Students seeking programs that lead to health careers should make an academic plan early in their education.

Transfer students will need to make sure to take the right sequences of math, biology, chemistry and other prerequisite courses early in their program of study. Students should research their top choices of graduate schools and familiarize themselves with the transfer course equivalencies so that they may complete the correct courses their freshmen and sophomore years.

Transfer students must understand that a pre-health program cannot be completed in 4 years unless they have carefully planned to take some prerequisites at their community college. The following courses are generally recommended for completion within the first two years of college:

• General Chemistry (equivalent to CWU's CHEM 181, 182, 183--please note nursing students should take the equivalent to CHEM 111, 112, 113)
• General Biology (equivalent to CWU's BIOL 181, 182, 183)
• General Psychology (equivalent to CWU's PSY 101)
• Math (requirements vary by program, but most require a minimum of precalculus)

To be eligible for graduate programs in health careers, students need to choose a major. It is important to understand that while CWU offers all of the necessary prerequisite courses for pre-health programs, we do not offer majors or degrees in pre-health. Students must choose a major to complete an undergraduate degree. Students may complete a bachelor's degree in any area; however, most students usually choose a major where some of the prerequisite courses overlap with graduation requirements. Students going into a health career will usually have to complete courses in the following areas:

•     Biology
•     Chemistry
•     English
•     Math
•     Physics
•     Psychology
•     Statistics

In addition, students may be encouraged to take courses in Philosophy (esp. Ethics) and the social sciences. Because each graduate program differs in their requirements, students must double-check their prerequisite courses against their top choices of graduate schools.