Admission
SPS uses a holistic admissions approach for the professional health programs that allows for the academic and professional achievements of each applicant to be considered. Please review the application requirements below. Our programs are not intended as record-enhancement programs. AAMC has helpful information about alternative professional health programs.
If you have specific questions about the admissions process contact the Admission Advising team.
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Quarterly Application Deadlines
Due to the sequential format of the science courses, students can only start the premedicine and prephysician assistant program in the spring or fall quarters. Prephysical therapy students can only start in the fall quarter.
Premedicine
Prephysician Assistant
Prephysical Therapy (fall only)
Fall: May 1
Spring: December 1
Due to the sequential format of the science courses, students in the completion programs below can only start in the fall or summer quarters.
Premedicine Completion
Prephysician Assistant Completion
Prephysical Therapy Completion
Fall: June 1
Summer: March 1
Prespeech Pathology
Preclinical Psychology
Fall: June 1
Winter: Nov 1
Spring: Feb 1
Summer: March 1
2022–23 Quarter Start Dates
Fall: September 20, 2022
Winter: January 3, 2023
Spring: March 27, 2023
Summer: June 20, 2023
Application Checklist
The following materials are required to apply:
- A completed online application
- A $50 application fee (non-refundable)
- Official transcripts from ALL previously attended college-level institutions
- One letter of recommendation
- Statement of purpose
- Current resume or CV
Standardized test scores such as GRE and GMAT are not required. However, if an applicant feels that such a test score would bolster their application, the score may be submitted.
Supplemental materials, with the exception of transcripts, must be uploaded to the online application. Official transcripts may be sent to our Admissions office at spsadmissions@northwestern.edu or mailed to our Chicago office. Please be sure to include the name of your intended program when addressing transcripts.
Professional Health Admissions
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies
Wieboldt Hall, 6th floor
339 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, Illinois 60611-3008
Phone: 312-503-2579
Email: prohealth@northwestern.edu
Applicants will be notified of their admission status approximately four weeks after the deadline.
International Applicants
International Applicants
SPS welcomes international students to apply to our post-baccalaureate programs. SPS does not process I-20 or DS-2019 forms for full-time student or exchange visas. Our programs are designed as part-time programs for working professionals and cannot be used to maintain legal status in the United States. Please contact the International Office with any questions.
International Transcripts
Official transcripts from institutions outside of the U.S. are required to be evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). Applicants are required to have an official course-by-course evaluation completed. The course-by-course evaluation will serve as the official transcript for studies completed outside of the U.S.
Northwestern University School of Professional Studies will only accept official course-by-course evaluations if the evaluation explicitly indicates that the individual’s course of study is the U.S. equivalent of a bachelor’s degree (or master’s degree).
Additionally, an applicant that has earned a U.S. master’s degree and has a bachelor’s degree from outside of the U.S. must still submit an official course by course evaluation that indicates that the applicant has the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
Applicants are also required to ensure that the language of instruction is included in the course-by-course evaluation.
NACES approved evaluation companies, ECE and Educational Perspectives, are highly recommended by Northwestern University School of Professional Studies.
Additional instructions for international applicants are listed below.
English Proficiency
All applicants to SPS programs whose first language is not English must demonstrate language proficiency in one of the following three ways:
- Provide official scores for either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. The test must be taken no more than two years before the intended quarter of entry. For the TOEFL, applicants must score 600 or higher on the paper-based test, 250 or higher on the computer-based test, or 100 or higher on the internet based test. SPS's institutional code for the TOEFL is 9019. For the IELTS exam, applicants must receive a score of 7.0 or higher.
- Provide official transcripts verifying an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution or equivalent, where the language of instruction is English.
- Provide official transcripts verifying a graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English.
Please contact the admissions office for more information on TOEFL, IELTS, and transcripts for international applicants.
Preparatory Coursework
Premed, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant
Applicants are required to show proof of proficiency in college algebra or a higher-level math course (excluding statistics) within the past seven years. Students may meet the proficiency requirement through one of the following ways:
- Completion of a college algebra (or higher) level math course with a grade of B or better within the past seven years
- AP calculus credit appearing on the student's official college transcript within the past seven years
- GRE quantitative scores of 153 within the past seven years (Institution Code: 6256)
- College Algebra CLEP exam credit with an ACE score of 63 or better within the past seven years
For applicants who have not completed the prerequisite may take college algebra (MATH 101) at SPS as a student-at-large.
Students are able to apply for the Premedicine, Pre-PT, and Pre-PA program prior to completing the preparatory coursework.
Admission decisions will not be released until the admissions office receives proof of successful completion of both a bachelor's degree and college algebra proficiency.
Preclinical Psychology and Prespeech
No preparatory coursework is required for this program.
Pre-Med Completion
Students should have a cumulative and science GPA of 3.0 or higher, and more than eight semester hours of the required pre-medical science sequences completed. Students who have only completed eight or fewer semester hours of this required coursework may apply to the premedicine certificate program, and may transfer in their previously completed sequence.
Pre-Physical Therapy Completion
Students should have a cumulative and science GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have more than six semester hours of pre-PT science courses completed. Students who have completed six or fewer semester hours hours should instead apply to the prephysical therapy program, and may transfer in their previously completed sequence.
Students who have completed fewer than five courses should apply to the Prephysical Therapy certificate program and may transfer in their previously completed sequence. Applicants who have not been successful in a year-long general chemistry or a year-long physics sequence are required to show proof of proficiency in college algebra or a higher-level math course (excluding statistics) within the past seven years. Students may meet the proficiency requirement through one of the following ways:
- Completion of a college algebra (or higher) level math course with a grade of B or better within the past seven years
- AP calculus credit appearing on the student's official college transcript within the past seven years
- GRE quantitative scores of 680 (old test) or 153 (new test) within the past seven years
- College Algebra CLEP exam credit with an ACE score of 63 or better within the past seven years
Pre-Physician Assistant Completion
Students should have a cumulative and science GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have more than six semester hours of pre-PA science courses completed. Students who have completed six or fewer semester hours hours should instead apply to the prephysician assistant program, and may transfer in their previously completed sequence.
