Admission to the post-baccalaureate program requires a B.A., B.S. or B.F.A. from a regionally accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 for the bachelor’s degree or for the last 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) of coursework. However, due to the limited number of seats available, GPAs above the minimum are typically needed to secure an admission offer.
Applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher overall or in their last 60 semester or 90 quarter units to be eligible to apply. Due to the competitive academic expectations of health professions schools, admitted students typically have GPAs well above the minimum requirement. Students with low GPAs can stand out by showing significant improvement in their recent coursework, especially over the most recent year.
To apply, please complete the Cal State Apply application, which includes answering essay questions, uploading copies of your unofficial transcripts, arranging for two letters of reference from instructors and/or supervisors, and sharing a few professional or extracurricular experiences. Additionally, you must complete a Coursework Spreadsheet using our web form, including all courses taken the college level. This document helps expedite your application review. Failure to include all coursework or follow directions may result in processing delays or denial.
We do not require any standardized exams. However, if you have taken a graduate-level exam such as the MCAT, DAT or GRE, please include it in your application. You can upload the test score report in the Documents section of the Program Materials section of the application.
Career Changers who need to take or retake General Chemistry I should apply for summer entry. Those who have completed some prerequisite courses, such as General Chemistry I and Calculus or Statistics, should consult the career changer curriculum and email our admissions team at pbadmit@sfsu.edu, listing each of the prerequisites they have completed to receive advice on the most appropriate entry semester. Academic Enhancers are advised to apply for any semester.
Two letters of recommendation are required. For recent graduates or current students, we recommend obtaining at least one letter from a college instructor. We also accept letters from employers or supervisors in a professional setting. However, letters from family members, friends or personal acquaintances are not acceptable.
Our admissions coordinators are available to answer questions about admissions, program benefits, costs and more. If you are interested, please contact us at pbadmit@sfsu.edu. We are happy to arrange a phone or video call to speak with you.
Our program can admit international applicants who have completed their Bachelor's degree. You will need to have your foreign transcript translated by a third party, such as World Educaton Service (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). These organizations evaluate and translate your academic records to ensure they Meet U.S. educational standards. However, we cannot sponsor international student visas. This means you would need another means of living in the U.S. such as permanent residency or a work visa. Please note that students must be permanent residents or citizens to obtain federal student loans.
Career-changer (CCT) applicants typically have little or no prior experience with college-level science courses. Academic enhancer (AET) applicants are often science majors needing to strengthen their academic records before applying or reapplying to health-profession schools. Some students are hybrids of these two categories, having taken some of the science prerequisites during their undergraduate studies but needing to complete the remaining courses. Regardless of your path, you do not need to know which category you fall into. If admitted to the program, you will work closely with your advisor to create an academic plan tailored to your needs.
We have an MOU with Touro University California's medical, physician assistant and pharmacy programs. This linkage provides a guaranteed interview with Touro for ten pre-medical, five pre-physician assistant and ten pre-pharmacy students that fit Touro's mission, values and requirements.
Each student is assigned an advisor before the program begins. In their first meeting, they collaborate to create a comprehensive academic plan, detailing a semester-by-semester course schedule, including a timeline for standardized exams and health professional school applications. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor throughout their time in the program. Advising support extends into the application cycle, with guidance on the application process and interview preparation. Additionally, our Learning Specialist provides guidance to help students achieve their learning potential, and our Therapist offers confidential counseling to promote student well-being.
We provide a Committee Letter for students who earn the program certificate. Written by the advisors with input from faculty and staff, the Committee Letter details your time in the program and performance as a student. It serves as one of your letters of recommendation for your health professions application. Students may also ask a faculty member for an individual letter of recommendation.
We offer an MCAT colloquium in the spring semester. It helps students create effective study strategies, dispel MCAT study myths and learn test-taking techniques, which are then applied to practice problems and passages. Additionally, we have an agreement with Blueprint Test Prep that provides our students with a substantial discount on their courses and products.
Matriculated students are added to our Google Group listserv, where current students, alumni and local organizations post employment, research, volunteer and clinical opportunities. Students are responsible for applying to these positions.
Our classes are exclusively for our post-bac students. The small class sizes (10-35) foster a collaborative environment and a community of like-minded individuals. Our students enjoy guaranteed enrollment in our classes, without concerns about waitlists.
Many students maintain part-time employment while in the program. However, due to the rigorous nature of the science courses, we advise against working more than part-time.
While most students enroll in 9+ units each semester, it is possible to attend our program part-time, though this will likely extend the overall duration. Bear in mind that excelling in a full load of courses helps to demonstrate readiness for the rigorous training ahead. Your advisor will assist you in creating a course plan that balances school and other responsibilities.
The core science prerequisites and their labs are in person, as many health professions schools prefer this format, especially for labs. For upper-division biology elective courses, we offer a mix of in-person and online synchronous options.
All classes are offered during normal business hours (8 a.m. - 6 p.m.) on weekdays, either on the SF State campus or online. Each class meets two or three times per week, and students typically have schedules that involve coursework on two, three or four days of the week.
Each course is offered once per year in either the spring, summer or fall semester. You can see when each course is offered on our sample curricula page.
In most cases, there is no need to repeat courses you have completed. However, there are some circumstances where repeating a course might be advised: if it was a required course that you didn’t pass, if it was taken so long ago that you have forgotten the material needed for a subsequent course, or if the course expired (certain prerequisites for some PA and nursing schools may expire after approximately seven to ten years). Your advisor will help you navigate this question.
The number of courses a student needs depends on their individual academic history and goals. Students work closely with their advisor to create an academic plan that will help them become competitive applicants to health profession programs. With courses offered three semesters per year, Career Changers usually take five semesters of full-time coursework, while Academic Enhancers typically take two to five semesters of full-time coursework, depending on their individual needs.
The cost of the program is based solely on tuition, which is $600 per unit. Elective courses are 3 units each, while prerequisites with labs are 4 or 5 units. Students typically take 9-12 units per semester. For those pursuing the two-year pre-medical career changer track, the estimated total cost is $28,200.
The program is eligible for federal student loans. Students entering in the spring and summer can access federal loans for up to three semesters, while those entering in the fall can access federal loans for up to two semesters. However, private student loans may extend beyond this period. A limited number of scholarships are also available.
To earn the program certificate, you need to complete 40 units, with at least 20 units within the program and up to 20 units transferrable from outside coursework. Additionally, you must take the Applying Colloquium.
Students from our program have gone on to attend health professional schools across the nation. Many students stay in California, with the most common medical schools being UCSF, UC Davis and Touro CA. The most common dental schools are UCSF and UoP.
The Pre-Health program is now part of the University Housing List, enabling our students to apply for on-campus housing.