Pre-Allied Health Post-Baccalaureate
Loyola Marymount University's Pre-Allied Health Post Baccalaureate Program is made for students interested in switching careers to become a physical therapist, physician assistant, or occupational therapist. Application for the 2024-2025 pre allied health post bac program will be open on November 15, 2024 and close on March 1, 2025. We do rolling admissions so we recommend applying as early in the cycle as possible.
Why choose LMU?
Our program is geared for career changers who have an undergraduate degree in a major outside of the hard sciences. At the time of the interview, applicants will have an individual educational assessment that outlines the courses recommended for the program and the extracurricular activities needed to become the best possible applicant to physical therapy, occupational therapy, and physician assistant graduate programs. We provide small classes that are academically rigorous, allowing students to demonstrate that they can handle the heavy demands of professional school. Successful graduates of our program are granted a certificate of completion.
- Program can be completed in as little as 16 months
- Part-time, self-paced option available
- Individualized advising
- Small class sizes (14-19 in labs)
- LMU ranked "Top 10" in multiple areas in The Princeton Review's Best 388 Colleges for 2023, including Best Science Lab Facilities (No. 6), Most Beautiful Campus (No. 4), and Students Most Engaged in Community Service (No. 4).
- Priority registration
- Research opportunities
- Tutoring for basic science classes
- Located in Los Angles - ample opportunities for extracurricular experience
- Beautiful campus close to the beach!
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Our admissions committee utilizes a holistic evaluation process in the review of applicants to the program. We consider the applicant's life experiences, ability to handle a rigorous course load, extracurricular activities, and their potential to become a competitive applicant to PT, PA, or OT graduate school. Applications will be reviewed once a complete application packet is received. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Start dates will be discussed at the interview.
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from a US accredited school.
- Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.3. Applicants with lower GPAs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Demonstrated passion for an allied health field through shadowing, volunteer, or paid clinical experience.
- A college-level pre-calculus course is required. AP credit, algebra, and trigonometry do not satisfy this requirement.
- A college-level calculus course is strongly recommended prior to matriculation for those interested in PT or OT.
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Students can typically finish the program in 16-20 months. It can also be self-paced, with students taking a course or two at a time with less disruption to work commitments. A slower pace will also allow more time for the extracurricular activities needed for their particular graduate health professional program if those activities were not completed prior to matriculation at LMU. Our curriculum is structured to provide students with significant academic rigor to demonstrate that they can handle the heavy demands of graduate school.
Successful graduates of the post-baccalaureate program will be granted a certificate of completion. A cumulative GPA of 3.3 must be maintained to continue in the program. Enrolled students are held to the same academic rules and policies, other than the GPA criteria, as the typical undergraduate student at Loyola Marymount University.
Dedicated support is offered throughout the allied health school application process.
Please note that as a certificate program, we are not able to issue I-20s.
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Sample curriculum:
- General Chemistry I and II with labs
- General Biology I and II with labs
- General Physics I and II (includes labs)
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs
- Applied Statistics
- Calculus
- Medical Microbiology with lab
- Cell Function
- Medical Terminology
- General Psychology
- Principles of Sociology
- Human Development/Lifespan
- Abnormal Psychology
*Individual study plans will depend on prior coursework and the graduate program being pursued.
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In order to process an application, LMU charges a supplemental fee of $35. Payments are made via PostBacCAS.
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Tuition Deposit
Accepted students must confirm their intent to enroll in writing via email and pay a nominal, non-refundable fee to hold their spot to be able to register for the summer and/or fall term. The fee will be applied only to the student's fall tuition.
Program Costs
LMU pre-allied health post-baccalaureate students do not qualify for institutional scholarships or grant funds so they pay reduced tuition fees during the academic year and a per-lab fee for science labs. The student is also responsible for additional institutional fees. In the 16 month program, a minimum of 12 units and maximum of 18 units are taken per semester and 3-8 units during each summer session.
If admitted to the program a non-refundable $500 commitment fee will be required to hold your spot. Once a student begins fall classes, the $500 will be applied to his/her student account.
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General questions about the program can be directed to postbac@lmu.edu.