• Overview
• Degree Possibilities for Students Gaining Early Admission to a Professional School
• Pre-professional Advisement
• Course Selection for Pre-professional Students
• Available studies

Professional schools such as those offering degrees in medicine, law, and dentistry usually require specific courses and/or an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university for admission to their professional programs. Students interested in applying for admission into such programs are advised by the Advising and Counseling Office of the college and should register their interest in such programs with this office at the earliest possible date.

Admission to professional schools generally is highly competitive, with the number of qualified applicants far exceeding the number of students that can be admitted. A great deal of information is required by the admissions committees. Many professional schools require applicants to take special standardized tests, such as the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and the Dental Aptitude Test (DAT), to measure the performance of applicants against national standards. Some professional schools use national application services (e.g., the Law School Data Assembly Service) to standardize the materials they are reviewing. Therefore, the application process is complex and time-consuming. To assist applicants, the Advising and Counseling Office has available detailed guidelines for completing each type of professional school application.

The Advising and Counseling Office also operates a recommendation service for applicants to professional schools. Applicants who use this service receive recommendation forms to be submitted to faculty members and others who can speak of their qualifications for professional study. These recommendations are submitted to the Advising and Counseling Office. They are sent to professional schools at the student's request. Students are encouraged to request these recommendations early, so that their performance will still be fresh in the minds of the persons writing the recommendations. Students may begin collecting recommendations as early as they deem appropriate, regardless of when they begin to apply to professional schools.

A pre-professional association for students interested in medically related fields has been active on campus for several years. This association sponsors a variety of informational programs throughout the year for tentative and declared pre-professional students in medically related areas. A similar group has been organized for pre-law students. Information about both of these organizations is available in the Advising and Counseling Office.

Degree Possibilities for Students Gaining Early Admission to a Professional School

An NIU student who transfers to an accredited school of dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, podiatry, or veterinary medicine may receive a baccalaureate degree from Northern Illinois University on the basis of course work completed successfully at the professional school in on of two ways:

• 1. The degree Bachelor of General Studies will be awarded to any student who presents evidence of successful completion of one year of full-time study, i.e., the equivalent of 30 semester hours, at an accredited professional school of one of the types listed above, provided that the student fulfilled the following requirements prior to transferring to the professional school:

a. The university's general education requirements
b. At least 30 semester hours of NIU course credit during junior and senior semesters
c. At least 90 semester hours of college credit applicable to a degree program

Students who have been admitted to professional schools of the types mentioned above and who are enrolled on a part-time basis may be eligible for this degree under the same conditions upon completion of 30 semester hours (or the equivalent) in course work at the professional school. Students otherwise eligible for this degree under the above policy who have not met one or more of the four requirements listed or who may be enrolled in the professional school on a part-time basis may earn the B.G.S. degree by completing the remaining requirements after enrollment in the professional school but prior to earning the professional degree.

• 2. A baccalaureate degree other than the B.G.S. may be earned by an NIU student who transfers to the type of professional school listed above if the student's major department determines that course work taken at the professional school may be substituted for any unfulfilled graduation requirements in the major and if the student has met all other graduation requirements.

Available studies

• Pre-medicine and Pre-osteopathy
• Pre-dentistry
• Pre-veterinary medicine
• Pre-optometry
• Pre-podiatry
• Pre-pharmacy
• Pre-law
• Pre-engineering
• Physics and Engineering Combined Degree Program