Career Advising

The Clinical Laboratory Science section is for students who are interested in pursuing the goal of becoming certified Clinical Lab Scientists (CLS).

Students interested in pursuing a career as a CLS must obtain a bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences or Chemistry. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information.

Students in the Pre-CLS Track must complete the following required courses: 

• Minimum of 18 semester units in Biology, including:

  • Hematology with lab

  • Immunology with lab

(at Dominican BIO 3750/55)

• • Medical Microbiology with lab

(at Dominican BIO 3610/15 or BIO 3620/25)

Recommended Biology Courses:

• Genetics with lab

(at Dominican BIO 2800/05 or BIO 3200/05)

• Human Anatomy

(at Dominican BIO 2500/05 or BIO 4500/05)

• Human Physiology

(at Dominican BIO 2600/05 or BIO 4600/05)

• Paristatoligy with lab

(at Dominican BIO 4220/25)

• Minimum of 16 semester units in Chemistry, including:

  • Biochemistry with lab

(at Dominican CHEM 4100/05)

• • Quantitative Analysis

(at Dominican CHEM 4000/05)

• One year of  Physics with lab

(at Dominican PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05)

• One semester of Calculus

(at Dominican MATH 1600)

For more information, click to view the SFSU CLS Admission Worksheet or visit the SFSU CLS Program Site

CLS School Resources:

To find general information and links to Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), sometimes referred to as a Clinical Lab Scientist (CLS) or Medical Technologist (MT) school programs visit the Medical Lab Scientist Certification MLS (ASCP) Info Site

The Dental section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Dental School.

The Pre-Dental Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. 

Students completing the Pre-Dental Track must complete the following required courses:

• Two years of General Biology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 1100/05 BIO 2800/05, BIO 4500/05, and 

BIO 4600/05 )

• One year of General Chemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05

• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05 and CHEM 3900/05)

• One year of Physics with lab

(at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05

• One year of English, Speech or Communication
  (at Dominican: ENGL 1111 and ENGL 2222)

Highly recommended courses:

• One semester of Microbiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 3610/15)

• One semester of Biochemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 4100/05)

• One semester of Histology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 4810/15)

For more information, visit the UOP DDS Admission Site.

DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) vs. DMD (Doctor of Dental Medicine)

There is no difference between the D.D.S. and D.M.D. degrees. Both use the same curriculum requirements and both lead to licensing as a general dentist. If an individual wants to specialize as an oral surgeon, orthodontist, or other dental specialty, both degrees will allow the student to apply for their desired specialized residency program. Here are some links for reference:

ADA Site

ADEA Site

ASDA (American Student Dental Association) Site

Path to Become an Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon 

Dental School Resources:

Click to view a List of Dental Schools

Application to apply for Dental Schools: AEDA (American Dental Education Association)

Entry Test Used: DAT (Dental Admission Test)

The Education section is for students who are interested in studying science with a goal to become a Middle or High School Science teacher.

The Pre-Education track is based on admission requirements. Always check the individual school's website for updated information. Dominican University of CA offers TWO options to achieve the student's goal.

OPTION 1: Earn a double major with a BA in Biology or Chemistry and 

a BA in Education

OPTION 2: Earn an Education Minor 

Education Degree Resources:

How to become a teacher in California

Dominican University of California Teaching Credential Program

The Medicine section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Medical School.

The Pre-Medicine Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. 

Students completing the Pre-Medicine Track must complete the following required courses:

• One year of English
  (at Dominican: ENGL 1111 and ENGL 2222)

• One year of General Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05)

• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05 and CHEM 3900/05)

• One year of Physics with lab
  (at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05)

• One year of General Biology with lab
  (at Dominican: BIO 1000/05, BIO 1100/05, or BIO 2800/05)

• MCAT Prep-1 semester of Biochemistry and Psychology
  (at Dominican: CHEM 4100/05 and PSY 1100)

Medical-Allopathic: MD

Link to a list of MD Schools: AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges)

Application link to apply for MD Professional Schools: MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements)

Entry Exam: MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) 

For more information, visit the UC Davis - School of Medicine Site and/or the UCSF - School of Medicine Site 

Medical-Osteopathic: DO

Link to a list of DO Schools: AACOM (American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine)

Application to apply for DO Professional Schools: AACOM - Apply to Medical School

Entry Exam: MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test)

For more information, visit the Touro University of California - College of Osteopathic Medicine Site

Other Medical School Resources:

AAMC Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program Directory

Medical School Application Timeline Template

Medical School GPA Calculator 

What is on the MCAT? 

The Nursing section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Nursing school.

The Pre-Nursing Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. 

