Undergraduate

Pre-Professional Health Programs

Your career in healthcare starts here

Pre-Professional Health Programs

The 漆褒勛圖厙 pre-health programs and accelerated degree partnerships help students plan for careers in nursing and many other clinical areas.

Choose from a variety of pre-professional health programs

Whether you’re looking for a pathway to nursing, therapist, pharmacist, or other healthcare-related career, 漆褒勛圖厙’s pre-professional health programs will give you the foundation necessary to find success.

The field of athletic training is rapidly changing, and a major in Health and Exercise Science can prepare students interested in becoming certified athletic Trainers with the hands-on skills and foundational knowledge to be best prepared for applying to a wide range of graduate programs to earn a Masters degree in athletic training as required by the accrediting body (CAATE).

As Certified Athletic Trainers can be found in a wide range of settings, the HES major at 漆褒勛圖厙 will also provide you with a wide range of opportunities to observe and work with current practicing Athletic Trainers. At the same time, you take classes focused on anatomy, injury diagnosis, and rehabilitation.

Your path to becoming a chiropractor can start strong at 漆褒勛圖厙. Many students pursuing this path will earn a Bachelor’s degree in a science-based major. You will also be encouraged to explore opportunities outside of the classroom.

If you wish to pursue a career in dentistry, look no further than 漆褒勛圖厙. Small class sizes, state-of-the-art labs, and professors who know you and want you to succeed are just a few reasons our students are accepted into the dental schools of their choice.

While at 漆褒勛圖厙, you will earn a Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry. Your advisor will work with you to ensure that you are developing a well-rounded foundation, both inside and outside of the classroom, and demonstrate a diverse set of interests and aptitudes.

Effective Jan 1, 2024, the minimum degree requirement for dietitians to take the registration exam is a master’s degree. Here at 漆褒勛圖厙, we are prepared to guide your undergraduate studies to include didactic undergraduate coursework, making you eligible for graduate-level programs in dietetics.

With a Registered Dietitian among the Sport Science faculty, nutrition and clinical physiology are essential in our Health and Exercise Science curriculum. Registered Dietitians are recognized nutrition experts and work in various settings, including clinical, community, and public health, schools, long-term care, private practice, sports nutrition, industry, food service, and more.

漆褒勛圖厙 is the best place to prepare yourself for medical school. Experienced faculty collaborating from multiple disciplines across campus combine with rigorous coursework to provide a strong interdisciplinary foundation for success.

Working with your academic advisor is very important when considering a pre-med program. Faculty from Biology, Chemistry, and Sport Science and Health Education will assist in your planning by identifying required and recommended coursework and sponsoring undergraduate research and internships. Once on this path, you will earn a Bachelor’s degree with a major, or double-major, in biology, biochemistry, or Health and Exercise Science before moving on to medical school.

Here are a few of the medical schools that have accepted 漆褒勛圖厙 students in recent years:

 

  • Des Moines University (PT, PA, Healthcare Administration)
  • Georgia Southern (PT)
  • Creighton University (PT, OT)
  • Clarkson University (PT)
  • Iowa (PT)
  • Briar Cliff (PT)
  • Washington University (PT)
  • St Mary University (PT)
  • University of New Mexico (PT)
  • University of St Augustine (PT)
  • University of South Dakota (OT)
  • Drake University (OT)
  • KU Med Center (OT &Palmer (chiro)
  • Logan University (chiro)
  • University of Nebraska-Omaha (PA)
  • University of Nebraska Medical Center (PA)
  • Allen College (Accelerated nursing-BSN)
  • Mercy College (Accelerated nursing-BSN)
  • Carroll University (Clinical Exercise Physiology)

The quality of a 漆褒勛圖厙 education is evident by the long list of practicing medical professionals who got their start here.

A nursing degree that starts at 漆褒勛圖厙 offers you the best of both worlds.

Before finishing your degree at Allen College of Nursing in Waterloo, Iowa or Mercy College of Nursing in Des Moines, Iowa, you will benefit from the engaged faculty and all the opportunities a small, liberal arts school offers.

