Do You Need a Bachelor’s Degree to Go to Medical School?

Post By

Ryan Brownlee

– Founder of AspiringMD

Do you need a bachelor’s degree to go to medical school? Usually, but not always. See U.S. and Canadian medical schools that accept students without one, plus degree and prerequisite requirements.

If you are planning to become a physician, you have probably heard that the path is college, medical school, residency, and then finally independent practice. That makes it sound as though earning a bachelor’s degree before medical school is an absolute requirement, but the real answer is a little more complicated.

Most students entering medical school have a bachelor’s degree, and completing one is still the path I would recommend for the overwhelming majority of premed students. However, a bachelor’s degree is not technically required by every medical school in the United States or Canada. A small group of schools will consider applicants who have completed a certain amount of undergraduate coursework, commonly 90 semester credits or approximately three years of college, without actually earning the degree.

There is also another question hidden inside this one that causes a lot of confusion: you do not need a particular type of bachelor’s degree to attend medical school. Biology may be the traditional premed major, but you can major in psychology, economics, English, engineering, business, history, public health, music, or almost anything else. What matters is making sure you complete the prerequisite courses required by the medical schools where you eventually plan to apply.

That distinction is important because “Do I need a bachelor’s degree?” and “Do I need a science degree?” are two completely different questions.

Do You Need a Bachelor’s Degree for Medical School?

For most premed students in the United States, you should plan on completing a bachelor’s degree before beginning medical school.

Many medical schools explicitly require a bachelor’s degree before matriculation, while others describe one as preferred rather than required. There are also schools that require applicants to complete a minimum amount of undergraduate education, such as 90 semester hours, without requiring the actual degree.

The Association of American Medical Colleges broadly describes the traditional pathway as completing a four-year undergraduate education before medical school, but medical schools ultimately establish their own admissions requirements. This is one of those situations where you should never assume that one general rule applies to every program.

The distinction between applying and matriculating is also important. You normally do not need to have your bachelor’s degree in hand when you submit AMCAS during your junior or senior year. Students routinely apply while finishing their undergraduate education. When a medical school says that a bachelor’s degree is required, it usually means the degree must be completed before you actually matriculate into medical school, not necessarily before submitting your application.

If you are beginning to research individual programs, my list of accredited U.S. MD medical schools can help you build a starting school list before you begin comparing individual admissions requirements.

Medical Schools That Do Not Require a Bachelor’s Degree

There are medical schools in both the United States and Canada that allow students to matriculate without completing a bachelor’s degree. This does not mean that you can go directly from high school into the regular admissions pathway at these schools. You will still generally need substantial undergraduate education and must meet all of the school’s other admissions requirements.

Admissions policies also change, so consider the list below a starting point rather than a permanent guarantee. I verified these requirements against current medical school admissions information, but you should always check the school’s admissions website again during the cycle in which you actually apply.

U.S. Medical Schools That Do Not Require a Bachelor’s Degree

For example, the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU explicitly states that applicants need at least 90 semester hours by matriculation and that a bachelor’s degree is not required. Texas A&M similarly states that students may enroll with 90 semester hours and without a baccalaureate degree if the rest of their academic record and application are sufficiently strong.

The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine also requires 90 credit hours before matriculation and explicitly says that a bachelor’s degree is not required, although it is strongly preferred.

That last phrase deserves attention.

“Not required” does not mean “equally common.”

If a medical school says a bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred, you should not interpret its 90-credit minimum as an invitation to leave college early simply because you technically qualify. Medical school admissions are competitive, and most applicants will still present a completed degree.

The exception becomes much more relevant when there is a genuine reason that an applicant may not complete a traditional bachelor’s degree before medical school, such as an accelerated academic pathway, unusual transfer history, or another individualized circumstance.

Canadian Medical Schools That Do Not Require a Completed Bachelor’s Degree

Several Canadian medical schools have pathways allowing students to enter after completing a minimum number of years or credits of undergraduate study rather than requiring a completed four-year bachelor’s degree.

