fulfill the requirement. 

College of General Studies Program Requirements

  • Two rhetoric courses: CGS RH 103 and CGS RH 104
    • CGS RH 104 is taken during the London semester
  • Two natural science courses: CGS NS 201 and CGS NS 202
    • CGS NS 201 fulfills the CAS BI 107 requirement. Human physiology majors in good standing will take CAS BI 108 in place of CGS NS 202.
  • Three social science courses:
    • CGS SS 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
    • Students select at least two additional SS courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection
  • Three humanities courses:
    • CGS HU 104 is required and is taken during the London semester
    • Students select at least two additional HU courses and will work with their academic advisor to determine course selection

Note: Students who are exempt from CGS NS 202 must enroll in at least one CGS course in semester II of sophomore year.

Continuation Requirements

  • Completion of the CGS required courses and appropriate electives
  • Cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 2.00

Graduation Requirements

  • BU Hub requirements
    • Students who take the specific CGS courses noted on the pathway above will fulfill all BU Hub requirements except the units listed below. These remaining Hub units will be fulfilled through the following courses:
    • Quantitative Reasoning II fulfilled by CAS MA 121
    • Teamwork/Collaboration (2 units) fulfilled by CAS BI 108 and SAR HS 342
    • Writing Intensive Course (1 unit) fulfilled by SAR HP 252 or HP 353 
    • You will owe one remaining Hub unit – Creativity/Innovation (1 unit)
  • Human physiology major requirements

Advising

If you would like advice, help with planning, or simply need more information on SAR programs, please make an appointment with Academic Counselor, Roz Abukasis on rozabu.youcanbook.me. Further details can also be provided by contacting the program directors directly. 

This is a sample pathway to be used in consultation with your CGS Academic Advisor.

It is subject to change according to course availability and individual circumstances.

Last revised: 03/11/2024