Pre-Professional Health Programs

Mercer University provides undergraduate students with an excellent foundation of knowledge and skills to succeed in the most rigorous of professional programs. Students may continue their professional studies at Mercer in the fields of business, law, medicine, marriage and family therapy, nursing, pharmacy, physical therapy, athletic training, physician assistant, clinical psychology, or public health, or apply to other educational institutions to reach their professional goals.

Pre-professional tracks are not majors, and most Mercer students will declare and work towards a bachelor’s degree of their choosing before pursuing professional degrees. High-achieving, first-time college students may seek to facilitate their transition to professional school – and in some cases accelerate their professional training – by participating in one of Mercer’s Special Consideration Programs.

Pre-Health Professions Advising

The Office of Academic and Advising Services (AAS) offers specialized advising to undergraduates enrolled in the traditional programs on the Macon campus who plan to attend graduate or professional school in the fields of health care after completing their undergraduate studies. Additional assistance can be obtained from the Center for Career & Professional Development. AAS Advising services include:

• Regular emails/texts containing information and updates related to the pre-health professions tracks;
• Seminars and workshops on topics of interest to pre-health students (e.g., creating a 4-year plan, preparing a personal statement, developing strong interview skills, etc.) Current students should consult BearPulse for dates and details;
• Administration of the “GPS” (pre-Graduate & Professional School) advising course on Canvas (a step-by-step course designed to help students build strong application portfolios);
• Pre-health professions support from Pre-Health Ambassadors, upper classmen on pre-health tracks who share their experience with younger students;
• One-on-one pre-health professions advising appointments;
• Maintenance of the MercerPreHealth social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram); and
• Maintenance of informative web pages for all tracks (links below).

Majors for Pre-Health Professions Tracks

Many professional schools do not require a specific major for admission, but pre-professional students must complete the admission prerequisites for their preferred professional schools as they complete their undergraduate degree. We therefore advise students to seek a broad education and to major in a field they are truly interested in, rather than what they think might be preferred by professional schools. No matter what the major, prospective students should note that the core science requirements for admission to health-related professional schools are offered by the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences on the Macon campus, so pre-health students will need to enroll in one of the colleges or schools on the Macon campus. Although we want students to “follow their passions” as undergraduates, we do not want students to spend more time or money to complete their undergraduate studies than necessary. We therefore advise students to consider how well their degree requirements will “fit” with their professional pre-requisites before the end of the fall of the second year.

Suggested majors for the different pre-health tracks

Information about established Pre-Health Tracks are listed on the menu at left. Undergraduates enrolled in one of Mercer’s traditional colleges and schools on the Macon campus are encouraged to enroll in the GPS advising course on Canvas.

Mercer also offers a Pre-Theology track, advised by Dr. Richard Wilson from the Roberts Department of Religion. Students may also be interested in the Pre-Law track, advised by Dr. Lori Johnson from the Department of Political Science.