Post-Baccalaureate Studies
The Post-Baccalaureate Program at The University of Texas at Dallas offers the opportunity to take science coursework focused on the integrative scientific study of biology, health, and medicine. Many students seek this coursework to prepare for the health professions.
Because the program is flexible, it can address the needs of:
- second career students,
- bachelor's degree holders who lack the prerequisites for professional school,
- students repairing a rocky academic record
The program accommodates part-time students and full-time students, and can include all required and recommended prerequisites for medical, dental, pharmacy, optometry, physician assistant, physical therapy, public health, biomedical research, and more.
THREE PATHS - At UT Dallas, many roads lead to success. Choose the right one for you.
- CERTIFICATE in BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
- Second-Degree Seeking Transfer
- Non-Degree Seeking Graduate
- TIPS for POST-BACCs!
WHY UT DALLAS?
The University of Texas at Dallas is uniquely prepared to prepare students for their future in health professions. Founded as a scientific research institution, UT Dallas continues to lead in the areas of engineering, computer science, and natural and physical sciences. With a long-term mission that includes placing students into medicine and biomedical research, UT Dallas invests in its pre-health students with first-rate advising, resources, and HPE services. See Pre-Health at UT Dallas.
UT Dallas's reputation among medical and dental schools nationwide is very strong. Regularly, medical and dental schools recommend UT Dallas to aspiring students for post-baccalaureate training in the sciences and preparation for admission to their programs.
The Green Fellowship Program, a collaboration with UT Southwestern Medical Center, recognizes the strong science education that students receive at UT Dallas. The fellowship is a semester-long intensive research training experience for undergraduates in one of several biomedical science fields.
The Certificate in Biomedical Sciences is endorsed by UT Southwestern and UT Houston medical schools and TAMU Baylor College of Dentistry as an excellent non-traditional way to prepare for medical or dental school for those who have already received a bachelor's degree. Accordingly, the program represents an opportunity for students to demonstrate their ability to perform well academically.
Certificate in Biomedical Sciences
"C.BioMed" students are part of a special post-bacc program that includes a flexible course of study and awards the Certificate of Biomedical Sciences. BioMed students are eligible to receive financial aid and see the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC) for advising and registration.
DOWNLOAD the flyer.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
- Have earned a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university,
- Gain admission into the university as an undergraduate transfer student,
- Exhibit clear motivation for a career in a health profession
- Submit a Suplemental Application
(after you apply to UT Dallas, the supplemental application will be mailed to you)
To APPLY ONLINE is easy as 1-2-3. Apply as a (1) Transfer, Undergraduate student in the (2) School of Natural Science and Mathematics and select the (3) Undergraduate Certificate in Biomedical Sciences.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Completing the Certificate in Biomedical Sciences Program requires:
- A minimum of 24 post-baccalaureate undergraduate credit hours of approved courses at UT Dallas (see approved courses list),
- Of the 24 credit hours completed toward the certificate, a minimum of 9 credit hours must be upper-division biological science courses,
- Completion of HLTH 3100: the Pre-Health Professional Development course,
- A UT Dallas post-baccalaureate grade point average of at least 3.30;
- Evidence of at least 50 clock hours of approved clinical and/or research exposure activities previously approved by the Program Director and documented according to program standards,
- Final recommendation by the UT Dallas Health Professions Evaluation Committee.
COST
There are no costs except for standard UT Dallas tuition, course-related fees, and university wide fees.
The most current tuition and fee structure can be found HERE.
CURRICULUM
Post-bacc students enroll in undergraduate courses. This structure is important, since medical and dental schools understand and appreciate the rigor of UT Dallas's undergraduate curriculum and know how to interpret a student's performance within that curriculum.
The Certificate of Biomedical Sciences requires completion of 24 hours from the list below, including at least 9 hours of upper-division courses.
Students with no previous science or math background may need more than 24 hours of science to meet the requirements of professional schools.
Classes from a previous degree or another college CANNOT count toward a Certificate of Biomedical Sciences.
