Pre-Health Professions Certificate

UMass Dartmouth offers a Pre-health Professions Certificate for any student who has ALREADY completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution but needs to complete the professional program undergraduate requirements before applying to the allied health program of their choice. This is a four-semester course of study and includes the following:

  • Inorganic Chemistry with laboratory (CHM 151, 161, 152, 162)
    • Pre-requisite: completion of one college level math course*.
  • Two semesters of Biology (BIO 121, 122, 131, 132)
  • Physics with laboratory (PHY 101, 102, 103, and 104)
  • One or two semesters of Organic Chemistry with laboratory (CHM 251/263; 252/264)

Optional (recommended)

  • One or two semesters of Biochemistry (CHM 411, 412)
  • One or two semesters of calculus (MTH 111, 112)
  • One or two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology (BIO 221, 222, 223, 224)
    • Note: some programs, such as physician assistant or nurse practitioner programs require anatomy and physiology.

Credit may be given for courses taken during a prior academic program if it is within a reasonable time period. The math pre-requisite course needed before taking inorganic chemistry could have been completed at any time during your undergraduate experience. You may alternatively take a placement examination if you did not take any college level math course or its equivalent.

Pre-Med and most other pre-health students should plan to take classes during the regular semesters and day-time course hours. Some courses maybe offered later in the day through the office of Professional Continuing Education (PCE). This will be indicated in the specific course listings during the registration period. Many Pre-Health Certificate students attend on a part-time basis. Depending on the previous course work and grades, any student needing to demonstrate their academic performance as a "science" major should plan to take at least two science courses with labs for at least one semester. 

Application

Interested students should:

  • complete an undergraduate application
  • clearly indicate "Pre-Health Certificate" on the application
  • submit an official transcript from the institution granting your bachelor's degree
  • submit a letter of recommendation

There is no minimum GPA pre-requisite to apply to the program. There is no need to submit high school or SAT information.

Forward your information to the attention of Darcy Stevens in Undergraduate Admissions: dstevens@umassd.edu

Alumni of UMass Dartmouth can enter the program by being re-admitted to UMass Dartmouth through the Registrar's Office. Please contact that office for details.

UMass Dartmouth offers rolling admissions until the program is filled; fall admission only. Please contact the Admissions Office regarding space availability. 

In order to ensure class availability, interested applicants are encouraged to apply and be ready to register for classes by late May for fall courses.

Once accepted or re-admitted to UMass Dartmouth, your application will be forwarded to the Pre-Health Professions Director for program advising, suggestions, and help in registering for courses. A Pre-Health Advisor will also be assigned to each accepted applicant. After the initial enrollment, Pre-Health Certificate students register as upperclass students.