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 T.H. Chan School of Medicine.
TIME FRAME:
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 T.H. 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 T.H. 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 if 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.
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.
INTERNATIONAL GRADUATES:
Applicants who have graduated from a college or university outside the US or Canada 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 T.H. Chan School of Medicine. Please visit our How to Apply webpage to review our English Language Proficiency Requirement.
The year of study may include completion of:
- Post-Baccalaureate Program in Biomedical Sciences
- Terminal degree (Master’s, PhD) in Biomedical Sciences
- Required courses listed below:
- International graduates applying post-undergraduate school must complete required courses at an accredited US or Canadian college
ENTERING CLASS OF 2024 (and beyond) REQUIRED COURSEWORK
Course Name |
Duration |
||
|
Biology (with lab) |
2 semesters or 1 year |
||
|
Physics (with lab) |
2 semesters or 1 year |
||
|
English composition, literature, or writing intensive course |
2 semesters or 1 year |
||
|
Statistics |
1 semester |
||
|
Options for Chemistry coursework |
|||
|
|
General Chemistry (with Lab) Semesters |
Organic Chemistry (with Lab) Semesters |
Biochemistry Semesters
|
|
Option 1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
Option 2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Option 3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- AP credit for required coursework will be considered but the application is strengthened by completion of all required courses during the undergraduate or post-baccalaureate process.
- Applicants are encouraged to complete required science coursework within six years of entering the Chan School of Medicine. This is not a requirement but prerequisite courses which were completed significantly outside of this time frame will weaken the application.
Revised September 2023