Pre-Professional Studies

Pre-Professional Studies includes the following career areas:

• Health Sciences
  • Dentistry, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine
  • Medical Technology
  • Optometry
  • Pharmacy
  • Physical Therapy
• Law
• Military Science (Army ROTC)
• Peace Corps Prep Certificate
• Theological Studies

Health Sciences

www.plu.edu/healthsciences/

The Health Sciences Committee in the Division of Natural Sciences advises students aspiring to careers in the health sciences. Students having such interests are encouraged to obtain a health sciences advisor early in their program. Summarized below are pre-professional requirements for many health science areas; additional information is available through the Health Science Committee.

Dentistry, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine

The overwhelming majority of students entering the professional schools for these careers have earned baccalaureate degrees, securing a broad educational background in the process. This background includes a thorough preparation in the sciences as well as study in the social sciences and the humanities. There are no pre-professional majors for medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine at PLU; rather students should select the major which best matches their interests and which best prepares them for alternative careers. In addition to the general university requirements and the courses needed to complete the student’s major, the following are generally required for admission to the professional program:

• BIOL 225, 226, 330
• CHEM 115, 116, 331, and 332 (all with laboratories)
• MATH 140
• PHYS 125 and 126 or PHYS 153 and 154 (with appropriate laboratories)
• Check with a health science advisor for exceptions or for additions suggested by specific professional schools.

Medical Technology

The University no longer offers a medical technology degree, but continues to provide academic preparation suitable for admission to medical technology, hematology, and clinical chemistry programs. Minimal requirements include:

• BIOL 225, 226, 330, 342, 445, 448
• CHEM 115, 116, 331 (with 333 lab), 332 (with 334 lab)
• MATH 140
• Recommended courses include: BIOL 348, 441; CHEM 403; PHYS 125, 126, 135, 136.

Optometry

Although two years of pre-optometry study is the minimum required, most students accepted by a school of optometry have completed at least three years of undergraduate work. A large percentage of students accepted by schools of optometry have earned a baccalaureate degree. For those students who have not completed a baccalaureate degree, completion of such a degree must be done in conjunction with optometry professional studies.

The requirements for admission to the schools of optometry vary. However, the basic science and mathematics requirements are generally uniform and include:

• BIOL 225, 226, 330
• CHEM 115, 116, 331 (with 333 lab), 332 (with 334 lab)
• One year of college mathematics, including calculus (at least through MATH 151)
• PHYS 125 and 126 or PHYS 153 and 154 (with appropriate laboratories)

In addition, each school of optometry has its own specific requirements. Check with a health science advisor.

Pharmacy

Although the pre-pharmacy requirements for individual schools vary (check with a health science advisor), the following courses are usually required: one year of general chemistry with laboratory; one year of organic chemistry with laboratory; college-level mathematics (often including calculus); one year of English composition. Other courses often required include microbiology, analytical chemistry, statistics and introductory courses in communication, economics, and political science. For example, the University of Washington School of Pharmacy has approved the following courses as being equivalent to the first two years of its program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree:

• BIOL 225, 226, 201 or 342
• CHEM 115, 116, 331 (with 333 lab), 332 (with 334 or 336 lab)
• MATH 128 or 151; STAT 231
• WRIT 101

A second course in writing; electives from humanities and social sciences. Total credits should not be fewer than 60 semester hours.

Physical Therapy

Acceptance to schools of physical therapy has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and students interested in physical therapy are strongly encouraged to meet with a health science advisor as early as possible to determine prerequisites for specific schools. All physical therapy programs are doctoral programs. Therefore, potential applicants should plan on completing a baccalaureate degree in conjunction with satisfying admission requirements. The School of Physical Education offers a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education with a pre-physical therapy track.

The requirements for admission to schools of physical therapy vary. However the basic science and mathematics requirements are generally uniform and include:

• BIOL 225, 226, 330
• CHEM 115, 116, 331; MATH 140; PHYS 125 and 126 (with laboratories)

In addition to the introductory biology sequence, applicants must complete courses in anatomy and physiology. This admission requirement is often met by either the combination of BIOL 205 and 206 or the combination BIOL 352 and 453.

Biology majors should take BIOL 352 and 453, the clear preference of several schools of physical therapy. In addition to the science and mathematics requirements, the various schools have specific social science and humanities requirements.

