Pre-Health FAQ

“Pre-health” means that the student would like to attend a healthcare-related professional school after leaving UNC Charlotte. In order to reach this goal, the student must complete certain academic and extracurricular requirements to prepare for an application to the professional school. We refer to this is following a “pre-health track”. For example, a student who wants to become a dentist would follow a pre-dental track and would be referred to as a pre-dental student.

UNC Charlotte does not offer any formal, structured pre-health “programs”. Students follow pre-health “tracks”, which are not formal programs. “Tracks” allow freedom for students to pick most any major on campus and design a timeline and course plan that best fits their individual needs. The Pre-Health Professions Advising office provides guidance to help students plan their pre-health tracks.

Advising is available for most healthcare fields, with a few exceptions; UNC Charlotte provides specific advising for these majors through their respective Colleges or Departments:

Nursing, Public Health, and Respiratory Therapy: Advising is available in the College of Health and Human Services Advising Center .

Logan College of Chiropractic 3 + 3 Program: Advising is available through the Biology Department.

In some instances, yes. Students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree typically enroll and complete both their bachelor’s degree and pre-health track at UNC Charlotte. The student works on both sets of requirements simultaneously during their stay at UNC Charlotte.

Very few healthcare professional schools accept students without bachelor’s degrees; the notable exception is pharmacy school. Note, however, that ~75% of students currently entering pharmacy school complete 3-4 years of college.

Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree can enroll and take the required courses for their pre-health tracks, with or without finishing a second bachelor’s degree.

There is no application or form to sign, and nothing to declare. The first step is to complete an orientation to your pre-health track. Orientations are available to students after matriculation in fall and spring semesters; depending on your pre-health track, the orientation will be held in a live or online format. Your pre-health track orientation will cover everything you need to know to get started on your pre-health track: required and recommended courses, GPA expectations, timeline options, extracurricular activities, and more.

No, pre-health advising is optional. Students determine when and how much guidance they want or need. Methods of advising include group sessions, online resources, and email exchanges. Office appointments are available to students who have completed their pre-health track orientation and meet other criteria for class status, GPA, and course completion.

If you are a freshman, sophomore, or new transfer student in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, College of Health and Human Services, or University College, you will begin pre-health advising with your academic advisor. You will continue with the academic advisor until you reach junior class status or receive a referral from your academic advisor to work directly with the Pre-Health Professions Advising office.

If you are a freshman, sophomore, or new transfer student in Colleges not mentioned above, you will begin pre-health advising with the Pre-Health Professions Advising office.

Juniors and seniors receive pre-health advising from the Pre-Health Advising office.

Group pre-health sessions, guest speakers, and online resources are open to ALL pre-health students on campus.