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Preprofessional Programs
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Please consult the 2008-2009 online catalog for any changes that may occur.
The Medical Sciences
A student interested in entering medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, veterinary science, or allied health sciences should contact the Preprofessional Health Advisory Program at the Department of Physics office, SCN 231 (510-885-3401).
The Preprofessional Health Advisory Program at the Department of Physics office will direct the student to a preprofessional advisor to receive program information and individual counseling about meeting the requirements for admission to professional schools. The composite letter of evaluation written by the preprofessional advisor represents the official campus analysis of the student for professional schools. If letters of evaluation from individuals are required or desired by a professional school, they are the responsibility of the student.
The required courses for the various professional fields do not comprise a major, therefore the student is free to select any major. Accordingly, in addition to the preprofessional advisor, each student must also select a major advisor on the same basis as do all other students at the university. Admission to professional schools is highly competitive. Consequently, the major selected should be one representing an alternate career objective satisfactory to the student.
Students intending to enter the health professions should plan on completing a baccalaureate degree with an appropriate academic major. Many students major in biological sciences or chemistry, but majors in the social sciences and the humanities are acceptable to professional schools, provided the specified courses in science have been completed.
Admission to professional schools is restricted to those students who have developed a facility in the use of English and in quantitative thinking, who have mastered the fundamentals of the physical and biological sciences, and who have studied in depth one of the major fields of knowledge.
Cal State East Bay is an official test center for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). The MCAT is administered twice yearly, in Spring and Fall, under the auspices of the Assessment & Testing Office. Premedical students are urged to schedule this test for Spring of their junior year.
The Dental Admission Test, required of all predental students, may be taken by application throughout the year. Predental students should plan to take this test in Spring of their junior year. Contact the Assessment and Testing Office for further details.
Courses such as ANTH 3720 (Medical Anthropology), HSC (Medical Care in the U.S.), PHIL 3152 (Biomedical Ethics) and SOC 4720 (Medical Sociology) will be of value to students preparing for interviews at professional schools. Some of these courses may be counted for General Education, depending upon the major.
The sample programs below contain courses required by most professional schools and courses recommended as preparation for national tests. Consult a preprofessional advisor for program modifications.
Sample Programs for Preprofessional Students
Medicine (including allopathic, osteopathic, podiatric, and veterinary medicine)
| First Year | ||
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| CHEM 1101 (5) MATH 1130  (4) ENGL 1001 (4) | CHEM 1102 (5) MATH 1300 (4) ENGL 1002 (4) | BIOL 1401 (5) CHEM 1103 (5) MATH 1304 (4) |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| BIOL 1402 (5) CHEM 3301 (5) MATH 1305 (4) | BIOL 1403 (5) CHEM 3302 (5) | BIOL 3121 (5) CHEM 3303 (5) STAT 3031 (4) |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| BIOL 3122 (4) PHYS 2701 (4) | CHEM 4411 (4) PHYS 2702 (4) | CHEM 4412 (4) PHYS 2703 (4) |
| Fourth Year |
Completion of Major and General Education requirements. Completion of courses (e.g., BIOL 3151 Principles of Animal Physiology, CHEM 2200 Quantitative Analysis) required by particular professional schools.
Dentistry
| First Year | ||
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| CHEM 1101 (5) MATH 1130 (4)ENGL 1001 (4) | CHEM 1102 (5) MATH 1300 (4) ENGL 1002 (4) | BIOL 1401 (5) CHEM 1103 (5) PSYC 1000 (5) |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| BIOL 1402 (5) CHEM 3301 (5) | BIOL 1403 (5) CHEM 3302 (5) | BIOL 3121 (5) CHEM 3303 (5) STAT 3031 (4) |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Quarter | Winter Quarter | Spring Quarter |
| BIOL 3122 (4) PHYS 2701 (4) | CHEM 4411 (4) PHYS 2702 (4) | CHEM 4412 (4) PHYS 2703 (4) |
| Fourth Year |
Completion of Major and General Education requirements. Completion of courses required by particular professional schools.
Allied Health Fields
The following programs are offered by the university in the allied health fields. The Department of Biological Sciences has an Option in Biomedical Laboratory Sciences (formerly Medical Technology) in its B.S. degree major. Options in Athletic Training, Exercise Nutrition and Wellness, Physical Education Teaching, and Pre-Physical Therapy are available in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education. The Department of Nursing and Health Sciences has a B.S. degree major in Nursing and Health Sciences. The graduate department of Educational Psychology has an M.S. in Counseling. Both B.S. and M.S. programs in Speech Pathology and Audiology are offered as well as a Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential. The M.P.A. degree has an option in Health Care Administration. There is also an M.S. degree program in Health Care Administration offered by the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Department of Public Administration. These programs are described in the alphabetical listing in this catalog. Please contact the appropriate departments and schools for additional information.
