Pre-law and Pre-med

The challenging, interdisciplinary majors in the department of Technology, Culture and Society support students who intend to continue on to law school, medical school, or other professional degrees. The TCS majors in Science and Technology Studies as well as Sustainable Urban Environments are flexible enough to meet the requirements for professional school while, at the same time, students can accommodate their special interests.

Pre-law

Keep in mind that there is no specific undergraduate degree program that will help you get into law school or medical school, and our majors help students stand out in the application process. Some programs - for instance, environmental law or patent law - are particularly appropriate for students who studied in the Department of Technology, Culture and Society. As a student in STS or SUE heading for law school, you should take:

• EW 1013 and EW 1023, two courses that hone your written communication and critical reading skills
• PL 2003, Symbolic Logic, and PL 3003, Metalogic

Imagine applying to an environmental law program with plenty of science and engineering courses, the project-based courses required for the major, and SUE electives that have given you the training to communicate effectively about environmental issues. For this path, you would want to:

• Demonstrate your ability to understand technical information by taking engineering-level math and science courses at NYU-Poly
• Develop an appropriate special interest by taking courses in hydrology, geology, epidemiology, climate science, toxicology, or marine sciences with courses at NYU-Poly or elsewhere through our affiliation with NYU
• Deepen your understanding of government and its institutions with the core courses in SUE as well as an appropriate selection of topics for your SUE concentration

Likewise, imagine applying to a program in patent and intellectual property law with all of the science and engineering courses you'd need to qualify for the examination to argue cases before the United States Patent and Trademark Office along with courses in logic, history, and philosophy where you have exercised your analytical and communication skills. In order to practice before the USPTO, you would chose your courses for the STS science/tech core from one of the following options:

1. 24 credits (6 courses) in physics for physics majors, or
2. 8 credits in chemistry or physics in sequential courses and 24 credits in biology/molecular biology, or
3. 30 hours in chemistry for chemistry majors, or
4. 8 credits in chemistry or physics in sequential courses and 32 credits in chemistry, physics, biology, or engineering

Because of the flexibility in the STS degree, a student can develop familiarity in one of the fields that are particularly needed in patent law by taking courses at NYU-Poly in chemical or biological engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, computer science.

Learn more about our degrees in Science and Technology Studies or Sustainable Urban Environments.

Pre-med

A student in STS who applies to medical school can have the calculus, physics, chemistry and biology he or she needs to take the MCAT, and also will have the seminar courses to prove he or she is ready to succeed in graduate school and the broad mind necessary to understand health in its global context.

An STS student intending to apply for medical school constructs an individualized program in consultation with his or her advisor, making sure that he or she is ready for the MCAT as well as has the broad, rigorous education that one needs for medical school. Suggested courses for an STS student's curriculum include:

• EW 1013 and EW 1023, two courses that hone your written communication and critical reading skills
• MA 1054 and MA 1154, Calculus I and II with Precalculus (MA 954 is also available for students who would like more preparation before they begin Calculus 1)
• CM 1014 and CM 1024, General Chemistry I and II
• BMS 1004 and BMS 2004, Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology and Introduction to Physiology
• CM 2213 and CM 2211, Organic Chemistry I with lab
• CM 2223 and CM 2221, Organic Chemistry II with lab
• PH 1013, Mechanics
• PH 2023 and PH 2021, Electricity, Magnetism, & Fluids and lab
• Advanced science electives or courses in the history of medicine, medical sociology, ethics, communication studies, public policy, etc.

Learn more about our degree in Science and Technology Studies.

Resources

The resources of the NYU-Poly community also serve prelaw and prehealth students well. Students can compete for undergraduate research opportunities and involve themselves in campus clubs (or create their own) in order to demonstrate leadership and initiative. NYU's Office of Global Programs has welcomed our students, and the majors are flexible enough to provide students with a chance to take advantage of this amazing opportunity. NYU's preprofessional advisors have organized resources, e-mail lists, and events to help our students as well as to meet with them to answer their specific questions. And of course, New York City has many internship experiences that will add to a student's application.