Integrated Sciences

Integrated Sciences at Fulbright

The Integrated Sciences major is a single, comprehensive program comprising a variety of fields, including Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Science. Today’s most urgent scientific problems – from climate change to public health – require an integrated approach. Introducing multiple pathways in the natural science and emphasizing real-world experience, the Integrated Sciences major prepares students for careers as responsible and innovative scientific leaders and to seek interconnected solutions informed by several scientific disciplines. Students in the Integrated Sciences major will practice interdisciplinary and research-based approaches to scientific discovery, while also pursuing a specific concentration within the natural sciences: (1) Environmental Science and Sustainability, or (2) Biology and Health Science. The Integrated Sciences major provides a strong foundation for a career in industry as well as future graduate study.

👉 Please find detailed information about the Integrated Sciences program at: Integrated Sciences Major Handbook

Welcome to the Integrated Sciences Major at Fulbright!

Integrated Sciences is a single major combining different disciplines in the natural sciences into a cohesive program. We hope to make the most out of the shared principles and interconnected foundation among the sciences, while also delving into certain disciplines for more advanced learning and research. Learning takes an interdisciplinary, project-based approach which combines various methods such as computational studies, laboratory experiments, and fieldwork. With our dedicated and evolving team, and close working relationships between students, faculty, and staff, we aim to develop Integrated Sciences to nurture capable, independent science graduates. Placed within the liberal arts environment of FUV, Integrated Sciences major equips students with the broad mindsets and the strong skills to bring science to life, have fulfilling careers, and contribute to the betterment of society.

Academic spotlight

IS Student Ho Bao Tran has won 2nd prize in the “One health contest 2023” with the proposal “D-limonene extracts in Limnophila aromatica, and its effect on relieving kidney stone formation in oriental medicine”. “One health contest 2023” is a biomedical research contest organized by the Research Center for Infectious Diseases at International University, VNU-HCMC with participations from various schools and universities in Ho Chi Minh City. After 2 rounds of selection and a fascinating final round on September 15, 2023 with careful assessment by the judging top experts in the field, the winning projects have been identify.Learn more here

Make a gift to Integrated Sciences

Degree Requirements

A Bachelor of Science in Integrated Sciences is awarded following the successful completion of:

General Curriculum Requirements:

4 Core courses (16 credits) and 6 Exploratory courses (24 credits), of which up to two Exploratory courses (8 credits) can be counted towards the major.
Experiential Learning.
Compulsory courses: Military Training (1 course), Physical Education (3 courses), and Political Courses (5 courses).

Major Requirements (48 credits):

2 Required foundation courses: General Chemistry, and Introductory Biology (8 credits).
2 Math and Computer Science courses (8 credits).
6 Applied Integrated Sciences courses (24 credits) including at least four 300-level courses.
Capstone I and Capstone II (total 8 credits) for Honors program OR 2 applied Integrated Sciences courses (8 credits), including at least one 300-level course.

Concentrations:

The Integrated Sciences major consists of 2 main concentrations:

Environmental Science and Sustainability
Biology and Health Science

These concentrations share the same degree requirements as outlined above; only applied courses are different. Certain applied courses fit both concentrations.

Sample courses for the two concentrations:

Concentrate	Environmental Science and Sustainability	Biology and Health Science
100-level	Environmental Sciences Sustainable Development: Science and Industries	Humans in the Biosphere Introductory Biology
200-level	Materials that shape our world Organismal Diversity and Evolution	Cell Biology Principles of Neuroscience Organic Chemistry
300-level	Life cycle assessment Introduction to Molecular Simulation Plant Biology	Human Physiology Human Genetics and Genomics Biometry Biochemistry Physical chemistry

Note: certain courses can be applied to both concentrations

Sample Student Journey:

Year 1

4 Core Courses
4 Exploratory Courses

Year 2

2 Exploratory Courses
Introductory Biology
General Chemistry
1 Math course
2 Applied IS course
1 Elective

Year 3

1 CS course
4 Applied IS Courses
3 Elective Courses
Experiential Learning

Year 4

6 Elective Courses
Capstone I
Capstone II

Minor Requirements (24 credits):

The minor in Integrated Sciences provides a foundation in natural science and scientific thinking through a selection of courses in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Environmental Science, and Math. The minor is ideal for students who aim to have a basic foundation in the sciences and/or complement their major study with knowledge and skills in the natural sciences. For example: a student majoring in Computer Science can minor in Integrated Sciences to gain scientific understanding of the discipline where she is applying her computing skills. The result is the application of information technology to study biology or sustainable agriculture. Any student interested in the sciences can pursue a minor in IS, regardless of their major study. The IS minor requires students to take a total of six courses:

2 Required foundation courses: General Chemistry, and Introductory Biology (8 credits).
1 Math or Computer Science course (4 credits).
3 Applied Integrated Sciences courses (12 credits) including at least two 300-level courses.

Requirements for Declaring the Integrated Sciences Major and Minor:

To formally declare Major or Minor in Integrated Sciences, students need to complete at least one of the two required foundational IS courses (General Chemistry or Introductory Biology).

Graduation with Honors Requirements

Students must complete Capstone I and Capstone II
The Capstone must be graded as Honors pass

Sample course list

Required foundation IS courses: These courses provide the fundamental knowledge of Chemistry, Biology, and certain topics of Physics. They serve as foundation for more advanced courses in Integrated Sciences major. There are 2 required 100-level IS courses:

IS 105: General Chemistry
IS 101: Introductory Biology

Math and Computer Science courses: Mathematical and computational foundations are integral in learning and doing sciences in this era. Therefore, Integrated Sciences students are required to complete one course (4 credits) in Math, preferably statistics, and one course (4 credits) in Computer Science.

Sample courses for Math requirements:

Introduction to Data Analysis
Probability and Statistics

Sample courses for Computer Science requirements:

Computer Science I: Introduction to Programming
Computer Science 2: Data Structures
Algorithm Design and Analysis

Applied IS courses: These courses form the core of the IS major. They develop the knowledge and skills relevant to the two concentrations in increasing levels of depth: foundational (100-level), intermediate (200-level) and advanced (300-level). If students do Capstone, they will need 6 applied courses, including at least four 300-level courses. If students do not do Capstone, they will need 8 applied courses, including at least five 300-level courses. Note that the 2 required courses (General Chemistry and Introductory Biology) do NOT count toward this requirement.

While optional, doing Capstone is highly recommended in IS major. The capstone takes the form of a year-long research project in the last year of study. It is separated into Capstone I & II (4 credits each). Students need to apply and get faculty approval to do Capstone. The outcome is usually a scientific research report accompanied by an oral defense.

Foundation IS Courses (2 required)
Foundation IS Courses:
- General Chemistry
- Introductory Biology
Math and Computing Courses (2 required)
Math and Computing Courses one in each category

Sample courses for Introductory Statistics requirements:
- Introduction to Data Analysis
- Probability and Statistics
Sample courses for Introductory Programming requirement:
- Computer Science I: Introduction to Programming
- Computer Science 2: Data Structures
- Algorithm Design and Analysis
Capstone I & Capstone II (2 required)**
In order to graduate with Honors, students must:
- Do a Capstone
- The Capstone must pass at Honor level

Applied Courses (8 required)*
Applied Courses:
- At least five courses at 300-level*
- At least four courses at 200-level**
Sample 100-level Applied Courses:

Environmental Science and Sustainability:
- Environmental Sciences
- Sustainable Development: Science and Industries
- Energy in Daily Life
Biology and Health Science
- Human in the Biosphere
Sample 200-level Applied Courses

Environmental Science and Sustainability:
- Materials that shape our world
- Organismal Diversity and Evolution
- Climate and water
Biology and Health Science
- Cell Biology
- Principles of Neuroscience
- Organic Chemistry
Sample 300-level Applied Courses

Environmental Science and Sustainability:
- Environmental Microbiology
- Life cycle assessment
- Fates and Transports of Atmospheric Pollutants
Biology and Health Science:
- Human Physiology
- Medical Biochemistry
- Biometry
Applied Courses (6 required)**
Capstone I & Capstone II (2 required)**

*Regular major requirements
**Major with Honor requirements

Meet our faculty

Our faculty combines global experience and local insight, driving our commitment to providing you with academic excellence.