McMaster is one of the clearest examples. Its admissions requirements state that applicants must have completed a minimum of three years of undergraduate university work by the year they enter medical school. McMaster does not require a particular undergraduate major, either.

The University of British Columbia is similarly explicit. UBC states that you do not need a degree to apply or enter its MD program, although you must complete at least 90 university credits with grades by its deadline.

The University of Calgary goes even further in terms of minimum university time. Calgary currently requires at least two full-time years of post-secondary education rather than a completed bachelor’s degree, although applicants still face the school’s other GPA, MCAT, residency, and admissions requirements.

The University of Toronto allows eligible Canadian university students to apply after completing three years of undergraduate study toward a bachelor’s degree. The policy is different for some internationally educated applicants, which is a good example of why you should read the requirements applying specifically to your applicant category, not just the headline academic requirement on a school’s website.

Canadian requirements can vary considerably among schools. For comparison, schools such as the University of Saskatchewan, University of Manitoba, Dalhousie University, University of Alberta, and McGill currently require completion of a qualifying bachelor’s degree before entering their regular MD programs.

Can You Go Straight From High School to Medical School?

For the traditional U.S. and Canadian medical school application process, no. Even the schools listed above that do not require completed bachelor’s degrees still require college-level education.

However, there are special BS/MD, BA/MD, and other combined medical programs designed for students who know in high school that they want to pursue medicine.

These programs combine undergraduate education and medical education into one structured pathway. Depending on the program, students may receive conditional or guaranteed admission to the medical school while still in high school, provided they continue meeting GPA, coursework, MCAT, service, or other requirements during college.

Some accelerated pathways can also shorten the traditional timeline. The University of Arizona College of Medicine–Tucson, for example, has had a combined pathway in which obtaining the bachelor’s degree is optional if students complete the necessary prerequisites before moving into medical school.

That is very different from simply graduating from high school and submitting a normal AMCAS application. Students are entering a specific combined program with its own admissions process and progression requirements.

Do You Need a Science Degree for Medical School?

No. You can go to medical school with almost any undergraduate major.

This is one of the most persistent misconceptions I see among students planning for premed. Being “premed” is not normally a college major. It is a set of courses, experiences, and application requirements that you complete alongside whatever major you choose.

You could earn a degree in:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Public health
• Engineering
• Mathematics
• Economics
• Business
• English
• History
• Philosophy
• Sociology
• Music
• Political science

Medical schools are not looking for an incoming class consisting exclusively of biology majors. The AAMC specifically notes that students can apply successfully as non-science majors, and individual schools routinely state that they do not prefer one undergraduate major over another.

Texas A&M, for example, tells applicants that they may major in any field as long as they complete the medical school’s course requirements. Pritzker likewise states that it has no preferred undergraduate major.

When I think about choosing a major as a premed, I would focus much more on finding something you genuinely enjoy and can perform well in than trying to guess which degree title an admissions committee wants to see. Your major is only one part of a much larger application that will eventually include your GPA, MCAT, clinical experience, service, research if applicable, letters of recommendation, personal statement, activities, and interviews.

What If Your Bachelor’s Degree Is Not Science-Based?

If your degree is not science-based, you can absolutely still apply to medical school. You simply need to plan your schedule carefully enough to complete the medical school prerequisites alongside your degree requirements.

For example, imagine that you decide to major in economics. Your economics degree might require statistics and mathematics but include very little biology or chemistry. You would therefore need to use electives, additional semesters, summer classes, or possibly post-baccalaureate coursework to complete the sciences expected by the medical schools on your list.

A traditional U.S. premed curriculum commonly includes some combination of:

• General biology with laboratory
• General chemistry with laboratory
• Organic chemistry with laboratory
• Physics with laboratory
• Biochemistry
• Mathematics and/or statistics
• English or writing
• Psychology
• Sociology

However, there is no single universal medical school prerequisite list.

Some schools require very specific courses. Others recommend them without formally requiring them, while an increasing number use competency-based admissions and expect applicants to demonstrate mastery of subjects rather than checking off identical course numbers.

