The post-baccalaureate undergraduate Certificate in Health Sciences is designed for students who hold a baccalaureate degree in a non-science area and wish to pursue their undergraduate pre-health sciences requirements at VCU. The certificate program assists students in obtaining the prerequisites for admission into professional-level training programs in the health sciences. The program is intended for students who have few or none of the prerequisites they need to enter professional-level training programs in physician assistant studies, podiatry, pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, optometry and veterinary medicine. This program challenges students to complete more intensive science and math course work and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Students who have attempted the prerequisites and are seeking to enhance their academic/ science credentials should consider entering the Certificate in Pre-medical Graduate Health Sciences program offered through VCU School of Medicine
The certificate can take one to two years to complete with either full- or part-time study. Students are advised on how to progress based on prior performance in math and science course work, work and family constraints, and other factors that could affect the time frame to completion.
The post-baccalaureate undergraduate Certificate in Health Sciences is designed for students who hold a baccalaureate degree in a non-science area and wish to pursue their undergraduate pre-health sciences requirements at VCU. The program is intended for students who have few or none of the prerequisites they need to enter doctoral-level programs in physical therapy, pharmacy, dentistry, medicine, osteopathic medicine, optometry or veterinary sciences. This program challenges students to complete more intensive science and math course work than the basic prerequisites and maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. The certificate program assists students in becoming more competitive for admission into graduate-level programs in the health sciences, but it does not guarantee admission into any program.
Those students completing the certificate are expected to achieve competency in introductory and more advanced-level science courses and will be granted opportunities to gain health care experience. Students can learn about health care program admissions requirements and strengthen their credentials through advising, student-run club activities and seminars.
Depending on the types of courses students complete before entering the program, the certificate can take one to three years to complete with either full- or part-time study. Students are advised on how to progress based on prior math and science course work, work and family constraints, and other factors that could affect the time frame to completion. The certificate program requires the completion of minimal competencies and a core curriculum.
Before beginning the core curriculum, students must show minimum competency by completing or transferring in equivalent courses with minimum grades of B for the following:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MATH 151 | Precalculus Mathematics | 4 |
| BIOL 151 & BIOZ 151 | Introduction to Biological Sciences I and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory I | 4 |
| BIOL 152 & BIOZ 152 | Introduction to Biological Sciences II and Introduction to Biological Science Laboratory II | 4 |
| CHEM 101 & CHEZ 101 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| CHEM 102 & CHEZ 102 | General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II | 4 |
Students must have completed all chemistry courses within five years of the time they begin the program in order to apply them toward the minimum competency requirement.
The academic requirements to complete the core portion of the program are as follows: a minimum of 25 credit hours (comprising at least six courses) in mathematics, statistics, chemistry, biology or physics. All program core courses must be at the 200 level or above. At least three of the courses in the core must have a laboratory.
A maximum of 11 credit hours can be transferred toward the core curriculum of the certificate program. Students must have earned a minimum grade of B in all course work accepted for transfer, which must come from an accredited institution. Students should consult with the pre-health sciences advisers to determine the most appropriate courses to meet their educational and career goals.
Courses will be selected from the following lists:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Math and statistics | ||
| MATH 200 | Calculus with Analytic Geometry I | 4 |
| STAT 210 | Basic Practice of Statistics | 3 |
| STAT 314 | Applications of Statistics | 4 |
| Biology | ||
| BIOL 205 | Basic Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 209 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| or BIOL 303 | Microbiology | |
| BIOL 300 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 308 | Vertebrate Histology | 4 |
| BIOL 310 & BIOZ 310 | Genetics and Laboratory in Genetics | 5 |
| BIOL 402 | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 5 |
| BIOL/FRSC 438 | Forensic Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 445 | Neurobiology and Behavior | 4 |
| BIOL 455 | Immunology | 3 |
| BIOL 524 | Endocrinology | 3 |
| BIOL 530 | Introduction to Human Genetics | 3 |
| BIOL 540 | Fundamentals of Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| PHIS 206 | Human Physiology | 3 |
| or BIOL 411 | Physiology | |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 301 & CHEZ 301 | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 5 |
| CHEM 302 & CHEZ 302 | Organic Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II | 5 |
| CHEM 303 & CHEZ 303 | Physical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Laboratory I | 5 |
| CHEM 304 & CHEZ 304 | Physical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Laboratory II | 5 |
| CHEM 305 | Physical Chemistry for the Life Sciences | 3 |
| CHEM 309 & CHEZ 309 | Quantitative Analysis and Quantitative Analysis Laboratory | 5 |
| CHEM/MEDC 310 | Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Design | 3 |
| CHEM 320 | Inorganic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 403 | Biochemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 404 | Biochemistry II | 3 |
| Physics | ||
| PHYS 201 | General Physics I (includes laboratory) | 4 |
| PHYS 202 | General Physics II (includes laboratory) | 4 |
| PHYS 207 | University Physics I (includes laboratory) | 5 |
| PHYS 208 | University Physics II (includes laboratory) | 5 |
The minimum total of credit hours required for this certificate is 25.
While matriculating all students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. Courses may not be repeated after gaining admission into the certificate program. Failure to maintain the minimum GPA will result in formal dismissal from the certificate program.
Students accepted into the program must also commit to at least 50 hours of volunteer service in the VCU Medical Center Volunteer Program or a private health care setting. Volunteer hours must be documented and submitted to the Office of Pre-professional Health Advising at the time application is submitted for graduation.
Admission to the post-baccalaureate health sciences certificate program is based on students’ academic achievement in their baccalaureate programs and whether the certificate program will help them achieve their professional goals. The program accepts students to start in the fall and spring semesters. Application deadlines are the same for transfer students applying to the university. The program is not offered to students pursuing entry into undergraduate- or master’s-level health professions programs, nor is it open to those pursuing pre-health course work as part of their undergraduate concentrations at VCU.