M.D. Program Admission Requirements

The Office of Admissions at Baylor College of Medicine recognizes that plans to complete prerequisite coursework have been impacted by schools’ decisions to move to online instruction given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Our top priority is to make sure that no applicants are disadvantaged by policy decisions made by their colleges and universities because of this unprecedented national event.

We will be flexible in our consideration of coursework taken online in the Spring 2020 semester. Baylor will accept pass/fail grading for prerequisites courses taken in Spring 2020.

There are no plans to change our required coursework for admission. We are aware that MCAT date cancellations may affect the overall application review timeline. Baylor reviews applications throughout the admissions cycle, and we will be cognizant of the fact that some students’ MCAT scores will be delayed.

We can assure you that our committee will be flexible and understanding when considering the requirements completed during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

To be considered for admission to Baylor College of Medicine, an applicant must have satisfactorily completed no less than 90 undergraduate semester hours (or equivalent number of quarter hours) at a fully accredited college or university in the United States by the time of enrollment in medical school.

The following courses must have been completed satisfactorily (AP courses will not be accepted for the required coursework):

• Math (3-4 semester hours) - Biostatistics (preferred), but any course with quantitative math. Examples: statistics, physics, calculus
• Expository Writing (3-4 semester hours)*
• Humanities-Social/Behavioral Sciences (12 semester hours) **
• Organic Chemistry (2 semesters; 6-8 semester hours) - lab is not required
• Biochemistry (3-4 semester hours) - lab is NOT required
• Advanced Biology (3-4 semester hours) - lab is NOT required. Highly Recommended: genetics, cell/molecular biology
• Recommended: Spanish

*The expository writing requirement may be accomplished through coursework in a number of disciplines that require intensive writing. Examples include formal courses in English, Philosophy, History, Public Policy, Political Science or Religion. This requirement also may be accomplished through an Honors Thesis, writing-intensive upper division science course or completion of a major research paper.

**The humanities include philosophy, religion, upper level history (+300 level course), language arts (literature, writing, oratory, rhetoric, poetry, foreign language (max 6 hours), etc.), the performing arts (theater, music, dance, etc.), and the visual arts (painting, sculpture, photography, film-making, etc.). Social Sciences include Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Linguistics, etc.

All applicants are advised to meet with their Pre-Health Advisor to ensure that pre-requisites are met. Refer to the course listing page on the TMDSAS website to see if a course at your undergraduate institution has been approved to meet Baylor's prerequisite requirement.

If you are a non-traditional applicant and do not have access to an advisor, please reach out to the Texas Health Education Service for complimentary assistance. Baylor does not offer advising services to medical school applicants.

The Task Force for Admissions Requirements (TFAR) meets annually, or as often as needed, to review and approve Baylor College of Medicine’s School of Medicine current premedical course/credit requirements. 

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