Pre-professional health advising
Students interested in pursuing careers in medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant and veterinary medicine are encouraged to declare a pre-professional health minor. Additionally, a post-baccalaureate health sciences certificate is available to students who have already earned bachelor’s degrees in non-science areas and plan to enter doctoral-level health science training programs.
In addition to the advising services provided to pre-professional health minors through the College of Humanities and Sciences, pre-professional health advising in VCU Career Services prepares students for professional school application through guidance with pre-professional health curriculum, admission test preparation, co-curricular activity involvement and application competitiveness. The advising and services provided by the office will prepare highly qualified, confident and knowledgeable pre-professional health students for admission to professional health programs. The office focuses on developing personal and professional competencies which are heralded by the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Pre-law advising
VCU Career Services supports aspiring law students by offering career advisory services regarding the law school admissions process. Students are offered assistance regarding application procedures and the law school admission test in preparation for the study of law. The Law School Admission Council and the American Bar Association provide comprehensive online information for students regarding preparation for law school, law school admission and accreditation, as well as careers in the legal profession.
As there are no particular prerequisites or a specific major necessary for entrance to law school, students may choose virtually any major or undergraduate program. Traditionally, students applying to law school have pursued liberal arts majors such as history, English, political science, economics, math/sciences or philosophy. Students wishing to specialize in a particular area of law may choose majors from academic disciplines as diverse as art, music, computer science, engineering, nursing, education, business or social work. Taking a broad range of difficult courses from demanding instructors is excellent preparation for a legal education. Whatever the major, it is important that students considering a career in law take advantage of opportunities to develop research and writing skills. Other skills that provide a sound foundation for a legal education include analytical and problem-solving skills, critical reading abilities, oral communication and listening abilities, task organization and management skills, and the values of serving faithfully the interests of others while also promoting justice.
The Department of Philosophy offers a philosophy of law minor for students interested in law school. It is important that students considering the legal profession take challenging course work in which they can develop analytical, research and written and verbal communication skills.