In addition to declaring a major and a minor, students who plan careers in the professional fields below should also declare their pre-professional intent at the time of admission or early in their academic careers. Students will be assigned an advisor who is familiar with the appropriate pre-professional program and who will advise about the major, course selection, and other requirements for admission to the appropriate professional program.
Guidelines for entrance to professional and pre-professional programs are given below. Once students have narrowed the choice of professional or technical schools, they should obtain specific entrance requirements for those schools.
Pre-Engineering
Advisor
Pre-Forestry and Wildlife
Students planning careers in forestry, wildlife management, or conservation may study for four years at the University of Lynchburg in a program that will prepare them for jobs or graduate work in these fields. Required or recommended courses include biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and economics.
Advisor
Pre-Health
We offer pre-professional advising programs for the following professions:
- Pre-Dental
- Pre-Medical (M.D., D.O.)
- Pre-Optometry
- Pre-Pharmacy
- Pre-Physical Therapy
- Pre-Physician Assistant
- Pre-Occupational Therapy
- Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Pre-Law
For admission to law school, the Association of American Law Schools recommends substantial work in courses that require logical thought, rigorous analysis of texts, effective writing and speaking, and understanding of human institutions and values. Courses in communications, economics, English, history, philosophy, political science, and the sciences are suggested.
Students interested in attending law school upon graduation should declare pre-law as a pre-professional interest by the end of the sophomore year and be assigned an advisor by contacting Academic Advising. For assistance with course selection and law school applications, students should meet with their pre-law advisor before their senior year. Materials are available from the Academic Achievement Center. The pre-law advisors are readily available to help students learn more about law schools and the legal profession.
Pre-Library and Information Science
Students interested in pursuing a master’s degree in library and information science should include a wide range of subjects in their undergraduate education.
Advisor
Pre-Ministerial Church-Related Occupation Program
Through its Advisory Committee on Pre-Ministerial Education (composed of the faculty of the religious studies program and the University Chaplain), University of Lynchburg exercises a cooperative role with related church officials in supervising the pre-seminary education of students preparing for a ministerial vocation.
The committee has an active advising capacity to Church-Related Occupation Program (CROP) students regarding their interest in the ministry, and students having such interests should make their intentions known as early as possible to the University chaplain or to Dr. Merrill Willis. The committee seeks to assist each student with defining a special program of pre-seminary study.
The committee appoints qualified students in supervised field education (“Apprentices-in-Ministry” and interns in religious studies). This field experience may entail service with church congregations, church-related agencies, or other service agencies. The following minimum guidelines determine eligibility for appointments:
“Apprentices-in-Ministry” must:
- Be in good standing with the University;
- Have at least a 2.25 cumulative quality point average; and
- Have completed at least six semester credit hours of introductory courses in religious studies or a related field of study, with approval of the committee.
Persons desiring to serve in churches or other agencies should seek to qualify and to apply for appointment as “Apprentices-in-Ministry.”
An alternate form of supervised field experience in religious studies is the internship in religious studies, open to a limited number of students who meet all the above requirements and the academic internship requirements listed below. Internships in religious studies are arranged individually with the supervision of the Advisory Committee on Pre-Ministerial Education. Prerequisites for RELG 399 Internship in Religious Studies are as follows:
- Juniors and seniors with a minimum QPA of 2.25;
- Approval of the Advisory Committee on Pre-Ministerial Education;
- Completion of an Academic Internship Contract obtained from the Career and Professionalism Center.
Because literary study is central to the work of the minister, individuals interested in preparing for professional service in the clergy should select a comprehensive program of language study. Pre-seminarians are strongly advised to consult with members of the religious studies program about language options.
Advisors
Pre-Museum Studies
Students interested in attending graduate school and beginning a career in museums, historical sites, or arts and cultural organizations should declare a minor in museum studies by the beginning of the junior year. The recommendations for admission to graduate programs in museum studies include a discipline-specific emphasis; majors in art, history, communication studies, business, education, and the sciences are encouraged. The career opportunities in the museum field are extensive, and the American Alliance of Museums has a primary goal of leading the efforts to maintain professional standards by improving the quality of museum programs, operations, and training of personnel.
Advisor
Barbara Rothermel, PhD
Director of the Daura Museum of Art
Associate Professor of Museum Studies
434.544.8595
[email protected]
