Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program

24.00 Academic Units Required

Charlotte Young
is a student at Albany Medical College.

Alumna, Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program
Read Charlotte Young's Story.

Prerequisites

You must hold a baccalaureate degree and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Instructional Formats

We offer classroom and online courses. However, some of our courses are only held in the classrooms.

Duration of Study

This depends on how many courses you need to take to be a competitive applicant.

Estimated Cost

This can vary depending on how many courses you need to take.

Our Mission

We empower students to realize their educational and career goals by strengthening their knowledge base and professional competencies before applying to their intended health careers. We strive to provide academic preparedness in all students through UC Berkeley's network of instructors and learning resources as well as making them competitive applicants through individualized advising and professional development.

About the Program

Our Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program is geared toward career changers who need to complete science prerequisites, academic enhancers seeking to strengthen their academic records, those who are reapplying to health professional programs and students looking to maximize their graduate admission opportunities.

Courses meet the academic standards of the University of California, Berkeley, while comprehensive advising ensures that your education is of the highest quality.

With our Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program, you’re ready to join others who have succeeded in gaining admission to medical, dental, veterinary, advanced nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, public health, optometry and other health-related professions.

View the health care programs that have admitted our students!

I Am:

A Career Changer

Ideal for students without a science background interested in changing their career and preparing for a path toward a health-related profession.

An Academic Enhancer

Ideal for students with a science background interested in enhancing their academic career to become a more competitive applicant for a health-related profession.

General Program Benefits

Receive individualized academic advising.

Create a customized course plan.

Take in-person and online courses.

In-person courses: Lower-division science prerequisite lectures and labs offered in person.
Live Online courses: Upper-division science electives offered as semester-based classes with specific dates and times. Enjoy classroom-style interactive experiences with your instructor and classmates.
Start Anytime online courses: Ongoing, continuous enrollment allows you to complete the course within 90–180 days.

Gain priority enrollment in high-demand courses.

Enroll in evening and weekend classroom courses (Fall, Spring and Summer semesters), allowing you to continue working or doing other extracurricular activities during the day.

Enjoy no tuition per semester. Pay-as-you-go program where you only pay course fees for the classes that you enroll in for the upcoming semester.

Take advantage of discounted standardized-test prep courses.

Join Health Careers Seminar courses to support the application process.

Receive eligibility to obtain a Composite Letter of Recommendation.

Curriculum Requirements

Our program is designed to be flexible and customizable. Rather than adhering to a prescribed curriculum, you create an individualized course plan to meet your specific needs with guidance from your academic adviser.

To receive the optional Award of Completion, the following must be completed within three years of registering:

You must have taken all four Health Careers Seminar courses for a total of 1.9 CEU credits.
You must have completed at least 24 semester units for a letter grade, earn a grade of C or better in each course and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
- Career changers: You can take a maximum of 12 semester units in the online format.
- Academic enhancers: You can take all 24 semester units in the online format.
- All 24 semester units must be earned from the approved course list.
Note: Transfer credit from other institutions is not accepted toward meeting the requirements for the Award of Completion.

Note: The Award of Completion is an optional component of the program.

Requirements may be updated based on new developments in the field of study; we recommend completing the curriculum in a timely fashion.

How to Register

We accept applications to this program on a rolling basis and you are welcome to apply at any time. We recommend that you complete your application, including all necessary elements, at least two months prior to your target enrollment date.

To apply to the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program:

All applicants must apply through PostBacCAS. Be sure to add the “UC Berkeley Extension” program to your application.

All application materials must be submitted directly to PostBacCAS. Required items for a complete application include:

Current C.V. or résumé
Any standardized test scores (GRE, MCAT, DAT, PCAT, etc.) if already taken
Three (3) professional letters of recommendation—at least one (1) from an academic reference (i.e., a faculty member from which you earned a letter grade). All letters should be submitted on official letterhead.
Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. International transcripts must be professionally translated. Your baccalaureate degree must be listed on your transcript.
Response to all questions on the “Questions” tab of the application.

Apply Today!

Estimated Cost

There is a $2,000 nonrefundable program fee for students admitted into the program. This is a one-time program fee for the entirety of time that you are in the program, regardless of how long you are enrolled or how many courses you take.

In addition to the program fee, you will pay the fees associated for any courses that you enroll in each semester. The course fee only covers instruction, so you are also responsible for extra associated costs such as textbooks.

The average student takes 10 academic courses, at $1,085 each. In total, the cost of the program for an average student is $12,850: 10 courses at $1,085 each, plus the $2,000 program fee. Note: Our curriculum is individualized to each student's needs. So depending on your situation, you may need to take more or less courses during your time in the program.

Certificate and Award Request

Once you have completed the program coursework, notify UC Berkeley Extension that you have completed the curriculum and request your Award of Completion. Send an email to extension-prehealth@berkeley.edu. After your records have been reviewed, verified and approved (usually within two to three weeks), your Award of Completion will be mailed to you.

Additional Information

You must be accepted into the program to take advantage of Health Careers Seminar I. The Health Careers Seminar II series is open to the public.

Completion of the 24 semester units of electives is required only for students who wish to receive the Award of Completion. Note: The Award of Completion is an optional component of the program.

Students who have been accepted to the Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program receive priority enrollment for high-demand laboratory courses. Instructions for enrollment are emailed two weeks before the beginning of the fall and spring enrollment periods.

Frequently Asked Questions
Please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions.

Advisory Board

Amin Azzam, M.D., M.A.

Adjunct Professor

UCSF School of Medicine

UC Berkeley School of Public Health

Samuel Merritt University

Lowen Cattolico, PT, MSPT

Assistant Director

Outpatient Rehabilitative Services/Physical Therapy Faculty Practice

UC San Francisco Health

Henry (Peter) Ralston, M.D.

Professor of Anatomy, Emeritus

UC San Francisco

Jessica Stark, PA-C, MSPAS, M.P.H.

Physician Assistant

Sutter Eden Medical Center

John Swartzberg, M.D., FACP

Clinical Professor, Emeritus

UC Berkeley School of Public Health

Celeste G. Villanueva, Ed.D., CRNA, FNAP

Assistant Academic Vice President

Director, Center for Innovation & Excellence in Learning

Samuel Merritt University

Alesia J. Wagner, DO, FACOFP dist.

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor, Primary Care Department

Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine

Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Program

Prerequisites

Instructional Formats

Duration of Study

Estimated Cost

Our Mission

About the Program

View the health care programs that have admitted our students!

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Required Courses

Basic Biology Electives

Upper-Division Biology Courses

Chemistry Electives

Physics Electives

Math Electives

Other Electives

Test Preparation Courses

General Program Benefits

Prerequisites

Curriculum Requirements

How to Register

Estimated Cost

Certificate and Award Request

Videos

Additional Information

Advisory Board