Prospective Students
Supporting Nontraditional Students to Pursue Their Passion as Health Professionals
CU Boulder offers career changers the knowledge and support they need to transition to a career in clinical health care.
The shift from a previous career to a calling in the medical field is momentous and requires thoughtful planning and dedication. From your initial inquiry to your acceptance to professional school, we work hard to understand your individual goals and challenges and to provide you with strategic advice that sets you up for success.
We offer two academic pathways for you to earn the prerequisite credits you need to apply to professional school:
In addition to rigorous academics, we provide a high level of individualized support to our pre-health students, including:
- Feedback on your current areas of strength and weakness as a prospective applicant to professional school
- Individualized pre-health advising guidance on activities to enhance your candidacy
- Program mentors who are able to offer insights, advice, and encouragement from the student's perspective. The mentors organize educational and social group events throughout the year.
- Resources, support, and suggestions when encountering a setback on the pre-health path
- Individual coaching on your written application materials for professional school
- Expert preparation for interviews at professional schools
- A robust calendar of group pre-health advising workshops and special events
Our structured Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program features a cohort experience, dedicated tutors and mentors, and rigorous full-time academics. This accelerated, one-year program has a summer start date and a competitive application process that runs from mid-August through the end of January each year. Competitive applicants typically have a strong academic history as well as solid histories of both clinical experience and non-clinical interpersonal jobs or volunteer roles that have informed their decision to pursue a clinical career.
Our Individually Designed Post-Baccalaureate Studies enrollment option allows students to complete their pre-health coursework on a timeline that fits their personal needs while gaining access to our outstanding pre-health advising services. The application process is quick, easy, and non-competitive, but applicants are required to meet minimum eligibility requirements. Incoming students can start in summer, fall, or spring terms. This option is recommended for students who would like to continue to work while completing their prerequisites and/or whose academic plans vary from that offered in the structured program. With this option, course registration for main campus courses is on a space-available basis.
Why CU Boulder?
Five Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry & Physics
Five National Medal of Science Winners
Top 50 university for National Science Foundation research funding
#20 top global universities granted U.S. patents