Pre-Chiropractic
Offered by Health Science Programs
A minimum of 90 semester credit hours is required for admission to most colleges of chiropractic. However, students pursuing these programs are expected to choose a major so that they can be working towards a baccalaureate degree concurrently with the pre-professional program. This requires a major/minor combination or a comprehensive major as well as completion of the UNK general education requirements and other degree requirements as set forth in the college catalog. These programs do not specify which major a student should pursue in conjunction with his/her pre-professional studies. Gaining acceptance into a chiropractic school is a competitive process. Completion of the pre-requisites does not automatically guarantee admission.
The following curriculum is the recommended course of study for pre-chiropractic students. Students should check with the specific school(s) to which they intend to apply to ensure that all requirements are met and see their pre-chiropractic advisor for course planning. Students should be aware of prerequisites on all courses and plan their coursework accordingly.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Take all of the following: | ||
| CHEM 160 & 160L | General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 161 & 161L | General Chemistry and General Chemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| ENG 101 | Introduction to Academic Writing | 3 |
| PSY 203 | General Psychology | 3 |
| SPCH 100 | Fundamentals of Speech Communication | 3 |
| Choose a minimum of 24 total credit hours in the life and/or physical sciences (half with a laboratory component). Recommendations include: | 24 | |
| General Biology | ||
| Biology II | ||
| Human Microbiology | ||
| Human Physiology | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry and Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Lab | ||
| Biochemistry I | ||
| Introduction to Human Physiology of Exercise | ||
| Introduction to Anatomical Biomechanics | ||
| General Physics for Allied Health | ||
| General Physics I and Physics I Laboratory | ||
| Electives | 12 | |
| Electives in the humanities and social sciences are required and may include English literature courses, foreign language, psychology, philosophy, political science, economics, sociology and fine arts courses. 2 | ||
| 3+3 Program | ||
The 3+3 Bachelor of Science combined degree program between the University of Nebraska at Kearney and the chiropractic schools listed below was specifically developed for students who intend to pursue a chiropractic education. The program provides qualified students an opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Health Sciences and the Doctor of Chiropractic degree in only six years. Participating Programs: Cleveland Chiropractic College, Logan University, Life Chiropractic College West (Bellevue, NE), Life University, Northwestern Health Sciences University – College of Chiropractic, and Palmer College of Chiropractic. UNK students are granted guaranteed acceptance after three years (90 credit hours) of pre-requisite coursework and completion of all requirements. Each program has a minimum GPA requirement in order to receive guaranteed admission. The first year of chiropractic coursework will fulfill the remaining senior level requirements at UNK. The student may then be awarded the Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Health Sciences from UNK at the completion of the first year of professional study at chiropractic school. | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 53 | |
Students who are accepted into chiropractic, osteopathy, or podiatry school prior to completing a baccalaureate degree at UNK may be eligible to receive a BS Degree in Applied Health Sciences if they have completed all General Education requirements and have at least 85 semester credit hours completed in pre-chiro, pre-osteo, or pre-podiatry studies.