Science, Math, and Pre-Health Students

If you’re interested in Health & Medicine, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Dual Degree Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics, here are recommendations from our science faculty to help you choose fall courses.

Remember, you are only registering for fall term right now. You will register for a First-Year Seminar and two other 1-1.2 unit courses.
If a recommended course is full, don’t worry! Many of these introductory courses are offered again in winter and/or spring terms.
Information on interpreting placement exam results.

Health & Medicine (Pre-Health)

Kalamazoo College does not have a pre-med major. Students preparing for medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant programs, and other health professions can major in any discipline while completing the prerequisite courses.

Before registration

Priority for fall (up to 2 of the following)

  • CHEM-110 + CHEM-110L (lecture + lab)
    • If you placed directly into CHEM-110L, register for the lab only in addition to your First-Year Seminar and two other courses.
  • BIOL-101
  • The math course indicated by your placement
    • If you placed into MATH-110, try to take it this fall. It begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).
    • If you placed into MATH-112, plan to complete that course during your first year.

Biochemistry

Before registration

Priority for fall (up to 2 of the following)

  • CHEM-110 + CHEM-110L (lecture and lab)
    • If you placed directly into CHEM-110L, register for the lab only in addition to your First-Year Seminar and two other courses.
  • The math course indicated by your placement
    • If you placed into MATH-110, try to take it this fall. It begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).
    • If you placed into MATH-112 or MATH-113, plan to complete that course during your first year.
  • BIOL-101

Biology

Priority for fall

  • BIOL-101 (any section)

Also recommended

Biology majors take courses across several scientific disciplines, along with humanities, social sciences, and the arts. If another interesting course fits your schedule, don’t hesitate to explore.

Complete the Math Placement Exam (required) and Chemistry Placement Exam (if appropriate) so you’ll know where to begin if you decide to take math or chemistry during your first year.

Chemistry

Before registration

Priority for fall

  • CHEM-110 + CHEM-110L
    • If you placed directly into CHEM-110L, register for the lab only in addition to your First-Year Seminar and two other courses.
  • The math course indicated by your placement
    • MATH-110 is especially important because it begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).
    • If you placed into MATH-112 or MATH-113, plan to take it during your first year.

Computer Science

Before registration

Priority for fall

  • COMP-101 + COMP-102
  • COMP-101 + COMP-104

These are 0.5-unit courses, so they should be taken together to equal one full course.

If you placed directly into COMP-210, consider taking:

  • COMP-210
  • COMP-101 (additional 0.5 unit)

If these courses are full, don’t worry – similar introductory courses are offered throughout the year.

If you placed into MATH-110, MATH-112, or MATH-113, try to take that course during your first year. MATH-110 is especially important because it begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).

Dual Degree Engineering

Before registration

Priority for fall

  • The math course indicated by your placement
    • If you placed into MATH-110, we strongly recommend taking it this fall because it begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).

Looking ahead

Plan to take PHYS-150 during winter term of your first year.

PHYS-150 requires either:

  • Calculus I (MATH-112) or equivalent (through placement, AP, or transfer credit), or
  • MATH-110 completed and MATH-111 taken concurrently.

Mathematics

Before registration

Priority for fall

  • The math course indicated by your placement
    • If you placed into MATH-110, we strongly recommend taking it this fall because it begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).

Physics

Before registration

Priority for fall

  • The math course indicated by your placement
    • If you placed into MATH-110, we strongly recommend taking it this fall because it begins a two-term sequence (MATH-110/111).

Looking ahead

Plan to take PHYS-150 during winter term of your first year.

PHYS-150 requires either:

  • Calculus I (MATH-112) or equivalent (through placement, AP, or transfer credit), or
  • MATH-110 completed and MATH-111 taken concurrently.