Featured faculty

My research interest focuses on the physiological roles of protein - Transient receptor potential (TRP) and other ion channels in normal and pathological conditions. Not only TRP channels, I am also passionate about cell signaling in health and diseases that can provide us with the understanding to answer questions such as who we are, how we live, and, eventually, how we die. As a researcher, I have enjoyed science daily in many aspects, regardless of the many challenges of doing science. A German physiologist – Dr. Bert Sakmann, who shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Erwin Neher in 1991 for their work on "the function of single ion channels in cells," said: "From a more general view of life, in my opinion a good life is one in which you have something to think about that gives you the opportunity to follow your curiosity and possibly discover something new. In other people’s perspectives, a good life could mean earning a lot of money or being recognized by others, and that is completely fine as well. I think that being a scientist is the best choice you can make, but only if you are curious about Nature. Do not try to be a scientist because you think it is a glamorous profession. If your insides do not burn with the urge to find things out, it is better to choose another profession—one that does make you burn with excitement and passion."

Nguyen Thi Hong Dung, Faculty member in Integrated Sciences

Meet our Fulbrighters

Come and learn how Fulbright has impacted the lives of our current students and graduates.

Featured student

“Before coming to Fulbright, I have taken a liking to studying biology, how every piece of knowledge is linked to another and explain each other. Thanks to the course Scientific Inquiry, I was exposed to the science environment at Fulbright, which is supportive and caring. The science community at Fulbright is truly a tightly bonded family, whose warmth and welcomeness definitely make you feel included. I always feel welcomed by the juniors and seniors, how everyone is open to help one another. I love how, as a student, I am encouraged to critically think and brainstorm my own ideas. Each lecture is exciting, informative and allows for further exploration of topics of my interest. Not only do I get to learn the subjects I am interested in (i.e. biology), but I am also able to explore other fields such as chemistry and environmental sciences. Now as a third-year student, my love for science and the Integrated Sciences major has only grown. In the future, it is my intention to pursue a higher degree after my graduation, but the experience of being an IS student at Fulbright will always be a memorable one.”

Ho Bao Tran, Class of 2025

Class of 2025

Bui Tran Van Anh
Vũ Ngọc Hân
Pham Nguyen Hoang Le
Hồ Bảo Trân

Class of 2024

Nguyễn Duy Hiếu
Lê Trần Ngọc Khanh
Nguyễn Hà Linh Tú
Lê Thảo Tường Vy
Nguyễn Đình Thạch Lam
Nguyễn Vân Trang

Meet our Alumni

Come and learn how Fulbright has impacted the lives of our current students and graduates.

Featured alumni

“Science makes everything clear, at the same time, it makes things uncertain.” – Hieu Huynh. I started my scientific journey with the aspiration to explore new things. During this path, I realized the deeper I dive into science, the higher level of difficulty I perceived, and the more challenges I encountered. Novelty cannot be achieved through mere curiosity or chance encounters. Newton could not discover gravity with just a falling apple, or Mendeleev could not construct the periodic table with just a dream. Those things might be the starting points of their ideas, but they needed to be nurtured with a lot of time and effort to transform into the remarkable achievements we admire today. Countless cycles of trials and failures are necessary for a new discovery. Within these cycles, I do not only deepen my understanding of science but also learn more about myself. These periods are marked by sorrow, frustration, self-doubt and even moments of desperation. Nevertheless, with each cycle endured, I find myself sinking deeper into the depth of despair, only to emerge with an indescribable sense of satisfaction upon achieving success. This very feeling is what propels me as a scientist, and what I believe to be the moment that science flourishes.

