Pre-Professional Advising
Every student is assigned a three-member faculty advising team: academic advisor, co-op advisor, and language advisor, as well as a student success coordinator in Student Affairs. Each term, academic advisors help students register for classes and develop a degree plan. Just as important, a faculty advising team helps students find connections between their classrooms, co-ops, and community engagement. Through this holistic approach, students identify interests and develop their purpose by exploring a range of career possibilities, graduate school options, and other personal goals.
Some career goals require post-baccalaureate certification or graduate credentials in order to enter, advance, or practice in the professional field. For instance, education certification, social work licensure, or a law degree. Beginning fall 2023, we are investing additional resources in pre-professional advising to help illuminate pathways into some of those professions where Antiochians have long successfully entered, often through alternative pathways: Pre-Applied Sciences, Pre-Education, Pre-Law, Pre-Medical and Pre-Health, Pre-Social Services.
Pre-professional advisors are knowledgeable about a specialized professional field and keep current as it evolves, including around credentials and requirements you will need beyond your BA or BS degree from Antioch. Pre-professional advisors may host group information sessions and gatherings, as well as provide individual advice and support regarding courses, co-ops, activities, and other experiences at Antioch that can put you on a path to successfully entering these professions.
Pre-Applied Sciences
There are many fields of science beyond medicine and engineering where science-curious students may build a career: field biology, environmental science, laboratory science, urban ecology, consulting, conservation biology, science communications, land management, and more. An undergraduate degree with a focus on applied science also provides a strong foundation for further graduate study.
Any area of applied science requires a working knowledge of scientific research methods, using peer-reviewed literature to understand the context of existing science, and developing skills in: technical writing, laboratory techniques, data analysis and communication. In addition, you’ll complete three quarters of work-based co-operative education. Combining this science core with other areas of liberal arts at our advocacy-centered college makes our program unique.
Pre-Education
Engage with a rich liberal arts curriculum while working closely with faculty with experience in the field of education. Through the many academic disciplines found within our liberal arts curriculum, you will develop a critical analytical lens to understand social issues found within the field of education.
As an Antioch student, you will also participate in Cooperative Education opportunities that are aligned with your areas of study. These experiences position you well for post-graduation opportunities in the field of education.
While a Bachelor’s degree from Antioch College does not provide licensure in the state where you plan to teach, it does position you for alternative pathways to licensure, private education teaching opportunities, and/or graduate programs.
Pre-Legal Studies
Students are admitted to law school from almost every academic discipline. At Antioch College, students preparing for law school may choose to study an interdisciplinary academic focus that enables them to develop their knowledge and skills in the areas of problem-solving, critical thinking, written communication, oral communication, research methodologies. Students also have the option of designing their own major that incorporates academic disciplines considered to be traditional preparation for law school, such as history, philosophy, or political economy. Whatever academic pathway you select, you are encouraged to engage with areas of study that interest and challenge you, take difficult courses from demanding instructors, and pursue cooperative education experiences in the legal field.
All students preparing for law school are supported by a pre-professional faculty advising team that helps them in all phases of their pre-legal education – from course selection, through finding best-fit law schools, to the application process. Students are also encouraged to take an LSAT preparation course offered yearly by pre-law faculty advisors.
Pre-Medical and Pre-Health
A wide variety of medical professions, including dental, medical, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, physician’s assistant, veterinary, and more all require a similar core education. Students interested in these opportunities are advised to pursue the Bachelor of Science degree. While students interested in this track will complete a degree heavy with coursework in biology, they must also develop a broad understanding of chemistry, mathematics, physics, psychology, and sociology in order to be most successful, in addition to more specialized areas particular to each future profession. Please contact our pre-medical and pre-health advisors for further information.
Pre-Social Services
Compassionate, caring, and advocacy-minded individuals are excellent candidates for social service careers, including roles in psychology, counseling, social work, schools, rehabilitation, and healthcare. To successfully enter these professions, these occupations require post-baccalaureate program study, credential requirements, and licensure or certification, which vary by specific field and state. Pre-social service advising supports students through individual academic relationships; collaborating and mentoring and toward meaningful co-op placements, experiences, and course selections that encourage students on a path to successfully entering professional work.
Students aspiring to work in psychology and mental health can launch careers with pre-social service advising, empowering them to make an impact through advocacy, scholarship, service, and clinical practice.