Certificate in Pre-Physical Therapy
The certificate requirements, as proposed, can be met by completing 79-80 units as shown below.
| I. | Lower Division (60-61 units) | ||||
| BIOL 1401 Molecular and Cellular Biology (5) BIOL 1403 Animal Biology (5) BIOL 2010 (or 2011), 2020 Human Physiology and Anatomy I, II (5, 4) BIOL 2025 Introduction to Microbiology (5) or BIOL 4160 Medical Physiology (4) CHEM 1101, 1102, 1103 General Chemistry (5, 5, 5) PHYS 2701, 2702, 2703 Introductory Physics (4, 4, 4) PSYC 1000 General Psychology (or 1001) (5) STAT 1000 Elements of Probability and Statistics (5) | |||||
| II. | Upper Division (19 units) | ||||
| KPE 3305 Structural Kinesiology (5) KPE 3310 Biomechanics (5) KPE 3320 Exercise Physiology (5) PSYC 4410 Abnormal Psychology (4) | |||||
Students enrolled in the program must complete one to three quarters of field observation and volunteer participation in physical therapy at cooperating agencies. Evidence of such fieldwork can be gained by liaison with appropriate personnel at these agencies.
Additional Courses
Additional courses may be needed to meet the requirements of specific programs in Physical Therapy. Examples are given below. Students are advised to consult a preprofessional advisor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education for further information.
| BIOL 4160 Medical Physiology (4) CHEM 2301/2302 Survey of Organic Chemistry (4, 4) KPE 4330 Clinical Exercise Physiology (4) KPE 4340 Motor Development (4) PSYC 4420 Developmental Psychology (4) KPE 4000-level course on computer applications in kinesiology and physical education | |||||
The study of law is a postgraduate professional program, usually requiring three years of full-time study beyond the completion of the bachelor's degree. No specific pre-law undergraduate program is required for admission to law schools. However, for students wishing to focus on legal studies at Cal State East Bay, the Political Science Department has a Pre-Law option in the Political Science Major.
Students intending to enter law school commonly complete undergraduate majors in political science, economics, business, or history. The pre-law student's undergraduate plan of study should include among its objectives a facility in the proper use of written and spoken English, a sampling of undergraduate law courses, one or more critical/logical thinking courses, and a basic understanding of government and economics. Some law schools recommend that students take a basic accounting course, particularly if they are interested in business or tax law.
Students planning to enter law school should consult a pre-law advisor. Dr. David Baggins of the Department of Political Science, who is an attorney, serves as the university pre-law advisor. Several other departments also have pre-law advisors.
Most accredited law schools require that applicants complete the Law School Admission Test. The LSAT is typically given in September, December, February, and June at one or more testing centers in the Bay Area. Pre-law students should obtain LSAT registration materials and law school applications early in their final year of college. Copies of these materials can also be secured from the pre-law advisor in the Department of Political Science and from the Office of Assessment and Testing, WA 438. The Political Science Department Library also has a copy of the Law School Guidebook and many law school catalogs.
Natural Resources
Students contemplating transferring to various programs in the College of Natural Resources and Sciences at Humboldt State University or the College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley, can complete a number of the prerequisite courses at Cal State East Bay.
As the requirements differ among the various programs and may change from time to time, it is important to check with the appropriate departments of Humboldt State and U.C. Berkeley about the current information. The following courses at Cal State East Bay serve as prerequisites for most of the Natural Resources majors: BIOL 1401-2-3, CHEM 1101-2-3, MATH 1300, and either PHYS 1101-2-3 or 2701-2-3.
Pre-Theological Studies
The American Association of Theological Schools recommends that students anticipating graduate theological education take a broad liberal arts program leading to the B.A. degree. Cal State East Bay recommends that pre-theology students complete the Religious Studies Option in the Philosophy Major. A reading knowledge of at least one language other than English is highly recommended. Students should elect courses which will sharpen their conceptual processes (logic, scientific method, literary or historical research) and should have more than an introduction to the world of people and ideas, the world of nature, and the world of human affairs. It is also possible to complete a minor in religious studies. (See the minor listed in undergraduate Philosophy chapter.) Students planning to enter theological schools should consult the Department of Philosophy (MI 4006) about their major and baccalaureate degree.
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| | See department for placement tests required prior to registration. | |
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© 2007 The California State University
Last Updated: April 5, 2007