Pre-Professional Programs

Students intending to enter professional schools should select a degree program appropriate to their interests and consult with their academic advisor on the scheduling of additional courses required for admission to the professional school. Additional information regarding entrance requirements for some professional schools is given below. Students interested in a health-related career are encouraged to visit the Pre-Professional Health Office in the Science Building Room 171.

Prehealth Professional Programs

The prehealth professions program at Northeastern State University prepares students to be competitive applicants to health professions programs. A wide variety of educational, research, leadership, and volunteer opportunities, plus a comprehensive advising system enable our students to sharpen their competitive edge.

Students preparing for careers in Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Podiatry, Chiropractic, and Veterinary Medicine will eventually receive graduate degrees, all requiring a strong background in science. While satisfying the requirements for admission to professional school, students should also be satisfying requirements for a baccalaureate degree. See “Selection of Major” section below.

Students preparing for allied health careers: dental hygiene, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, medical imaging and radiation sciences, and physician associate may enter their chosen profession after completing 60-90 hours including the prerequisites for the specific program (except physical therapy which requires a baccalaureate degree). Allied health preparation usually consists of undergraduate credit hours weighted heavily with mathematical, physical, social, and biological sciences. Students preparing for allied health careers should also be satisfying requirements for a baccalaureate degree while satisfying the requirements for admission to professional school.

For information on specific requirements for the health programs listed above, please visit the Prehealth Professions website: http://academics.nsuok.edu/prehealth

Selection of Major

Pre-Medical, Pre-Nursing, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Vet, etc. are NOT majors. These are simply requirements that the student must fulfill for admission to a professional school. There is no recommended major for these students. Professional schools encourage a broad general curriculum in the social sciences and humanities in addition to a high level of competence in the physical and biological sciences. Good communication skills are also important. Beyond this, the best advice for students is to select a major in a discipline that will offer satisfying challenges and provide a viable alternative to professional school if they are not admitted into their professional program.

Although most students planning to apply to Chiropractic, Dental, Medical, Optometry, Osteopathic, Pharmacy, Podiatry, or Veterinary Medicine programs earn a bachelors degree, it is possible to apply for admission after three years (90 hours) of college work. NSU offers prehealth students the option of transferring back to NSU a maximum of 30 hours at the end of their first year (3 + 1 option) in a Chiropractic, Dental, Medical, Optometry, Osteopathic, Pharmacy, Podiatry, or Veterinary program to count toward the major requirements of their NSU degree. Students are encouraged to visit with the prehealth advisor to see which NSU degrees allow the 3 + 1 option.

Post Baccalaureate Prehealth Certificate Program

The post baccalaureate prehealth certificate program, offered on our Broken Arrow campus, targets students who have already graduated with a non-science degree and provides them with the opportunity to obtain necessary prerequisites for competitive entry into their health professions program of interest. The post baccalaureate curriculum provides the rigor that the professional programs require, which will enhance the students’ competitive edge for admission. The Broken Arrow office of Pre-Professional Health, located in room 220 of the College of Science and Health Professions building, will serve as the primary advisor for the post baccalaureate certificate students. Please visit the prehealth professions website for more information at: http://academics.nsuok.edu/prehealth/PostBacCertificate.aspx.

Other Considerations

As mentioned above, the post baccalaureate program targets primarily second career individuals with little or no science background. However, individuals that are underrepresented minorities who are economically or educationally disadvantaged; individuals that have already applied to their health profession program; individuals that require additional courses to enhance their academic record; or individuals that require leveling courses to be competitive for entry into a graduate program, and are not currently competitive for a career in health professions or graduate school would be able to enroll in the sciences courses offered in the post baccalaureate program. These individuals would not be eligible to receive a certificate however.