Pre-Chiropractic Track at Hope College

What classes do I need to take? Courses Required or Recommended

Since colleges of chiropractic have different requirements, it's important that you investigate the specific requirements at each college long before you plan to apply. Specific admission requirements for each of the colleges of chiropractic can be found on the web site for each school which are linked to this site.

Courses Required At Most Colleges of Chiropractic:

• General biology with lab (Bio 105 + lab & Bio 106 + lab)
• General chemistry with lab (Chem 125/127 & 126/128 or CHEM 131/132)
• Organic chemistry with lab (Chem 221/255 & 231)
• College Physics I with lab (Phys 105/107)
• College Physics II with lab (Phys 106/108)
  • [Some schools will accept Anatomical Kinesiology (Kin 221) or Exercise Physiology (Kin 222/223) in place of Physics II]
• English (Eng 113 and either 213 or 214 or 231 or 232)
• Psychology (Psy 100)

Recommended Courses or Courses Required At Some Colleges of Chiropractic:

• Humanities/Social Sciences
• Anatomy (Kin 200 or Bio 332 both with lab)
• Physiology (Bio 221 or 442 both with lab)
• Microbiology (Bio 231 or 301 both with lab)
• Statistics (Math 210)
• Biochemistry  (Chem 311 & 314)
• Psychology (Psy 230)

Colleges of chiropractic generally do not require scores from a national exams, such as GRE or MCAT.

What should I major in?

Students should select a major area of study that is of interest and that will provide a foundation of knowledge necessary for the pursuit of several career alternatives. Colleges of chiropractic are most concerned with the overall quality and scope of undergraduate work and not with the specific academic major.

While many students who are pursuing a career in chiropractic are interested in the sciences and major in one of the sciences, others with interests in the social sciences, humanities, or the arts, may major in one of those areas. Chiropractic schools seek students with diverse and broad academic backgrounds.

Do I need to know the chiropractic profession or shadow a chiropractor?

Short answer is YES!

Students should also be aware that chiropractic school admission committees want to see that a student has learned about the chiropractic profession through first-hand experience. This experience should include job shadowing one or more chiropractors. Chiropractic school admission committees generally ask for one of the letters of recommendation for an applicant to be written by a chiropractor who has mentored the applicant. Admission committees also look at a student's experiences for evidence that the student is committed to serving others and that the student is able to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and of different ages.

Do I need to have a college degree?

Chiropractic schools generally require a minimum of 90 semester hours of college credit before admission, but most of the successful applicants have completed a bachelor's degree prior to matriculation. Several state licensing boards require a student to have completed a bachelor's degree prior to entering a chiropractic program or before licensure.

Useful Web Links

Information on the Chiropractic Profession and on Colleges of Chiropractic:

• Association of Chiropractic Colleges
• American Chiropractic Association
• Education Requirements
• List of accredited Colleges of Chiropractic with web links to each school

Links to General Information

• Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook for all types of careers.
• Explore Health Careers-a large database of links to other resources including information on many different careers.

For current Hope College students, questions related to the pre-Chiropractic track at , please contac HPA Professor T Prokopow.