Pre-Professional Programs

The University of Northern Iowa offers several programs that prepare students for professional education or training at or beyond the bachelor’s degree level. If you’re considering one of the areas listed above, UNI can provide you with a pre-professional foundation leading to additional study and eventually a career. These foundation programs are not considered majors at UNI.

 

Majors:

Pre-Allied Health
Pre-Biomedical
Pre-Engineering
Pre-Law
Pre-Theology
Chiropractic
Dentistry
Medical Technology
Medicine
Mortuary Science
Nursing
Optometry
Pharmacy
Physical Therapy
Physician Assistant
Podiatry
Veterinary Medicine

Pre-Allied Health

While UNI does not offer an undergraduate degree in Nursing or Radiology/Radiography, it does provide excellent preparation for transferring to a specialized institution. Students interested in Nursing or Radiology/Radiography can fulfill some of their course requirements at UNI, but will need to apply to, and be accepted at, a Nursing school or Radiology/Radiography program in order to finish a degree. Students are encouraged to contact the nursing/radiology schools of their choice for additional information.

 

For more information
Nancy Simet
Nursing Adviser
Department of Chemistry
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0423
(319) 273-7854

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Pre-Biomedical

If you are looking toward a biomedical career, UNI offers exceptional pre-professional preparation in the areas of chiropractic, dentistry, medical technology, medicine, mortuary science, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, podiatry, and veterinary medicine. While no specific undergraduate major is prescribed by professional schools in these disciplines, two majors in biology (Biology B.S. or Biology B.A. - Biomedical Emphasis) and one major in chemistry (Chemistry B.S. - Biochemistry Emphasis) overlap most completely with courses required for admission to advanced study. These three programs also have flexibility in offering preparation for careers other than professional school. The biomedical emphasis biology major, for example, prepares you for graduate study in molecular biology, genetics, microbiology, immunology, neurobiology, or related areas; the biochemistry emphasis chemistry major prepares you for graduate study in chemistry or biochemistry, or a professional career as a chemist.

 

If you are interested in a biomedical career but undecided about which career, the class Careers in the Health Professions may help you.

 

You may also wish to consider one of the many experiential learning, research, or internship opportunities offered by the Biology and Chemistry departments. Both departments have summer research programs for undergraduate students. The Biology Department also has a program which places students in biomedical research centers across the country during the summer preceding the senior year. These opportunities can be tailored to your interests.

For more information

Department of Biology
McCollum Science Hall 2438
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0421
(319) 273-2456
www.bio.uni.edu

Department of Chemistry
McCollum Science Hall 3538
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0423
(319) 273-2437
www.chem.uni.edu

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Pre-Engineering

Pre-Engineering at UNI is a program for students who wish to spend one or perhaps two years at the university before transferring into an engineering program at the sophomore level at another institution. The function of the UNI program is to maximize the credit hours that can be transferred from UNI to another institution. The UNI Physics Department also offers a 3-2 cooperative program that allows well-prepared students to obtain a UNI B.S. in applied physics and an engineering B.S. from Iowa State or the University of Iowa.

 

For more information
F. Behroozi
Pre-Engineering Adviser
Department of Physics
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0150
(319) 273-2274
FAX: (319) 273-7136
E-mail: behroozi@uni.edu

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Pre-Law

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, lawyers hold about 700,000 jobs. Approximately seven out of 10 lawyers practice privately, either in law firms or alone. Most of the remaining lawyers hold positions in government, the greatest number at the local level.

 

Legal education is rigorous and expensive. Formal education requirements for lawyers include a four-year college degree, three years in law school and successful completion of a written bar exam. Competition for admission to most law schools is intense. Although aspiring lawyers will encounter significant competition for jobs, there is always room for good practitioners in the profession.

 

Pre-Law is not a major at UNI; thus, there is no set pre-law curriculum. Law school officials and law professors generally recommend that undergraduate students interested in law take a wide variety of courses in the humanities and social sciences. Courses that demand rigorous critical thinking and research are highly recommended. Also beneficial are courses that require students to communicate — that is, to write essays or reports, to deliver oral presentations, and to make use of modern computer technology.

 

A broad-based liberal arts education, emphasizing analytical reasoning and writing is preferred by the Association of American Law Schools. In its statement on pre-legal education, the association recommends a background that develops “basic skills and insights,” including:

• Comprehension and expression in words;
  

• Critical understanding of human institutions and values with which law deals;
  

• Creative power in thinking

Just as there is no set pre-law curriculum, there is no ideal major for the pre-law student. Common undergraduate majors selected by students at UNI who consider themselves pre-law include: political science, history, economics, psychology, sociology, social work, english, philosophy, communication studies and accounting.

 

If you have a major preference, you will be assigned to a faculty adviser in that area. Students in many majors are members of UNI’s Pre-Law Club. A law school really doesn’t care what your major is as long as you’re good at it!

A student interested in law should talk to as many lawyers as possible to get different perspectives on this varied profession. The better the grades and the better the score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), the better the law school one is qualified to attend. You might also want to visit some law school classes and talk to admissions officials, law professors and law students. Most law schools are more than willing to help you arrange visits.

 

For more information
C. Scott Peters
Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0404
(319) 273-2727
FAX: (319) 273-7108
www.uni.edu/~petersc

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Pre-Theology

Students who plan to enter a seminary or undertake other theological training after graduation from UNI are encouraged to take the Pre-Theology emphasis in UNI’s Department of Philosophy and Religion. The emphasis consists of 24 hours of religion and philosophy courses.

For more information
Jerome Soneson
Department of Philosophy and Religion
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614-0501
(319) 273-2990

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