Health Sciences—Pre-Professional Track B.S.

Required credits to graduate with this degree: 120.

The B.S. in health sciences provides students with the prerequisite knowledge and skills required for admission to professional programs in chiropractic, dentistry, medicine, optometry, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and physical therapy. UMC also provides a two-year pre-nursing course of study.

Program Outcomes

The primary goal for the pre-professional curriculum is to prepare graduates for successful admission to a professional program—usually medicine, and for working cooperatively with others as a member of the health care delivery team.

Therefore, the graduate will demonstrate the following outcomes:

• explain and reconstruct the scientific method and can apply this mode of inquiry in a laboratory setting
• explain and apply basic principles of biology in work setting
• demonstrate teamwork skills
• apply, critique, and synthesize protocols from current literature
• demonstrate and critique effective communication skills orally and in writing
• formulate proper data collection and analysis methods
• interpret and practice professional and ethical behavior related to biological research
• identify, provide examples, differentiate, and integrate current biology techniques into their scientific investigations
• produce evidence of their ability to be admitted into health science professional programs

Study Options

The B.S. in Health Sciences provides students with the prerequisite knowledge and skills required for admission to professional programs in

• Chiropractic
• Dentistry
• Medicine
• Occupational Therapy
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Physical Therapy
• Veterinary Medicine
  - see Animal Science
  - see Equine Science

Admission is competitive and specific admission requirements, including courses and experiences, vary by professional program and institution.

Completion of the B.S. does not guarantee admission to professional programs at the University of Minnesota or other universities. The course requirements shown are common to similar programs at other institutions; however, students are advised to check with their specific professional program to be sure all prerequisite courses are met.

Most professional programs have additional admission requirements, and students are advised to contact the program(s) to which they plan to apply to identify all admission requirements.

The pre-professional focus within the Health Sciences degree program is a combination of liberal education courses and courses that directly apply to the health science career field.

Students will take courses in the sciences such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, and communication. Students may also elect to take classes in health management in order to better understand the healthcare system and be better prepared to work in it successfully.

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