We provide you with the prerequisite content you need to succeed in graduate school and prepare for a career in healthcare. Our program accommodates a diverse range of learners at various stages, providing a comprehensive foundation for you to pursue a career in the health professions. 

We foster a high-touch learning environment where you can learn with the flexibility promised by an online platform without compromising the academic rigor or professional behavior necessary for the future.

Semester Dates

Spring 2025

January 13 - April 22

Summer 2025

May 27 - August 18

Fall 2025

September 2 - December 9

Tuition for prerequisite courses is $540/credit. Save on tuition with these options:

Tuition Reduction on All Prerequisite Courses

We offer a 20% discount* on all prerequisite courses for prospective students who complete an application to an MGH Institute of Health Professions degree program.

How to Qualify:

  1. Complete Your IHP Degree Application: Submit your fully completed application for any IHP degree program.
  2. Enroll in Prerequisite Courses: Once your application is complete, enroll in the necessary prerequisite courses.

*this discount cannot be combined with any other reduction.

We offer a 20% discount to Veterans who provide documentation of Veteran status at the time of registration.

Also, the Registrar's Office can assist eligible student veterans, reservists and dependents in obtaining educational benefits in compliance with the procedures and regulations of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The rules vary, see more details in our Veteran's section.

 

The MGH Institute of Health Professions offers special reduced tuition benefits to all employees of Mass General Brigham, including all its members and affiliates. You can receive up to 40% off your prereqs courses.

 

Upcoming Events

11 Mar
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Online Prerequisites Program-Led Webinar
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Virtual - Zoom
16 Apr
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Online Prerequisites Program-Led Webinar
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Virtual - Zoom

Certificate of Pre-Health Studies

Our certificate program is designed for students who need to take or re-take most of their prerequisite courses; this program offers one-on-one advising, tutoring, and other academic support services to support you along the journey to a career in the medical field. Students can take individual courses or enroll in our certificate program.

Individual Courses

Application Mentorship

Applying to graduate school in healthcare can be overwhelming. Our mentor program helps guide students through typical obstacles and questions one might have when applying for graduate school, like analyzing your transcripts, writing admission essays, preparing for interviews, and navigating the application process.

All registered Online Prerequisite students are able and encouraged to utilize this free service and will be given participation instructions upon registration.

Application Mentor: Gail Samdperil, EdD, ATC

100%

online - 28 courses offered three times a year

10:1

student-to-faculty ratio ensures personalized guidance

100%

Accredited by New England Commission of Higher Education

How Do Online Labs Work?

Learning science online no longer excludes the opportunity for students to engage in active laboratory learning—in fact, learning is often enhanced when a lab experiment is adapted to the online environment. Because all of our lab-related faculty hold PhDs in their fields and are active in research or clinical practice, they design laboratory experiences specifically for students preparing for graduate school in the health professions. They also ensure that their students are using the most current and effective technology available.

In our program, we offer distance-based laboratory learning experiences in Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Physics. Each science has its own unique lab experience, and there are different approaches to recreating the laboratory learning experience which we use in our online program.

In each course and each lab, our goal is to assure that students master foundational concepts. Laboratory content is designed to integrate with didactic content and online discussions to create connections relevant to the practice of health care.

Regardless of which type of laboratory learning you are engaged in, you will complete all the steps of an onsite lab: 

  • Following the lab manual
  • Completing the learning activity
  • Analyzing your outcomes
  • Describing your results
  • Identifying relevant connections

Your instructor will review your work and be available for questions, assistance and support. You will explore and discuss the activities in each lab via asynchronous discussions with the lab instructor, course instructor, and other students. In addition, real-time discussions may also be offered by the course instructor and lab instructor.

Distant Labs

All our courses incorporate hands-on learning to ensure you get the full experience expected in a lab course. We use a mix of resources including pre-packaged lab kits. These kits contain the instructions and materials to safely complete the experiment. In many cases, you'll be able to repeat the experiment as needed to gain full understanding. 

a bunch of lab equipment on a table including glass beakers and jars of liquid

Virtual Labs

When it is not possible to recreate a laboratory environment in your home, labs might be completed using a graphic interface program. For example, in Anatomy and Physiology you will work in a virtual lab to dissect actual cadavers using a graphic interface. This program additionally provides independent self-assessments that are supplemented with regular quizzes and graded reports.

screen grab of woman's naked torso with navigation items on the right and explanation of tissue types on the left

Kim Mace, DAT, ATC

Director of Online Prerequisites Program Assistant Professor Health Professions Education

Sandra Buerger

Adjunct Associate Professor Team Lead for Science Lab Prerequisites Lecturer, Biology 1 & Microbiology Online Prerequisites for the Health Professions Term Lecturer

Tom Shull in striped shirt

Adjunct Instructor Team Lead for Communication Sciences and Disorders Prerequisites Lecturer, Phonetic Transcription & Introduction to Acoustic Phonetics Online Prerequisites for the Health Professions

Sara Aucoin in green dress

Adjunct Assistant Professor Team Lead for Health and Quantitative Studies Prerequisites Lecturer, Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2 Online Prerequisites for the Health Professions