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Preprofessional Programs

Preparation for Dentistry, Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacy, and Allied Health Professions

The rapid expansion and diversification of services designed to meet the health needs of society provide students with a variety of career opportunities in health care. However, since competition for admission to professional school programs is keen, it is important to maintain a strong academic record.

Advisory Services

Students interested in a health career should contact the Health Professions Office, Geography Building 234. The Health Professions Office maintains a reference collection of professional school catalogs and related information on a broad spectrum of health careers and sponsors programs on topics of interest throughout the year. Individual course and career advising concerning preparation for admission to professional schools can be arranged through the Health Professions Office.

In general, professional schools do not indicate a preferred undergraduate major, leaving the student free to choose a degree program suited to his or her interests and abilities. The student should complete minimum professional school course requirements before taking a nationally standardized admission test such as the Dental Admission Test, Medical College Admission Test, Pharmacy College Admission Test, or Graduate Record Examinations. The Health Professions Office provides advice concerning courses that meet professional school admission requirements; advising for degree requirements is available in the student's major department. Students are encouraged to register using the special advising code appropriate to the health career they are pursuing.

A student planning to pursue a degree in medical technology, nursing, or dietetics at the University should consult an adviser in the appropriate department or school.

Preparation for Dentistry, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine

Transfer of Professional School Coursework toward an Undergraduate Degree

All students preparing for professional training in dentistry, medicine, or veterinary medicine should plan to complete a baccalaureate degree in the field of their choice before entering professional school, since the number of students admitted without a degree is small.

If a preprofessional student undertakes work leading to an established undergraduate degree in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Natural Sciences but is accepted into the professional school before finishing the degree, it may be possible by special petition for the student to use professional school coursework toward the degree as transfer hours. In this instance, to graduate the student must meet, without exception, all requirements for the degree. This includes all residence rules--both general and specific--for the desired degree, except as indicated in section 3 below. If the petition is approved, limited transfer of unspecified upper-division credit in chemistry and zoology is allowed as applicable and necessary to the degree.

University regulations allow a student to transfer six of the last thirty semester hours from another undergraduate school if other residence requirements have been met. If a preprofessional student meets certain additional requirements as outlined below, it may be possible for the student to transfer and use toward the degree a limited number of semester hours from a professional school.

1. The maximum number of hours allowed for transfer and application toward a University degree is
   1. Dental schools: A total of twelve semester hours of credit, of which nine hours are upper-division unspecified zoology and three hours are upper-division unspecified chemistry.
   2. Medical schools (including schools of osteopathic medicine): A total of eighteen semester hours of credit, of which twelve hours are upper-division unspecified zoology and six hours are upper-division unspecified chemistry.
   3. Veterinary schools: A total of twelve semester hours of upper-division unspecified zoology.
2. To be eligible to receive such transfer hours from a professional school the student must
   1. Receive dean's certification indicating completion in residence at the University of at least sixty semester hours counted toward the degree.
   2. Provide an official transcript indicating satisfactory completion of the traditional first year at an accredited and approved United States school of dentistry, medicine, or veterinary medicine. If eligible, the student may petition the academic dean to have the Office of Admissions record on the University transcript, without letter grade, the total number of semester hours transferred as noted above.
3. After the student's eligibility is verified and the hours described in section 1 above are accepted for transfer to the University, degree credit may be granted as follows:
   1. Up to six of these hours may be used as appropriate and necessary toward a degree, as certified by the student's academic dean. These initial six semester hours must include all transfer work used within the last thirty semester hours counted toward the student's degree.
   2. Additional hours beyond the initial six, but limited to the total allowable, may be used as elective credit toward the degree upon written petition to and final approval of the student's academic dean.
   3. Additional hours beyond the initial six, but limited to the total allowable, may be used in fulfillment of specific requirements of the major and/or other required coursework for the degree upon written petition to and final approval of the student's academic dean, but only if the major department or the responsible degree program unit has endorsed the request.

Preparation for Dentistry

The minimum admission requirements for most Texas dental schools are two years of biological science, including at least one year of formal laboratory work, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of English, and one year of physics. Required courses must be college-level courses designed for science majors. All applicants to dental schools must take the Dental Admission Test (DAT) and submit their applications to the schools approximately one year in advance of planned entrance. For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Admissions Requirements of United States and Canadian Dental Schools and dental school catalogs; reference copies are available in the Health Professions Office. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are also available for reference.

All students should plan to complete a bachelor's degree in the field of their choice before entering dental school, since the number of students admitted without a degree is small.

Preparation for Medicine

The minimum admission requirements for most Texas medical schools are two years of biological science, including at least one year of formal laboratory work, one-half year of calculus, one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, one year of English, and one year of physics. Required courses must be college-level courses designed for science majors. Applicants to medical schools must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and submit their applications to the schools approximately one year in advance of planned entrance. For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Medical School Admission Requirements and medical school catalogs; reference copies are available in the Health Professions Office. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are also available for reference.

