- Bachelor’s degree completed at an institution accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation; a bachelor’s degree in science is not necessary if the prerequisite courses are fulfilled
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; exceptions may be made for applicants in the 2.5-2.99 range (there are a few strategies to bolster an application when the undergraduate GPA is between 2.5-2.99; contact the student success coordinator for details)
- Official transcripts
- Prerequisite courses
- Summary of experience (detailed resume-style document)
- Two essays, maximum of 3,000 characters each; one personal experience essay, and one online learning experience essay
- $60 application fee (the application fee covers processing for all applications regardless of admissions outcome; the fee cannot be waived and is non-refundable)
Official transcripts
You must arrange for an official transcript from each institution you attended after high school to be sent directly to CSU. Transcripts must be sent directly from those institutions to CSU to be official. If they are received from you, they are not official and will not be accepted.
Prerequisite courses
A single course may only count toward one prerequisite. You must identify a unique course for each prerequisite requirement.
Online courses are accepted if they are taken for credit with a grade and show as completed on an official transcript. Courses taken at vocational and proprietary schools will not be accepted. AP courses must appear on an official college transcript.
Required prerequisites are recommended to have been taken within the last five years. A recent demonstration of an ability to handle an upper-division biomedical science curriculum is strongly encouraged.
Candidates may apply before completing all required courses and can be admitted under provisional admission.
This program assumes a background in life sciences. The course description, content level, prerequisites, number of credits, and a grade of C- or above must meet these requirements. Courses may be taken at any accredited college, university, or community college, or by telecourse, correspondence, independent study, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), or online. Equivalent courses from CHEA-accredited institutions are accepted.
List of prerequisite courses
Statistics
To fulfill the statistics prerequisite, an equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a statistics course, and it must be the equivalent of three semester credits. Four quarter credits will fulfill this requirement. Calculus courses will not substitute.
Genetics
To fulfill the genetics prerequisite, an equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a genetics course, and it must be the equivalent of three semester credits or more. Four quarter credits will fulfill this requirement.
The genetics course should cover these topics: structure of genes and genomes, DNA replication, transcription, translation, and regulation of gene expression, mutation and expression of phenotypes, environmental effects on gene function/expression, and inheritance.
Organic chemistry
To fulfill the organic chemistry prerequisite, it must require general chemistry (either one semester or two) as a prerequisite, the title must indicate it is primarily an organic course, and it must be the equivalent of three semester credits or more. Four quarter credits will fulfill this requirement.
Physiology
Human or animal, must cover all systems
To fulfill the physiology prerequisite, the equivalent course must have a course description that indicates that it is a systems physiology course covering normal function, and it must be the equivalent of three semester credits or more.
Physiology can be awarded for a single general human physiology OR animal physiology course that is comprehensive and must include all the following body systems: cardiovascular, digestive, endocrine, musculoskeletal, neurological, renal, reproductive, and respiratory.
Your institution may require that you take two general physiology courses to cover all systems. Alternatively, if you take a combined anatomy and physiology course series (two quarters/semesters) you must complete both courses to fulfill the requirement.
Animal anatomy
Domestic species, must have a laboratory component
To fulfill the animal anatomy prerequisite, the equivalent course must have a course description that indicates it is a domestic animal anatomy course covering normal function. Animal anatomy credit can be awarded if there is a laboratory component. A combined course of animal physiology and anatomy MUST contain an anatomy laboratory component. Four total credit hours will fulfill this requirement.
Physics with a laboratory
To fulfill the physics prerequisite, an equivalent course must have a title that indicates it is primarily a physics course, it must have a laboratory component, and it must be the equivalent of four semester credits or more including the lab. Only one physics course with lab is required. The second course of a two-part physics series is not required.
Essays
Your Statement of Purpose should address each of the sections below. Be sure to complete and identify each section specifically in your statement, using up to 3,000 characters per section.
Personal experience
Paint a complete picture of who you are. We value the diverse contributions of each candidate, so demonstrate what makes you unique throughout your application and in the personal essay. Think about veterinary, animal, employment, and research experiences, community or volunteer involvement, awards and honors, etc.
Online learning experience
This certificate is unique in that it is completed entirely online. What is your experience with online learning and how do you plan to succeed in online learning?