Pre-Professional Programs

The Department of Biology offers a variety of programs that enable the student to obtain pre-professional training prior to entering a professional school. Where possible the coursework taken at the University has been approved by the universities at Fargo and Grand Forks as equivalent to their pre-professional programs.

Pre-Chiropractic

Advisor:  Dr. Heidi Super

Listed below are the Minot State University courses that satisfy the 60-credit requirement of all accredited colleges of chiropractic in the United States. Students need to play a major role in researching chiropractic programs they wish to apply to for specific curricular requirements not listed here. 

Select one of the following:4
Concepts of Anatomy and Physiology
Introductory Microbiology
Anatomy and Physiology I
BIOL 150General Biology I4
HMS 208Medical Terminology2
CHEM 121General Chemistry I (& CHEM 121L)5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II (& CHEM 122L)5
CHEM 341
CHEM 342
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry II
10
PHYS 211
PHYS 212
College Physics I
and College Physics II
8
ENGL 110
ENGL 120
College Composition I
and College Composition II
6
PSY 111Introduction to Psychology3
HUM 251Humanities3
HUM 252Humanities3
HUM 253Humanities3
SOC 110Introduction to Sociology3
Total Hours59

Pre-Dental Hygiene

Advisor: Dr. Rachel Schomaker

Although a dental hygiene program will be offered through Dakota College in Minot, ND in the near future, the only dental hygiene program currently operating in North Dakota is offered at the ND State College of Science at Wahpeton. Dental hygiene is a two-year program with limited admissions. Admission is typically highly competitive. For consideration, the applicant must have at least one semester of chemistry and one of anatomy in college and a GPA of at least 2.5. Students interested in admission to the program at NDSCS may take the following courses at Minot State:

Required for admission to the program:
ENGL 110College Composition I3
BIOL 220Anatomy and Physiology I4
CHEM 115 (& CHEM 115L)
Also recommended:
BIOL 221Anatomy and Physiology II4
A second semester of chemistry covering principles of organic chemistry and biochemistry is desirable and can be fulfilled with the following courses:
Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry
Biochemistry I
MATH 210Elementary Statistics4
Optional:
BIOL 202Introductory Microbiology4
General Education courses:
ENGL 120College Composition II3
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
PSY 111Introduction to Psychology3
SOC 110Introduction to Sociology3
and any humanities elective
Total Hours31

Pre-Medicine

Advisors: Dr. Heidi Super (for Biology Majors), Dr. Robert Crackel (for Chemistry Majors) 

Pre-med is not a major, it is a program of study which prepares a student to apply to medical school.  Although some medical schools require only three years of undergraduate work, the majority prefer that the entering student have a bachelor’s degree. The University of North Dakota (UND) Medical School (and most others) does not care what kind of academic major a prospective student is pursuing, as long as a particular core of coursework is achieved. Prospective university medical students are strongly urged to declare a major area of study and to pursue a degree program at the baccalaureate level. The philosophy of education, required pre-medicine courses, and systems of training vary among the medical schools. All recognize the desirability of a broad education, a good foundation in the natural sciences (mathematics, chemistry, biology, physics), highly developed communication skills, and a solid background in the social sciences and humanities as well as strong MCAT scores.  Students need to play a major role in researching medical school programs they wish to apply to for specific curricular requirements not listed here.   At the UND School of Medicine the required minimum of university coursework includes:

CHEM 121General Chemistry I5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II5
CHEM 341Organic Chemistry I5
CHEM 342Organic Chemistry II5
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
ENGL 110College Composition I3
ENGL 120College Composition II3
MATH 103College Algebra4
PHYS 211College Physics I4
PHYS 212College Physics II4
One year of Biology, Psychology, and/Sociology

Pre-Dentistry

Advisor:  Dr. Alexander Deufel

It is suggested that students interested in applying to dental school pursue a degree in one of the sciences and take specific courses to meet admission requirements for dental school. Students planning to seek tuition support from the state of North Dakota should notify both the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education Office and their advisor. Although specific requirements may vary, the following list of Minot State courses, based on the University of Minnesota, is typical. Students need to play a major role in researching dental school programs they wish to apply to for specific curricular requirements not listed here

Required:
CHEM 121General Chemistry I (& CHEM 121L)5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II (& CHEM 122L)5
CHEM 341
CHEM 342
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry II
10
BIOL 150
BIOL 151
General Biology I
and General Biology II
8
PHYS 211
PHYS 212
College Physics I
and College Physics II
8
MATH 103College Algebra4
ENGL 110
ENGL 120
College Composition I
and College Composition II
6
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
PSY 111Introduction to Psychology3
Suggested electives:
Art
Biochemistry I
Histology
Anatomy and Physiology I
and Anatomy and Physiology II
Introductory Microbiology
Total Hours52

Pre-Mortuary Science

Advisor: Heidi Super

Programs in Mortuary Science lead to careers such as funeral director, embalmer, cremationist, and mortuary science practitioner.  There are a variety of 2-year and 4-year mortuary science programs around the United States. Some programs are entirely face-to-face but many at least partially online.  At Minot State University, students interested in mortuary science may take a number of preparatory courses prior to enrolling in a professional mortuary or funeral science program. Two local funeral homes, Thomas Family Funeral Home and Thompson-Larson Funeral home may provide hands on, practical experience for students selecting  pre-mortuary science. Students from Minot State pre-mortuary science track have entered programs at The University of Central Oklahoma, Arapahoe Community College, Des Moines Area Community College, and the Dallas Institute of Funeral Services.  The students will work with an advisor at MSU and local funeral homes to choose a professional program, allowing a specific set of Minot State University courses may be selected that best fits their needs.  Courses listed below are commonly taken before or during the mortuary science training. Credits are shown at far right.  

