If you are planning to pursue professional school after graduation from the University of Iowa, you may want to add a pre-professional designation to your Program of Study. A pre-professional designation (e.g. Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Physical Therapy, etc.) indicates your intent to prepare for admission to a professional program following completion of your undergraduate degree.

It’s important to note that a pre-professional designation is not a major and does not lead to a degree on its own. Instead, it is paired with your chosen major and offers a structured set of coursework and advising designed to help you meet the admission requirements for your intended professional school.

Students who declare a pre-professional designation work closely with specialized academic advisors in the Academic Advising Center (AAC). These advisors have expertise specific to their pre-professional area and provide advising support such as course selection and planning, guidance on co-curricular experiences such as research or internships, and help you prepare for entrance exams and the professional school application process.

Pre-Law

BAS/BLS online students can add a Pre-Law designation if they plan to attend law school after earning their degree. Students who declare Pre-Law are assigned a specialized academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center (AAC). This advisor provides guidance on course selection, LSAT preparation, and the law school application process. You can read more about the Pre-Law designation on the AAC website.

Pre-Health

For students completing their BAS/BLS entirely online, many of the Pre-Health designations are not possible to complete. This is because Pre-Health designations require extensive science course work with in-person lab requirements. If you are interested in a Pre-Health designation but aren’t sure if you can complete the requirements online, contact your academic advisor.

Students who declare a Pre-Health designation are assigned a specialized academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center (AAC). This advisor provides guidance on course selection, entrance exam preparation (e.g. MCAT, DAT, etc.), and the professional school application process. You can read more about Pre-Health designations on the AAC website.

How to Add a Pre-professional Designation

To add a pre-professional designation, contact the Academic Advising Center at 319-353-5700 or advising-center@uiowa.edu.