Skip to main content

Pre-Medical and General Science Studies Planner - Pre-Veterinary

Pre-Med Pre-Veterinary Track

Our rigorous post-baccalaureate certificate program provides a structured academic preparation for those planning to apply to health professional programs including medical, dental, veterinary, nursing, pharmacy, physician assistant, and physical therapy, among others.

To complete the Pre-Medical and General Science Studies certificate, you must take a minimum of 12 UCLA-equivalent (XL) courses.1 Nine of the 12 courses must be chosen from the four core disciplines below (a minimum of one course from each area):

  • Chemistry (CHEM) 
  • Biological Sciences (LIFESCI, PHYSCI, MIMG, or MCD BIO)
  • Math/Statistics (MATH or STATS)
  • Physics (PHYSICS)

The remaining three courses can be selected from these disciplines, or students may choose up to three anthropology, psychology, sociology, or language courses. 

Completion time: 1.5 years (full-time pace) to 2-2.5 years (part-time pace)

Financial Aid Available

Locations: 

Westwood 

Downtown Los Angeles 

Woodland Hills 

Eligible for: 

International Students 

VA Benefits 

Start any quarter.

Pre-Veterinary Typical Foundational Courses2

The course list below outlines typical Pre-Physician Assistant program requirements and supplemental courses. Always check with the program to which you plan to apply for actual course requirements before beginning this certificate. To view other medical and health professional typical course sequences, select your desired track: Pre-Med, Pre-Physical Therapy, Pre-Physician Assistant and Pre-Dental.


 

Program at a Glance 

In the charts below, view the quarter offered and teaching format for all required and elective courses in this certificate.

 

Course Format Legend

  • I = In Person
  • L = Live Online (Synchronously via Zoom)
  • O = Online (Asynchronous)

For course format descriptions, see Instructional Formats

CHEMISTRY

Equals 1 year of General Chemistry

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
CHEM XL 14A
General Chemistry for Life Scientists I             
4IIII
CHEM XL 14B
General Chemistry for Life Scientists II
4IIII
CHEM XL 14BL
General and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
3IIII

Equals 1 year of Organic Chemistry

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
CHEM XL 14C
Structure of Organic Molecules                        
4IIII
CHEM XL 14CL
General Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
4I II
CHEM XL 14D
Organic Reactions and Pharmaceuticals
4IIII
Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
CHEM XL 153A
Biochemistry: Introduction to Structure, Enzymes, and Metabolism
4L/O/IL/O/IL/O/IL/O/I

 

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Equals 1 year of General Biology

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
LIFESCI XL 7A
Cell and Molecular Biology
5IIII
LIFESCI XL 7B
Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology
5IIII
LIFESCI XL 7C
Physiology and Human Biology
5IIII
LIFESCI XL 7L
Introduction to Laboratory and Scientific Method
3IIII

 

MATH / STATISTICS

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
MATH XL 31A
Differential and Integral Calculus                            
4IIII
STATS XL 13
Introduction to Statistical Methods for Life and Health Sciences
5III 

 

PHYSICS

Equals one year of General Physics

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
PHYSICS XL 5A
Physics for Life Sciences Majors: Mechanics and Energy
5II  
PHYSICS XL 5B
Physics for Life Sciences Majors: Thermodynamics, Fluids, Waves, Light, and Optics
5 II 
PHYSICS XL 5C
Physics for Life Sciences Majors: Electricity, Magnetism, and Modern Physics
5I I 

 

Pre-Veterinary Supplemental Courses

CHEMISTRY

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
CHEM XL 153B
Biochemistry: DNA, RNA, and Protein Synthesis
4IIII
CHEM XL 153C
Biochemistry: Biosynthetic and Energy Metabolism and Its Regulation
4IIII

 

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
LIFESCI XL 107
Genetics
5IIII
PHYSCI XL 3
Introduction to Human Physiology
5IIII
PHYSCI XL 13
Introduction to Human Anatomy                                
5 III
MIMG XL 101
Introductory Microbiology
4IIII
MIMG XL 100L
Microbiology Laboratory for Professional Schools
3I I 
MIMG XL 102
Introductory Virology
4I I 
MCD BIO XL 138
Developmental Biology
5 I I
MCD BIO XL 144
Molecular Biology of Cellular Processes and Experimental Applications
5I I 

 

MATH / STATISTICS

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3
MATH XL 1
Precalculus
4IIII
MATH XL 31A
Differential and Integral Calculus                      
4IIII
STATS XL 10
Introduction to Statistical Reasoning
5III

PHYSICS

Course Number and TitleUnitsFall3Winter3Spring3Summer3

PHYSICS XL 10                                                

Physics

4 III

UCLA Extension also offers post-bacc courses which, while they don’t count towards the certificate, can be of value for a more in-depth look at various science and math topics.

Please Note: An application and nonrefundable fee are required to establish candidacy in this program for a period of time covering normal progress toward completion, and may allow you to access a variety of program benefits. Apply Now.

Footnotes

  • 1 Courses are equivalent to those taught on UCLA’s main campus and are numbered: XL 1-199. Please note, your course of study may vary depending on how many courses you need to fulfill your foundational requirements. It may be more, it may be less. Students who are new to the sciences or are career changers will likely have to take more than the minimum 12 courses.
  • 2 Courses in this program are typically offered during the quarters and format(s) outlined above. Scheduling is subject to change at any time by UCLA Extension. Please visit our website for all current course offerings.
  • 3 Courses in this program are typically offered during the quarters and format(s) outlined above. Scheduling is subject to change at any time by UCLA Extension. Please visit our website for all current course offerings.

     

< Back to Pre-Medical and General Science Studies Certificate