For undeclared, Biology/Chemistry/Kinesiology students completing the Pre-Nursing Track must complete the following required courses:

• Human Anatomy with lab (min. grade = B)

(at Dominican: BIO 2500/05)

• Human Physiology with lab (min. grade = B)

(at Dominican: BIO 2600/05)

• Chemistry with lab (only chemistry classes that include both organic and inorganic chemistry content will be accepted)

(at Dominican: CHEM 1600/05, CHEM 2000/05, CHEM 2100/05, CHEM 3800/05, and/or CHEM 3900/05)

• General or Introduction to Psychology

(at Dominican: PSY 1100)

• Effective Communication

(at Dominican: ENGL 1111 and ENGL 2222)

• Intro Sociology OR Cultural Anthropology OR transfer equivalent that meets Civic Knowledge and Engagement CORE category

(at Dominican: SOC 1101)

If students are interested in transferring into the DUC Nursing program, this applies to anyone who is not a freshman nursing student at DUC. The DUC Nursing transfer application deadlines: 

Fall: March 1st

Spring: September 1st 

Please note, we will not be accepting nursing transfer students for Fall 2024.

For more information, visit the Dominican University of CA Nursing Site. 

Nursing School Resources:

Accelerated Nursing Program Info - RegisteredNursing.org

Accelerated Nursing Programs in CA - NursingProcess.org

SF State Masters in Entry Level Nursing (ELMSN) 

Admissions Requirements for Direct Master's Entry to Nursing Practice Programs

The Pharmacy section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Pharmacy school.

Pre-Pharmacy Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. Pre-Pharmacy advising is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Contact the Student Services Administrator, Victoria Worch, to make an appointment.

Students completing the Pre-Pharmacy Track must complete the following required courses:

Option 1:

• One year of General Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05 )

• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05 and CHEM 3900/05)

Option 2: 

• One semester of General Chemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05)

• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05 and CHEM 3900/05)

• One semester of Biochemistry with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 4100/05)

Other required courses:

• One semester of Human Physiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 4600/05)

• One semester of Microbiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 3610/15)

• One semester of  Calculus 

(at Dominican: MATH 1600)

For more information, visit Touro University of CA - College of Pharmacy Site 

Pharmacy School Resources:

Click to view a List of Pharmacy Schools

Application to apply for Pharmacy Schools: PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service) 

Entry Test Used: PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test)

Note: CA Pharmacy Schools do not require PCAT.

The Physical Therapy section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Physical Therapy school.

The Pre-Physical Therapy Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. Pre-Physical Therapy advising is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Contact the Student Services Administrator, Victoria Worch, to make an appointment.

Students completing the Pre-Physical Therapy Track must complete the following required courses:

• One semester of Human Anatomy with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 2500/05 or BIO 4500/05)

• One semester of Human Physiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 2600/05 or BIO 4600/05)

• One year of Psychology 

(at Dominican: PSY 1100 and PSY 1150)

• One semester of Statistics
  (at Dominican: MATH 3500, GPH 3330, or PSY 3817)

• One year of Physics with lab
  (at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05)

• One year of General Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05)

• One semester of Kinesiology and Exercise Physiology

(at Dominican: KIN 1000 and KIN 3600)

For more information, visit the Sac State Physical Therapy Admission Requirements Site.

Physical Therapy School Resources:

Click to view a List of PT Schools

Application to apply for Physical Therapy Schools: PTCAS (Physical Therapy Centralized Application Service)

Entry Test Used: GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

The Physician Assistant (PA) section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Physician Assistant school.

The Pre-PA Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. Dominican University of CA offers a PA Masters Degree Program. Pre-PA advising is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Contact the Student Services Administrator, Victoria Worch, to make an appointment.

Students completing the Pre-Physician Assistant Track must complete the following required courses:

• Two semesters of General Biology with lab
  (at Dominican: 2 of these classes work: BIO 1000/05, BIO 1100/05, BIO 2800/05, and BIO 2900/05)

• One year of General Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05)

• One year of Human Anatomy with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 2500/05 or BIO 4500/05)

• One semester of Human Physiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 2600/05 or BIO 4600/05)

• One semester of Microbiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 3610/15)

• One semester of College Algebra or higher

(at Dominican: MATH 1400, MATH 1500, MATH 1600, or MATH 1700)

• One semester of Statistics

(at Dominican: MATH 2400 or MATH 3500)

• One semester of General Psychology

(at Dominican: PSY 1100)

Highly recommended courses:

• One semester of Physics with lab

(at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05)

• One  semester of Organic Chemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05

• One  semester of Medical Microbiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 3620/05)

• One  semester of Pharmacology

• One  semester of Spanish (able to converse)

(at Dominican: SPAN 2111)

Just a quick recap:

• Direct Patient Contact Hours: Think of it like being a medical team player! You need at least 500 hours working with patients in roles like a paramedic, phlebotomist, nurse, or medical assistant.

• Physician Assistant Shadowing: Imagine getting a behind-the-scenes look at a PA's day. You'll need at least 8 hours of shadowing or working alongside a PA.

Remember, these are just the minimums. To be competitive, it's usually helpful to have more experience in these areas.

Link to: MSPAS PREREQUISITES WORKSHEET

For more information, visit the Dominican University of CA Physician Assistant Studies Program Site

Physician Assistant School Resources:

Click to view a List of PA Schools

Application to apply for PA Schools: CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants 

Entry Test Used: GRE, MCAT, and/or PA-CAT (Physician Assistant College Admissions Test) 

San Francisco Bay Area Resources: SF Bay Area PA Shadowing Program

Note: Required entry test(s) may depend on the program(s) the student is applying to. 

