June 14th, 2022
What is a Pre-Professional Degree?
While you can pursue a next-level degree from a variety of starting points, a pre-professional degree program tells prospective grad schools that you’re ready for a specific career path. Much like pre-med programs tells a medical school that a graduate has taken requisite courses and has acquired specific knowledge, your success in a pre-professional program demonstrates that you are well-prepared for comprehensive, focused studies in the field you intend to pursue.
Medicine, law, and athletic training are some disciplines that particularly benefit from pre-professional programs. And although these degrees will not guarantee you admission into a master’s program, they can separate you from other candidates and prepare you for the rigors of graduate school.
What Careers Benefit from a Pre-Professional Degree?
Several vocations require advanced degrees. But a pre-professional bachelor’s degree is a great first step toward these careers:
Law
Aspiring lawyers must go through law school and pass the bar exam before they can practice. To prepare for both, pre-professional degrees with law concentrations build the foundation of law and governance lawyers will later need to do their jobs. According to the Law School Admissions Council, one of the most common pre-law programs is criminal justice. A CJ degree with a legal concentration will teach you about the court system, how laws are adjudicated, and how offenders are prosecuted. It will help you develop the analytical, ethical, and critical thinking skills you need for a career in law.
Another common major for pre-law is history. Understanding the historical context and evolution of our legal system will help you be a more knowledgeable lawyer, better able to advocate for your clients. And because much of what happens in business winds up being adjudicated by courts, the combination of business and pre-law can prepare you for further studies and a career in corporate law, compliance, or contracts.
Medicine
You’ve most likely heard of premed studies. The most common degree among medical school applicants is biological sciences, or biology, but not everyone in that concentration goes on to medical school. Because of its focus on the human body and related sciences, it’s a natural fit to a variety of career paths. A pre-professional concentration in biology can prepare you for careers in medicine, dentistry, optometry, veterinary medicine, physician assistant, pharmacy, and physical therapy, among others.
Nursing
Nurses once got credentials specific to their profession and didn’t worry about a degree. Now, bachelor’s degrees aren’t merely encouraged; many healthcare facilities require them. A pre-licensure nursing program can prepare you for your licensing exam while you pursue your degree. And a pre-professional program in nursing can help you attain that next level in your career. Nurses with master’s degrees can take on a variety of specialties and leadership roles in the profession, increasing their job satisfaction, impact, and salary.
Athletic Training
As an athletic trainer, you don’t just need to understand health and conditioning. You also need to understand the psychosocial factors that can affect an athlete’s ability to perform. As an athletic trainer, you help prepare athletes for the physical intensity that sports require, with the goal of preventing harm or injury to the player. When injuries do occur, you help players through the rehabilitation process. A pre-athletic training major can prepare you for graduate studies that can, in turn, lead to careers in such areas as:
- Athletic programs in schools and universities
- Professional teams
- Olympic sports
- Youth programs and sports facilities
- Sports medicine clinics
- Occupational health departments
- Police and fire departments
- Performing arts such as dance and theatre
A pre-professional program can also prepare you for graduate programs in physical therapy, occupational therapy, or public health.
Regardless of your career path, Limestone University offers a variety of pre-professional degrees that can prepare you for advanced study in a graduate program. We offer pre-professional programs in Criminal Justice-Law, Business Administration-Law, Biology, Athletic Training, Nursing, and more. If you’re ready to take the first step toward your career, click the button for more information.
