Department of Biology

Pre-Health Careers Post-Baccalaureate Program

  Our flexible program creates unique plans of study to serve the needs of both career-change individuals and academic enhancers. Those who have not yet completed the courses that are required for applying to Medical, Dental, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, or other graduate-level health professional schools can take all of their required courses here. We also serve students who have taken some or all of the required basic classes already, but desire to enhance their academic records through selective re-takes and new upper-level science coursework. Still other students will take science classes in our program due to expired prerequisites no longer accepted by professional schools. 

Post-baccalaureate students who lack any science background but enroll full-time can, within 15 months of summer matriculation, complete the prerequisite courses for the Medical College Aptitude Test (MCAT) or the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT) by enrolling in this program. Students who are working full or part-time will usually take longer to complete the appropriate courses, although we recommend taking at least two courses per semester at the minimum to demonstrate rigor. While some courses MAY offer evening sections, most coursework will be offered during the day and in face-to-face format (as professional schools prefer).

Academic-enhancement students often choose to retake select prerequisite courses in which they earned a C or lower, and then take additional upper-level science coursework to demonstrate academic excellence. This may include research in a science or social science department for course credit. Students are not eligible for financial aid to cover repeat coursework (EXACT same course numbers already passed at another institution or UNCG). Professional schools recommend those with lower GPAs overall and in the sciences to complete 30-45 hours of post-baccalaureate coursework, with a GPA of 3.8-4.0 in those courses, to be competitive applicants.

See below for ONE EXAMPLE SCHEDULE for a student with NO science background who begins the program in the summer and enrolls full time.

**Since students may choose to begin the program in the fall or spring, may attend part-time or full time, and may bring in some science credits already, the schedule below will not be appropriate for all students in the program. A unique plan of study is designed for EACH newly enrolled post-baccalaureate student in an initial transcript evaluation and planning meeting with the direct or assistant director of the program.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (for students with NO science background) :

**MAT 190: Pre-Calculus is a prerequisite for PHY 211: General Physics I. Lacking the prerequisites, post-baccalaureate students may wish to do one of the following:

1. Take MAT 190 during the summer concurrently with General Chemistry, or
2. Request to take the Calculus Readiness Diagnostic Test where a passing score qualifies a student to enter MAT 196-Calculus A, and indicates that postbac students have the knowledge gained in MAT 190 (Pre-Calculus). Or,
3. If you believe you have appropriate college math background, but your previous coursework did not come in as MAT 190, seek permission of the Physics instructor to enroll in Physics 211.

Students planning for Physician Assistant school, Dental school, Pharmacy school, etc. will adjust this schedule slightly based on those requirements.

Additional non-science requirements for professional schools (such as Psychology, Sociology, Medical Terminology, etc.) can be added to this basic science plan in any sequence.

NOTE: Advising is done on an individual basis, since each student has a unique background and path towards their goal. The full assistance of the UNC Greensboro Health Careers Advisory Committee is available to all students before, during, and after matriculation in the program. Neither acceptance into nor participation in this program guarantees acceptance into any medical, dental, or other professional school.

NOTE: In addition to completing the required coursework for professional schools, applicants will also be guided as they continue to accrue the required clinical experience hours, service (volunteerism), and leadership experiences needed for their chosen profession.

QUALIFICATIONS/APPLICATION: To apply, a student must have received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. Students must apply as second degree-seeking students. A prospective student can start this process here.

Applicants must choose a major different from the undergraduate major they have already earned (the most commonly selected majors are Biology, Chemistry, or Biochemistry) with the pre-professional program of your choice (pre-med, pre-dent, etc.) as your Pre-professional interest track. This will allow post-bac students to be correctly identified and routed to an appropriate Health Career Advisor. The application process for all postbac students is the same, whether they are career changers or academic enhancers, and simply requires completing an application form through the Admissions office, and sending your official college transcript(s) showing your degree conferred. No personal statement or letters of recommendation are needed. More information about applying as a second degree-seeking student, including deadlines to apply for upcoming Fall, Spring, and each Summer Session, can be found at the Admissions office website.

Enrolling postbac students as second undergraduate degree-seeking students allows them the benefits of paying undergraduate tuition and qualifying for SOME financial aid (subsidized loans only, and on new coursework).

FINANCIAL AID: Questions about financial aid should be directed to UNCG’s Financial Aid Office.

All new post-bac pre-med students MUST set up an initial transcript evaluation and planning meeting with the director (Robin Maxwell) immediately after admission occurs. To set up this appointment, email Robin_Maxwell@uncg.edu to receive access to the appointment calendar. After enrollment, each student will also have additional assigned advisors to help plan coursework.

Please also read the following FAQs about Post-Bac Health Career Advising: Health Career FAQs and Answers

For general information about post-baccalaureate programs, please see the following website: NAAHP Post-baccalaureate Information.

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro is committed to equality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or handicap.