The AAMC’s current medical school prerequisite information reflects this variation across schools. That means I would not simply Google “premed prerequisites,” copy the first list you see, and assume you are covered everywhere you eventually want to apply.

Instead, start identifying medical schools you may realistically consider and compare their requirements individually.

Why Non-Science Majors Still Need a Strong Science Foundation

Even if a medical school technically has few or no specific science prerequisites, you still have to be prepared for both the MCAT and medical school.

The MCAT tests concepts from biology, biochemistry, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, psychology, and sociology. Medical school then moves quickly into subjects such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, genetics, and biochemistry.

This does not mean you need to abandon an English, business, psychology, or history major. It simply means that the freedom to choose your major should not be confused with freedom to avoid science entirely.

If I were a non-science premed, I would try to accomplish two things at the same time: pursue the major that genuinely interests me while deliberately building enough scientific coursework to demonstrate that I can succeed in a rigorous medical curriculum.

That approach can actually make for a very interesting academic background. Someone who studies economics may bring a different understanding of health systems and resource allocation, while a philosophy major may have spent years thinking about ethics and argumentation. An English major may enter medicine with exceptionally strong reading and communication skills. Those backgrounds do not replace scientific preparation, but they can complement it.

Is It Better to Major in Biology for Medical School?

Biology is popular among premeds for a practical reason: there is substantial overlap between biology degree requirements and medical school prerequisites.

If you major in biology, courses such as general biology, genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, and other advanced sciences may simultaneously move you toward graduation and help prepare you for the MCAT.

A non-science major may have to fit those same sciences around an entirely separate set of degree requirements.

That makes biology convenient, but it does not automatically make biology better.

If you dislike biology enough that you struggle through your entire degree, choosing it simply because it looks like the traditional premed major can work against you. Your GPA matters considerably during medical school admissions, and spending four years in a major that does not fit your interests is not automatically worth the scheduling convenience.

I would choose a major that you can genuinely become invested in while making sure you have enough room in your schedule to complete the medical school requirements.

If you are still early in college, my free Premed 4-Year Timeline and Checklist can help you map prerequisites, MCAT preparation, clinical experience, research, shadowing, volunteering, and the application itself across your undergraduate years.

What If You Already Graduated With a Non-Science Degree?

This is extremely common among career-changing and nontraditional applicants.

You do not need to earn another bachelor’s degree simply because your first degree was in business, English, economics, history, or another non-science field.

Instead, look at what you are missing.

If you already completed a bachelor’s degree but never took chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biology, or biochemistry, you may be able to complete those courses individually or through a formal career-changer post-baccalaureate program.

The goal is to satisfy the requirements of your target medical schools and demonstrate that you are academically prepared for the MCAT and medical school.

A second bachelor’s degree is therefore usually unnecessary unless there is another specific reason you want one. If you are deciding whether additional coursework, a post-bacc, or an SMP makes sense, I have a separate guide to post-bacc and SMP programs for premeds that explains the differences between these options.

Does Your Bachelor’s Degree Need to Be From a U.S. College?

This is another area where the answer varies dramatically by medical school.

Some U.S. medical schools require or strongly prefer substantial coursework from an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution. Others may accept an international bachelor’s degree if additional U.S. or Canadian coursework is completed, while some have separate requirements for internationally educated applicants.

Do not assume that an international bachelor’s degree automatically satisfies the undergraduate education requirement simply because it is considered a bachelor’s degree in another country.

The same issue can arise with three-year international bachelor’s programs. A school requiring a U.S.-equivalent four-year bachelor’s degree may evaluate that credential very differently from a school whose policy is based on completing 90 semester credits.

International applicants should therefore investigate both the school’s citizenship policy and its academic credential policy before adding it to a medical school list.

Should You Skip Finishing Your Bachelor’s Degree If a Medical School Only Requires 90 Credits?

For most premeds, I would not recommend designing your entire strategy around this loophole.

There is a major difference between being eligible to apply and being competitive for admission.

