Resources for Pre-Professional Students (Pre-Med, Pre-Vet, Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Optometry, etc.)
Professional Schools
Recommended Biology Degree/Concentration
While you can major in any subject and still be eligible for medical school, the academic requirements that you need to meet to earn a Biology B.S. degree are very well aligned with the prerequisites for medical school (see table below). At CSUEB we have several Biology B.S. concentrations to choose from and any of them would be suitable for students interested in pursuing medical school. Concentrations commonly selected by pre-dental students are the , and concentrations.
Medical School Prerequisites
The prerequisite courses required by medical schools vary from institution to institution. So, it is important for you to do your due diligence and research the requirements for the institution(s) you are interested in applying to. With this said, below we suggest a curriculum designed to provide you with the prerequisites for medical school, prepare you for the MCAT, and provide you a solid foundation for the introductory year of medical school while allowing you to fulfill biology major. Courses marked with an (*) are required by most medical schools while the unmarked courses are required by only some medical schools.
| Requirement | Recommended # of Semesters | Relevant CSUEB Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology with Lab* | 2 semesters | BIOL 140A & BIOL 140B |
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab* | 2 semesters | CHEM 111 & CHEM 112 |
| Organic Chemistry* | 2 semesters | CHEM 331 & CHEM 332 |
|
Physics with Lab* |
2 semesters |
PHYS 125 & 126 |
|
Biochemistry |
0-2 semesters (Two semesters strongly recommended) |
CHEM 441 & CHEM 442 |
| Calculus and/or Statistics | 0-1 year (Two semesters of calculus strongly recommended) |
MATH 130, MATH 131, STATS 303 |
| English | 2 semesters | Your GE-A2 and 2nd Composition English Courses |
| Social Sciences | 2 semesters | Your Area D1-3 courses will fulfill this. Consider taking Psyc 100 as one of the courses |
Related CSUEB Student Clubs/Organizations
- American Medical School Association
- Global Medical and Dental Brigades
- Pre-Medical Professional Alliance
Additional Resources
Recommended Biology Degree/Concentration
While you can major in any subject and still be eligible for dental school, the academic requirements that you need to meet to earn a Biology B.S. degree are very well aligned with the prerequisites for dental school (see table below). At CSUEB we have several Biology B.S. concentrations to choose from, any of which would be suitable for students interested in pursuing dental school. Concentrations commonly selected by pre-dental students are the and concentrations.
Dental School Prerequisites
The prerequisite courses required by dental schools vary from institution to institution. So, it is important for you to do your due diligence and research the requirements for the institution(s) you are interested in applying to. With this said, below we list some of the most commonly listed prerequisite courses and the relevant CSUEB courses we recommend you use to fulfill them as a biology major. Courses marked with an (*) are required by most dental schools while the unmarked courses are required by only some dental schools.
| Requirement | Recommended # of Semesters | Relevant CSUEB Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology with Lab* | 2 semesters | BIOL 140A & BIOL 140B |
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab* | 2 semesters | CHEM 111 & CHEM 112 |
| Organic Chemistry* | 2 semesters | CHEM 331 & CHEM 332 |
| Physics with Lab* | 2 semesters | PHYS 125 & 126 |
| Biochemistry | 1 semester | CHEM 340 or CHEM 441 |
| Anatomy & Physiology | 2 semesters | BIOL 270 & 271 |
| Microbiology | 1 semester | BIOL 330 |
| Genetics | 1 semester | BIOL 310 |
| Calculus* and/or Statistics |
0-2 semesters (2 semesters of calculus strongly recommended) |
MATH 130, MATH 131, STATS 303 |
| English | 2 semesters | Your A2 & 2nd Comp GE requirements will satisfy this |
Related CSUEB Student Clubs/Organizations
- Global Medical and Dental Brigades
Additional Resources
Recommended Biology Degree/Concentration
While you can major in any subject and still be eligible for veterinary school, the academic requirements that you need to meet to earn a Biology B.S. degree are very well aligned with the prerequisites for veterinary school (see table below). At CSUEB we have several Degrees and Certificates Offered (Semesters) to choose from and any of them would be suitable for students interested in pursuing veterinary school. Concentrations commonly selected by pre-vet students are the , and concentrations.
Veterinary School Prerequisites
The vary from institution to institution. So, it is important for you to do your due diligence and research the requirements for the institution(s) you are interested in applying to. With this said, below we suggest a curriculum designed to provide you with the prerequisites for veterinary school, prepare you for the required entrance exam (the GRE or the MCAT), and provide you a solid foundation for the introductory year of veterinary school while allowing you to fulfill biology major. Courses marked with an (*) are required by most veterinary schools while the unmarked courses are required by only some veterinary schools.
| Requirement | Recommended # of Semesters | Relevant CSUEB Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology with Lab* | 2 semesters | BIOL 140A & BIOL 140B |
| Physiology | 1 semester | BIOL 370 |
| Microbiology with lab | 1 semester | BIOL 330 |
| Genetics | 1 semester | BIOL 310 |
| Nutrition | 1 semester | NURS 301 |
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab* | 2 semesters | CHEM 111 & CHEM 112 |
| Organic Chemistry* | 2 semesters | CHEM 331 & CHEM 332 |
| Biochemistry* | 1 semester | CHEM 441 |
| Physics with Lab* | 2 semesters | PHYS 125 & 126 |
| Mathematics and Statistics* | 2 semesters | MATH 130, MATH 131, STATS 303 |
| English* | 2 semesters | Your GE-A2 and 2nd Composition English Courses |
| Speech, Public Speaking | 1 semester | Your GE-A1 Oral Communication Course |
| Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences | 1-2 semesters of an introductory course | PYSC 100, SOC 100 (both count for GE -Area D) |
Related CSUEB Student Clubs/Organizations
There are currently no active Pre-Veterinary Clubs at CSUEB. You may want to check the from time to time to see if one has started one. Or, to consider starting one yourself, click START A NEW CLUB/ORGANIZATION.
