The post-baccalaureate pre-medicine certificate program provides students the opportunity to build a core scientific foundation in preparation for careers in medicine. The program is designed for post-baccalaureate students seeking core sequences in biology, general and organic chemistry, and physics required for the application to most medical, dental, veterinary, and related professional schools.
Pre-medicine students complete courses with Northwestern curriculum and faculty, which offers students the opportunity to build a deep and strong science foundation. Coursework is primarily offered in evening and weekend classes and can be completed in 15, or 21 months, depending on the student's needs.
We have created a pre-med flowchart to help you see, based on your background, which of our program options will best enable you to complete the required science courses necessary to pursue graduate level study in the medical field.
Pre-medicine required courses
The following courses are required:
BIOL SCI 201: Molecular Biology
BIOL SCI 202: Cell Biology
BIOL SCI 203: Genetics and Evolution
BIOL SCI 232: Molecular and Cellular Processes Laboratory
BIOL SCI 233: Genetics and Molecular Processes Laboratory
BIOL SCI 234: Investigative Laboratory
BIOL SCI 308: Biochemistry
CHEM 110: Quantitative Problem Solving in Chemistry
CHEM 131: Fundamentals of Chemistry I (with lab, CHEM 141)
CHEM 132: Fundamentals of Chemistry II (with lab, CHEM 142)
CHEM 215-A: Organic Chemistry I (with lab, CHEM 235-A)
CHEM 215-B: Organic Chemistry II (with lab, CHEM 235-B)
PHYSICS 130-A: College Physics I (with lab, Physics 131-A)
PHYSICS 130-B: College Physics II (with lab, Physics 131-B)
PHYSICS 130-C: College Physics III (with lab, Physics 131-C)
* For students admitted to the Premedicine program prior to fall 2022, please find your list of required courses here .
In addition to core requirements, premedicine students select two of the courses from the list below. These are courses required by some but not all medical programs. To make the best course selection, students should consult their target program requirements to determine which of the courses best fit their needs.
STAT 202: Introduction to Statistics & Data Science
Careers in the health professions (optional elective)
Students enrolled in the SPS professional health careers certificate programs also have the option to take a two-course series of non-credit, tuition-free courses geared toward ensuring success in their chosen programs.
PRO_HLTH 396-A: Professional Health Careers Proseminar I
PRO_HLTH 396-B: Professional Health Careers Proseminar II
Comprehensive, rigorous curriculum prepares you for med school
Our students perform well on the MCAT and join top medical schools nationwide
The rigor of Northwestern's pre-medicine post-bacc program prepares students for successful application to and completion of programs at top medical schools nationwide.
509Average MCAT score of Northwestern post-bacc pre-med students (U.S. national average is 501*)
* 2022 data from American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS®)
Medical School Acceptances
SPS pre-medicine students are competitive candidates for medical school application and have been accepted to prestigious schools such as Harvard University, Johns Hopkins, Columbia University, Washington University, University of Michigan, Yale University, New York University, University of Chicago, University of Pittsburgh, and Northwestern University. View the list of recent medical school acceptances.
Linkage agreements mean you could skip the glide year
Linkage agreements with select medical and dental schools enable eligible Northwestern University pre-medicine students to apply for admission during their final year in the post-baccalaureate program, and bypass the glide (application year). If accepted to a medical or dental program through a linkage, students can put their medical education and career on a faster track.
Learn from Northwestern Medicine physicians at Chicago area clinics
Physician shadowing program
Thanks to a collaboration between SPS and Northwestern Medicine, SPS pre-medicine students have the opportunity to shadow physicians at several clinics in the Chicago area. Shadowing is an integral part of the preparation needed for medical school. Students are selected in for these shadowing opportunities in fall, winter, and spring, through an application process during their program.
Built-in seminars set you up for success
Learn strategies for being an effective student and applying to med school with our optional for-credit proseminar series. No tuition is charged for these courses.
Professional Health Proseminar 1
Covers subjects surrounding the pre-med experience, including:
Adjusting to life as a science student
Guidance for finding research and clinical opportunities
Generating a timeline to prepare a competitive professional/medical school application
Professional Health Proseminar 2
Prepares students for the year-long medical school application cycle with topics such as:
Major application components (selecting target schools, navigating the centralized application, writing a strong personal statement, and compiling an AMCAS activities list)
Planning for the glide year
Tutoring and advising are also available throughout the program. See all the resources available to post-bacc pre-med students by visiting our advising and academic support page.
In addition to completing an online application, you'll also need to submit a few supplemental materials. A list of requirements for admission including application deadlines and tips on how to apply can be found on the admission page.
Post-baccalaureate students at Northwestern's School of Professional Studies pay per course. For more information about financial obligations and tuition, please visit the tuition page.
Pre-Medicine Registration Information
Whether you're a first-time registrant or current and returning student, all students register using our online student registration and records systems. Important information about registering for courses at SPS, including registration timelines and adding or dropping courses in which you are already enrolled, can be found on the registration information page.
Meet the pre-med program faculty. Post-bacc pre-med courses are taught by either full-time faculty from the Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences or adjunct faculty members with full-time outside positions or internal research positions.
Pre-Medicine Pre-Health Professional Student Group
The Northwestern University Pre-Health Professionals student group is first and foremost a community dedicated to the success of its members pursuing careers in medicine, health, and veterinary practice. NUPP serves as a forum for the discussion and presentation of professional and academic experiences, a collective resource of relevant information, as a social network, and as a representative voice for the body of non-traditional pre-health students. Pre-Health students are eligible to run for election to the leadership board each spring.
Transfer Credit Policy for Pre-medicine
Students in the post-baccalaureate pre-medicine certificate program may transfer up to eight semester hours or twelve quarter hours of academic credit. A transcript and grade of B or better are required to transfer courses for this program. Courses audited or taken with the pass/no credit option cannot be applied toward the program requirements. Courses earned for a bachelor's degree at SPS may not be applied retroactively toward certificate requirements. Students who have completed up to two courses as a student-at-large may apply for a certificate and ask that those courses be included in the certificate. If students complete additional courses (beyond two) as a student-at-large, a petition to the Student Affairs Committee requesting an exception to policy should be submitted.
Pre-Medicine Medical School Acceptances
Learn which medical schools students have been accepted to after completing the post-bacc pre-med program on the medical school acceptances page.
Find out more about the pre-medicine certificate program
Note on Medical School Admission Requirements
While Northwestern University’s programs are designed to align with core sequences required for medical, dental, veterinary, and related professional schools, students should familiarize themselves with medical school admission requirements for desired institutions as they choose which program aligns best. Northwestern University’s policy on awarding credits states that credit is awarded in units, rather than credit hours, on student transcripts. Courses are offered over a ten-week period and are assigned 1.0 unit of credit. One unit of credit is equivalent to four quarter hours, which is equivalent to 2.67 semester hours. Some institutions will round up to 3 semester hours while others will not, so it is imperative that students know the requirements of the institutions to which they intend to apply.