Pre-Health FAQ

“Pre-health” means that the student would like to attend a healthcare-related professional school or program after leaving UNC Charlotte. In order to reach this goal, the student must complete certain academic and extracurricular requirements to prepare for an application to the professional school. We refer to this is following a “pre-health track”. For example, a student who wants to become a dentist would follow a pre-dental track and would be referred to as a pre-dental student.

UNC Charlotte does not offer any formal, structured pre-health “programs”. Students follow pre-health “tracks”, which are not formal programs. “Tracks” allow freedom for students to pick most any major on campus and design a timeline and course plan that best fits their individual needs. The Pre-Health Advising office provides guidance to help students plan their pre-health tracks.

The Pre-Health Advising Office provides advising for all non-nursing healthcare professions.

UNC Charlotte provides specific advising for these majors through their respective Colleges or Departments:

Nursing, Public Health, and Respiratory Therapy: Contact the College of Health and Human Services Advising Center .

In some instances, yes. Students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree typically enroll and complete both their bachelor’s degree and pre-health track at UNC Charlotte. The student works on completing both sets of requirements simultaneously during their time at UNC Charlotte.

Very few healthcare professional schools accept students without bachelor’s degrees; the notable exception is pharmacy school. Note, however, that ~75% of students currently entering pharmacy school complete 3-4 years of college.

Students who have already completed a bachelor’s degree can enroll and take the required courses for their pre-health tracks, with or without finishing a second bachelor’s degree.

There is no application or form to sign, and nothing to declare. The first step is to complete an orientation to your pre-health track. Orientations are available to students after enrollment or as part of New Student Orientation; depending on your pre-health track, the orientation will be held in a live or online format. Your pre-health track orientation will cover everything you need to know to get started on your pre-health track: required and recommended courses, GPA expectations, timeline options, extracurricular activities, and more.

No, pre-health advising is optional. Students determine when and how much guidance they want or need. Methods of advising include group sessions, online resources, and email communication. Office appointments are available to eligible students who have completed their pre-health track orientation and met other criteria for class standing, GPA, and course completion.

For questions about your pre-health track, contact the Pre-Health Advising Office at prehealth@charlotte.edu .