Other Doctoral-Level Health Professions

UCSB offers the advising and coursework necessary to complete the requirements for a variety of professional fields in health sciences. Although medicine is by far the most popular health field, many students pursue careers in other fields which require a doctoral degree or an advanced degree. These professions include dentistry, podiatric medicine, optometry, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, and pharmacy. Although some of these professional school programs do not absolutely require a bachelor’s degree, a large proportion of successful applicants will have completed this degree. Each of these fields (and the individual schools within the field) has specific course requirements which must be met before matriculating. Most require the same spectrum of courses which are outlined above for medical schools. Again, competitive applicants are involved in community service and volunteer work, engaged in health related internships, and take advantage of research opportunities.