Pre-Health Professions, Science Major Certificate
The Pre-Health Professions Certificate assists students in preparing for post-baccalaureate, healthcare professional programs.
The certificate is composed of two separate tracks: a track for majors in the College of Natural Sciences, and a track for majors in other colleges across the university. Students must apply online for admission to the certificate through the university-wide portal for transcript recognized certificates.
These one-hour courses introduce students to the core competencies required as a health care professional, assist the student in discerning the appropriate health professional career, and support the student in completing application to professional school.
Students are encouraged to work closely with the Health Professions Office to select healthcare themes relevant to their professional career goals. Some of the courses may contain prerequisites that are in addition to the coursework for the certificate.
Majors in the College of Natural Sciences must seek the Science Major Track.
Total Hours Required: 20
Requirements
Requirements are listed in the table below. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum. Students should also review the University's Undergraduate Minor and Certificate Requirements and Policies.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Hours chosen from: | 2 | |
| The Effective Health Care Professional | ||
| Thriving in a Collaborative Healthcare Environment | ||
| Introduction to the Health Professions Action Plan | ||
| Themes | ||
| Hours chosen from the following themes relevant to healthcare: | 18 | |
| Cultural Awareness: | ||
| Introduction to Asian American Studies | ||
| Psychological Perspectives on Asian American Identity | ||
| African American Culture | ||
| Psychology of the African American Experience | ||
| Twentieth-Century United States Lesbian and Gay History | ||
| Mexican Immigration Cultural History | ||
| Introduction to Mexican American Cultural Studies | ||
| Introduction to the Middle East: Adjustment and Change in Modern Times | ||
| Perspectives on Deafness | ||
| Health and Anatomy: | ||
| Art, Art History, and Medicine | ||
| Introduction to Medical and Scientific Terminology | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
or HED 366 | Human Sexuality | |
or PSY 346K | Psychology of Sex | |
| Theories of Substance Use and Abuse | ||
| Foundations of Epidemiology | ||
| Topics in Health Studies | ||
| Topics in Health Promotion: Seminar | ||
| Evaluation and Research Design | ||
| Applied Biomechanics of Human Movement | ||
| Applied Human Anatomy | ||
| Physiology of Exercise | ||
| Biomechanical Analysis of Movement | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Biopsychology | ||
| Hormones and Behavior | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Psychopharmacology | ||
| Introduction to Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences | ||
| Healthcare Policy: | ||
| Communication Ethics | ||
| Human Health and the Environment | ||
| Children's Environmental Health | ||
| Global Food, Farming, and Hunger | ||
| Medical Geography | ||
| Topics in Peer Health Leadership I | ||
| Women in Sickness and Health | ||
| Healthcare System Management | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Ethics of Health Care | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Medicine, Ethics, and Society | ||
| Introduction to the Sociology of Health and Well-Being | ||
| Introduction to Social Demography | ||
| Global Health Issues and Health Systems | ||
| Race, Class, and Health | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Population and Society | ||
| Human Health and the Environment | ||
| Human and Societal Development: | ||
| Team-Based Communication | ||
| Communication Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Life Span Development | ||
| Family Relationships | ||
| Child Development | ||
| Adult Development | ||
| Development of Psychopathology from Infancy through Adolescence | ||
| Human Development in Minority and Immigrant Families | ||
| Infant Development and Attachment Relationships | ||
| Topics in Advanced Child and Family Development (Approved topics) | ||
| Communication in Health Care Settings | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Biopsychology | ||
| Hormones and Behavior | ||
| Introduction to Developmental Psychology | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Introduction to the Study of Society | ||
| Death and Dying: Sociological Perspectives | ||
| Sociology of Gender | ||
| Child and Adolescent Health | ||
| Loss and Grief: Individual, Family, and Cultural Perspectives | ||
| Nutrition: | ||
| Communication Ethics | ||
| American Cultural History of Alcohol and Drugs | ||
| Fundamentals of Nutrition | ||
| Introduction to Nutritional Sciences | ||
| Nutrition through the Life Cycle | ||
| Assessment of Nutritional Status | ||
| International Nutrition: The Developing World | ||
| Intermediate Nutrition and Metabolism | ||
| International Nutrition: Social and Environmental Policies | ||
| Community Nutrition | ||
| Total Hours | 20 | |
Optional: If additional hours are needed to complete the 20 hours for the certificate, a maximum of nine hours chosen from the following may be applied to the science major track. (Only one course from statistics may be applied):
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry and Chemistry | ||
| Fundamentals of Biochemistry | ||
| Organic Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Organic Chemistry II | ||
| Biology | ||
| Introductory Laboratory Experiments in Biology | ||
| Introductory Biology I | ||
| Introductory Biology II | ||
| Physics | ||
| Mechanics | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 301 | ||
| General Physics Technical Course: Mechanics, Heat, and Sound | ||
| General Physics Technical Course: Electricity and Magnetism, Light, Atomic and Nuclear Physics | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 302K | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 302L | ||
| Engineering Physics I | ||
| Engineering Physics II | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 303K | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 303L | ||
| Electricity and Magnetism | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 316 | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 317K | ||
| Laboratory for Physics 317L | ||
| Statistics | ||
| Elementary Statistical Methods | ||
| Foundations of Data Analysis | ||
| Elements of Statistics | ||
| Additional upper-division coursework in biochemistry, biology, and chemistry by approval of the undergraduate certificate advisor | ||
Additional Requirements and Policy
- The certificate consists of a minimum of 20 hours, including nine hours in residence. Each course must be completed with a grade of at least C-.
- Students must complete two of the three NSC 107J, NSC 107K, or NSC 107M courses managed by the Health Professions Office to receive the certificate. It is recommended that all three NSC 107J/NSC 107K/NSC 107M courses be taken.
- Majors outside of the College of Natural Sciences must seek the Non-Science Major Track.
- The composition of the non-science major track is science coursework necessary for admission to post-baccalaureate, healthcare professional programs.
- Non-science majors may apply to the certificate program upon completion of the following courses with grades of at least B-: CH 301 or CH 302, and one of the following: SDS 302F, M 408C, M 408K, M 408N, M 408R, EDP 308, or PSY 317L.
- Upon admission, the ability to progress in the certificate is dependent on completion of the certificate courses with satisfactory grades.