Suppose a medical school states that you need 90 semester hours and that a bachelor’s degree is preferred. You finish your third year with exactly 90 credits and decide not to complete your senior year. You may technically satisfy the published minimum, but the admissions committee may be comparing you with thousands of applicants who have completed bachelor’s degrees, advanced science coursework, research, clinical experiences, leadership positions, and another year of academic development.

You would want a convincing reason for why leaving your degree unfinished makes sense.

On the other hand, if you are accepted through an accelerated pathway or a school specifically designed to admit qualified students before they finish a bachelor’s degree, that is a very different situation.

In other words, I would treat these schools as additional flexibility, not as a reason for most students to plan on dropping out of their bachelor’s programs after 90 credits.

How to Check Whether You Meet a Medical School’s Requirements

When I was researching medical schools during my own application process, I found that school-specific details mattered far more than general premed rules. Two schools that look similar on the surface can have completely different expectations for coursework, state residency, accepted credits, letters, or application requirements.

For U.S. MD programs, the AAMC’s Medical School Admission Requirements database, or MSAR, is one of the best places to begin. I found MSAR particularly useful when I was building my own school list because I could compare much more than just GPA and MCAT numbers.

I explain what MSAR includes and which AAMC resources are free in my guide to AAMC resources for premeds.

Even after checking MSAR, I would verify important eligibility requirements directly on each medical school’s admissions website before applying. Requirements change, and spending money on an application only to discover that you are missing a required course or degree is an avoidable mistake.

Once your list gets larger, my free medical school application tracker can help you track each school’s requirements, primary and secondary submissions, interview dates, fees, and decisions in one place.

Bachelor’s Degree vs. Medical School Prerequisites: The Difference That Matters

The simplest way to understand all of this is to separate three different questions.

First, does the medical school require a completed bachelor’s degree? Some do, while others require a minimum number of college credits instead.

Second, does the medical school require specific prerequisite courses? This varies considerably among schools, even when both schools require bachelor’s degrees.

Third, are you academically prepared for the MCAT and medical school? You may technically satisfy a school’s minimum requirements and still benefit from additional science coursework.

Those are separate issues.

A philosophy major with a bachelor’s degree plus biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biochemistry could be perfectly well prepared to apply.

A biology major could earn a bachelor’s degree but discover that one of the schools on their list requires a course they never took.

A third student could complete 90 undergraduate credits and all of TCU’s required coursework without completing a bachelor’s degree and still meet TCU’s published academic eligibility requirements.

That is why researching schools individually matters more than following a generic checklist.

The Bottom Line: Do You Need a Bachelor’s Degree to Go to Medical School?

Usually, but not always.

Most students entering medical school will have completed a bachelor’s degree, and many medical schools require one before matriculation. However, several U.S. medical schools accept applicants with approximately three years or 90 semester hours of undergraduate education, while several Canadian medical schools allow students to enter after completing two or three years of university study.

You also do not need a bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, or another science field. You can major in almost anything as long as you complete the prerequisite coursework required by the medical schools where you apply and demonstrate that you can handle rigorous science.

For most students, I would still plan to finish the bachelor’s degree rather than building a medical school strategy around the handful of programs that do not require one. The more useful takeaway is that your undergraduate education has considerably more flexibility than many new premeds realize. You do not have to force yourself into the stereotypical biology-major pathway to become a physician.

Choose an academic path you genuinely value, complete the necessary medical school prerequisites, protect your GPA, prepare well for the MCAT, and periodically check the requirements of the schools you may eventually apply to. That gives you far more flexibility than trying to build your entire college experience around what you think a “premed major” is supposed to look like.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get into medical school without a bachelor’s degree?

Yes. Although most medical students complete a bachelor’s degree before matriculating, several medical schools in the United States and Canada allow applicants to enter after completing a minimum amount of undergraduate study instead. U.S. examples include TCU, Texas A&M, Pritzker, Emory, Texas Tech, and South Alabama, while Canadian examples include McMaster, UBC, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, and Western. Always verify the current requirement directly with the medical school before applying.

Can I go to medical school after three years of college?

