Selection of Major in Pre-Health Professions

Pre-medical, pre-nursing, pre-physical therapy, pre-vet, etc. are not majors. These are simply requirements that you must fulfill for admission to a professional school. In addition to satisfying these requirements, you should be working toward a baccalaureate degree in some discipline. There is no recommended major for these areas. Professional schools encourage a broad general curriculum in social sciences and humanities in addition to a high level of competence in physical and biological sciences. Good communication skills are also important. Beyond this, our best advice is to select a major in a discipline that will offer satisfying challenges and provide a viable alternative to professional school if you are not admitted.

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. We offer pre-health students the option of transferring back to Northeastern State University a maximum of 30 hours at the end of your first year (3 + 1 option) in a chiropractic, dental, medical, optometry, osteopathic, pharmacy, podiatry or veterinary program to count toward the major requirements of your NSU degree. You are encouraged to visit with the pre-health advisor to see which degrees allow for the 3 + 1 option.