ENGL 110College Composition I3
ENGL 120College Composition II3
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
PSY 111Introduction to Psychology3
PSY 261Psychology of Adjustment3
MHA 423Introduction to Counseling3
Courses in Accounting and Business Ed12
Courses in Health and Physical Education5
BIOL 220Anatomy and Physiology I4
BIOL 221Anatomy and Physiology II4
BIOL 202Introductory Microbiology4
CHEM 121General Chemistry I5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II5
For licensure in North Dakota, the North Dakota Century Code requires:
Communications12
Social Science15
Natural Science18

Pre-Occupational Therapy

Advisor: Dr. Joseph Pettit

Listed below are the suggested courses that may satisfy the pre-occupational therapy curriculum for UND.

BIOL 150General Biology I4
BIOL 208 Medical Terminology. This course is requested by the occupational therapy program. Students may take it via correspondence from UND Continuing Education. (1-800-342-8238)
BIOL 220
BIOL 221
Anatomy and Physiology I
and Anatomy and Physiology II
8
CHEM 115 (& CHEM 115L)
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
ENGL 110
ENGL 120
College Composition I
and College Composition II
6
PSY 111Introduction to Psychology3
PSY 252
PSY 352
Child Psychology
and Adolescent Psychology
6
PSY 241Introduction to Statistics4
PSY 270Abnormal Psychology3
SOC 110Introduction to Sociology3
Humanities: 9 credits from three different areas9
Total Hours49

Pre-Physical Therapy

Advisor: Dr. Joseph Pettit

Physical Therapy has become a six-to-seven year curriculum that results in award of a DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy) in most programs in the United States, including the University of North Dakota. Our pre-physical therapy program has been developed to articulate with the UND program. Students typically complete a degree at Minot State University, and make application in the Fall Semester of their final year.  Alternatively, students may complete coursework equivalent to the pre-PT track at UND. (See below) and make application prior to completing a BA degree at Minot State University.

In addition to the pre-physical therapy coursework, students must volunteer and/or intern with a physical therapy department (60 + hours). Admission to PT programs is highly competitive. In 2011, the UND program received over 200 applications for 52 student positions. Only students with a minimum 3.60 grade point average were considered for interviews. The UND program may soon require that applicants take the GRE as part of the admissions process. Specific questions about the UND program can be submitted to Dr. Cindy From-Meland: cindy.flom.meland@UND.edu, 701-777-2831).

Listed below are the Minot State University courses that satisfy the pre-physical therapy curriculum at UND: https://und.edu/programs/pre-physical-therapy/requirements.html. Students need to play a major role in researching PT programs they wish to apply to for specific curricular requirements not listed here. 

BIOL 150
BIOL 151
General Biology I
and General Biology II
8
BIOL 220
BIOL 221
Anatomy and Physiology I
and Anatomy and Physiology II
8
CHEM 121
CHEM 122
General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry II
10
COMM 110Fundamentals of Public Speaking3
ENGL 110
ENGL 120
College Composition I
and College Composition II
6
PHYS 211
PHYS 212
College Physics I
and College Physics II
8
PSY 111Introduction to Psychology3
PSY 255Child and Adolescent Psychology3
PSY 270Abnormal Psychology3
SOC 110Introduction to Sociology3
Fine Arts and Humanities: 9 credits from at least two different departments9
Total Hours64

Pre-Physician Assistant

Advisor: Dr. Heidi Super

A physician assistant (PA) is licensed to practice medicine as a part of a team with a physician. The PA conducts physical exams, diagnoses and treats medical conditions, orders and interprets tests, writes prescriptions, counsels on preventative healthcare, and assists in surgery. The pre-physician assistant coursework is designed to fulfill the requirements that allow admission to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies at the University of North Dakota (UND). Admission to the UND PA program requires a baccalaureate degree (e.g., BA Biology) as well as 500 hours (1000 preferred) of direct patient care experience, showing a commitment to a career in medicine. Examples of patient care experiences are: Certified medical assistant, emergency medical technician, phlebotomist, etc.

The following lists the prerequisite coursework for admission to the UND PA program. This prerequisite coursework can be completed while earning a BA Biology degree at Minot State University.

Required Coursework:
BIOL 202Introductory Microbiology4
BIOL 220Anatomy and Physiology I4
BIOL 221Anatomy and Physiology II4
HMS 208Medical Terminology2
HMS 215Principles of Pharmacology3
BIOL 240Biometry4
Take both organic chemistry courses OR take organic chemistry I and biochemistry:8-10
Organic Chemistry I
Organic Chemistry II
Biochemistry I
Recommended Coursework:
ENGL 120College Composition II3
BIOL 215Genetics4
Total Hours36-38

Pre-Wildlife Studies

Advisor: Dr. Chad Williamson

The pre-wildlife studies program is designed to satisfy the basic requirements recommended by most universities offering degree programs in fields such as ecology, wildlife management, and fisheries management. The course requirements also fulfill the requirements for the first two years in biology. The program is sufficiently broad to enable the student to transfer at the end of two years to a college or university offering specialized curricula in various fields of wildlife studies.

The biology courses which a pre-wildlife student would typically take are:

Two semesters of Introductory Biology:
BIOL 150General Biology I4
BIOL 151General Biology II4
BIOL 154Introduction to Botany4
BIOL 340Systematic Zoology4
BIOL 347General Ecology4
BIOL 448Systematic Botany4
In addition to biology, the other recommended science courses are:
CHEM 121General Chemistry I (& CHEM 121L)5
CHEM 122General Chemistry II (& CHEM 122L)5
PHYS 211College Physics I4
PHYS 212College Physics II4
Total Hours42