Health Professional Course Prerequisites FAQs
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- What classes at UCSC can I take to help fulfill prerequisites?
- How do I find requirements for specific programs that I am interested in applying for?
- How do I find specific programs to apply to?
- What are common programs that UCSC students applied to?
- Can I take classes at a community college to complete my prerequisites?
- Do health professional schools accept AP credits for prerequisites?
- What do I do if a program requires one year of a subject but UCSC only offers two-quarters of that subject?
What classes at UCSC can I take to help fulfill prerequisites?
Here is a list of UCSC courses that may help you fulfill prerequisites for health professional schools. Reference the UCSC course catalog for the most accurate class listings, as these may change.
How do I find requirements for specific programs that I am interested in applying for?
Each program's website will be structured differently. Here are steps to help you find the requirements for each program.
- Go to the program’s website
- Navigate to their admissions page for that specific program
- Look for a requirements section or link and that section will have the information regarding that program’s specific requirements
How do I find specific programs to apply to?
It may be helpful to start your search by reviewing the different program directories.
- Search allopathic medicine (MD) programs
- Search osteopathic medicine (DO) programs
- Search physician assistant (PA) programs
- Search dental (DMD/DDS) programs
- Search optometry (OD) programs
- Search pharmacy (PharmD) programs
- Search veterinary medicine (DVM) programs
- Search nursing programs
- Not all nursing programs are included in this directory and you may have to do an online search to find them.
- We suggest searching for an “accelerated” bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) or “entry” master's in nursing. These programs are designed for students who hold a non-nursing baccalaureate degree.
What are common programs that UCSC students applied to?
The reference below has links to common health professional programs for applicants who identified UCSC as their primary undergraduate institution.
Can I take classes at a community college to complete my prerequisites?
It depends on the specific programs you are planning to apply to. Each program will have different requirements on course subjects and how many credits/units they accept from community colleges. Make sure to check the admission requirements for each program you plan to apply to and ask their admission office for clarification if you have further questions.
Do health professional schools accept AP credits for prerequisites?
It depends on the specific programs you are planning to apply to. Each program will have different requirements on AP subjects they may or may not accept. Make sure to check the admission requirements for each program you plan to apply to and ask their admission office for clarification if you have further questions.
What do I do if a program requires one year of a subject but UCSC only offers two-quarters of that subject?
Reach out to the admissions and let them know that UCSC is on the quarter system and that some of our series of classes that are taught in two quarters are designed to cover the material that is typically taught in one year at other institutions. You should share with them the names of the courses you competed/plan to take and how many quarter credits they are worth. This may be sufficient for some programs.
For example, the organic chemistry series (CHEM 8) at UCSC is taught in two quarters and this series is designed to cover the material that is typically taught in one year at other institutions. With the two lectures (CHEM 8A and CHEM 8B) and two labs (CHEM 8L and CHEM 8M), the series is a total of 14 quarter credits.