- Professional Development (required)
1 hour : Pre-Health Professional Development - Chemistry
4 hours : General Chemistry I and lab
4 hours : General Chemistry II and lab
4 hours : Organic Chemistry I and lab
4 hours : Organic Chemistry II and lab - Physics
4 hours : College Physics I, Physics for Bioscience I, or Mechanics and Heat (and lab)
4 hours : College Physics II, Physics for Bioscience II, or Electromagnetism and Waves (and lab)
- Calculus or Statistics
3-4 hours : Calculus I, Differential Calculus, Applied Calculus, or Statistics for Bioscience - Biology
4 hours : Modern Biology I
4 hours : Modern Biology II
2 hours : Biology Lab
- Advanced Bioscience (options include the following and many more)
4 hours : Classical and Molecular Genetics
4 hours : Biochemistry
5 hours : General Microbiology and lab
4 hours : Anatomy and Physiology I
4 hours : Anatomy and Physiology II
3 hours : Eukaryotic Molecular and Cellular Biology
3 hours : Medical Molecular and Cellular Biology
3 hours : Proteomics
3 hours : Genomics
3 hours : Immunobiology
3 hours : Medical Microbiology
3 hours : Molecular Biology of HIV/AIDS
3 hours : Molecular Biology of Cancer
3 hours : Molecular Biology of Hemotology
4 hours : Neuroanatomy
3 hours : Neuropharmacology
3 hours : Neuroimmunology
3 hours : Medical Neuroscience
Relevant elective courses are also available but do not apply to the number of credit hours required for certificate completion.
- Medical Ethics
- Philosophy of Medicine
- Medical Spanish
- Law and Medicine
- Bones, Bodies and Disease
- Forensic Biology
- Psychology of Health and Illness
- Healthcare Management
- Economics of Healthcare
CERTIFICATE PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
The Health Professions Advising Center and the Certificate in Biomedical Sciences Program are directed by Dr. Scott Wright who also serves as Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and professor.
Dr. Wright has worked with students in higher education for more than twenty years and has advised medical and pre-health students for almost fifteen years. He understands the desires, needs and fears of non-traditional pre-health students.
For ten years, Dr. Wright served as Director of Admissions at UT Southwestern Medical School. He currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medical Ethics at UT Southwestern.
Three other experienced HPAC advisors are Mr. Doyen Rainey, Dr. Kathleen Byrnes, and Mr. Scott Robinson. Health professions students at UT Dallas also benefit from the expertise of HPAC consultant Barbara Waller, M.D., retired Associate Dean for Student Affairs at UT Southwestern Medical School.
Second-Degree Seeking Undergraduate
Apply online as an undergraduate “Transfer Student” seeking a second bachelor’s degree. If degree students take at least 12 credit hours per semester, they become eligible for financial aid.
By default, these students receive advising and registration assistance according to their declared major. Special paperwork is required for them to go through the Health Professions Advising Center instead.
Non-Degree Seeking Graduate, Taking Undergraduate Classes
Apply online as a “Graduate Non-Degree – Undergraduate Courses Only” student. Non-degree seeking students are NOT eligible for financial aid and are the LAST students able to register for classes.
- APPLY EARLY! Processing an application requires 6-8 weeks.
- Make an appointment with the Health Professions Advising Center (HPAC), to plan your classes.
- If you intend to complete a second bachelor’s degree, also make an appointment to see an academic advisor, according to your major.
- If you have never taken university sciences, you should plan on about 40 credit hours of coursework, including one 4 to 5 semester chain of prerequisites.
- Preparation for application to professional schools involves more than taking the required courses.
See Current Students for more information and resources.
- Some students pursue the health professions curriculum on a part-time basis. If this is your plan, it will likely take you 2 to 3 years, depending on how many courses you take each semester. The 2-3 year track is a strong option for some post-bacc students, depending on their circumstances.
- Your advisor will help you develop a plan that will be right for you and help you achieve your goals.