The Occupational Therapy (OT) section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Occupational Therapy school.

The Pre-OT Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. Dominican University of CA offers an OT Masters Degree Program and a Doctorate Degree Program. Pre-OT advising is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Contact the Student Services Administrator, Victoria Worch, to make an appointment.

Students completing the Pre-Occupational Therapy Track must complete the following required courses:

• One year of Human Anatomy with lab 

(at Dominican: BIO 2500/05 or BIO 4500/05)

• One semester of Human Physiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 2600/05 or BIO 4600/05)

• One semester of Introduction to Psychology

(at Dominican: PSY 1100)

• One semester of Abnormal Psychology

(at Dominican: PSY 3141)

• One semester of Statistics for Health & Behavior Sciences

(at Dominican: PSY 3187)

• One semester of Child and Adolescent Development

(at Dominican: PSY 3119)

• One semester of Human Neuroanatomy and Physiology

(at Dominican: OT 3010)

• One semester of Medical Terminology

(at Dominican: OT 1004)

Occupational Therapy School Resources:

Click to view a List of OT Schools 

Application to apply for OT School: Occupational Therapy Centralized Application Service (OTCAS)

Entry Test Used: GRE

The Optometry section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Optometry school.

Pre-Optometry Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. Pre-Optometry advising is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Contact the Student Services Administrator, Victoria Worch, to make an appointment.

Students completing the Pre-Optometry Track must complete the following required courses:

• One year of General Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05)

• One semester of Organic Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05)

• One semester of Biochemistry with or without lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 4100/05)

• One year of General Biology with lab
  (at Dominican: BIO 1100/05 and BIO 2800/05)

• One year of Physics with lab
  (at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05)

• One semester of Microbiology with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 3610/15)

• One semester of Human Anatomy with lab

(at Dominican: BIO 2500/05 or BIO 4500/05)

• One semester of Human Physiology with lab 

(at Dominican: BIO 2600/05 or BIO 4600/05)

• One semester of Calculus

(at Dominican: MATH 1600)

• One semester of Statistics: 

(at Dominican: MATH 2400 or MATH 3500)

• One year of Reading and Composition

(at Dominican: ENGL 1111 and ENGL 2222)

• One semester of Psychology

(at Dominican: PSY 1100)

For more information, visit the UC Berkeley School of Optometry Course Requirements Site 

Optometry School Resources:

Click to view a List of Optometry Schools

Application to apply to Optometry Centralized Application Service (OptomCAS)

Entry Test Used: OAT (Optometry Admission Test)

The Veterinary section is for students who are interested in studying science with the goal of attending Veterinary school.

The Pre-Veterinary Track requirements are based on admissions requirements from most health professional schools. Always check the individual school’s website for updated information. Pre-PA advising is offered through the Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Contact the Student Services Administrator, Victoria Worch, to make an appointment.

Students completing the Pre-Veterinary Medicine Track must complete the following required courses:

• One year of Physics with lab

(at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05)

• One year of General Biology

(at Dominican: BIO 1100/05 and BIO 2800/05)

• One year of General Chemistry

(at Dominican: CHEM 2000/05 and CHEM 2100/05)

• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05 and CHEM 3900/05)

• One semester of Statistics: 

(at Dominican: MATH 2400 or MATH 3500)

• One semester of Biochemistry with Metabolism

(at Dominican: KIN 3450)

• One semester of Upper-Division Genetics

(at Dominican: BIO 3200)

• One semester of Animal Physiology

(at Dominican: BIO 4110)

For more information, go to UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Academic Preparation & Prerequisite Site

Veterinary School Resources

Click to view a List of Veterinary Schools 

Application to apply for Veterinary School: Veterinary Medical School Admission Requirements (VMSAR)

Entry Test Used: GRE 

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)

How to apply - AAVMC

For students who are interested in research programs or teaching at a college or university level where a Master's or Ph.D. degree is required.

Students completing the Masters of Science in Biological Sciences Track and many other masters and research programs must complete the following required courses:

• One year of General Biology with lab
  (at Dominican: BIO 1100/05 and BIO 2800/05)

• One year of Calculus:

(at Dominican: MATH 1600 and MATH 1700)

• One year of Physics with lab
  (at Dominican: PHYS 2000/05 and PHYS 2100/05)

• One year of Organic Chemistry with lab
  (at Dominican: CHEM 3800/05 and CHEM 3900/05)

• One semester of Biochemistry with lab

(at Dominican: CHEM 4100/05)

• One semester of Statistics

• (at Dominican: MATH 3500, GPH 3330, or PSY 3187)

For more information, review the Graduate Degree Program Requirements

Biological Sciences:

Click the link to view a List of Biology Programs from GradSchools.com  

Visit the Dominican University of CA MS Biological Sciences Program.

Chemistry:

Click the link to view a List of Chemistry Programs from GradSchools.com  

Explore ACS (American Chemistry Society) Education 

Summer Research: 

The National Science Foundation (NSF) offers a program for undergraduate students to gain research experience. The Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) allows students to spend 6-8 weeks at a research-intensive institution. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Visit the Search for an REU Site to find a list of research institutions participating in the program.