Off-Campus Studies can help BBMB students…

  • Develop a global perspective

How does a semester or year of OCS help students in BBMB prepare for graduate school or various career opportunities? 

  • Provides broader opportunities for fulfilling distribution requirements
  • Aids in foreign language acquisition and intercultural competence
  • Broadens the student’s knowledge of scientific questions and the breadth of investigators addressing those problems
  • Could bring greater awareness of global health issues
  • Can provide insights into alternative healthcare systems

BBMB is a highly structured major with many requirements. For study abroad, the following courses must be completed by the Fall semester of the Junior year.

The following courses must be completed by the end of the second year:

  • CHEM 125/126 General Chemistry or CHEM 140 Adv. General Chemistry
  • MATH 125 Calculus 1 [if not completed in high school]
  • MATH 126 Calculus 2 [if not completed in high school]
  • MATH 225 Calculus 3
  • BIOL 111 Biological Principles
  • BIOL 205 Genetics
  • CHEM 245 Organic Chemistry I + Lab
  • CHEM 246 Organic Chemistry II + Lab
  • PHYS 145 or PHYS 155 [PHYS 155 is offered only in spring!]
  • PHYS 156 General Physics I [offered only in fall!]

Important Notes:

  • Aspiring BBMB majors planning to go abroad may want to consider taking calculus-based physics in the summer at another institution.
  • Fall semester OCS is recommended, because of the large number of upper-level required classes in the BBMB major. 
  • Students who wish to go abroad in fall semester of their junior year must start introductory Physics in spring of their freshman year, or take it over the summer at another institution.
  • OCS is not recommended for students who have not previously completed all of the classes listed above.

Which requirements can BBMB majors fulfill while off campus?

  • Research that can later be used for Senior thesis
  • General Studies distribution credit
  • General degree credit
  • Elective major credit
  • Specific courses in the major: BBMB 324 Biophysics, BBMB 325 Biochemistry, BBMB 326 Molecular Biology, and possibly BIOL 205 Genetics (with approval from BBMB faculty)

Note: Courses that are prerequisites for health professions (e.g., medical school applications) should not be taken during OCS.

Major Credit Limitations

  • The maximum number of credits that can be applied to the BBMB major from off campus studies (including AP credit, IB credit and credits from other U.S. institutions) is 8 credits with the approval of your major adviser.

What are the types of OCS programs recommended by the BBMB department?

  • Direct enrollment in a foreign university with local students for specialized science lab work that augments lab courses available at Whitman
  • Field study program with opportunities to engage in research with the local community
  • Program that offers an opportunity for independent study research
  • Any study abroad program that provides an opportunity to fulfill distribution requirements in the humanities, arts, or social sciences.

Which Partner Programs are recommended by the BBMB Department?

  • University of St Andrews (St Andrews, Scotland)
  • DIS Copenhagen (Denmark) for programs in biomedicine, medical practice/policy, neuroscience, and public health
  • IFSA: University of Melbourne Partnership (Australia)
  • University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand)

Students interested in Off-Campus Studies should attend an OCS First Step meeting in the fall of their second year, discuss their interests with their major adviser, and schedule an appointment with an OCS adviser.