3-Year Accelerated Program​

To allow students to accelerate their undergraduate degree process and permit them to reach graduate/professional school or the workforce earlier, we offer a 3-year accelerated biology degree program (CU-Rise). Students opting to take this track will complete all of the normal requirements for a B.S. degree in Biology. As the rigor of our program will not be changed with this option, the students will still gain the skills and experience demanded by their career paths. In addition to attending Concord University for six fall/spring semesters, the student will need to complete one upper-level biology course during each summer session following their freshmen and sophomore years. To allow flexibility for the students, the summer classes will be hybrid web courses in which the students complete the lecture component of the class online throughout the summer session but attend a condensed, intensive lab session on campus for one week towards the end of the summer session.​​

3+1 Degree Option​

Occasionally students are accepted into an accredited pharmacy, dental, optometry, or medical school before completing their undergraduate biology degree. We have created a 3+1 degree option to allow these students to still earn their B.S. degree in Biology following successful completion of their first year of professional school. Students must complete the requirements listed below to be eligible for this option.​

• 90 credit hours prior to matriculation to professional school. A minimum of 36 credit hours must have been earned from Concord University. Sixteen of the last 32 credit hours of study previous to entering professional school must have been done in residence. At least nine credit hours for courses required for the major must be earned at Concord University.​
• all General Education Program requirements​
• all core classes except Biology Capstone​
• any two of the six cognate classes​
• take the ETS Biology Field Exam and complete biology program senior surveys during their final semester at Concord University​
• successfully complete the first year of an accredited professional school program (an official transcript must be sent to the Registrar’s Office)​

The student may request to waive a maximum of 15 credit hours required for completion of the biology degree program. The requirements listed above cannot be waived. Note that other professional schools can be considered on a case-by-case basis.​