CAREER IDEAS
Biochemist, Biologist, Dentist, Doctor, Optometrist, Physical Therapist, Physician, Veterinarian
The Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health (PBPH) is geared toward students interested in applying to graduate or professional preparation in the Health Sciences, particularly in the fields of Medicine (M.D., D.O., D.V.M.), Dentistry, Physical Therapy, and Optometry. The program also boasts a Health Sciences Certificate Program that students may pursue while completing their pre-health coursework at the college.
The Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health Professions (PBPH) at Manhattanville College is designed for two types of students:
Students who have earned a bachelor's degree with a major and/or minor outside of the sciences and are now seeking to complete the necessary pre-requisite core courses required of most graduate preparation in the Health Sciences
Students who have earned a bachelor's degree with a major or minor in the sciences and are currently seeking academic enhancement of existing science courses by repeating course work already taken and/or enrolling in upper-level science courses.
Please note, International Students are currently not eligible for admission to Manhattanville's PBPH.
For questions about the admissions process, please contact jessica.cox@mville.edu.
For questions about the program, contact wendy.mcfarlane@mville.edu.
Download our program sheet to learn more or request more information.
Core Courses:
| BIO1001 | Principles Of Biology I |
| BIO1002 | Principles Of Biology II |
| CHM1001 | Principles Of Chemistry I |
| CHM1003 | Principles Of Chemistry Lab I |
| CHM1002 | Principles Of Chemistry II |
| CHM1004 | Principles Of Chemistry Lab II |
| CHM2001 | Organic Chemistry I |
| CHM2002 | Organic Chemistry II |
| CHM2005 | Organic Chemistry I Lab |
| CHM2006 | Organic Chemistry II Lab |
| PHY1001 | College Physics I |
| PHY1002 | College Physics II |
| MATH1030 | Calculus I |
| BIO2061 | Biochemistry 1 |
Two semesters of English (one course in English Literature and one course in English Composition; 3-4 credits) are also required.
** While not all professional schools require Calculus I, it is strongly recommended to prepare students for entrance into professional schools and is required to be eligible for Manhattanville's PHPAC Committee Letter of Recommendation.
To view course descriptions of the various courses required, click on the link. You can also visit the Manhattanville College Course Catalog.
Additional coursework in the sciences is strongly recommended, and includes the following: Anatomy and Physiology, Biochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, and DNA Technology.
Students may use courses and credits earned from previous institutions to fulfill the requirements. However, students are required to take at least six (6) courses in residence at Manhattanville in order to be eligible to request a Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee composite letter of recommendation.
Click here for information on How to Apply.
Requirements for admission to the PBPH:
- An earned Undergraduate degree
- Minimum Undergraduate Cumulative GPA of 2.5
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Submission of PBPH Application
- Submission of official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended.
Applications are now open!
To apply, please select the Undergraduate application when you follow the link at the top of the page - the post-baccalaureate programs are listed under the Major dropdown!
(International Students are unfortunately not eligible to enroll in the PBPH)
Please note: PBPH students attend on a part-time basis and may take up to 11.5 credits per semester.
When researching loan options and eligibility requirements, keep in mind that all PBPH students have part-time, non-matriculated status they are only eligible for private loans, not federal loans. A payment plan is available and can assist with costs. For additional private loan possibilities, we recommend you consider applying for our 5-course Certificate in Health Sciences.
A payment plan is available and we can assist with costs. Please contact the Office of Student Accounts at 914.323.5266 for information on details and to sign-up for the payment plan.
Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health (PBPH) Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Who are the Manhattanville PBPH students?
A. Manhattanville PBPH students are college graduates who want to apply to medical, school, dental school, or other health professional schools and need to fulfill prerequisites or enhance their credentials before applying.
Q. What are the admissions deadlines?
A. Manhattanville accepts PBPH students in the Spring, Summer and Fall. Even though we encourage you to apply early, application deadlines are add/drop of the semester you are interested in enrolling.
Q. What are the admissions requirements?
A. Admissions requirements include official copies of all undergraduate transcripts, a personal essay, a resume, application fee and two letters of recommendation. No graduate admissions exams are required.
Q. What is the minimum GPA requirement for acceptance as a PBPH student?
A. We require a minimum overall 2.5 GPA, but prefer students with a 3.0 and above.
Q. Does Manhattanville offer a Committee Letter of Recommendation?
A. Yes. Applications for our Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee (PHPAC) Recommendation Letter involve a two-step process. The ‘Intent to Apply’ form is due in April of your application year and, if your eligibility is confirmed, you will be invited to submit a ‘Letter Request’ by the following June or August. All applicants must meet certain requirements to be eligible for the Committee Letter, including maintaining a 3.33 GPA and having taken at least six courses here at Mville (which pairs nicely with our 5-course Health Sciences Certificate). Your level of recommendation (Highly Recommended, Recommended, Recommended with Reservation, or Not Recommended) will be determined during the Committee’s review process. Full-time faculty members serve on the PHPAC on a rotating basis. A list of current members may be found at https://www.mville.edu/
Q. Is there Financial Aid available as a Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health student?
A. Pre-Health students are non-matriculated (part-time) students, so they are only eligible for private loans, not federal loans. Health Sciences Certificate students are eligible for additional private loan possibilities. A payment plan is available and can assist with costs.
