Pre-Professional Opportunities
A number of career fields require that students complete a four-year degree and then enter a professional or graduate program. Meredith students may plan programs of study that prepare for further study in such areas as art therapy, dentistry, journalism, law, library science, medicine, pharmacy, research, merchandising, nutrition, special education, teaching and theology. Academic advisors can direct interested students to the appropriate campus resources.
Pre-Health Professions
Students planning careers in the health professions such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, and nursing should carefully plan their academic schedules. There is no prescribed major for the health professions-any recognized college major is acceptable. However, each professional school in the health fields has specific admission requirements in science. All professional schools in health care are looking for a record of superior achievement.
Preparing for a career in health care entails commitments beyond standard academic course work. For example, up to 1000 hours of clinical experience is necessary for admission to specific programs such as physician assistant. Scheduling during the undergraduate years at Meredith should include consideration of obtaining clinical experience.
Dr. Karthik Aghoram, Professor of Biological Sciences, Chair of the Health Professions Advising Office, is the primary advisors for pre-health professions. Students should keep in contact with Dr. Aghoram throughout their academic career, no matter what their chosen major. Dr. Aghoram will work with students and their faculty advisor to make sure that admission requirements are met as well as guide them through the application process for the various graduate and professional programs.
Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Students planning their careers in veterinary medicine should carefully plan their academic schedules. There is no prescribed major for veterinary medicine, however, each veterinary school has specific admission requirements in science. All veterinary schools are looking for a record of superior achievement.
Preparing for a career in veterinary medicine entails commitments beyond standard course work. Students should have a minimum of 600 clinical hours as either a paid or volunteer assistant and are seriously encouraged to exceed this number. Veterinary schools have high standards and the competition is intense. Students applying to the NC State University Veterinary College must take the GRE before the fall application deadline of their senior year and are encouraged to apply for it during the spring of their junior year. No more than two of the courses listed by NC State University as necessary for application can be pending in the spring of the senior year.
Dr. Maria Pickering, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, is the pre-veterinary medicine advisor. Pre- veterinary students should keep in contact with Dr. Pickering throughout their academic career no matter what their chosen major. Advisors will work with students to make sure that admissions requirements are met as well as guide them through the clinical experiences and the application process.
Pre-Law
Students intending to go to law school should plan their academic program at Meredith to emphasize writing, speaking, understanding of human institutions and values in connection with law, and analytical reasoning. Law schools do not prescribe a specific program or major but insist on a broad background in the liberal arts with an emphasis on courses which will help students develop the skills listed. Because entrance requirements differ among law schools, prospective law students should obtain information from the law schools they expect to apply to as early as possible. Students should be aware that successful completion of the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is a requirement for admission to most law schools. Associate Professor in Political Science Whitney Manzo is the coordinator for pre-law advising. Students should contact Dr. Manzo for additional information on pre-law.
Accelerated Law Degree Program
Meredith College has agreements with two law schools that permit students to save time and money by completing their 4th year of undergraduate study and first year of law school simultaneously. Students in both programs complete all general education requirements and major requirements at Meredith within 3 years, and then proceed to law school at either Campbell University in downtown Raleigh, NC or Elon University in downtown Greensboro, NC.
Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law at Campbell University
Students in this program must be independently admitted to both Meredith College and Campbell Law. Admission to Campbell Law is contingent on meeting the GPA and LSAT score in the 25th percentile of the previous year’s admission class; after a student has met these minimum requirements, they will be evaluated according to Campbell Law’s other standard requirements. Successful students receive their bachelor degree from Meredith at the end of the first year of study in law school and their JD from Campbell at the end of their 3-year program.
Elon University School of Law
Students in this program must be independently admitted to both Meredith College and Elon Law. Admission to Elon Law is contingent on meeting the GPA and LSAT score in the 75th percentile of the previous year’s admission class; after a student has met these minimum requirements, they will be evaluated according to Elon Law’s other standard requirements. Successful students receive their bachelor degree from Meredith at the end of the first year of study in law school and their JD from Elon at the end of their 2.5- year program.
Students in either program are free to choose any major at Meredith that falls under 52 credit hours, though majors with less sequencing are recommended to avoid scheduling difficulties. In order to complete both the general education and major requirements within 3 years, students should plan to take between 16-18 credit hours each semester (not including summer). Students interested in this program should contact the Accelerated Law Degree Program Coordinator, Dr. Whitney Manzo.
Dual Degree Engineering Program
The Dual Degree Engineering Program is an agreement between Meredith College and North Carolina State University whereby students enrolled in the Dual Degree Engineering Program simultaneously complete the academic requirements of both institutions. Through carefully coordinated scheduling, the program is designed to allow academically qualified students to graduate in 5 years. Students successfully completing the admission, transfer, and academic requirements of both institutions, will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree from Meredith College in a discipline (see the table below) and a Bachelor of Science degree from NC State University in one of the available corresponding engineering disciplines.
Students must request to participate in the Dual Degree Engineering Program upon their acceptance to Meredith College and must select their majors by the end of their first semester at Meredith College. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or better for their first two semesters and a minimum of 3.0 thereafter at both institutions, and meet other requirements to continue enrollment in the program and be considered for admission to the College of Engineering. Admission to the NC State University College of Engineering is dependent on GPA, grades in required courses (English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and E101 and E115 at NC State University) and the successful completion of a set of required courses. Students should contact Dr. Jennifer Hontz for additional information on this program.
| Bachelor of Arts | Bachelor of Science |
|---|---|
|
Meredith College |
North Carolina State University |
|
Aerospace, Biological, Biomedical*, Chemical, Environmental, or Textile Engineering |
|
|
Biological, Biomedical*, Civil, Computer, Electrical, Industrial, or Mechanical Engineering |
|
|
Computer Engineering |
*Biomedical Engineering requires a CODA application in the spring semester of year two.
Professional Writing and Presentation Media
Coordinated by the Department of English, the minor in Professional Writing and Presentation Media is an 18 credit hour interdisciplinary program open to all students. Courses in professional writing and graphic design may be combined with electives in art, creative writing, journalism, business, communication and computer information science. A student enrolled in the minor is encouraged to complete an internship related to their professional writing interests and career goals. Requirements for are noted in the Degrees and Certificates section.
Early MAT (E-MAT) Program in Education
Qualified seniors who are interested in pursuing a career in elementary education, special education, health & physical education, or English-as-a-second language may take up to two specified graduate courses in the Master of Arts in Teaching program during the senior year. Students who are interested in applying to this program should contact the Department of Education as soon as possible to allow sufficient time for completion of the application and selection processes prior to senior year. This program is also open to CRC students.
Experiential Learning
Students are encouraged and often required to explore career possibilities through internships. Cooperative education and service experiences in the community are also available. Many experiential placements are taken for course credit, and we strongly encourage that Meredith students are paid for their internship work. The Office of Career Planning directs the Cooperative Education program, and many individual departments actively arrange and supervise internships for academic credit. These and other types of experiential learning— student teaching, study abroad, undergraduate research, co-curricular leadership programs and community-based learning—fulfill the general education experiential learning requirement.