Additional Resources
Recommended Biology Degree/Concentration
While you can major in any subject and still be eligible for pharmacy school, the academic requirements that you need to meet to earn a Biology B.S. degree are very well aligned with the prerequisites for pharmacy school (see table below). At CSUEB we have several Biology B.S. Concentrations to choose from and any of them would be suitable for students interested in pursuing veterinary school. Concentrations commonly selected by pre-pharmacy students are the , and concentrations.
Pharmacy School Prerequisites
The vary from institution to institution. So, it is important for you to do your due diligence and research the requirements for the institution(s) you are interested in applying to. With this said, below we suggest a curriculum designed to provide you with the prerequisites for pharmacy school, prepare you for the required entrance exam (the PCAT), and provide you a solid foundation for the introductory year of veterinary school while allowing you to fulfill biology major. Courses marked with an (*) are required by most pharmacy schools while the unmarked courses are required by only some pharmacy schools.
Requirement |
Recommended # of Semesters |
Relevant CSUEB Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology with Lab* | 2 semesters | BIOL 140A & BIOL 140B |
| Microbiology with Lab* | 1 semester | BIOL 330 |
| Anatomy and Physiology* | 2 semesters | BIOL 370, BIOL 270, BIOL 271 |
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab* | 2 semesters | CHEM 111 & CHEM 112 |
| Organic Chemistry* | 2 semesters | CHEM 331 & CHEM 332 |
| Biochemistry* | 1 semester | CHEM 441 |
| Physics with Lab* | 1 semester | PHYS 125 & 126 |
| Mathematics* | 2 semesters | MATH 130, MATH 131, STATS 303 |
| Economics* | 1 semester | Can take ECON 200 or ECON 205 as a D1-3 course |
| English* | 2 semesters | Your GE-A2 and 2nd Composition English Courses |
| Public Speaking* | 1 semester | Your GE-A1 Oral Communication Course |
| Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences* | 1-2 semesters of an introductory course | PYSC 100, SOC 100 (both count for GE -Area D) |
Related CSUEB Student Clubs/Organizations
There are currently no active Pre-Pharmacy Clubs at CSUEB. You may want to check the from time to time to see if one has started one. Or, to consider starting one yourself, click here.
Additional Resources
Recommended Biology Degree/Concentration
While you can major in any subject and still be eligible for optemetry school, the academic requirements that you need to meet to earn a Biology B.S. degree are very well aligned with the prerequisites for pharmacy school (see table below). At CSUEB we have several Biology B.S. Concentrations to choose from and any of them would be suitable for students interested in pursuing veterinary school. Concentrations commonly selected by pre-optometry students are the , and concentrations.
Optometry School Prerequisites
The vary from institution to institution. So, it is important for you to do your due diligence and research the requirements for the institution(s) you are interested in applying to. With this said, below we suggest a curriculum designed to provide you with the prerequisites for optometry school, prepare you for the required entrance exam (the PCAT), and provide you a solid foundation for the introductory year of veterinary school while allowing you to fulfill biology major. Courses marked with an (*) are required or strongly recommended by most optometry schools while the unmarked courses are required by only some optometry schools.
Requirement |
Recommended # of Semesters |
Relevant CSUEB Course(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Biology or Zoology with Lab* | 2 semesters | BIOL 140A & BIOL 140B |
| Microbiology* | 1 semester | BIOL 330 |
| Anatomy | 1 semester | BIOL 270 & BIOL 271^ |
|
Physiology with Lab* |
1 semester |
BIOL 370 or BIOL 270 + BIOL 271^ |
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab* | 2 semesters | CHEM 111 + 111L + CHEM 112 + 112L |
| Organic Chemistry with lab* | 1 semester |
CHEM 230 or CHEM 331 & 332 |
| Biochemistry* | 1 semester | CHEM 340 or CHEM 441 |
| Physics with Lab* | 2 semesters | PHYS 125 + 126 |
| College Mathematics* | 2 semesters | MATH 120(5) + 130 MATH 130 + 120(5) + 130 |
| Statistics* | 1 semester |
STAT 303 |
| Psychology* | 1 semester | Can take PSYC 100 as area D1-2 course |
| English* | 2 semesters | Your GE-A2 and 2nd Composition English Courses |
| Shadowing* | Depends on school (min 10-40 hrs) |
N/A |
^ Note that BIOL 270 + 271 do not satisfy most CSUEB Biology major concentration requirements. Further, you could take a standalone anatomy course and/or a standalone physiology course at a community college. However, if Physiology is required for your Biology concentration here at CSUEB, we recommend that you take BIOL 370 to satisfy both your major/concentration and your optometry school requirements and a standalone anatomy course at a community course. Taking just one course of the BIOL 270 + 271 series will not be enough to cover the optometry school prerequisite reqiurement.
Related CSUEB Student Clubs/Organizations
There are currently no active Pre-Pharmacy Clubs at CSUEB. You may want to check the from time to time to see if one has started one. Or, to consider starting one yourself, click here.