Prerequisite Courses

The following courses are required for enrollment at UT Southwestern Medical School. We suggest that students complete all course requirements prior to applying. All requirements must be fulfilled before enrolling into medical school.

• Required courses must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. or Canadian college or university.
• Advanced placement credit is acceptable, if the school granting the credit lists the specific course(s) and number of units granted per course on the official transcript.
• Each required course must be completed with a grade of C or better.
• Foreign coursework will not count toward meeting any of the prerequisites, even if transfer credit has been given for them by a U.S. or Canadian school.
• Graduate courses do not satisfy the 90-hour requirement OR the required coursework.

For additional information on educational requirements, visit the TMDSAS website.

Biology Requirements

• Minimum 14 semester hours including formal laboratory experience may be one of the following:

• 12 lecture hours
• 2 lab hours

Acceptable Courses/Credit for Biology

Includes all biology courses applied toward baccalaureate degree in a traditional science field. Includes courses in:

• Anatomy and Physiology
• Botany
• Ecology
• Entomology
• General Biology
• Genetics
• Herpetology
• Immunology
• Marine Biology
• Microbiology
• Ornithology
• Parasitology
• Pathophysiology
• Zoology

Courses for nonscience majors or courses taught for health career majors (nursing, pharmacy, or allied health sciences) are not accepted.

Biochemistry Requirements

Acceptable Courses/Credit for Biochemistry

Biochemistry may be taught in the Biology, Biochemistry, or Chemistry Department. Biochemistry cannot be an introductory course. View a list of course topics to be covered in an acceptable Biochemistry course.

Chemistry Requirements

• Minimum 12 semester hours must include:
  • 4 semester hours general (inorganic) chemistry for science majors including corresponding laboratory experience
  • 8 semester hours organic chemistry for science majors including corresponding laboratory experience
  • Please note: 3 semester hours of Biochemistry is also required. Please refer to the Biochemistry section above for details.

  Acceptable Courses/Credit for Chemistry

  Should include familiarity with analytic and volumetric techniques.

  Inorganic courses include general chemistry, physical chemistry, and quantitative analysis. Organic courses must have “organic” in course title.

  Courses must be applicable toward a baccalaureate degree in a traditional science field regardless of student’s major. Courses for nonscience majors or health career majors (nursing, pharmacy, or allied health sciences) are not accepted.

  English Requirements

  • Minimum 6 semester credit hours

  Acceptable Courses/Credit for English

  Any course approved by an English Department that fulfills general education English requirement of a baccalaureate degree. Remedial or developmental courses or “English as a Second Language” courses are not accepted. Humanities or Social Science courses with significant expository writing may satisfy this requirement.

  Mathematics Requirements

  • Minimum 3 semester credit hours of college calculus or statistics (preferably biostatistics)

  Acceptable Courses/Credit for Mathematics

  The calculus course can be any calculus taught by a Math or Physics Department. Business calculus or any precalculus courses are not accepted.

  The statistics course must be math based and preferably taught in the Math Department.

  Physics Requirements

  • Minimum 8 semester credit hours, including lab

  Acceptable Courses/Credit for Physics

  Includes all physics courses applied toward baccalaureate degree in any traditional science field.

  Courses for nonscience majors or health career majors (nursing, pharmacy, or allied health sciences) are not accepted.

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  Do my courses meet requirements?

  First check with your pre-health adviser at your undergraduate institution who can best guide you on course selection.

  At the time of application to medical school, TMDSAS will evaluate your coursework based on these guidelines and course definitions.

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