Potentially. Some medical schools require approximately three years or 90 semester hours of undergraduate coursework instead of a completed bachelor’s degree. McMaster requires at least three years of undergraduate education, UBC requires 90 graded university credits, and several U.S. schools use a 90-semester-hour minimum. However, many other schools require you to finish your bachelor’s degree before matriculation.

Can I go to medical school with any bachelor’s degree?

Yes. Medical schools generally do not require a specific undergraduate major. You can major in biology, psychology, engineering, business, English, history, economics, music, or another field as long as you meet the academic requirements of the medical schools where you apply.

Do I need a biology degree to go to medical school?

No. Biology is one of the most common premed majors because its degree requirements overlap substantially with medical school prerequisites, but a biology degree is not required. Non-science majors are accepted to medical school every year.

Can I major in business and still go to medical school?

Yes. A business major can apply to medical school, but you will probably need to complete additional science courses that are not included in the normal business curriculum. Depending on the schools on your list, those courses may include biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, mathematics or statistics, and English.

Can I major in psychology and go to medical school?

Yes. Psychology can be a useful premed major, particularly because psychology and sociology concepts appear on the MCAT. You will still need to complete the science prerequisites required by your target medical schools.

Do medical schools prefer science majors?

Generally, no. Medical schools routinely state that they do not have a preferred undergraduate major. What matters more is your academic performance, prerequisite completion, MCAT performance, experiences, competencies, and overall preparation for medicine.

Do I have to finish my bachelor’s degree before applying to medical school?

Usually not. Students commonly apply during the final year of their bachelor’s program. If a school requires a bachelor’s degree, the degree generally needs to be completed before matriculation, rather than before you submit the application. You should confirm the exact deadline with each medical school.

Can I apply to medical school during my junior year?

At some schools, yes. Programs that accept applicants after three years of undergraduate education may allow third-year students to apply. However, many U.S. applicants apply after junior year while planning to complete their fourth year and bachelor’s degree before matriculating.

Do you need a bachelor’s degree to take the MCAT?

No. You do not need to hold a bachelor’s degree to register for the MCAT. You should, however, complete enough relevant coursework or equivalent preparation to understand the biology, biochemistry, chemistry, physics, psychology, and sociology tested on the examination.

What are the prerequisites for medical school?

Requirements vary by school, but common U.S. prerequisites include biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, mathematics or statistics, and English or writing. Some medical schools have moved toward competency-based requirements rather than requiring a specific list of courses, so always check each program individually.

Can I go to medical school with an associate degree?

An associate degree by itself will generally not provide enough undergraduate coursework for medical school. A few schools do not require a bachelor’s degree, but they typically require substantially more college education, often around 90 semester credits, plus their prerequisite coursework. For most applicants with an associate degree, additional undergraduate study will therefore still be necessary.

Is 90 college credits enough for medical school?

It can be enough to satisfy the minimum undergraduate education requirement at certain medical schools, but it is not sufficient for every medical school. Some programs require a completed bachelor’s degree, and schools that technically accept 90 credits may still strongly prefer applicants who finish their degrees.

Should I finish my bachelor’s degree if a medical school doesn’t require it?

For most students, yes. Completing your bachelor’s degree keeps substantially more medical schools available to you and prevents your school list from being restricted to the relatively small group of programs willing to accept applicants without one. I would generally only consider leaving a bachelor’s degree unfinished when there is a specific academic pathway or circumstance that makes doing so reasonable.

Can I go to medical school with a non-science degree and no science classes?

Not realistically without additional preparation. Your degree can be non-science, but most medical schools either require or recommend substantial science preparation, and the MCAT tests biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics. If your degree did not include these subjects, you may need additional undergraduate or post-baccalaureate coursework before applying.

Are medical school prerequisites the same at every school?

No. This is one of the most important things for premeds to understand. Medical school prerequisites vary by program. One school may require two semesters of organic chemistry while another accepts biochemistry in place of the second semester, and another may use competency-based requirements with few specific course mandates. Check every medical school’s current admissions requirements before finalizing your college course plan.