Besides offering the required courses for students to enter the medical field, SWAU also provides a support system. Several students who are on the pre-professional degree paths are also mentors, Course Navigators who have recently gone through or are in the process of applying to graduate schools and have a wealth of knowledge to share. We have a pre-professional counselor who is here to meet, guide, and help you get into the schools of choice. The counselor provides not only one-on-one advising but also many opportunities for you to meet with recruiters, join workshops, and have internship/scribing experiences. Pre-professional students will also often meet as a club just to support each other.

Pre-Medicine
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Pharmacy
Pre-Osteopathic Medicine
Pre-Optometry
Pre-Physician Assistant
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Pre-Physical Therapy
Pre-Occupational Therapy
Pre-Orthotics & Prosthetics

These graduate programs require completing a bachelor’s degree with various pre-requisite coursework.  You may complete those pre-requisite courses as part of any major, but most students choose to major in Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry or Kinesiology, as the required coursework for those majors overlaps the most with the pre-requisites.  You will work with an advisor in the Biological Sciences Department, Chemistry Department, or Kinesiology Department to help you choose the appropriate courses and prepare to apply to graduate programs.

Pre-Public Health
This graduate program typically requires completing a bachelor’s degree with several pre-requisite courses.  You may complete these pre-requisite courses as part of any major.  You may work with an advisor in the Biological Sciences Department to help you choose the appropriate courses and prepare to apply to graduate programs.

Medical Laboratory Science
Southwestern Adventist University has formal agreements with both Andrews University and with Tarleton State University, which allow our students to take the first three years of Medical Laboratory Science at Southwestern while completing the fourth clinical year at either Tarleton or Andrews.  You will still pay Southwestern tuition and will graduate from Southwestern.

Pre-Speech Pathology
Pre-Nutrition
Pre-Dental Hygiene
Pre-Health Administration
Pre-Health Informatics
Pre-Respiratory Care

These programs require you to take two years of pre-requisite coursework before transferring to another institution to complete your degree.  You can complete your two-year Associate of Science degree while fulfilling the pre-requisites for these programs.  You will work with an advisor in the Biological Sciences Department to help you choose the appropriate courses and prepare to apply to graduate programs. Note that Dental Hygiene can be either a four-year bachelor’s degree or a two-year associate’s degree.

Pre-X-Ray Technician

This program requires a year of pre-requisite courses at Southwestern Adventist University before transferring to another institution to complete your degree.  You will work with an advisor in the Biological Sciences Department to help you choose the appropriate courses.

There are many good reasons to explore the law and the legal profession before entering law school. You will gain a more realistic view of the actual practice of law, the skills you will need, and the realities of the legal employment market. Greater familiarity with the legal system—its institutions, concepts, and even vocabulary—can advance your understanding of the law school curriculum. Most students enroll in Pre-Law as preparation for law school. The Pre-Law degree will undoubtedly enhance your candidacy for admission to law school, as well as your opportunities for employment during and after law school. However, you may want to pursue a career as a paralegal or legal assistant, and a Pre Law degree can prepare you for that as well. If you decide a career in law is not for you, the degree is still a good foundation for a career in the many fields of social science. As with any career, graduates will require further education to meet their goals.