{"id":29,"date":"2022-12-21T15:22:33","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T15:22:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/?page_id=29"},"modified":"2025-06-02T14:17:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T14:17:27","slug":"majors-and-courses","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/majors-and-courses\/","title":{"rendered":"Majors and Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Choose a Major That Supports Your Health Career Goals<\/h2>\n<p>At Keene State College, students interested in careers in healthcare and medicine can choose from a range of majors that align with their interests and the graduate or professional programs they hope to pursue.<br \/>\nThere\u2019s no single \u201cbest major\u201d for a career in health. What matters most is choosing a major that you enjoy and that allows you to complete the prerequisites for your intended graduate program.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Common Majors for Pre-Health Students at Keene State<\/h3>\n<p>Students preparing for medical, dental, PA, nursing, PT, OT, public health, and related fields often major in:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biology<\/li>\n<li>Chemistry<\/li>\n<li>Exercise Science<\/li>\n<li>Health Sciences<\/li>\n<li>Neuroscience<\/li>\n<li>Psychology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Which Major Is Right for You?<\/h3>\n<p>Different health career paths benefit from different academic strengths. Here&#8217;s how to choose the one that aligns with your goals:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Health Sciences<\/strong><br \/>\nAn excellent fit for students pursuing <strong>nursing, physician assistant (PA), occupational therapy (OT), naturopathic medicine, radiologic or ultrasound technology, public health<\/strong>, or other wellness-focused careers. Health Science provides a solid foundation in the life sciences, complemented by coursework in health and wellness, behavior, and population health.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Exercise Science<\/strong><br \/>\nA good option for students interested in health professions such as <strong>PA, OT, and nursing<\/strong>, but especially well-suited for students aiming for careers in <strong>physical therapy (PT), athletic training, or rehabilitation science<\/strong>. This major is an excellent fit for students who are interested in movement science.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Biology, Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Psychology<\/strong><br \/>\nA good fit for students planning to apply to <strong>medical school, physician assistant school, dental school, veterinary school<\/strong>, or other rigorous clinical graduate programs. These majors provide the rigorous scientific foundation, critical thinking skills, and prerequisites needed for many medical schools.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><strong>Core Courses for Pre-Health Students<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>Plan Your Prerequisites Based on Your Career Goals<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Graduate and professional schools have specific admission requirements, but most expect a strong background in science, math, and the social sciences. Keene State offers the key prerequisites for a range of health professions:<\/p>\n<p><strong>Accelerated Nursing (BSN or MSN), Radiography, and Ultrasound (Sonography)<\/strong><br \/>\nCommon prerequisites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anatomy &amp; Physiology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Microbiology (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Lifespan or Developmental Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Nutrition<\/li>\n<li>Statistics<\/li>\n<li>Intro to Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Sociology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Occupational Therapy (OT)<\/strong><br \/>\nCommon prerequisites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anatomy &amp; Physiology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Intro to Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Abnormal Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Lifespan or Developmental Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Sociology<\/li>\n<li>Statistics<\/li>\n<li>Medical Terminology (sometimes)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Physical Therapy (PT)<\/strong><br \/>\nCommon prerequisites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anatomy &amp; Physiology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Biology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>General Chemistry I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>General Physics I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Statistics<\/li>\n<li>Intro to Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Human Development or Lifespan Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Exercise Physiology or Kinesiology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Physician Assistant (PA)<\/strong><br \/>\nCommon prerequisites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anatomy &amp; Physiology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Microbiology (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Biology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>General Chemistry I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry (varies by program)<\/li>\n<li>Lifespan Psychology<\/li>\n<li>Statistics<\/li>\n<li>Medical Terminology (sometimes)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Medical School (MD or DO)<\/strong><br \/>\nTypical prerequisites:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biology I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>General Chemistry I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Organic Chemistry I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>Biochemistry<\/li>\n<li>General Physics I and II (with lab)<\/li>\n<li>One year of English or writing-intensive courses<\/li>\n<li>Calculus and\/or Statistics<\/li>\n<li>Psychology and Sociology<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Reminder<\/strong>: Always check the requirements of your target programs early. Work closely with your academic advisor to build a personalized course plan that aligns with your major and your graduate school goals.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Beyond the Classroom<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Build a Competitive Application<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Health programs value well-rounded students who combine academic achievement with real-world experience. You\u2019ll strengthen your application through:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Shadowing or clinical observation<\/li>\n<li>Volunteering in healthcare or community settings<\/li>\n<li>Research projects<\/li>\n<li>Direct patient care<\/li>\n<li>Leadership in campus or community activities\n<p><strong>Keene State offers robust opportunities for hands-on experience through:<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Faculty-mentored research<\/li>\n<li>NH-INBRE Biomedical Research Network<\/li>\n<li>The Center for Creative Inquiry<\/li>\n<li>Health Professions Club, a student-run organization for all health career interests<\/li>\n<li>Internships and Practicum Experience<\/li>\n<li>Job Shadowing opportunities at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Your Next Step<\/h3>\n<p>Already declared in a health-related major? Talk with your academic advisor to map out your pre-health plan.<\/p>\n<p>In a different major or just getting started? Contact a department chair or pre-health advisor\u2014we\u2019ll help you find the path that fits your goals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Choose a Major That Supports Your Health Career Goals At Keene State College, students interested in careers in healthcare and medicine can choose from a range of majors that align &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/majors-and-courses\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Majors and Courses&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-29","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":233,"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/29\/revisions\/233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dept.keene.edu\/premedprehealth\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}