Pre-Medical Programs, Bachelor's
Overview
While there’s no specific “pre-med” major, DeSales has a strong history of helping students prepare and applying to medical, veterinary, dental, and physician assistant programs.
At DeSales University, our rigorous science curriculum taught by supportive faculty prepare students to succeed in the health professions. At DeSales, you will work with your academic advisor as well as the pre-professional health professions advisor to choose the undergraduate major that is right for you to prepare for and apply to medical, veterinary, dental, or physician assistant programs.
Our pre-professional advisor will meet with you beginning in your freshman year, and will provide support throughout the entire process. In addition to advice on coursework, you will work with the pre-preprofessional advisor to strengthen all aspects of your professional school application, including obtaining research experience, shadowing hours, and volunteer experiences.
If you plan to attend medical school, during your time at DeSales you'll take prerequisite courses to prepare you for the medical college admission test (MCAT), in addition to your general college requirements for graduation. If started during your freshman year, you can typically complete these by the beginning of your junior year (and take your MCAT during that year). DeSales University has a number of affiliation agreements with medical schools including Temple University, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
If you plan to attend medical school, DeSales has the prerequisite courses you need to prepare for the MCAT (medical college admission test). If you start taking the classes during your freshman year, you can typically take your MCAT during your junior year.
Admissions Requirements
At DeSales, we not only look at your past academic achievement but also your potential for future growth to determine your admission.
We find that students who have demonstrated significant achievement within a demanding curriculum are best suited for academic life at DeSales. Quality of academic performance plays a critical role in the admissions decision making process. This helps indicate a student's potential for academic growth going forward. We welcome applications from all qualified students regardless of race, religion, sex, national, or ethnic origin.
Application Checklist
- Application Fee: None
- Transcripts: Official High School Transcript
- Standardized Tests: Test-optional, however, an Admissions Interview may be requested
- Recommendations: Completed Guidance Counselor Form and Teacher Recommendation Form
- Please refer to the Program Specific Requirements section for any requirements specific to this program
All materials can be mailed to:
DeSales University Admissions Office
2755 Station Ave.
Center Valley, PA
* SAT scores are highly recommended for students applying for the Nursing and Health Science programs. Please refer to the Program Specific Requirements section for any requirements specific to this program.
Additional recommendations
High School Academics - Remember, there is no single preferred high school academic program, but a college preparatory course of study is highly recommended. Here's an example:
- Four years of English
- Three or four years of college preparatory mathematics
- A minimum of two years of modern, foreign, or classical language
- At least two laboratory science courses
Visiting DeSales - A personal, on-campus interview is strongly recommended, but is not required. We encourage you to visit so that you'll have a chance to learn more about DeSales, and we'll have the opportunity to learn more about you, too.
Learn more about Undergraduate Admissions & Aid
When to Apply
We encourage you to apply early in your senior year. We use a rolling admissions system, which means you will be notified promptly about your admissions status—usually within four weeks of our receipt of your completed application.
Priority deadline for scholarship consideration is December 1 of your senior year.
Curriculum
Traditional “pre-med” courses
- General Biology (2 semesters)
- General Chemistry (2 semesters)
- Organic Chemistry (2 semesters)
- Physics (2 semesters)
- Calculus I and II
- Statistics (some schools)
- Biochemistry
- Psychology
- Sociology
Academic Catalogs
Facilities
At DeSales, you will be immersed in labs that rival those of the nation’s top universities from your first day here.
The Priscilla Payne Hurd Science Center offers state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories in chemistry, biology, and physics.
Campbell Hall houses our neuroscience major, general biology, ecology, environmental science, and field biology labs.
Research and the methodology of science are deeply integrated into our programs. You'll get more hands-on learning than at most other schools, and because all of our lab equipment is exclusively for undergraduate use, your independent research and course-related lab work will never take a back seat to graduate students.
Student laboratory experiences are intentionally designed to ensure that you actually work with the equipment and learn its operation rather than merely watching or reading about it. Our small numbers and close relationship between faculty and students make this an easy and natural process.
Tuition & Fees
DeSales can help make your college expenses affordable through a combination of grants, loans, student employment, and scholarship resources.