All students should plan to complete a bachelor's degree in the field of their choice before entering medical school, since the number of students admitted without a degree is small.

Preparation for Veterinary Medicine

Students seeking to prepare for a career in veterinary medicine must complete at least sixty-four semester hours of required coursework, including biological science, chemistry, English, mathematics, and physics. Six to twelve months before planned entrance, all applicants to schools of veterinary medicine must take a nationally standardized test and submit their applications. Some schools require the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT), others the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements and veterinary medical school catalogs; reference copies are available in the Health Professions Office. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are also available for reference.

Preparation for Pharmacy

Admission requirements of professional pharmacy programs vary, but all require that the applicant have completed from thirty to seventy semester hours of prepharmacy coursework. The coursework generally includes one year of general chemistry, one year of organic chemistry, mathematics, one year of physics, one and one-half years of biological science, and one year of English; all required courses must be college-level courses designed for science majors. Applicants submit their applications to the professional schools six to nine months before planned entrance; some schools require applicants to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), while others require SAT or ACT scores. For specific admission requirements, students should consult the most recent edition of Pharmacy School Admission Requirements and pharmacy school catalogs; reference copies are available in the Health Professions Office. Articles of current interest, admission statistics, and information on application procedures are also available for reference.

Four of the seventy-five United States colleges of pharmacy are in Texas, at the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Houston, Texas Tech University, and Texas Southern University.

Preparation for the Allied Health Sciences

The allied health sciences include such programs as allied health education, biomedical communications, biomedical illustration, dental hygiene, dietetics, health care administration, health information management, medical technology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician's assistant, and rehabilitation technology.

Requirements for admission to allied health science programs vary greatly, but competition to enter many programs is keen. Some programs require sixty to ninety semester hours of college study prior to entrance into the professional school; others require completion of a baccalaureate degree prior to entrance. Application deadlines vary, but applications are usually submitted six to twelve months before planned entrance. Upon completion of the professional school program, students are awarded degrees and/or certificates of proficiency by the professional school. Most allied health sciences programs are not offered at the University; however, some students who complete their studies at a University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences may be eligible or required to receive a baccalaureate degree jointly awarded by the University of Texas at Austin and a University of Texas School of Allied Health Sciences. If a student has received a baccalaureate or graduate degree from a University of Texas System general academic institution before enrolling at a University of Texas System health science center to pursue a second baccalaureate degree, the health science center awards the second degree. For additional information, consult a counselor in the Health Professions Office.

Information is also provided in the Health Professions Office about programs available, entrance requirements, admission statistics, application procedures, and required tests. Assistance is available in the selection of courses required by the program and the professional school of the student's choice.

Changes in admission requirements for allied health programs occur frequently. Therefore, students should consult a counselor in the Health Professions Office each semester.

Preparation for Law

Information about admission to the School of Law at the University is given in General Information and in The Law School Catalog.

There is no sequential arrangement of courses prescribed for a prelaw program; neither is any particular major specified. In discussing the objectives of prelegal education, the Association of American Law Schools puts special emphasis on comprehension and expression in words, critical understanding of the human institutions and values with which the law deals, and analytical power in thinking. The association suggests that courses relevant to these objectives are those dealing with the communication of ideas, logic and mathematics, the social sciences, history, philosophy, and the physical sciences. Some understanding of accounting principles is also recommended, although this may be gained after entrance to law school. For answers to specific questions about a prelaw program, the student should consult the prelaw adviser in his or her major department.

Services for prelaw students are also provided by Liberal Arts Career Services, Flawn Academic Center 20. These include the annual fall law fair, information on how to research law schools, and assistance with the application procedure, including the personal statement. Prelaw students in all majors may consult the prelaw adviser in LACS. Additional information is available at http://www.utexas.edu/depts/lacs/.

Like most schools offering professional training, the School of Law at the University has a number of specific requirements and limitations. For example, to be eligible for admission to the School of Law the student must have completed a baccalaureate degree. Students are admitted only at the beginning of the long session. Each applicant for admission must take the Law School Admission Test administered by the Law School Admission Services. This is usually taken in October of the senior year. The test score and undergraduate academic performance are important in determining eligibility for admission to law school; but all law schools consider a variety of factors in their admission policies, and no single factor by itself will guarantee admission or denial.

Preparation for Teaching in High School

A student who intends to seek certification to teach in Texas secondary schools should pursue a bachelor's degree in the field he or she plans to teach. The student must also fulfill the requirements for teacher certification described in chapter 5. Each department offering a teacher certification program has one or more special advisers. Students interested in seeking certification should recognize the importance of careful planning and consult the department adviser as early as possible in their college work. Details of the programs and the names of advisers are available in the offices of the student's major department and dean.

Preparation for Library Work

In the belief that training in library science should be based on a broad general education provided by undergraduate work, the courses leading to professional degrees at the University are largely graduate-level courses, taught in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Interested students should consult an adviser in the Office of the Dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Education Building 564, before registering for library and information science courses. Information about course content, degree requirements, and other subjects is given in The Graduate Catalog and in a bulletin prepared by and available from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science.