Check with a health science advisor regarding these requirements.

Law

Preparation for law school at PLU is an advising system rather than a curriculum of prescribed major/minor or otherwise organized courses. The primary reason for such an approach is that the admissions committees of U.S. law schools generally recommend that applicants be well and broadly educated. They tend to seek applicants who are literate and numerate, who are critical thinkers and articulate communicators. In essence, they value exactly what a sound liberal arts education provides—indeed, requires.

Therefore, regardless of their declared majors and minors, students considering law school are encouraged to demonstrate proficiency in courses selected from across the disciplines and schools while undergraduates at PLU. An appropriate curricular program should be structured from a mix of the students’ personal academic interests, their professional inclinations, and coursework aimed at developing intellectual skills and resources apt to generate success in legal study and practice.

Recent successful PLU applicants to law schools have taken such diverse courses as those in the anthropology of contemporary America, social science research methods, American popular culture, English Renaissance literature, news writing and argumentation, recent political thought, international relations, free-lance writing, intermediate German, animal behavior, neuropsychology, public finance, logic, and moral philosophy. Diversity and challenge are crucial to preparation for the study of law.

However, pre-law students are also advised to take courses, chosen in consultation with the pre-law advisor, that will help them to identify, develop, and explore perspectives on the character of U.S. law. Courses in U.S. government and history, judicial and legislative processes, research materials and methods, and internships may be particularly useful in this regard. Finally, students with an interest in the law are encouraged to participate in the activities of PLU’s chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Fraternity International, a professional service organization composed of law and pre-law students, legal educators, attorneys, judges, and government officials. Students interested in pre-law advising and activities are invited to contact the pre-law advisor in the Department of Political Science.

Military Science (ARMY ROTC)

The objective of the military science instruction within Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) is to prepare academically and physically qualified college women and men for the rigor and challenge of serving as an officer in the United States Army-Active, National Guard, or Reserve. To that end, the program stresses service to country and community through the development and enhancement of leadership competencies which support and build on the concept of service leadership.

Army ROTC is offered to PLU students on campus. The lower-division courses are open to all students and are an excellent source of leadership and ethics training for any career. They do not require a military commitment for non- scholarship students. The upper-division courses are open to qualified students. ROTC is traditionally a four-year program; however, an individual may complete the program in two or three years. Contact the PLU Department of Military Science for details.

Participation in the introductory Military Science courses at PLU is open to all students. Students may choose to continue in the advanced courses with the goal of receiving a commission after successful completion of the program and receiving a university degree. Students seeking a commission are often recipients of an ROTC scholarship. Being commissioned in the military and/or receiving a scholarship involves meeting requirements established by the United States military. For specific requirements in contracting or scholarship eligibility, students may contact the Military Science Department.

Financial assistance in the form of two-, three-, and four-year scholarships is available to qualified applicants. Scholarships awarded pay full tuition and fees, plus a book allowance of $1,200 per year and a monthly stipend of $300-$500. Students in upper-division courses not on scholarship also receive a $450-$500 stipend. To be commissioned an officer in the United States Army, a graduate must complete the military science curriculum, including successful completion of a four- week advanced camp during the summer before the senior year. Additional information on the Army ROTC program may be obtained by writing Army ROTC, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA 98447.

The basic course consists of two hours of academic instruction and military training per week each semester of the first and second years. Students beginning the course as sophomores can compress the basic course by attending additional academic instruction. There is no military commitment for non-scholarship students in the basic course.

The advanced course consists of additional academic instruction and physical conditioning plus a four-week advanced summer training at the Leader Development and Assessment Course (LDAC) at Joint Base Lewis McChord (JBLM), Washington. Students are furnished with uniforms and selected textbooks for military science courses.

Note: A maximum of 24 semester hours earned in ROTC programs may be applied toward a baccalaureate degree at PLU.

Advance course students must take or have taken a professional military education history course that includes one of the following:

• HIST 329: Europe and the World Wars, 1914-1945 (4)
• HIST 352: The American Revolution (4)
• PHIL 224: Military Ethics (4)
• POLS 332: International Conflict Resolution (4)
• POLS 401: Special Topics: Politics and War—Iraq (4)

Peace Corps Prep Certificate

Applications to enroll in this certificate program will be accepted beginning November 1.