View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets
Cost of attendance for undergrads for 2023-2024
Resident Students
Direct Costs
Tuition - $43,000
Room and Board - $13,800
Mandatory Fees - $1,800
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $58,800 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Total cost for resident students: $65,116
Commuter Students
Direct Costs
Tuition - $43,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $44,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $2,298
Total cost for commuter students: $55,122
Off-Campus*
Direct Costs
Tuition - $43,000
Mandatory Fees - $1,400
One-time Orientation Fee for First-Year students and Transfers - $200
Total = $44,600 (including first-year/transfer fees)
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books/Supplies - $1,711
Personal Expenses - $4,605
Transportation Costs - $1,908
Living Expenses - $9,192
Total cost for off-campus students: $62,016
*First-year students are required to reside on campus or commute from home.
Parking Fee - $100
View a comprehensive list of financial aid forms and undergraduate program information sheets
Dual Degree Undergraduate-to-Graduate Programs
If you are enrolled in an undergraduate-to-graduate degree program — for example a 5-year, 3+2, 3+3, program — the undergraduate tuition and fees apply only to the undergraduate portion of the program. As you progress into the graduate phase of your program, graduate tuition and fees apply. Please see your respective graduate program for more information.
The financial aid process may appear overwhelming at first glance, but don't worry, we'll help you through it.
Accepted students are automatically considered for scholarships upon receipt of a completed application and are awarded regardless of financial need. Funds for scholarships are limited, so we do encourage students to apply early.
Our comprehensive financial aid packages carefully explain the types and amounts of assistance —including federal, state, and institutional — that you may be eligible for to help cover education related expenses.
Total cost of attendance includes estimates for tuition, fees, room, board, books, and personal, transportation, and living expenses.
You can estimate your total cost of attendance with our Net Price Calculator
Affiliation Agreements
In this pre-professional program, you can continue your education toward a career as a:
- Medical Doctor
- Veterinarian
- Dentist
- Pharmacist
- Optometrist
- Podiatrist
- University Researcher and/or Educator
- Physician Assistant
DeSales has agreements with:
- Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) Affiliation
Early assurance programs are offered with LECOM in medicine, dentistry and pharmacy for students meeting the criteria. Viable candidates for the medical school program must have an overall GPA of at least 3.4 and a science GPA of at least a 3.2. The MCAT may be waived if certain academic criteria are met. Applicants must: interview at LECOM; have completed the pre-requisite courses; and have the support of the Health Professions Advisory Committee. Qualified candidates should meet with the Health Professions Advisor for further details. - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Affiliation
Each year up to three students are offered admittance to PCOM provided they meet certain criteria. These criteria include completion of the course requirements listed in the PCOM catalog, an overall GPA of at least 3.5, a minimum of fiftieth percentile scores in each section of the MCAT (126 in each of the four sections), and support of the Health Professions Advisory Committee. Applicants must interview at PCOM and are encouraged to submit their application as early as possible in the application cycle. Qualified candidates should meet with the Health Professions Advisor for further details. - Temple University
DeSales has an Early Assurance Program with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM). Qualified DeSales students may be considered by LKSOM in their junior year. If accepted, students receive this acceptance before their senior year of college begins. Students accepted into this binding program complete their first year of medical education at LKSOM in Philadelphia and their second academic year and may have the option for two clinical rotation years at the Medical School of Temple/St. Luke’s at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem, Pa. - DeSales University MSPAS Program
For more information about these agreements, contact Pre-Professional Health Advisor, Dr. Julie Himmelberger at Julie.himmelberger@desales.edu.
Our graduates have continued their education in a wide variety of settings, including:
- Harvard Medical School
- Lehigh University
- Temple University
- The University of Michigan
- Jefferson University School of Medicine
- The Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine at Hershey
- Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Temple University Medical School
- The University of Notre Dame
- The University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School
I liked the mentorship, I liked the one-on-one, I liked that I could say here’s what I want to do with my life – and they said sweet – how can we help.
— Dr. Alyssa Brandt '15 , Class of 2015 Graduate
Get Involved
There are many opportunities at DeSales to build your professional network, gain hands-on experience, and put your education to work to make a difference in the community.
