ADVISING SUPPORT: Our Pre-Health Advisor will work with you to create a personalized course plan aligned with your goals, and provide ongoing support as you proceed through the program and prepare for your chosen health professional school application. Contact the Director of Pre-Professional Advising, David Nissim-Sabat (dnissim@neiu.edu), with questions and to make an appointment.
Ready to get started? Apply to NEIU!
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) is tailored for career changers with a bachelor's degree who need to complete the prerequisites for health professional programs. This comprehensive certificate fulfills the core requirements for admission to health professional programs including Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine.
Why complete the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health at NEIU?
- Personalized Support: Get expert guidance from our dedicated Pre-Health Advisor on volunteering, shadowing, research opportunities, and navigating the application process for professional health programs.
- Intimate Learning Environment: Benefit from small class sizes and direct faculty engagement, including opportunities to conduct faculty-mentored research.
- Hands-on Experience: Learn in our state-of-the-art human cadaver, microbiology, and biochemistry laboratories.
- Networking and Leadership Opportunities: Engage with top health professional schools through Pre-Health Events and build leadership skills by organizing blood drives and community service projects through the Future Health Professionals Club.
The Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health provides a comprehensive curriculum, including foundational courses in biology (General Biology, Cell Biology) and chemistry (General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry), along with advanced options such as Microbiology, Biochemistry, or Anatomy and Physiology. For students who need them, Applied and Computational Statistics, Calculus, and a full year of College Physics are also available. This rigorous yet flexible program, delivered in small class sizes with state-of-the-art laboratories and dedicated pre-health advising, is ideal for career-changers. Contact the Director of Pre-Professional Advising, David Nissim-Sabat, at dnissim@neiu.edu to learn more.
Admission Requirements for the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health
Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university; cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.
Courses in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health (43 credit hours)
This certificate includes core courses required for admission to professional health programs including Medicine, Dentistry, Optometry, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, Pharmacy, and Veterinary Medicine. Since some programs may have additional prerequisites, students receive a personalized course plan tailored to their goals. NEIU’s Pre-Health Advisor works closely with students to develop their academic plan, recommending additional courses or course substitutions as needed. The certificate can be flexible and meet the prerequisite requirements for various health professional programs. Schedule an advising appointment at https://calendly.com/dnissim.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOLOGY COURSES | ||
| Note: the BIO 250 prerequisite is waived for students in the Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Health. | ||
| BIO-201 | General Biology I | 4 |
| BIO-202 | General Biology II | 4 |
| BIO-301 | Cell Biology | 4 |
| BIO-341 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| or BIO-362 | Biochemistry | |
or Anatomy and Physiology or other advanced biology coursework | ||
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CHEMISTRY COURSES | ||
| CHEM-211 | General Chemistry I | 5 |
| CHEM-212 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM-231 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS COURSES | ||
| PHYS-201L | College Physics I With Lab | 5 |
| PHYS-202L | College Physics II With Lab | 5 |
| MATH-275 | Applied And Computational Statistics | 4 |
| or MATH-187 | Calculus I | |
or other STEM coursework aligned with professional goals | ||