Q. How does the payment plan work?
The College offers a monthly payment plan, accessible through Touchnet. It enables students or their families to pay monthly installments on their account toward tuition, fees, and housing. Many students and families find monthly installments more manageable than a single payment each semester.
The payment plan is not a loan. Therefore, there are no credit checks. Low cost, no approval, no interest, just a $50.00 enrollment fee per semester. The plan is available for each semester — fall and spring, for six, five or four monthly installments.
Either the student or the authorized user can enroll in the monthly payment plan. The student should login using the username and password. Authorized users must be given access by the student
To enroll, please visit https://www.mville.edu/
Q. How long will it take to complete the Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health coursework? Can I qualify for letters of recommendation?
A. This can vary from student to student based on their undergraduate record. We typically recommend that students enroll for one full year in the program to improve credentials. To qualify for a Committee letter as a post-baccalaureate pre-health student, you must complete at least six (pre-health or upper-level Science) courses at Manhattanville College; maintain a GPA of 3.33 or higher while at Manhattanville; earn a competitive score on the MCAT, DAT, or other relevant exam; and present to the Pre-Health Professions Advisory Committee a clear and thoughtful rationale for your decision to pursue your chosen health profession. Additional details about the Committee Letter may be found above.
Q. When do classes meet? Are they separate for PBPH students or are you in class with undergrads?
A. Most of our PBPH classes are taken with undergraduates on a traditional daytime undergraduate schedule. We do offer some accelerated courses during the summer months.
Q. What is the acceptance rate for entering Manhattanville as a Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health student?
A. The acceptance rate varies. As a benchmark, in 2018-19, it was approximately 50%. We try to keep the classes and learning environment small by design for student success. Once accepted, PBPH students are asked to fill out and return an enrollment confirmation form as early as possible. Otherwise we cannot guarantee seats will be available for the desired classes.
Q. What schools have PBPH alumni been accepted to?
A. Our PBPH alumni have been accepted to a variety of medical, dental, physical therapy, and other professional schools both within and outside of the US. Please visit http://www.mville.edu/
Q. How many credits can I take each semester?
A. We limit the number of credits a PBPH student can take to 11.5. This is to ensure that you will be able to focus on your registered courses.
Q. Can I speak with current and past PBPH students?
A. We encourage you to come to our next open house event to meet PBPH students and faculty. Due to FERPA laws we are unable to give out any student information. Open House events typically take place in January, March, June, August and October. The chair of the Pre-Health Committee and the Chair of the Division of Natural Sciences are available via email to discuss the program at any time.
Q. Does the Post Baccalaureate Pre-Health offer MCAT prep in the curriculum?
A. The content presented in our pre-med courses are aligned with the topics that appear on the MCAT. In addition, we have paired with Kaplan and Princeton Review to offer MCAT and GRE prep courses through those companies at a discounted rate for Manhattanville students. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions about this opporutnity.
External Pre-Health Opportunities and Internships
Below are helpful link to various pre-health internship databases.
Note: Summer internship applications can have deadlines as early as January
Health Related Summer Opportunities (from Swarthmore):
http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/health_sciences/
Co-op/Internship Opportunities for Pre-Medical Studies Students (from RIT):
http://people.rit.edu/gtfsbi/Symp/premed.htm
Columbia University Office of Pre-Health Advising- Medical Opportunities for Pre-Health Students — Summer Opportunities, Listings for New York:
www.studentaffairs.columbia.edu/preprofessional/health
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Health Research Training Program:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/about/employment/hrtp-internship.page
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Statistics on Applicants, Matriculates, and Graduates:
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/
MCAT and GRE Prep Courses
To help prepare students for an MD or PhD program, Manhattanville College has working agreements with Kaplan and Princeton Review to offer at a discounted rate for enrolled students the MCAT or GRE exams, respectively. These courses will help ensure our students excel in their performance on their entrance exams.
Tri-Beta Honor Society
Manhattanvillle College is the home of the Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Tribeta Biological Honor Society. TriBeta is focused on increasing knowledge and understanding within the biological sciences. Students enrolled in the MS program will have the opportunity to become a member of Tri-Beta, which meets regularly. Activities of the honor society include community reach out events, fund raising events, pre-health orientation events such as guest speakers, and U.S. Army sponsored events such as suture training classes, to name but a few.
Financial Assistance and Housing
When applying to the program, students may be eligible to apply for financial assistance. Graduate assistantships may also be offered, allowing students to apply to become laboratory assistants within the department to help prepare laboratories for various courses. Graduate housing is also available, and students interested in housing should inquire with program administration.
