Pre-med post-bacc programs are a great opportunity to seriously improve a medical school application. Here is our list of non-degree granting and certification programs.
For post-bacc masters programs, read our list of 1-year masters programs here or our list of 2-year masters programs here.
What Is a Pre-Med Post-Bacc Program
A “post-bacc program” is a broad term used for any program a student pursues after a bachelors degree. These programs can be masters programs, certification programs, or non-degree granting academic programs.
But generally “post-bacc programs” refer to programs students pursue to better prepare for applying to higher degree programs like PhD or professional schools (dental school, medical school, etc.).
Students that complete pre-med post-bacc programs generally have higher rates of admissions to medical schools compared to the average- considerably higher. Most pre-med post-bacc programs state medical school admission rates of their graduates between 80-90%. Read more about average medical school admissions rates here.
The 2 types of post-bacc programs:
- “Academic Enhancer” Programs. These programs are designed to prepare students for further study. Good for students who know they want to go onto a further degree program after their masters, but have not yet decided between medical school, dental school, or PhD. (no worries, these programs are usually a good foundation of any of these career paths).
- “Career Changer” Programs. These programs are designed to prepare students for the job market. Good for students who aren’t sure they want to go onto medical school (or any professional program) and need a backup plan. Biomedical Engineering, Public Health, or Pharmaceutical Development are great options.
For 1-Year Masters Degrees: 75 Pre-Medical Masters Programs
For 2-Year Masters Degrees: 25 Pre-Medical Masters Programs
Students interested in pursuing medical school are certainly not restricted to the masters programs on these lists. These lists only include “special” programs, specifically designed for students who want to pursue medical school. There are also hundreds of “regular” masters programs that would still strengthen a medical school application, such as regular masters programs in chemistry or biology.
50 Pre-Med Certificate and Non-Degree Post-Bacc Programs
| Location | School | Program Name |
| California (Los Angeles) | California State University | Certificate Program for Pre-Health Professionals |
| California (Berkeley) | University of California Berkeley | Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program |
| California (Davis) | University of California Davis | Health Professions Post-Bac Program |
| California (Irvine) | University of California Irvine | Postbaccalaureate Pre-Med Program |
| California (San Diego) | University of California San Diego | Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health Program |
| California (Los Angeles) | University of California Los Angeles | Pre-Medical and General Science Studies Certificate |
| California (Los Angeles) | University of California Los Angeles | Medical School Re-Application Program |
| California (San Francisco) | University of California San Francisco | Interprofessional Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program |
| California (San Francisco) | University of California San Francisco | Post Baccalaureate Program |
| California (Elk Grove) | California Northstate University | Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate |
| California (San Francisco) | San Francisco State University | Pre-Health Professions Certificate Program |
| California (Claremont) | Scripps College | Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program |
| California (Oakland) | Mills College at Northeastern University | Post-baccalaureate Pre-Medical Certificate |
| California (Los Angeles) | Loyola Marymount University | Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program |
| California (Hayward) | Cal State East Bay | Pre-Professional Health Academic Program |
| California (Claremont) | Keck Graduate Institute | Postbaccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program |
| California (Los Angeles) | Charles R. Drew University | Post Baccalaureate Certificate Program in Pre-Medicine |
| Colorado (Boulder) | University of Colorado Boulder | The Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program |
| Washington DC | George Washington University | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medicine Program |
| Washington DC | George Washington University | Graduate Certificate in Anatomical & Translational Sciences |
| Washington DC | Georgetown University | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Certificate Program |
| Washington DC | American University | Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program |
| Florida (Gainesville) | University of Florida | Pre-health Post-Baccalaureate Program |
| Florida (Boca Raton) | Florida Atlantic University | Medical Post-Baccalaureate Program |
| Florida (Miami) | Florida International University | Certificate in Molecular & Biomedical Sciences |
| Georgia (Decatur) | Agnes Scott College | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program |
| Illinois (Springfield) | Southern Illinois University | Pre-Medical Program |
| Illinois (Evanston) | Northwestern University | Post Bacc Premedicine Certificate Program |
| California (San Rafael) | Dominican University of California | Post-Baccalaureate Premedical |
| Illinois (Chicago) | Saint Xavier University | Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Medical Sciences |
| Kansas (Overland Park) | University of Kansas | Post-Baccalaureate in Health Science |
| Louisiana (New Orleans) | Loyola University | Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate |
| Maryland (Towson) | Goucher College | Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Program |
| Massachusetts (Worcester) | Worcester State University | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-medical and Health Professions Program |
| Massachusetts (Dartmouth) | University of Massachusetts | Pre-Health Professions Certificate |
| Massachusetts (Medford) | Tufts University | Postbaccaleureate Premed Program |
| Massachusetts (Boston) | Boston University | Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Pre-Medical Studies |
| Massachusetts (Chicopee) | Elms College | Pre-Medical Postbaccalaureate Certificate |
| Michigan (East Lansing) | Michigan State University | Medical Neuroscience Graduate Certificate Program |
| Massachusetts (Boston) | Northeastern University | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program |
| Mississippi (Clinton) | Mississippi College | Health Science Certificate |
| Missouri (Kansas City) | Rockhurst University | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Certificate |
| Missouri (Saint Louis) | Saint Louis University | Medical Anatomy and Physiology Certificate Program |
| Montana (Bozeman) | Montana State University | Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Certificate |
| Nebraska (Omaha) | Creighton University | Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate |
| Nevada (Reno) | University of Nevada | Post-Baccalaureate Certificate program |
| New Jersey (Wayne) | William Patterson University | Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Professional Program |
| New York (Purchase) | Manhattanville College | Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health |
| New York (Garden City) | Adelphi University | Basic Sciences for Health Professions |
| North Carolina (Raleigh) | Meredith College | Pre-Health Post-Baccalaureate Certificate |
| Ohio (Columbus) | Ohio State University | Medical Careers Pathway Post Baccalaureate Program |
| Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) | Temple University | Postbaccalaureate Program |
| Pennsylvania (Rosemont) | Rosemont College | Post Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Program |
| Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) | LaSalle University | Post-Baccalaureate Premedical Certificate Program |
| Rhode Island (Providence) | Providence College | Pre-Med/Pre-Health Professions Certificate |
| South Carolina (Columbia) | University of South Carolina | Biomedical Studies Certificate |
Final Thoughts
This list does not include all pre-medical certificate programs in the US. But it’s a good place to start your search. If you’re considering a masters program instead, read here about whether a masters before medical school is the right choice for you.
