Admission

Students enrolled in the Premedicine program come from a wide range of backgrounds. All students hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in areas other than premedicine, and most have had professional experiences outside of the field of medicine and have recently decided to pursue a medical career. This program is designed to meet the needs of career changers — it is not intended as a records-enhancement program. Students who have already applied to medical school should not apply. AAMC has helpful information about alternative premedical programs.

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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.

Application Deadlines

Fall Quarter: June 1

Summer Quarter: March 1

Due to the sequential format of the science courses, students may only start the premedicine concentration in the summer or fall quarters. Students planning to complete the program in 12 or 15 months must begin in the summer quarter.

Preparatory Coursework

A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university is required for admission to the premedicine concentration. Additionally, 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 680 (old test) or 153 (new test) 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 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.

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

Applicants with international transcripts must request an official course-by-course evaluation by a NACES member. The equivalency of a U.S. Bachelor Degree is required. The evaluation must be prepared for Northwestern University School of Professional Studies and must arrive in our office in a sealed envelope issued by the evaluator.

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.