Programs in Preparation for Other Professions

James H. and Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising
403 Lerner Hall, MC 1201
212-854-6378
preprofessional@columbia.edu
cc-seas.columbia.edu/preprofessional

The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science prepares its students to enter any number of graduate programs and professions outside of what is generally thought of as the engineering field. In an increasingly technological society, where the line between humanities and technology is becoming blurred, individuals with a thorough grounding in applied sciences and engineering find themselves highly sought after as professionals in practically all fields of endeavor.

Engineering students interested in pursuing graduate work in such areas as architecture, business, education, journalism, or law will find themselves well prepared to meet the generally flexible admissions requirements of most professional schools. Undergraduate students should, however, make careful inquiry into the kinds of specific preparatory work that may be required for admission into highly specialized programs such as medicine.

Premed

Medical, dental, and other health professional schools prefer that undergraduates complete a four-year program of study toward the bachelor's degree. All health professional schools require prerequisite coursework, but they do not prefer one type of major or scholarly concentration. Students with all types of engineering backgrounds are highly valued.

It is important to note, however, that each medical school in the United States and Canada individually determines its own entrance requirements, including prerequisite coursework and/or competencies. Each medical school also sets its own rules regarding acceptable courses or course equivalents. It is therefore essential that students plan early and confirm the premedical requirements for those schools to which they intend to apply. The Engineering curriculum covers many of the prerequisite courses required by medical schools; however, in addition to completing the mathematics, chemistry, and physics courses required by the First-Year/Sophomore Program, most schools ask for a full year of organic chemistry, a full year of biology, a full year of English, a semester of statistics, and a semester of biochemistry. Advanced Placement credit is accepted in fulfillment of these requirements by some schools but not all. Students are responsible for monitoring the requirements of each school to which they intend to apply.

Generally, students with Advanced Placement credit are strongly advised to take further courses in the field in which they have received such credit.

In addition to medical school requirements, all medical schools currently require applicants to sit for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). The recommended preparation for this exam is:

• One year of general chemistry and general chemistry lab
• One year of organic chemistry and organic chemistry lab
• One year of introductory biology and biology lab
• One semester of biochemistry
• One year of general physics and physics lab
• One semester of introductory psychology

As you prepare for this path, you should consult regularly with both your assigned adviser and one of the premedical advisers in the James H. Christine Turk Berick Center for Student Advising. These individuals will help to guide you in your course selection and planning, and introduce you to extracurricular and research opportunities related to your interests in health and medicine. Preprofessional Advising maintains an online list of many different clinical volunteer and research opportunities across New York City and beyond. Exploration of the career and sustained interactions with patients is viewed by many medical schools as essential preparation, and therefore students are strongly encouraged to spend time volunteering/working in clinical and research environments before applying to medical school.

Students must apply for admission to health professional schools more than one year in advance of the entry date. Students who are interested in going directly on to health professional schools following graduation should complete all prerequisite courses required for the MCAT by the end of the junior year. It is entirely acceptable (and most common) for students to take time between undergraduate and health professional school and thus delay application to these schools for one or more years. Students planning to apply to medical or dental school should be evaluated by the Premedical Advisory Committee prior to application. A Premedical Advisory Committee application is made available each year in December. For more information regarding this process and other premedical-related questions, please consult with a premedical adviser in the Berick Center for Student Advising or peruse its website at cc-seas.columbia.edu/preprofessional/health.

Prelaw

Students fulfilling the School of Engineering and Applied Science’s curriculum are well prepared to apply to and enter professional schools of law, which generally do not require any specific prelaw coursework. Schools of law encourage undergraduate students to complete a curriculum characterized by rigorous intellectual training involving relational, syntactical, and abstract thinking. While selecting courses, keep in mind the need to hone your writing skills, your communication skills, and your capacity for logical analysis.

While engineering students may find interests in many areas of the law, for intellectual property and patent law, a science and technology background will be greatly valued, if not essential.

Urban Teaching

New York State Initial Certification in Adolescence Education Grades 7–12 for Teachers of Mathematics and the Sciences or in Elementary Education Grades 1–6

Barnard College Education Program
335-336 Milbank Hall
3009 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
212-854-7072
education.barnard.edu

The Barnard Education Program provides courses leading to certification to teach in New York State (with reciprocal agreements with 41 other states) at either the elementary or secondary level. Students gain experience and develop skills in urban school classrooms. Required coursework includes psychology and education, a practicum, and student teaching, totaling 23–26 points of credit depending on the level of certification sought.

Certification to teach mathematics requires 36 points in mathematics. Pure science courses required are: 36 points in the sciences, of which 18 must be in the area of the certification sought: chemistry, biology, physics, or earth science.

The deadline for application, which includes an essay and letters of recommendation, is the first Monday in March of the student’s sophomore year. This allows program faculty to support students through program planning to ensure that students can meet the requirements for certification. However, when space allows, applications will be considered through the fall of the junior year. Applications from juniors are due no later than the first Monday in October. Students who plan to study abroad during the spring of their junior year should apply during the fall semester of their sophomore year. Students should decide on their interest in teacher certification by the end of the first year in order to start coursework in the sophomore year.