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Pre-Professional Pathways

Prepare for the Next Step in Your Journey Today

Lay a Strong Foundation for Your Post-Graduate Studies.

In your journey to a compelling career, Gardner-Webb University may only be the first step in collegiate and professional education. For that reason, we are proud to offer specific pre-professional pathways to prepare you now for what tomorrow will require. 

Pre-Healthcare

Students interested in a career in healthcare can choose from a range of pre-professional pathways offered by Gardner-Webb. Whether your interests lie in helping people get back on their feet, providing care and attention to animals, or another area of healthcare, Gardner-Webb provides the first step.

Pre-healthcare students can choose an area of focus within Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Veterinary Medicine, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant, or Physical Therapy.

Advisors

Pre-Law

The Pre-Law Pathway is designed to be flexible and personalized courses of study that prepare students for the rigorous demands of law school through a combination of mentorship, coursework, and extracurricular activities.

At Gardner-Webb, we recognize that a well-rounded liberal arts education is the best preparation for careers in the legal profession and for law school. Law schools do not require a specific major but do emphasize that successful applicants should have well-developed skills in critical thinking, research, textual analysis, and written and oral communication.

Advisor

  • Elizabeth Amato

    Dr. Elizabeth Amato

    Associate Professor Political Science and International Relations

    (704) 406-4466

Outcomes

At Gardner-Webb University, pre-professional students come from a variety of majors, including, but not limited to, Biology, Chemistry, English, Exercise Science, History, Philosophy, and Political Science. Across all of these programs, students enjoy the advantages of small class sizes and direct contact with their professors. The community created by this pre-professional pathway is one of the most important aspects of its influence on your post-graduate career.

Because lectures and labs at GWU are taught by professors, rather than grad students or post-docs, you will work closely with faculty during your studies. These mentor-type relationships are vital to preparing you for the next step of professional schools. Students often even shadow professionals in the surrounding community or complete internships.

Regardless of the specific pathway your studies at GWU take, the community of faculty, staff, and peers in this program are here to help you on your journey towards a medical profession.

Selected
The department provided me with friends and mentors that, through encouragement and educating, gave me confidence that I could enter the job market or dental school at a competitive level.”
— Dr. Ashley Lowery, B.S. Biology '07
Selected
The classes I took as prerequisites for medical school were very important for the building blocks of my medical education. Not only were they important for my entrance exams into medical school, but anatomy, physiology, and microbiology are continued themes."
— Danielle Marshall, Exercise Science '12
Selected
I made an educated decision of pursuing a career as a pharmacist. It is a rewarding career. I can directly improve patients’ outcomes and still manage to have a family life."
— Dr. Walter Wong, B.S. Biology '06
Selected
I chose to come to GWU because I wanted the same stellar education that I received in undergrad. Also, I heard from several preceptors that take GWU students during the clinical year that our PA students are “head and shoulders” above the other PA and Med students they usually get."
— Brandon Searle, B.S. Psychology '16