AP Credits

Health professions schools have varying policies when it comes to accepting Advanced Placement (AP) credit. The majority of health professions schools will accept AP credit if it is supplemented by upper-level coursework in that discipline. We strongly recommend that prospective health professions students double-check with their schools and programs of interest for the most recent information specific to those programs. 

University of Connecticut School of Medicine policies:

UConn SOM does not accept AP credit for any prerequisite course requirements. For more information regarding the UConn School of Medicine's expectations and policies, visit their FAQ page.
For additional guidance relating to AP credit choices and UConn SOM, UConn students should review our office's UConn SOM Advanced Placement (AP) Credit Policies document.

The recommendations below will satisfy most schools' requirements for pre-health study. We encourage students to contact the office if they are unsure about their credits. Please visit UConn Undergraduate Admissions' website for information about AP Credit. To explore upper-division courses that might be of interest, use the UConn Course Catalog.

Biology

Students entering with AP credit for one full year of Biology should take at least one upper-division course in a Biology discipline (BIOL, MCB, PNB, EEB) with a laboratory component to supplement their studies. Some suggested courses are Cell Biology (MCB 2210 or 2215 [honors] w/the laboratory class (MCB 2225), Microbiology (MCB 2610), and/or Anatomy and Physiology (PNB 2264 + 2265 or PNB 2274 + 2275).

For students who have satisfied the Introductory Biology sequence but are considering retaking a course at the collegiate level, our office recommends that students take BIOL 1107 as opposed to BIOL 1108. This course is more applicable for MCAT preparation.

Chemistry

Students entering with AP credit for one full year of General Chemistry should take at least one upper-division Chemistry course with a laboratory component to supplement their studies.

Most medical schools require one year of collegiate Inorganic (general) Chemistry and one year of collegiate Organic Chemistry; some schools require Biochemistry. Accepting AP credits for the general chemistry sequence means that you are still required to take the Organic Chemistry sequence (CHEM 2443 + 2444 + 2445) and Biochemistry (MCB 2000 or 3010). We recommend taking one additional, upper-level Chemistry course, such as Physical Chemistry (CHEM 3563 w/ 3566 and/or 3564 + 3565W).

For students who have satisfied the Introductory Chemistry sequence but are concerned about having the proper preparation for the Organic Chemistry sequence, keep in mind that these sequences are actually quite different in form and content. As such, it is not typically essential to retake the General Chemistry sequence.

Calculus & Statistics

Students entering with AP credit for one semester of Calculus should consider taking another Calculus course to complete a full year of coursework. Students in this case might also consider taking a Statistics course in place of another Calculus course.

Students entering with AP credit for one semester of Statistics could consider taking one upper-division course in Statistics to "activate" this credit. Students in this case might also consider taking a Calculus course in place of another Statistics course.

Math/Statistics expectations differ for each health professions school; therefore, it is important to research programs of interest and determine what schools are seeking in terms of these credits. Typically, there is an expectation of either one year of Calculus or one semester of Calculus and one semester of Statistics.

Physics

Students entering with AP credit for Physics should ensure that their credits satisfy the year-long expectation of Physics with a laboratory component. If students hold only one semester of credit, they will need to take at least one more Physics course with a Q (math-based) component such as PHYS 1230. Students who hold a full year of Physics credit will still need to take at least one upper-division course in Physics.

For students who want to show rigor in their coursework, they might consider taking the Physics sequence with Calculus (PHYS 1401/PHYS 1402)—for those pursuing a B.S., there is typically an expectation of one year of Calculus, so this sequence will follow naturally.

English

Students entering with AP credit for English will need to take at least one English course at the collegiate level to satisfy the year-long expectation of English courses. This does not have to be an upper-division course; it can be any English course that is of interest.

A popular English course among pre-health students is ENGL 2407 "The Short Story"—this class is helpful for standardized test preparation. Other courses of interest might include ENGL 2274W "Disability in American Literature and Culture", ENGL 2607 "Literature and Science", and ENGL 3267W "Race and the Scientific Imagination".

Linked below are various search tools and sources of information on pre-medical course requirements and AP credit.

2024 MSAR Course Requirements Report
[relevant for MD programs only]

Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) tool
[relevant for MD programs only]

Choose DO Explorer search tool
[relevant for DO programs only]

 AP Credit Policies spreadsheet
[relevant for MD + DO]