Minimum course requirements for all the professional schools are similar. Health professions such as Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Osteopathy, Podiatry, Pharmacy, and Chiropracty require college courses as listed below. They usually include one full year of laboratory courses in general/inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physics and biology. One year of courses in English and mathematics are generally expected. Additional course work from the areas of biochemistry, chemistry, biology, psychology, applied statistics, computer science, and the humanities is frequently recommended and sometimes required. Since course requirements vary from one professional school to another, it is essential that students check the specific course requirements for the professional schools in which they are interested.
Most schools expect students to have a baccalaureate degree before beginning professional study. Less frequently students matriculate without a baccalaureate degree. Professional schools do not usually suggest a major course of study. The most prevalent major is biology and the next most common major is chemistry. Overriding influences in selecting a major should include (a) choosing an area of study the student enjoys, and (b) preparing for alternate careers in the event the student does not ultimately attend a profession school.

Admission to professional schools is generally based on overall GPA, GPA in required courses, an admissions test, recommendations, exposure to the profession, and in most cases an interview. The average GPA of students admitted is almost always better than 3.0; in most cases it is much better than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

While the sequence of scheduled courses varies from student to student and from profession to profession, the following three-year schedule is representative, and satisfies most of the requirements for the baccalaureate degree. The pre-medical advisors make specific recommendations on the sequence of courses to each student according to individual needs. They also advise students on preparing to meet specific admissions requirements of the professional schools in which the students are interested.

Pre-Health Professions Curriculum

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Pre-Pharmacy Curriculum

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