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Academic Requirements

Academic requirements for applying to the T.H.Chan School of Medicine at UMass Chan Medical School are outlined below. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university located in the US or Canada is required. All applicants must have obtained their degree prior to matriculation into the Chan School of Medicine.

TIME FRAME:

Required science coursework should be completed within six years prior to the Chan School of Medicine application and in a classroom-based setting. Recent graduates, up to 3 years prior to application, would still meet the time frame for completing pre-requisite courses. Exceptions may be made for applicants who worked in or studied biomedical sciences after college graduation on a case by case basis.

Applicants enrolled in a professional or graduate school program must be in the terminal year of the degree program to be considered for admission to the Chan School of Medicine. Applicants are expected to complete the academic program in which they are enrolled at any time during the application process and prior to possible Chan School of Medicine matriculation. Individuals who have previously matriculated at another medical school are not eligible to apply to UMass Chan Medical School. 

GRADING:

All required coursework must be evaluated by traditional grading and not by a pass/fail system.

Coursework completed in the Spring, Summer and/or Fall 2020 semester can be pass/fail of no other option was provided by your academic institution due to the pandemic. Coursework elected as pass/fail is not accepted. You will be asked to explain such circumstances as part of our secondary application.

Advanced placement (AP) credit in required coursework is accepted, however, the credit awarded must be stated on the transcript and AMCAS application. Upper level undergraduate science coursework is encouraged, especially for applicants who received AP credit for required courses. International Baccalaureate (IB) credits will be accepted for the English requirement if stated on the transcript and AMCAS application. IB credits will not be accepted for any math or science required coursework. CLEP credit may not be used to satisfy these requirements.

SETTING:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete requirements in a classroom-based setting at their four-year degree granting institution during the academic school year. Online coursework at your home/graduating institution is accepted. However, classroom-based coursework and labs are strongly preferred. You will be asked to explain such circumstances, including those related to COVID, as part of our secondary application.

CLARIFICATIONS:

Applicants who are attending/have attended a college or university on a quarter system should complete at least 3 quarters to meet our 1 year/2 semester requirement for all prerequisite coursework.  

Precalculus will not be accepted as part of our 1 semester of calculus requirement.

Courses in the humanities and social sciences (psychology, sociology, anthropology) are strongly encouraged. Although most applicants are science or math majors, no major is preferred.

FOREIGN GRADUATES:

Applicants who have graduated from a foreign college or university must have completed a minimum of one full year of study in biomedical sciences at an accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university prior to submitting their application to the Chan School of Medicine.    

The year of study may include completion of:

  • Required courses listed below. Foreign graduates applying post-undergraduate school must complete required courses at an accredited US or Canadian college. 
  • Post-Baccalaureate Program in Biomedical Sciences
  • Terminal degree (Master’s, PhD) in Biomedical Sciences

ENTERING CLASS OF 2021 (and beyond) REQUIRED COURSEWORK

Required Courses

General Biology or Zoology (with lab)

2 semesters or 1 year

General Physics (with lab)

2 semesters or 1 year

English composition, literature or writing intensive course

2 semesters or 1 year

Calculus (Pre-calculus is not considered an acceptable substitution for this requirement)

1 semester

Statistics

1 semester

Chemistry

Required Chemistry Sequences: Applicants may meet the chemistry requirement in one of the following ways:

4 or 5 semesters or 2-2.5 years

 

General (Inorganic) Chemistry with Lab

Organic Chemistry with Lab

Biochemistry

 

Sequence 1

2 semesters

2 semesters

1 semester

Sequence 2

2 semesters

1 semester

1 semester

Sequence 3

1 semester

2 semesters

1 semester

Revised June 2018