The courses listed below are those most commonly required for admission. See the list of Puget Sound curriculum guides (which includes tracks for pre-med, pre-dentistry, and pre-vet), or visit the Common Prerequisites Quick Guide for a detailed list of pre-requisites for each of the following professional health programs. 

Anesthesiologist Assistant

  • 1 year of general biology
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 semester organic chemistry
  • A second semester of organic chemistry or biochemistry with laboratory
  • 1 year of physics
  • 1 year of calculus

Chiropractic Medicine

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Biochemistry
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • Statistics
  • Psychology
  • Biomechanics and/or exercise physiology

Dentistry

  • 1 year of general biology, plus 1 semester of cell biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Mathematics (calculus suggested)
  • English writing
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • Recommended: additional biology (genetics and microbiology, for instance), an additional English writing course, and foreign language. Check the specific programs you are interested in.

Genetic Counselor

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • Genetics
  • Biochemistry
  • Introductory psychology
  • Developmental and/or lifespan psychology
  • Statistics
  • Human anatomy & physiology
  • Some programs may also require or recommend: organic chemistry, and/or courses from sociology & anthropology.

See the full list of accredited genetic counseling programs for more information about pre-requisites by program. 

Medicine

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Biochemistry
  • Statistics
  • Sociology & psychology
  • Recommended: genetics, physiology, and/or calculus

See the AAMC (MD programs) and AACOM (DO programs) to learn more. 

Nutrition/Dietetics

  • Nutrition
  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 semester organic chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • 1 semester psychology
  • Microbiology
  • Statistics
  • Exercise physiology

See the ASN graduate program directory for a complete list of accredited programs. 

Nursing

Requirements vary by type of nursing program: Accelerated BSN (for those students with a previous bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field); NP-Nurse Practitioner (nurses who have received masters-level training beyond the R.N.); Entry-Level MSN (for those students with a previous bachelor's degree in a non-nursing field). The most common pre-requisites include:

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry (some require organic chemistry)
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • Statistics
  • Microbiology
  • Lifespan psychology
  • Sociology
  • Nutrition

Occupational Therapy

  • Statistics
  • 1 year of psychology
  • 1 additional 200+ level course in psychology, sociology or anthropology
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • Some programs may also recommend or require: general biology, microbiology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, English, and/or medical terminology

See the ACOTE school directory for a full list of accredited occupational programs and pre-requisites.

Optometry

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • 1 year of physics 
  • Immunology
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • 2 English writing courses
  • Mathematics (calculus and statistics)
  • Psychology
  • Recommended: biochemistry, microbiology, social sciences, computer science, and/or business management

Visit ASCO to learn more.

Pathologist Assistant

  • 1 year of general biology
  • Microbiology
  • Human anatomy & physiology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 semester of organic chemistry
  • 1 semester of mathematics (college algebra or higher, statistics may be recommended)
  • English composition
  • Some programs may also require: medical terminology, histology, biochemistry and/or physics

See the full list of accredited pathologist assistant programs for more information about pre-requisites by program. 

Pharmacy

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Microbiology
  • Calculus (statistics is also recommended)
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • Biochemistry (BIOL 361 will work for most programs, but UW recommends the full-year series CHEM 460 & 461)

See Pharmacy For Me to learn more.

Physical Therapy

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Human anatomy & physiology
  • Statistics
  • 2 semesters of psychology (introductory psychology, plus developmental or lifespan psychology)

See the APTA full list of prerequisites for individual physical therapy programs.

Physician Assistant

  • 1 year of general biology 
  • 1 semester of genetics
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • Statistics
  • Human anatomy and physiology
  • Psychology
  • Microbiology

Most PA programs also require 1,000+ hours of prior health care experience with hands-on patient care.

Podiatry

  • 1 year of general biology
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Biochemistry
  • Statistics
  • Psychology and sociology
  • 1 year of English
  • Some programs also require: genetics, and/or human anatomy & physiology

See Step Into Podiatry to learn more.

Public Health

  • Master of Public Health programs commonly do not have specific pre-requisite coursework as application requirements. Prospective MPH students can have a variety of undergraduate academic degrees, and may benefit from undergraduate courses in human biology, statistics, and sociology. Students should check with any MPH program to which they are interested in applying. 

See the ASPPH website for a full list of accredited MPH programs.

Veterinary Medicine

  • 1 year of general biology
  • Genetics
  • 1 year of general chemistry
  • 1 year of organic chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • 1 year of physics
  • Microbiology
  • Animal nutrition and/or animal science
  • English writing course
  • Most programs also require: calculus and statistics. Some programs require public speaking, medical terminology, physiology, psychology, and/or sociology

See VMSAR for a full list of prerequisites for veterinary schools.