Pre-Professional

Pre-Professional Curricula

Students preparing to study dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, or veterinary medicine should enroll in the degree plan as suggested by the advisors listed below. Before each registration, the student should consult his or her advisor.

Dentistry

The DEAP student enters and completes the accelerated undergraduate curriculum at Texas State. The Texas State curriculum includes a minimum of 93 semester credit hours which can usually be completed in three years; 60 of these hours must be earned in residence at Texas State. Advanced placement and dual-credit hours shall not be counted in the minimum of 60 hours in residence at Texas State. For more information contact the Department of Biology Pre-Health Advisor.

Law

All accredited law schools in the state require the following from applicants prior to admission: (1) a bachelor's degree, (2) superior grades, and (3) a satisfactory score on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT).

Pre-law students are urged to consult a pre-law representative, as appropriate, from the following Texas State colleges, schools, or departments: the Department of Criminal Justice, McCoy College of Business Administration, the Department of Philosophy, or the Department of Political Science. The pre-law student should also become familiar with the services available through the Student Learning Assistance Center (SLAC). For more information contact your pre-law representative.

Medicine

Medical schools recommend an appropriate bachelor's degree and specific prerequisites for entrance. For more information contact the Department of Biology Pre-Health Advisor.

Pharmacy

Pharmacy is a six-year program, two years of which may be taken at Texas State University. The seven pharmacy schools in Texas (The University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas Tech University Health Science Center, University of North Texas Health Science Center, and University of the Incarnate Word) all require two years of prerequisite courses in chemistry, biology, math, physics, English, humanities and social sciences, but the exact courses required vary by school. Consequently, it is imperative that pre-pharmacy students consult with an advisor prior to and during their pre-pharmacy program. For more information contact the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Physical Therapy

The physical therapy profession requires a post-baccalaureate degree in order to practice; Texas State offers a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program. For more information, contact the Department of Physical Therapy. The Department of Physical Therapy does not require a specific undergraduate degree in order to gain entrance into their program. However, the Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP) offers an undergraduate degree program that will prepare students to enter the application process for a physical therapy program. The main focus of this pre-professional program is to provide a strong theoretical background utilizing courses across multiple disciplines, including Athletic Training and Exercise and Sports Science, for admittance into a physical therapy program. Coursework will also help prepare students for professional degree programs in related fields, e.g., occupational therapy, chiropractor, and physician assistant. Because the prerequisites amongst professional programs vary, students should seek specific prerequisites for each program of interests.

See the HHP Department section of the current Undergraduate Catalog for specific course requirements in the degree plan for the Exercise and Sports Science major with a concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy.

Veterinary Medicine

The only College of Veterinary Medicine in Texas is at Texas A&M University. Prior to admission, students must complete at least 64 hours of coursework, which constitutes a pre-veterinary program. At Texas State, all students must choose a major in one of the four-year bachelor's programs. While any major is acceptable, majors in Agriculture/Animal Science, Biology, or Chemistry most nearly parallel the courses required in the pre-veterinary program.

Advising for students at Texas State who wish to pursue the pre-professional curriculum in veterinary medicine is available by contacting the pre-veterinary advisor in the Department of Agriculture, or by appointment with the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University.

Information on this page adapted from the Texas State University Undergraduate Catalog for 2019-2020.