Pre-Professional Health Careers

Return to: Pre-Professional Programs

The Pre-Professional Health Careers office provides three major services to students interested in a health profession career: (1) course registration advice for students who have not yet declared a major; (2) career advice for students who are either undecided about or reconsidering which health profession career to pursue; and (3) application advice primarily to students applying to the full range of health career professional schools.

While the office maintains an extensive collection of information on a broad range of health careers and can provide support for a wide variety of health career interests, most students align themselves with one of 10 different programs: pre-clinical laboratory sciences; pre-dentistry; pre-medicine; pre-nursing; pre-occupational therapy; pre-optometry; pre-pharmacy; pre-physical therapy; pre-physician assistant; and pre-speech, language, and hearing sciences. Although the academic preparation required for admission to various health career professional schools varies greatly, most require successful completion of specific college-level science, mathematics/statistics, and general education courses.

None of the 10 programs administered by the Pre-Professional Health Careers office are majors and do not lead directly to an undergraduate degree. This distinction between programs and majors is critically important because a baccalaureate degree is required for admission to occupational therapy, physical therapy, and physician assistant programs and is almost always obtained for admission to dentistry, medicine, and optometry programs with a broad range of majors being accepted. Professional programs in clinical lab sciences; nursing; and speech, language, and hearing sciences confer baccalaureate degrees so they are not required for admission. Pharmacy programs occupy an intermediate position where a baccalaureate degree is not required for admission, but about 60 percent of pharmacy students in Texas hold the degree. Regardless of their health profession goals, students pursuing these careers are strongly encouraged to identify a major that is aligned with their talents and inclinations and can provide alternative career options.

To begin receiving department-level course registration advice as early as possible, students pursuing a health profession career are strongly encouraged to declare a major as soon as they are comfortable with their choice. By law, all students at a state university must file a degree plan before the end of the second regular semester after the student has earned a cumulative total, from all sources, of 45 or more semester credit hours. However, delaying the filing of a degree plan until the legal deadline could put completing the degree in four years at risk. Even after a major has been declared students pursuing health careers will still find the Pre-Professional Health Careers office a valuable resource. The office provides the evaluation forms and coordinates assembling evaluation packets for applications to schools of dentistry, medicine, and optometry, sponsors the West Texas Health Career Fair each February, hosts personal statement workshops and health professional admission forums, coordinates shadowing and volunteering opportunities, and sponsors 10 different health career student organizations.

Contact: Pre-Professional Health Careers office, 340A Chemistry Building, 806.742.3078, www.depts.ttu.edu/pphc

Professional School Requirements. Because changes in prerequisite course requirements are occasionally made by various health profession schools and requirements can sometimes differ among institutions, students are strongly encouraged to consult often with the Pre-Professional Health Careers Office and the health profession school of their choice to be sure they have the most up-to-date information. Nevertheless, some general required course guidelines can be outlined for the various health career programs. A four-semester model curriculum for each of the programs is provided for general guidance at www.depts.ttu.edu/pphc. However, many variations on the suggested course of study can equivalently prepare a student for health professional school admission. Students should not feel constrained by these model curriculums, and variations may be required by college credit awarded through transfer, AP examination, and/or dual-credit high school courses. Students should always have alternate curriculum plans evaluated by the Pre-Professional Health Careers advisors.

Pre-Dentistry

The minimum admission requirements for most dental schools in the United States include 14 semester hours of biology, 6 semester hours of English, 8 semester hours of general chemistry, 8 hours semester hours of organic chemistry, 8 semester hours of physics, and 3 semester hours of statistics. Applicants to dental schools are required to take the Dental Admission Test and submit their application approximately one year prior to the planned matriculation. To learn the admission requirements of a specific dental school, students should consult the website of the dental school. While it is possible to be admitted to dental school after completing only 90 semester hours, this is unusual, and students should plan to complete a baccalaureate degree before entering dental school.

Pre-Medicine

The minimum admission requirements for most medical schools in the United States include 3 hours of biochemistry, 14 hours of biology, 3 hours of calculus or statistics, 6 hours of English, 8 hours of general chemistry, 8 hours of organic chemistry, and 8 hours of physics. Applicants to medical schools are required to take the Medical College Admission Test and submit their application approximately one year prior to the date of the planned matriculation. For the most up-to-date admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Medical School Admission Requirements or the website of a particular medical school of interest. While it is possible to be admitted to medical school after completing only 90 semester hours, this is unusual, and students should plan to complete a baccalaureate degree before entering medical school.

Pre-Nursing

Specific admission requirements vary depending on the nursing school, but the requirements generally include 4 hours of chemistry, 6 hours of English, 8 hours of human anatomy and physiology, 3 hours of humanities, 3 hours of lifespan growth and development, 4 hours of microbiology, 3 hours of nutritional sciences, 6 hours of political science, 3 hours of psychology, 3 hours of statistics, 6 hours of U.S. history, and 3 hours of creative arts. An introduction to nursing course and a pathophysiology course are also often required. Some nursing schools require applicants to take the Test of Essential Academic Skills. Students need to consult the website of particular nursing schools to learn detailed specific application requirements and follow through with the submission of all required information and documents.

Pre-Optometry

Specific admission requirements vary depending on the optometry school, but the requirements generally include 8 hours of biology, 3 hours of biochemistry, 3 hours of calculus, 8 hours of general chemistry, 3 hours of general psychology, 4 hours of human anatomy, 4 hours of microbiology, 4 hours of organic chemistry, 8 hours of physics, 4 hours of physiology, and 3 hours of statistical methods. The website of a particular optometry school should be consulted to learn the detailed specific application requirements. The completion of a baccalaureate degree is not always required. Applicants to optometry school are required to take the Optometry Admission Test and submit all admission related documents in accordance with the timeline available on the website of the optometry school.

Pre-Pharmacy

Specific admission requirements vary depending on the pharmacy school, but the requirements generally include 8 hours of biology, 3 hours of calculus, 3 hours of economics, 6 hours of English, 8 hours of general chemistry, 15 hours of humanities/social science, 3 hours of literature, 4 hours of microbiology, 8 hours of organic chemistry, 4 hours of physics, 3 hours of public speaking, and 3 hours of statistical methods. Applicants to pharmacy school are required to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test, and students are strongly encouraged encouraged to consult the website of a particular pharmacy school to learn detailed specific application requirements.

Allied Health Sciences

Schools of allied health sciences include programs in clinical laboratory science; speech, language, and hearing sciences; occupational therapy; physical therapy; and physician assistant. Students are awarded degrees upon completion of these programs. Some allied health professional schools require a baccalaureate degree while other professional programs require only 60 to 90 hours of collegelevel courses. Additionally, some allied health programs require an admission test. This variability makes it essential for a student to consult carefully the website of the particular program at a specific school to learn all the application requirements. Application deadlines also vary, but are usually required six to 12 months prior to the planned start date.

Return to: Pre-Professional Programs