Preparation for Social Work

Any student interested in a social work career should contact the undergraduate social work adviser for assistance in developing an individual program of study for the Bachelor of Social Work degree that will prepare the student for graduate study and employment in this field.

Students may also consult The Graduate Catalog for information about the Master of Science in Social Work and the Doctor of Philosophy with a major in social work.

Basic Education Requirements

The University strives to produce self-reliant graduates who are able to provide leadership and who do not simply react to events. It must not only equip its graduates with occupational skills but also educate them broadly enough to enable them to adapt to and cope with the accelerated process of change that is occurring in business, professional, and social institutions today. Students must be exposed to a broad spectrum of arts and science, so that they may be educated beyond vocational requirements and thus be prepared for responsible citizenship in an increasingly complex world.

Every graduate of the University is expected to

be able to express himself or herself clearly and correctly in writing

be capable of reasoning effectively from hypotheses to conclusions and of logically analyzing the arguments of others

have a critical appreciation for the social framework in which we live and the ways it has evolved through time

have experience in thinking about moral and ethical problems

have an understanding of some facets of science and the ways in which knowledge of the universe is gained and applied

have an understanding of some aspects of mathematics and the application of quantitative skills to problem solving

have gained familiarity with a second language

have an appreciation for literature and the arts

The General Faculty of the University has established a basic education curriculum to assist undergraduates regardless of their major in acquiring the traits of an educated person. The University's basic education requirements comprise the following:

English and writing

English 306, Rhetoric and Composition, and 316K, Masterworks of Literature

The student must also complete two courses in writing, at least one of which must be upper-division. These courses must be certified in the Course Schedule for the semester in which the student takes them as having a substantial writing component.

Foreign language

Either two years in a single foreign language in high school or two semesters in a single foreign language in college

Social science

Six semester hours of American government, including Texas government

Six semester hours of American history

Three additional semester hours of social science

Natural science and mathematics

Three semester hours of mathematics

Six semester hours in one area of natural science

Three additional semester hours in natural science, mathematics, or computer science

Fine arts/humanities

Three semester hours of fine arts or humanities

The faculty of each college and school has incorporated these requirements into the division's degree plans. Many degree plans require additional work in the areas above or require the student to take specific courses to fulfill the basic education requirements. For these reasons, the student must consult the description of his or her major in chapters 2 through 12 of this catalog for complete information on fulfillment of the basic education requirements. Music performance majors should see the basic education requirements for music performance programs.

Coursework in the Graduate School and the School of Law

Graduate Courses

An undergraduate may enroll in a graduate course under the following conditions:

1. He or she must be an upper-division student and must fulfill the prerequisite for the course (except graduate standing).
2. He or she must have a University grade point average of at least 3.00.
3. He or she must receive the consent of the instructor of the course and the graduate adviser for the department in which the course is offered. Some colleges and schools may also require the approval of the dean's office. Individual divisions may impose additional requirements or bar undergraduates from enrolling in graduate courses.
4. Students in most colleges must have their dean's approval before they register for a graduate course.

Undergraduate students may not enroll in graduate courses that have fewer than five graduate students enrolled.

A graduate course taken by an undergraduate is counted toward the student's bachelor's degree in the same way that upper-division courses are counted, unless the course is reserved for graduate credit as described in the next section. Courses reserved for graduate credit may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of an undergraduate degree.

An undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course is subject to all University regulations affecting undergraduates.

Reservation of Work by Undergraduates for Graduate Credit

Under the following conditions, an undergraduate in his or her final semester or summer session may enroll in a graduate course and reserve that course for credit toward a graduate degree.

1. The student must lack no more than twelve semester hours of coursework (or six semester hours in a summer session) to complete all requirements for the first bachelor's degree.
2. The student must complete these twelve hours or fewer in the same semester or summer session in which he or she takes the graduate courses.
3. The student may not register for more than fifteen semester hours in the final semester or for more than twelve semester hours in the final summer session.
4. All courses reserved for graduate credit must be approved by the twelfth class day of the semester or the fourth class day of the summer session by the graduate adviser in the student's proposed graduate major area, the dean of the student's undergraduate college, and the graduate dean. A form for this purpose is available in the Student Services Division of the Office of Graduate Studies.
5. The student must graduate at the end of that semester or summer session.

An undergraduate student enrolled in a graduate course is subject to all University regulations affecting undergraduates.

Courses in the School of Law

Undergraduate students may not take courses in the School of Law.

Contents  |  Next File  |  Previous File

Undergraduate catalog

Contents  |  Chapter 1  |  Chapter 2  |  Chapter 3  |  Chapter 4
Chapter 5  |  Chapter 6  |  Chapter 7  |  Chapter 8  |  Chapter 9
Chapter 10  |  Chapter 11  |  Chapter 12  |  Chapter 13
Texas Common Course Numbering System (Appendix A)
Appendix B

Related information

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