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Prepare for graduate school in the health professions

The MGH Institute’s Online Prerequisites for the Health Professions provide you with the content and preparation you need to succeed in graduate school. Courses are taught by practicing clinicians and researchers, and examples are drawn from health care. All science courses can be taken with or without a lab.

The future of health care will require lifelong learners who are able to self-direct and manage time, learn from and collaborate with others, and take leadership roles by advocating for self and others. And our prereq students learn how to do all of these.

Courses Offered:
 
Anatomy and Physiology I, II • Biochemistry • Biology I, II • Chemistry I, II • Intro to Chemistry for Health Professionals
Exercise Physiology • Microbiology • Nutrition • Physics I, II • Abnormal Psychology • Developmental Psychology • Statistics
 
Intro to Communication Sciences & Disorders • Phonetic Transcription & Intro to Acoustic Phonetics • Anatomy & Physiology of the Speech, Language, and Hearing Mechanism • Speech & Language Acquisition • Audiology
 
Spring classes start January 13, 2020

Register for Classes

Complete the form below to view a recording of our most recent informational webinar hosted by Lynn Foord, PhD, MEd, PT, Director of the Prerequisites for Health Professions Program.

 
 

Sean Doherty, online prerequisites student

 

"What I like the most about the IHP's prerequisites is how the online format allows for the interjection of incredibly helpful material. This material includes links to videos and animations of DNA transcription and translation, and interactive games for dialing in the names of all the muscles in the body."

Sean Doherty, MPAS '19 and Former MGH Institute Online Prerequisites Student

Read more student profiles

25
Online courses offered throughout the year
 
100%
Accredited by New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
 
Over 5,000
Students have taken our online prerequisites
 

The IHP Advantage

Faculty-Led Instruction

You will learn from practicing clinicians and researchers who know firsthand how the basic sciences required for admission to graduate school are actually used in clinical practice and research. Learn More.

Health Care Examples

Students consistently tell us they value the health care examples woven throughout the courses. You will read, analyze, discuss and apply this information to understand real-world, health-related issues. Learn More.

High Quality Labs

Because our lab faculty hold PhDs and are active in research or clinical practice, they design laboratory experiences specifically for students preparing for graduate school in the health professions. Learn More.

 

Learn from Experts

Oksana Berezovska, PhD, Associate Professor
 
Appreciating Chemistry in the Real World

 

"My goal is to make students understand the scientific concepts behind chemistry, not just memorize formulas. I want students to learn to appreciate chemistry in the real world."  

Dr. Berezovska is a neuroscientist, and chemistry is an intrinsic part of her professional world. This explains why she is the course author and has taught in all of the courses in the MGH Institute’s online chemistry curriculum: Intro to Chemistry for Health Professionals, General Chemistry I, and General Chemistry II.

Meet more of our faculty

 

Photo of Oksana Berezovska
Boston skyline with Zakim Bridge
 

Online Prerequisites Costs 2019-2020 Academic Year

Our courses are known for their excellent faculty, small class sizes, and emphasis on how the content directly relates to health care. Register for courses and prepare for your graduate degree today. 

For the 2019-2020 academic year courses will cost $525 per credit-hour or $1575 for a typical 3-credit course.

We do not charge ANY ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION FEES WHEN YOU REGISTER.

Cost Information

 
 

Outstanding Support and Resources

Responsive Faculty

Our online prerequisites faculty hold regular office hours, facilitate online discussions, and  provide individual support throughout the semester.

Technology Support
Our Office of Information Technology provides a wide range of support to our online students. 
Monday - Thursday: 8AM-8PM
Friday: 8AM-5PM
Saturday: 8AM-4PM
Hours subject to change
 
 
Tutoring

In the online environment, tutoring is provided by content experts via phone, face-to-face meetings, or through other visual media. In “hard science” courses, we offer up to 30 minutes of free tutoring each week with instructor approval.

 
 

More Information: Online Prerequisites

Download Any of Our "5 Guides" to Prerequisites for the Health Professions

We get a lot of questions about online prerequisites, so we’ve created our “5 Guides” series with answers to many common questions from students preparing for graduate school. Simply complete this form to download any of the following guides

5 STEPS To Prepare Financially For Graduate School In The Health Professions
5 WAYS To Make Your Health Professions Graduate School Application Stand Out
5 QUESTIONS (and Answers!) About taking Labs with an Online Course
5 QUESTIONS About Enrolling in Online Prerequisites for the Health Professions
FAQs

Q: How much do courses cost?

Cost and registration information can be found here.

Q: What courses do you offer?

We offer 25 online prerequisites during the fall, spring, and summer semesters in the following subjects:

Anatomy & Physiology I, II • Biochemistry • Biology I, II
Introduction to Chemistry for the Health Professions
Chemistry I, II • Exercise Physiology • Microbiology
Nutrition • Physics I, II • Psychology • Statistics
Introduction to Communication Sciences & Disorders
Phonetic Transcription and Introduction to Acoustic Phonetics
Anatomy and Physiology of the Speech, Language, and Hearing Mechanism
Speech-Language Acquisition • Introduction to Audiology

Note: the following courses are the only courses not offered every semester:  Abnormal Psychology, Introduction to Chemistry, Chemistry I and II, Physics I and II

See our list of course offerings where you will find a brief description of each course and instructor; an overview of the Course Syllabus, and the link to download a Quick Guide to provide in-depth information about the course experience.

Q; How do I take a lab with an online science course?

We have an extensively developed set of laboratory experiences that can be incorporated with our online courses. 
For more information visit our labs page and download 5 Questions and Answers About Taking Labs as an Online Student 

Q: What are available payment options?

Tuition Assistance is available for prerequisite students through TMS (Tuition Management Systems). TMS allows you to split your payments: the first half due upon registration; the second half due by the end of the first month of the semester.

Note: TMS requires a $50.00 service fee per semester.

Q: What are "course vouchers?"

Vouchers are compensation provided by the IHP to employers when they provide clinical instruction for our students. A voucher can cover the cost of up to three credits.

If you work for one of these employers, you may be able to request vouchers to use for educational purposes such as taking an online prerequisite course! 

You can reach out to the Assistant Registrar for Non-Degree Enrollment (617-643-2126) for further information about IHP Vouchers.

Q: How do I know what courses I need to take in order to apply to a specific program, e.g., nursing or physician assistant studies, etc.?

To assist you in your planning, we have created “Comprehensive Course Grids” that list prerequisites for each of our professional programs. 

Fill out this form to download any of our program-specific “Comprehensive Course Grids."

Note: Each school's requirements can be different so we advise you to check with all schools and programs to which you plan to apply about their specific prerequisites.

For OTHER schools, you should check directly with the program(s) to which you intend to apply about THEIR prerequisites, as requirements can differ from school to school of course.
 

Q: What support do you offer prerequisite students?

Orientation for Prerequisite Students: This orientation includes training in using our Learning Management System (D2L), as well as other information to help you get started at the IHP without ever having to come on campus. 

Access to faculty, TAs: Each course includes a discussion board titled “Ask the Professor” where you can post questions. Instructors and lab TAs are also available by email and telephone.

Live Q&A: Many of our courses provide you with the opportunity to attend live Q&A sessions with the instructor.

Tutoring: The IHP provides students with up to 30 minutes of free tutoring each week with the approval of the instructor.

Technical support is available for all IHP students through our Help Desk.

Q: What if I have more questions!?

You can contact us at any time. We are more than happy to assist you via live chat, email, or phone (617) 724-6362. Please let us know how we can help you!

Labs that Accompany Our Online Courses

Learn more about how the labs work for our science courses.