Academic Advising
Upon admission to the program, students speak with their mentor about their first-term course load and selection. Each semester, students meet with their mentor to set up advising sessions in advance of registration to discuss their plans and pacing through the program, and to stay on track to graduate. For spring semester course registration, you will receive an email to set up an appointment in October or November. For fall courses, advising takes place in March or April.
Health Sciences Certificate Program
The School of Arts and Sciences offers 2 Health Science Certificates; a Basic and an Advanced Certificate. These 5 course (15-20 credit) certificate programs are designed for post-baccalaureate pre-health professions students wishing to enhance their academic profile in pre-health courses prior to applying to a health professions graduate program, including but not limited to careers such as M.D., D.O., D.D.S., or D.V.M. programs, among others.
The Basic certificate will allow students to complete pre-health courses (e.g.- Principles of Biology, Organic Chemistry, etc.) prior to application to health professional schools (e.g.- allopathic or osteopathic medical school), or enhance their science GPA by taking upper level courses (e.g.- medicinal chemistry, anatomy and physiology I and II) prior to applying.
The advanced certificate allows students to take graduate level courses in the health sciences prior to application to health professional schools (e.g.- allopathic or osteopathic medical school), or enhance their science GPA by taking graduate level courses (e.g.- medicinal chemistry, anatomy and physiology I and II) prior to applying.
The overall career objective of the certificate program is to ensure a high rate of success for students planning to apply to health professions graduate programs, although not guaranteed.
Admissions Requirements (either certificate):
* Earned undergraduate (B.A. or B.S./4 year) degree
* Minimum Undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.5
* Two Letters of Recommendation
* Personal Statement
* Submission of Official Transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended
* Submission of Application with $75 application fee (waived if completed online).
Basic Certificate Curriculum Outline:
Take any 5 of the following courses (15-20 credits total):
BIO1001: Principles of Biology 1 with lab (4 cr.)
BIO1002: Principles of Biology 2 with lab (4 cr.)
BIO 2003: Principles of Genetics (3 cr.), or BIO3003: Principles of Genetics with lab (4 cr.), or Bio2073: Human Genetics (3 cr.)
BIO 2008: Nutrition (3 cr.)
BIO 2061: Biochemistry 1 (3 cr.) or 3061: Biochemistry 1 with lab (4 cr.)
BIO 2062: Biochemistry 2 (3 cr.) or 3062: Biochemistry 2 with lab (4 cr.)
BIO3005: Developmental Biology with lab (4 cr.)
BIO3007: Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (4 cr.)
BIO 3012: Biostatistics (3 cr.)
BIO3013: Microbiology with lab (4 cr.)
BIO3017: Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (4 cr.)
BIO 3028: Immunology (3 cr.)
BIO 3060: Bioethics (3 cr.)
CHM1001&1003: Principles of Chemistry 1 w/ lab (4 cr.)
CHM1002 & 1004: Principles of Chemistry 2 w/ lab (4 cr.)
CHM 2001 & 2005: Organic Chemistry 1 w/ lab (4 cr.)
CHM 2002 & 2006: Organic Chemistry 2 w/ lab (4 cr.)
CHM 3020: Medicinal Chemistry (3 cr.)
PHY 1101 & 1103: Principles of Physics 1 w/ lab (4 cr.)
PHY 1102 & 1104: Principles of Physics 2 w/ lab (4 cr.)
MAT 1030: Calculus 1 (4 cr.)
MAT 1110: Introduction to Statistics (3 cr.)
PSY 1004: Fundamentals of Psychology (4 cr.)
PSY 2012: Stats for Social Sciences (4 cr.)
SPRT 2050: Measurement in Sport/ Exercise (3 cr.)
SPRT 3542: Applied Kinesiology for P.E. and Sport Performance (3 cr.)
SPRT 3545 Applied Exercise Physiology for P.E. and Sport Performance (3 cr.)
Advanced Certificate Curriculum Outline:
Take any 5 of the following courses:
BIO 5003: Principles of Genetics (4 cr.)
BIO5005: Developmental Biology (4 cr.)
BIO5007: Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4 cr.)
BIO 5012: Biostatistics (3 cr.)
BIO5013: Microbiology (4 cr.)
BIO5017: Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4 cr.)
BIO5019: Nutrition in Health and Disease (4 cr.)
BIO5023: Global Env Health Seminar (4 cr.)
BIO5026: Biotechnology Seminar (4 cr.)
BIO 5028: Immunology (4 cr.)
Bio5029: Advanced Immunology Seminar (4 cr.)
BIO5032: Parasitology (4 cr.)
BIO5057: Forensic Biology (4 cr.)
BIO5060: Bioethics Seminar (4 cr.)
BIO 5061: Biochemistry 1 (4 cr.)
BIO 5062: Biochemistry 2 (4 cr.)
BIO5080: Molecular Biology Techniques (4 cr.)
BIO5090: Molecular Neurobiology (3 cr.)
BIO5497: Graduate Research in Biology (3 cr.)
CHM 5020: Medicinal Chemistry (3 cr.)
For more information on this program and how to apply, please contact Dr. Christopher Pappas