Pre-Med and Pre-Law Aren’t Really College Majors
Last Updated on October 22, 2024 by Jill Schwitzgebel
It’s true. I have lost count of how many times I’ve been told that a student plans to major in “Pre-Med” or “Pre-Law.” And then they are shocked when I explain that at all but a few colleges, those majors don’t actually exist. They are actually pre-professional advising tracks. Other pre-professional advising tracks include things like Pre-Veterinary, Pre-Pharmacy, or Pre-Dentistry. These are all paths meant to prepare students for a specific professional graduate degree, after they complete their undergraduate program.
The reality is that students in any of those advising programs can major in anything they choose. Now, there may be majors to accompany those programs that just make sense, especially based on requirements to get admitted to medical school. But, a pre-med student can major in Dance or in English if they want, as long as they have time to also fulfill the pre-med requirements. And, the same goes for pre-law students. In fact, there are fewer specific requirements for law school, so it can be even easier (and maybe better) to major in something not especially law-related.
Pre-Med Requirements
Students that are thinking about a career in medicine generally need to begin thinking about it their first year of college, in order to complete the requirements for medical school. Colleges will have a designated advisor for any student that is on a pre-med track as an undergraduate. Generally, to apply to medical school, at a minimum, students will need to complete:
- calculus
- one year of biology
- one year of general chemistry
- one year of organic chemistry
- physics
- biochemistry
Additionally, medical schools do not allow students to use IB or AP credit from high school to meet those requirements. Students will also need to complete a required number of hours shadowing or working with a healthcare professional to gain experience. And finally, they will need to take the MCAT exam, which will require a strong background in the subject areas listed above. The pre-med advisor will guide students to assure that they are meeting the various requirements that will help them to achieve their goal of attending medical school after they complete their bachelor’s degree. And when it is time for students to apply to medical school, the advisor, or even a committee, will help them with applications.
As long as a student is able to meet the above requirements, they may major in anything they choose. They may have a completely separate advisor for that major. But, due to the specific requirements to apply to medical school, students will often choose to major in biology, chemistry or a related field, as an undergraduate. Increasingly, students are choosing to major in something unrelated, and medical schools are recognizing the value of students that have not chosen the usual pre-med majors and they appreciate well-rounded applicants. Regardless of major however, medical schools are rigid about the math and science classes that they require for admission.
Pre-Law Requirements
Students considering a career in law have more flexibility than pre-med students do. Unlike the pre-med track, many students apply to law school without even choosing to be enrolled in a pre-law advising track in college. For students that do opt for pre-law advising, advisors will help with things like LSAT preparation and law school applications. They may suggest specific coursework or electives that will enhance students’ critical thinking and writing skills in preparation for law school.
Unlike medical school, law schools do not have any specific prerequisite courses that applicants need to take. Applicants’ grades, as well as their LSAT score will matter the most. Just like for undergraduate admission though, the rigor of the the college curriculum is considered for law school. Sometimes, the majors that are often thought of as traditional pre-law majors, like political science or criminal justice, aren’t necessarily the majors that will make the student the most competitive for law school admission. A thorough understanding of a specific subject gained through a seemingly unrelated undergraduate major can be very helpful once in the legal profession. For instance, if a student has a bachelors degree in something like information security, a law school may see the potential for that student to later specialize in data privacy or maybe if they have majored in environmental science, they may later specialize in environmental law. There are many types of attorneys needed, so anything that can set a student apart is helpful.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that outside of some very specific programs, just being enrolled in a pre-professional program of any kind does not guarantee admission to a graduate professional program like law school or medical school. Excelling in college coursework, with a strong GPA, will be what makes an applicant stand out.
There are some colleges that have begun special dual degree admission programs that guarantee admission to their own law or medical school. High school students may apply during their senior year. Expect that the application process for a dual degree program will be more involved that just applying to an undergraduate program might be. These programs are highly competitive for high school students and students will be held to high standards of achievement throughout their bachelor’s degree programs.
One example of a combined BA/JD is University of Miami’s dual-degree program in law. Students that are accepted can earn both their B.A. and their J.D. together in six years instead of seven.
There are also programs that allow highly focused high school students to apply for a combined BS/MD program. Penn State’s Premedical/Medical program is an example of a program that allows students to graduate in seven years, instead of eight, with both a BS and MD.
See also: Does Listing a Major on College Applications Help or Hurt?
