The Curriculum

As a postbaccalaureate student at NYU, you will attend classes, laboratory sessions, and recitations along with our undergraduates from the College of Arts and Science. Courses are taught by leading members of the Faculty of Arts and Science. You should be aware that these classes are large and offered only during the daytime hours (there are a few evening sections of Calculus, Physics and Biology laboratories).

The course requirements of our program mirror the requirements set by medical schools. Most medical schools require students to take the following courses (we have indicated the NYU equivalent next to each requirement):

With the exception of Calculus, which is a prerequisite for Physics at NYU, these courses are the minimum requirements. Medical schools also require 1 year of English, which you may have completed as an undergrad. We strongly advise that you include Biochemistry as part of your postbaccalaureate coursework. You may also need to take other science or mathematics courses in addition to these requirements to fulfill the requirements of particular medical or health professional schools, but you are not required to do so for this program. Some schools in the health professions may require additional courses, so you should familiarize yourself early with those schools to which you think you may apply.

If you have already taken some of these courses at your undergraduate college or at another four-year college we generally do not recommend repeating them. In some specific cases, however, it may be advisable to repeat prior work. This is certainly a subject you should discuss with one of our advisors.

If you have not taken Calculus, you will need to speak to one of our advisors to determine the best level of mathematics at which you should start. If at all possible, take a Pre-Calculus course before you enter our postbaccalaureate program—knowledge of mathematics at this level is assumed in General Chemistry, and it is good preparation for our Calculus I course, especially if you haven’t taken any mathematics in a while.

The weekly in-class time commitment for each course is substantial. For Chemistry lectures and lab, you should count on 10 scheduled hours each week; for Biology, about five and a half hours; for Physics, about six hours. If you are working in addition to attending classes, you will need a position with flexible or evening or weekend hours.

If you plan to take courses during the summer, plan on it being a full-time endeavor for a full 12-week period.

After completing your course work, you will take the MCAT sometime between April and August to apply for entry to medical school in September of the following year.

Special Note for Preveterinary Students
Requirements for veterinary school are usually much more extensive than those listed above. It is essential to start early in researching the schools to which you will ultimately apply in order to plan your curriculum accordingly. Veterinary schools also require extensive experience, particularly with large animals.