The Peace Corps Prep Certificate has four program elements, derived from the U.S. Peace Corps’ expectations for prospective volunteers:

1. Training through coursework and hands-on experience in one of six specific work sections—education, health, environment, agriculture, youth in development, and community economic development.
2. Foreign language skills with varying requirements depending on the region of the world in which the student chooses to serve.
3. Intercultural competence developed by coursework and, optionally, participation in an approved study-away program.
4. Professional and leadership development as demonstrated by resume preparation, interview skills training, and one example of a significant leadership experience effectively carried out and discussed in a thoughtful reflection.

The Peace Corps Prep Certificate program is open to all undergraduates and has two mid-semester application deadlines each year. Participation is not limited to those interested in applying to the Peace Corps.  The program also provides preparation and, therefore, enhances applications for other post-graduate service opportunities, including but not limited to AmeriCorps and Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

Requirements for completion of the Peace Corps Prep Certificate

Students must complete all requirements by the end of the term in which the degree is to be awarded.

Work Sectors

12 semester hours in one of the following six work sectors

A. Education
 12 semester hours from one of the following areas

Biology
Chemistry
Computer Science
Education
English
Geosciences
Math
Physics

B. Health
12 semester hours from any of the following 

Biology

• BIOL 111: Biology and the Modern World
• BIOL 201: Introductory Microbiology
• BIOL 205: Human Anatomy and Physiology I
• BIOL 206: Human Anatomy and Physiology II
• BIOL 225: Molecules, Cells, and Organisms
• BIOL 341: Developmental Biology
• BIOL 342: Microbiology
• BIOL 352: Comparative Anatomy
• BIOL 357: Histology
• BIOL 444: Neurobiology
• BIOL 448: Immunology
• BIOL 449: Virology
• BIOL 453: Mammalian Physiology

Chemistry

• CHEM 105: Chemistry of Life
• CHEM 403: Biochemistry I
• CHEM 405: Biochemistry II

Kinesiology

• KINS 277: Foundations of Kinesiology
• KINS 278: Injury Prevention and Therapeutic Care
• KINS 292: First Aid
• KINS 315: Body Image
• KINS 320: Nutrition, Health, and Performance
• KINS 324: Physical Activity and Lifespan
• KINS 362: Healing Arts of the Mind and Body
• KINS 366: Health Psychology
• KINS 384: Foundations of Health and Fitness Promotion
• KINS 395: Comprehensive School Health

Nursing (any NURS courses)

Additional Courses

• ANTH 380: Sickness, Madness, and Health
• HIST 326: A History of Medicine: Antiquity to European Renaissance
• SOCW 329: Compassionate Practice: Spirituality and Contemplation in the Helping Professions
• SOCW 325: Social Educational and Health Services in Tobago

C. Environment
12 semester hours from any of the following

Biology

• BIOL 116: Introductory Ecology
• BIOL 226: Genes, Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology
• Any course in the Ecology and Evolution track of the major

Environmental Studies

• Any ENVT course
• ANTH 368: Edible Landscapes, The Foraging Spectrum
• BIOL 116: Introductory Ecology
• BIOL 366: Comparative Ecology of Latin America
• BIOL 367: Conservation Biology and Management
• BIOL 368: Ecology
• BIOL 369: Marine Biology
• BUSA 362: Sustainable Marketing
• CHEM 104: Environmental Chemistry
• ECON 111: Principles of Microeconomics: Global and Environmental
• ECON 311: Energy and Natural Resource Economics
• ECON 313: Environmental Literature
• ECON 315: Investigating Environmental & Economic Change in Europe
• ENGL 234: Environmental Literature
• GEOS 104: Conservation of Natural Resources
• GEOS 332: Geomorphology
• GEOS 334: Hydrogeology
• HIST 370: Environmental History of the U.S.
• PHIL 226: Environmental Ethics
• PHIL 327: Philosophy, Animals, and the Environment
• POLS 346: Environmental Politics and Policy
• RELI 239: Environment and Culture
• RELI 247: Christian Theology (when topic is “Women, Nature, and the Sacred”)
• RELI 365: Christian Moral Issues (when topic is “Christian Ecological Ethics”)
• RELI 393: Topics in Comparative Religions
• SCAN 363: Culture, Gender, and the Wild

Geosciences

• GEOS 103: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Geologic Hazards
• GEOS 107: Global Climate Changes
• GEOS 201: Geologic Principles
• GEOS 340: Glacial Geology

