Black woman in orange sweater, raising hand in brightly lit college classroom

The Top Things to Know About Prerequisites for Graduate School

You're pursuing graduate school! But have you thought about whether you have everything needed to apply? Here's what to know about course requirements.

You’re looking for your best-fit graduate program, but have you thought about what you’ll need to actually apply and enroll? While you’re asking for recommendation letters and sitting for standardized tests, don’t forget to check each program’s prerequisite courses. Let’s take a look at what these requirements are and how to make a smart academic plan for your desired advanced degree program.

What are prerequisites?

During your undergraduate career, you have to take 100-level courses before you can take more advanced classes to make sure you know the basics first. Well, the same applies for grad school. In an advanced degree program, you’ll be focusing on the finer details of your field, and your professors won’t want to waste time going over details you should’ve learned in undergrad. Most graduate programs have a set of courses you’ll need to have passed already before applying so that all students start with the same basis of knowledge. So how do you make sure you have these prerequisites before it becomes a problem? There are a few easy ways to make sure you’re prepared.

Related: 5 Questions to Ask Before Committing to Graduate School

For current undergraduates

If you’re looking at graduate programs while you’re still in college, great! You’re in the best position to make sure you have the required courses you need for your grad program of interest.

Pre-professional programs

If you’re in a pre-professional program, you’re in the perfect place. These programs are built to lead right to grad school. Some colleges and universities even have joint-degree programs available for pre-professional track students, and the curriculum is designed to be seamless. If you’re enrolled in one of these programs, breathe a sigh of relief. (But still talk to your advisor just to be sure you’re on the right track.)

Academic advising

Many students plan to go to grad school with degrees that don’t always have a pre-professional path, like students hoping to earn an MBA. The best course of action is to meet with your academic advisor and research, research, research! Many programs have similar course requirements, but they’re not always the same. Discuss your grad school plans with your advisor, and research programs you may want to apply to so you can take the right courses now.

Related:  What Questions Should I Ask My Academic Advisor?

For college graduates

It’s not uncommon to get a graduate degree in a field completely unrelated to your undergraduate major—and there are plenty of ways to make up those prerequisites if you need them.

Postbaccalaureate and non-degree programs

Postbaccalaureate programs are built for students who’ve already received their bachelor’s degrees. You’ll enroll at a college or university similarly to how you enrolled for undergrad but won’t have as large a course load. According to U.S. News & World Report, most students enroll in postbaccalaureate programs to meet medical school requirements, but you can find programs to meet requirements for other graduate degrees too. Many institutions also allow students to enroll as non-degree students. As the name suggests, you won’t enroll in a degree program, just specific courses. But each institution has different rules. Do a deep search on school websites or contact an admission official to discuss your options as a non-degree student.

Community colleges

It’s common for students of all ages to enroll at community colleges as non-degree students. If a nearby community college offers the courses you need, it may be worth looking into them. However, check with someone in admission for your desired grad program to be sure they’ll accept community college credits. Some schools are picky about where courses come from, according to U.S. News & World Report—especially medical schools.

Related: Top 20 Community Colleges in the United States

Bridge programs

Most grad schools understand that students come from many different backgrounds and prepare for that. You may be able to gain tentative admission to a program with full admission upon the completion of a bridge program. The biggest benefit to a bridge program is knowing you’ll have the necessary courses because the curriculum is planned to meet the grad program’s specific requirements. Not all grad schools offer these programs though, so do your research before applying without the prerequisites.

Are prerequisites always required?

Sometimes you don’t necessarily need prerequisites if you have a certain amount of professional experience in your field. Not every grad program allows this trade-off, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. When you’re researching programs or visiting grad schools, speak with an admission rep or program contact to discuss your options.

Related: 4 Things to Keep Track of When Applying to Grad School

Lacking the prerequisites for a graduate program doesn’t have to mean an end to your application. Just do your research and ask the right questions and you’ll be on track to your advanced degree in no time.

Start searching for a great grad school that you’re qualified for with our Graduate Program Search tool!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

Current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search tool and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey.

Create a free CollegeXpress account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and simplifying your life as a student!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Moody Theological Seminary

Chicago, IL


Abhishek Kumar

Abhishek Kumar

High School Class of 2022

As a high schooler, I know how hard it is to plan for college. You have to consider a lot of factors: SAT/ACT scores, college searches, scholarships, and more. CollegeXpress has been a helpful resource that solves all these problems. One can easily create a free account and search away. They help you search for scholarships and colleges, they have graduate program search, they have lists and rankings, and so much more. CX also has a lot of articles and advice to read—whether it’s financial aid, test prep, campus visits, internships/careers, or anything. Not only that, CX gives out free scholarship money to students who sign up and create a free CX account. I love CX and will continue to use it! Thank you CollegeXpress for making my college journey easier!

Leah Maciel

Leah Maciel

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me with all aspects of applying for college. The website is extremely easy to navigate and gives access to so many resources. I was able to research all of the colleges I was interested in, find out any information I wished to know about, and keep them organized in a list. I've also been able to research scholarships and save them as resources for later. I've used many websites in my college and scholarship search, and CollegeXpress has by far been my favorite one to use.

Casey Kammeyer

Casey Kammeyer

$500 Refer-A-Friend Scholarship Winner

I love the site CollegeXpress; it has been very helpful finding colleges and getting them to send me information. It has also been very, very helpful with finding tons of scholarships. Also, I told many of my friends about it and they love it as well!

Fabiola Rodriguez

Fabiola Rodriguez

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress helped me on my journey to get to the school of my first choice by showing me all the options I have. I didn’t know of the College of Southern Nevada until I went on this website, and it helped me look for other choices and compare what colleges would be right for me.

Makiyah Murray

Makiyah Murray

High School Class of 2021

The college application process has been a stressful one, but CollegeXpress has eased some of that stress with its readily available college resources. At the beginning of the process, I frequently used the college search feature, and now that I’m almost done applying, I’ve started using the scholarship search. Both of these resources have made it easier to find relevant information.