Course Requirements

Most medical and dental schools have a standard set of required course requirements for admission. These courses typically cover the subject matter tested on both the MCAT and DAT (The DAT does not include a physics section). Students are encouraged to complete this course work by their junior year. It is recommended that students take the MCAT/DAT in the spring of their junior year.

Medical School and Dental School

Although most medical schools require the same core list of required course work, individual medical or dental schools may have additional requirements (i.e. calculus, biochemistry). It is a good idea to consult each medical/dental school to which you are interested in applying for confirmation of their requirements. Information on individual admission requirements of medical schools is covered in the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) published annually by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Dental admissions requirements are updated annually in the Official Guide to Dental Schools published by the American Dental Education Association.

The required course work along with the LSU equivalents is listed below. Honors versions of the specific courses are acceptable. 

Requirement LSU Equivalent 
1 Year of General Biology with Labs BIOL 1201/1208, 1202/1209
1 Year of General Chemistry with Labs CHEM 1201, 1202, & 1212 lab
1 Year of Organic Chemistry with Lab CHEM 2261, 2262, 2364 lab
1 Year of Physics with Labs PHYS 2001/2108, 2002/2109
6-9 hours of English ENGL 1001, 2000, 1 other course

Additional course work may be required:

  • LSU Medical School- New Orleans, LSU Medical School- Shreveport, and the LSU Dental School require a semester of Biochemistry (BIOL 4087/ *BIOL 2083). (*BIOL 2083 is accepted by the LSU Health Sciences Center medical and dental schools for non-science majors. Please contact pre-medical/ predental advisor with any questions.)
  • LSU Medical School- New Orleans requires a Statistics course (EXST 2201/ISDS 2000). (LSU Medical School- New Orleans requires a Statistics course (EXST 2201/ISDS 2000). The LSUHSC-New Orleans School of Medicine will accept a second semester of calculus (MATH 1552) as a substitute for the statistics requirement.)
  • LSU Dental School also requires Microbiology (BIOL 2051).
  • Please refer to the LSU Medical School-Shreveport website for additional information on required course work.

Additional Dental School Requirements

The LSU Dental School requires a total of 12 hours of biology course work, including Biochemistry and Microbiology.

Although not required by every school, the following courses are strongly recommended:

Requirement LSU Equivalent
Genetics BIOL 2153
General Microbiology BIOL 2051
Biochemistry BIOL 4087 (*BIOL 2083)
Developmental Zoology BIOL 3156
Histology BIOL 4104

*BIOL 2083 is accepted by the LSU Health Sciences Center medical and dental schools for non-science majors. Please contact pre-medical/ predental advisor with any questions.

Other course work that students may find helpful include the following:

  • BIOL 3090 Cell Biology (3)
  • BIOL 3152 Comparative Anatomy of the Vertebrates (4)
  • BIOL 3156 Developmental Zoology (4)
  • BIOL 4105 Parasitology (3)
  • BIOL 4106 Parasitology Laboratory (1)
  • BIOL 4123 Immunology (3)
  • BIOL 4132 Eukaryotic Molecular Genetics (3)
  • BIOL 4154 Invertebrate Zoology (4)
  • BIOL 4158 Endocrinology (3)
  • BIOL 4160 Vertebrate Physiology (3)
  • BIOL 4161 Vertebrate Physiology Laboratory (1)
  • BIOL 4177 Neurobiology (3)
  • BIOL 4190 Introductory Virology (3)
  • BIOL 4215 Molecular Biology of Bacterial Disease (3)
  • BIOL 4246 Microbial Genetics (3)
  • BIOL 4400 Molecular Genetics Laboratory (3)
  • BIOL 4450 Cell Biology of the Nucleus (3)
  • BIOL 4753 Human Molecular Genetics (3)

  • Professional Ethics (PHIL 2018)
  • Bioethics (PHIL 2025)
  • Interpersonal Communication (CMST 2010)
  • Public Speaking (CMST 2060)
  • Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 2000)
  • Drugs, the Brain and Behavior (PSYC 4035)
  • Neuropharmacology (PSYC 4037)
  • Introduction to Nutritional Sciences (NFS 1110)
  • Human Life Cycle Nutrition (NFS 2112)
  • Sociology of Medicine (SOCL 4451)
  • Strategic Career Development/Planning (LHRD 3331)
  • Business courses (ACCT, MKT, MGT, ECON, etc.)
  • Entrepreneurship courses (ENTR 2000, ENTR 3012, ENTR 3111, etc.)
  • Health Communication  (CMST 4112)
  • Human Anatomy (KIN 2500)

  • Basic Jewelry/Metalsmithing (ART 2655)
  • Sculpture (ART 1762)
  • Introduction to Ceramics:Wheel Throwing (ART 1662)

Some of these courses have prerequisites. Consult the LSU General Catalog to determine your eligibility for any course prior to scheduling.