D. Agriculture
12 semester hours from any of the following

• ANTH 368: Edible Landscapes, The Foraging Spectrum
• BIOL 116: Introductory Ecology
• BIOL 356: Economic and Cultural Botany
• BIOL 358: Plant Physiology
• BIOL 367: Conservation Biology and Management
• BIOL 368: Ecology
• BIOL 443: Plant Development and Genetic Engineering
• BIOL 462: Plant Diversity and Distribution
• ECON 111: Principles of Microeconomics: Global and Environmental
• ECON 311: Dynamic Modeling Natural Resources
• ENVT/GEOS 104: Conservation of Natural Resources

E. Youth in Development
12 semester hours from any of the following

Education

• Any course in Elementary Education or Secondary Education

Global Studies

• Any course in the Development and Social Justice Concentration

Kinesiology

• Any course in Health and Fitness Education Concentration

Women’s and Gender Studies

• Any course that counts for the major

Additional Courses

• ENGL 235: Children’s Literature
• ENGL 334: Special Topics in Children’s Literature
• PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology
• SOCI 101: Introduction to Sociology
• SOCI 226: Delinquency and Juvenile Justice
• SOCI 240: Social Problems
• SOCI 330: The Family
• SOCW 320: Child Welfare, A Global Perspective
• SOCW 375: Social Services in the Community
• SOCW 460: Social Work Practice II: Families and Groups

F. Community Economic Development
12 semester hours from any of the following areas

Business
Communication
Computer Science
Economics
Global Studies

• Any course in the Development and Social Justice Concentration

Studio Arts

• Any course in Graphic Design

Additional Courses

• PSYC 345: Community Psychology

Additional Requirements

Hands-on Experience

Completion of 50 semester hours of approved hands-on experience (internship, work experience, and/or volunteer project) in the same work sector as used to satisfy the Work Sector requirements, as certified by the program coordinator.

Foreign Language

Four semester hours in a foreign language or equivalent demonstrated proficiency. Note: Students wanting to serve in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America must apply to the Peace Corps with strong intermediate proficiency (at least HISP 202 or equivalent). Students wanting to serve in French-speaking African countries should be proficient in French (FREN 201 or equivalent) or in some cases in another Romance language.

Intercultural Competence

Twelve semester hours in intercultural Competence, as follows:

• 4 semester hours from:
  • ANTH 102: Human Cultural Diversity
  • COMA 304: Intercultural Communication
  • ECON 333: Economic Development: Comparative Third-World Strategies
  • ENGL 233: Post-Colonial Literature
  • GLST 210: Global Perspectives
  • HIST 215: Modern World History
  • RELI 246: Religion and Diversity
• 8 other semester hours that fulfill the Cross-Cultural (C) element of the General Education Program. Approved, semester-long study away programs may be substituted for some or all of these hours.

Professional Resume

Completion of a professional resume review with the Career Connections office, as certified by the program coordinator.

Interview Skills

Completion of a class or workshop on interview skills with the Career Connections office, as certified by the program coordinator.

Leadership Experience

Creation and completion of an approved, significant leadership experience, as certified by the program coordinator.

Theological Studies

Students intending to attend seminary should complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree. Besides the general degree requirements, the Association of Theological Schools recommends the following:

• English: literature, composition, speech, and related studies; at least six semester-long courses.
• History: ancient, modern European, and American; at least three semester-long courses.
• Philosophy: orientation in history, content, and methods; at least three semester-long courses.
• Natural Sciences: preferably physics, chemistry, and biology; at least two semester-long courses.
• Social Sciences: psychology, sociology, economics, political science, and education. At least six semesters, including at least one semester of psychology.
• Foreign Languages – one or more of the following: Latin, Greek, Hebrew, German, French. Students who anticipate post- graduate studies are urged to undertake these disciplines as early as possible (at least four semesters).
• Religion: a thorough knowledge of Biblical content together with an introduction to major religious traditions and theological problems in the context of the principal aspects of human culture as outlined above. At least three semester- long courses. Students may well seek counsel from the seminary of their choice.

Of the possible majors, English, philosophy, religion and the social sciences are regarded as the most desirable. Other areas are, however, accepted.

A faculty advisor will assist students in the selection of courses necessary to meet the requirements of the theological school of their choice. Consult the chair of the Department of Religion for further information.