Huynh Tam Minh Hieu, Class os 2023

Selected Faculty Publications

Nguyen Thi Hong Dung

Thi Hong Dung Nguyen, Stella Chapman, Claire Saito, Tatjana Storm, Mio Yasui, Makiko Kashio, Makoto Tominaga, “Single amino acids set temperature-evoked activation thresholds for mosquito TRPA1”, Journal of Biology Chemistry, (2022) 298(9) 102271

Thi Hong Dung Nguyen, Satoru G. Itoh, Hisashi Okumura, *Makoto Tominaga, “Structural basis for promiscuous action of monoterpenes on TRP channels”,

Communications Biology, 4:293 (2021) Co-authored: Satoru G. Itoh, Hisashi Okumura, *Makoto Tominaga

Shimada H, Kusakizako T, Dung Nguyen TH, Nishizawa T, Hino T, Tominaga M, *Nureki O., “The Structure of Lipid Nanodisc-Reconstituted TRPV3 Reveals the Gating Mechanism”, Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 27:645–652(2020)

Jesse Dylan Hollister

Hollister, Jesse D., Stephan Greiner, Marc TJ Johnson, and Stephen I. Wright. “Hybridization and a loss of sex shape genome‐wide diversity and the origin of species in the evening primroses (Oenothera, Onagraceae).” New Phytologist 224, no. 3 (2019): 1372-1380.

Arnold, Brian J., Brett Lahner, Jeffrey M. DaCosta, Caroline M. Weisman, Jesse D. Hollister, David E. Salt, Kirsten Bomblies, and Levi Yant. “Borrowed alleles and convergence in serpentine adaptation.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 29 (2016): 8320-8325.

Hollister, Jesse D., Stephan Greiner, Wei Wang, Jun Wang, Yong Zhang, Gane Ka-Shu Wong, Stephen I. Wright, and Marc TJ Johnson. “Recurrent loss of sex is associated with accumulation of deleterious mutations in Oenothera.” Molecular Biology and Evolution 32, no. 4 (2015): 896-905.

Hollister, Jesse D. “Polyploidy: adaptation to the genomic environment.” New Phytologist 205, no. 3 (2015): 1034-1039.

Yant, Levi*, Jesse D. Hollister*, Kevin M. Wright, Brian J. Arnold, James D. Higgins, F. Chris H. Franklin, and Kirsten Bomblies. “Meiotic adaptation to genome duplication in Arabidopsis arenosa.” Current biology 23, no. 21 (2013): 2151-2156 *Co-first authors.

Hollister, Jesse D., Lisa M. Smith, Ya-Long Guo, Felix Ott, Detlef Weigel, and Brandon S. Gaut. “Transposable elements and small RNAs contribute to gene expression divergence between Arabidopsis thaliana and Arabidopsis lyrata.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108, no. 6 (2011): 2322-2327.

Hollister, Jesse D., and Brandon S. Gaut. “Epigenetic silencing of transposable elements: a trade-off between reduced transposition and deleterious effects on neighboring gene expression.” Genome research 19, no. 8 (2009): 1419-1428.

Nguyen Quynh Nhu

David A. Nyenhuis, Thushani D. Nilaweera, Jessica K. Niblo, Nhu Q. Nguyen, Kateri H. DuBay, and David S. Cafiso. Evidence for the Supramolecular Organization of a Bacterial Outer-Membrane Protein from In Vivo Pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2020 142,24, 10715-10722.

Ryan L. Hamblin, Nhu Q. Nguyen, and Kateri H. DuBay. Selective Solvent Conditions Influence Sequence Development and Supramolecular Assembly in Step-growth Copolymerization, Soft Matter, 2022,18, 943-955. Selected for Cover Feature.

