Program of Study
Many undergraduates receive their degree (e.g., Anthropology, Mathematics, Psychology, or English) and then later decide that they would like to enter a health profession. This two-year certificate program offers an opportunity for post-baccalaureate students to acquire and strengthen necessary scientific background prior to admission to a health professional school (such as medical, dental, veterinary, optometry, physician assistant, or pharmacy). The program is intended to make such post-baccalaureate students more competitive for admission to health professional schools.
The certificate program is reserved exclusively for post-baccalaureate students. The program has a cohort structure, with each cohort consisting of 24-48 students. Students may begin the certificate program only during the Fall semester of an academic year.
A Program Director provides information to prospective applicants and advises applicants and students regarding possible paths to health careers. The successful applicant will have a Bachelor’s degree with a GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 60 units completed for the degree; see www.csusm.edu/el/certificateprograms for more admissions requirements. Bundling the prerequisite courses and offering them as a certificate program provides students timely access to the courses they need. Some health professional schools or standardized exams require knowledge of additional topics such as Psychology or Sociology. The Program Director will assist the student in identifying any additional courses that may be needed, which students can then take through Extended Learning or elsewhere on a space-available basis.
*The Pre-Health Professions Certificate is offered through Extended Learning.
