The Bachelor of Science in Human Biology (BS) is a degree completion program for students enrolled at Northwestern College of Chiropractic. The BS program is designed for eligible students to complete the course requirements for a bachelor’s degree in human biology while earning their doctor of chiropractic. Chiropractic students who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree are encouraged to apply. In addition, chiropractic students who have a bachelor's degree are eligible to earn a second bachelor's degree.

PLEASE NOTE: The B.S. degree program is available only for currently enrolled students at Northwestern College of Chiropractic. The program is not available for NWCC alumni, students enrolled in other educational programs or the general public.

There are both professional and practical reasons to complete your bachelor’s degree in human biology. In addition to the thorough grounding in the biological sciences that is offered by courses taken in the first five trimesters of the doctor of chiropractic program, the bachelor's program offers these benefits:

• Professionally, you will develop your oral and written communication skills, your understanding of the philosophical foundations for the scientific method, your appreciation of health care ethics, and your understanding of health care research.
• Having a bachelor's degree will generally increase your credibility if you serve as an expert witness, should you be called to testify in court.
• An increasing number of states require a bachelor’s degree for chiropractic licensure, and some managed care organizations show a preference in favoring chiropractors with a bachelor’s degree when making network inclusion decisions.
• In general, a bachelor’s degree increases your professional credentials and provides you the opportunity to excel in your chiropractic practice.

This B.S. degree will help with meeting licensure procedures in states that require a bachelor's degree prior to obtaining a license to practice. Some state licensing boards may require additional education upon beginning a chiropractic program. For more information, please consult with the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards at www.FCLB.org.

Course Requirements and Curriculum Overview

The BS degree is awarded to students who have earned the required academic credit in three areas:
1) pre-professional entrance requirements for the doctor of chiropractic program (90 semester credits);
2) biology concentration courses taken during Trimesters 1 through 5 of the doctor of chiropractic program (Section A);
3) four-course BS-completion sequence offered one per trimester in Trimesters 6 through 9 (Section B).

Section A: Biological Concentration

11010 Biochemistry 1 (4 credits) - Trimester 1
11330 Biochemistry 2 (3 credits) - Trimester 2
36350 Clinical Nutrition 1 (4 credits) - Trimester 5
14220 Embryology (2 credits) - Trimester 2
13010 Gross Anatomy 1 (5.5 credits) - Trimester 1
13120 Gross Anatomy 2 (5.5 credits) - Trimester 2
15010 Histology 1 (3.75 credits) - Trimester 1
15120 Histology 2 (3.5 credits) - Trimester 2
25150 Infectious Diseases (2 credits) - Trimester 5
16140 Immunology and Clinical Microbiology (3.5 credits) - Trimester 4
12120 Neuroscience 1: PNS (4 credits) - Trimester 2
12230 Neuroscience 2: CNS (3 credits) - Trimester 3
17030 Pathology 1 (3 credits) - Trimester 3
17140 Pathology 2 (3 credits) - Trimester 4
11120 Physiology 1 (4.5 credits) - Trimester 2
11230 Physiology 2 (4.5 credits) - Trimester 3
32030 Principles of Evidence-Based Health Care (1 credit) - Trimester 3
25250 Public and Preventive Health (2 credits) - Trimester 5

Section B: BS Completion Sequence

UGE3710 Communication Skills (3 credits)
UGE3720 Philosophy of Science (3 credits)
UGE3730 Ethical Foundations (3 credits)
UGE3740 Understanding and Using Research (3 credits)

Students typically enroll for one 3-credit course each trimester during Trimester 6 through Trimester 9.

Admission Requirements

1. Completion of pre-chiropractic entrance requirements (60 of the required 90 semester credits will be counted toward the BS degree);
2. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better for courses listed in Section A;
3. Passing grades in each course listed in Section A.

Graduation Requirements

1. Cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better for courses listed in Section A;
2. Passing grade of C or better in each course listed in Section B.

Application for Admission

Students currently enrolled in Northwestern College of Chiropractic are eligible to apply for the Bachelor of Science program at any time during their first five trimesters. A copy of the Bachelor of Science degree application is available online or a copy may be obtained from Marcia Grimmius in Student Records and Financial Services.

If you have any questions, please contact:
Marcia Grimmius
Student Records and Financial Services
mgrimmius@nwhealth.edu
(952) 888-4777, ext. 137
(800) 888-4777, ext. 137

Tuition Information

For information on current program tuition and fees, please refer to the Tuition and Fees schedule for Northwestern College of Chiropractic.

Program Changes

Northwestern Health Sciences University reserves the right to change or discontinue academic programs at the University's discretion.