Nhu Q. Nguyen∗, Ryan L. Hamblin∗, and Kateri H. DuBay. Emergent Sequence Biasing in Step-Growth Copolymerization: Influence of Non-Bonded Interactions and Comonomer Reactivities. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2022, 126, 34, 6585–6597. Selected for Cover Feature.

Emilie Dion

2026. Dion, Toh, Zhu & Monteiro. Butterfly brains change in morphology and in gene splicing patterns after brief pheromone exposure. BMC Biology, In Press

2022. Connahs, Tan, Ter, Dion, Matsuoka, Bear & Monteiro. The yellow gene regulates behavioral plasticity by repressing male courtship in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. Proceedings B. 289(1972). https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2021.2665

2020. Dion, Pui, Weber & Monteiro. Early exposure to new sex pheromone blend alters mate preference of female butterflies and of their offspring. Nature Communication 11, 53. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13801-2

2019. Gowri, Dion, Viswanath, Monteiro-Piel & Monteiro. Transgenerational inheritance of learned preferences for novel host plant odors in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. Evolution 73 (12), 2401-2414. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evo.13861

2019. Dion, Monteiro & Nieberding. The role of learning on insect and spider sexual behaviors, sexual trait, evolution and speciation. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 6, article 225. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2018.00225/full

2018. Tan, Dion & Monteiro. Haze smoke impacts the development of butterflies. Scientific reports 8 (1), 15667. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-34043-0

Capstone projects

Class of 2023

Quantum chemistry – Machine Learning Approach for Predicting Optoelectronic Properties of Lewis acid – Lewis base Adducts

Huynh Tam Minh Hieu

Molecular docking of Vietnamese Ginsengs metabolites into Noradrenergic receptors.

Nguyen Phuc An

Events and News

Fulbrighters showcase their can-do spirit in the National Olympiads

Capstone defense12-May-23

Five new students awarded the 2022 TPBank STEM scholarships

Connect with us

Discover the future awaiting
you at Fulbright

Learn how to apply

Concentrate

Environmental Science and Sustainability

Biology and Health Science

100-level

Environmental Sciences
Sustainable Development: Science and Industries

Humans in the Biosphere
Introductory Biology

200-level

Materials that shape our world
Organismal Diversity and Evolution

Cell Biology
Principles of Neuroscience
Organic Chemistry

300-level

Life cycle assessment
Introduction to Molecular Simulation
Plant Biology

Human Physiology
Human Genetics and Genomics
Biometry
Biochemistry
Physical chemistry

Integrated Sciences

Integrated Sciences at Fulbright

Welcome to the Integrated Sciences Major at Fulbright!

Academic spotlight

Degree Requirements

General Curriculum Requirements:

Major Requirements (48 credits):

Concentrations:

Minor Requirements (24 credits):

Requirements for Declaring the Integrated Sciences Major and Minor:

Graduation with Honors Requirements

Sample course list

Meet our faculty

Featured faculty

Meet our Fulbrighters

Featured student

Meet our Alumni

Featured alumni

Selected Faculty Publications

Capstone projects

Events and News

Connect with us

Discover the future awaiting you at Fulbright

Integrated Sciences

Integrated Sciences at Fulbright

Welcome to the Integrated Sciences Major at Fulbright!

Academic spotlight

Degree Requirements

General Curriculum Requirements:

Major Requirements (48 credits):

Concentrations:

Minor Requirements (24 credits):

Requirements for Declaring the Integrated Sciences Major and Minor:

Graduation with Honors Requirements

Sample course list

Meet our faculty

Featured faculty

Meet our Fulbrighters

Featured student

Meet our Alumni

Featured alumni

Selected Faculty Publications

Capstone projects

Events and News

Connect with us

Discover the future awaiting you at Fulbright

Discover the future awaiting
you at Fulbright

Discover the future awaiting
you at Fulbright