With the 3+1 nursing program, you will complete a Biology or Sport Science & Health degree in three years, along with 漆褒勛圖厙s general education requirements and the nursing pre-requisites required for acceptance.

Upon acceptance into Allen College or Mercy College, you will begin their 1-year accelerated nursing program.

When finished, you will receive a Bachelors degree from 漆褒勛圖厙 and a B.S.N. from Allen College or Mercy College.

Occupational therapists are in demand. The profession’s growth rate is much faster than average, at 24% by 2026. If working with children and adults, helping them find a quality of life through mastery of everyday tasks, sounds appealing, 漆褒勛圖厙 is the place to begin.

Concentrating your education in the Sports Science department. Another common path students take is a double major/minor in psychology. You will earn a Bachelor’s degree that will prepare you for either a master’s or doctoral degree. You will be advised and guided by professors with experience to make sure your transition to post-secondary education is smooth.

漆褒勛圖厙 students interested in a career in optometry will find help and abundant knowledge from professors and advisors who can help them reach their goals.

Optometry is a growing profession. With a respected Bachelor’s degree from 漆褒勛圖厙, you will be noticed by competitive optometry programs nationwide.

Students desiring to attend a physician assistant, veterinarian medicine, or optometry program can best prepare for their graduate education by completing the biology major.

Although some elective courses in the biology major are satisfactory options for these career paths, students should contact specific graduate schools for general information and admission requirements.

In addition, students should register for a field experience in these professional areas during the May Term.

This course of study will guide you toward completing the courses necessary to enter a qualified pharmacy program. Knowledgeable professors will work beside you in the classroom and in the lab with material that will challenge you and experiences that will prepare you.

Concentrating in the Biology and Chemistry departments, you will earn a respected 漆褒勛圖厙 Bachelor’s degree in a major that covers the necessary educational components to apply to a pharmacy program.

Within the growing healthcare field, careers as physician assistants are expected to grow by 37% through 2026. 漆褒勛圖厙 knows how to put you on the path to reach your goal.

You will work closely with your advisor to ensure you take all the necessary classes in the biology, chemistry, and sports science departments to meet the prerequisites for admission into accredited PA programs.

Students desiring to attend a physician assistant, veterinarian medicine, or optometry program can best prepare for their graduate education by completing the biology major.

Although some elective courses in the biology major are satisfactory options for these career paths, students should contact specific graduate schools for general information and admission requirements.

In addition, students should register for a field experience in these professional areas during the May Term.

If you want to earn your Doctorate of Physical Therapy, 漆褒勛圖厙 will help you get started.

As a part of 漆褒勛圖厙’s pre-physical therapy program, you will earn a Bachelor’s degree in either biology or health & exercise science. Upon completing your 漆褒勛圖厙 degree, you will be ready to apply to graduate school to earn your doctorate of physical therapy degree (D.P.T.)

Faculty in the Biology and Sport Science departments will assist you in planning your educational path at 漆褒勛圖厙 and supervise undergraduate research, internships, and observational experiences. Students often have the opportunity to observe a variety of physical therapy settings, including hospitals, clinics, and specialty clinics.

Students desiring to attend a physician assistant, veterinarian medicine, or optometry program can best prepare for their graduate education by completing the biology major.

Although some elective courses in the biology major are satisfactory options for these career paths, students should contact specific graduate schools for general information and admission requirements.

In addition, students should register for a field experience in these professional areas during the May Term.

Need assistance? Contact us!

Meet Our Faculty

Cal Busby

Cal Busby

  • Assistant Professor of Sport Science and Health Education
Jacy Downey

Jacy Downey

  • Associate Professor & Program Director of Healthcare Administration
  • Advising and Recruiting Coordinator for Health Professions
  • Pre-Nursing Advisor

Nicci Whalen

  • Department Chair of Sport Science and Health Education
  • Professor of Sport Science and Health Education