Pathways and Partnerships

As a student preparing for a career in the healthcare field, you have access to numerous pathways through the Pre-health Professions Program—here at NIU, and through our partnerships with professional schools.

NIU Pathways

• Certified anesthesiologist assistant
• Dentistry
• Medicine
• Occupational therapy
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Physical therapy
• Physician associate
• Veterinary medicine

Partnership Pathways

We have established partnerships with professional schools to create additional opportunities for you. These agreements may provide qualified students with benefits including guaranteed admission interviews, priority consideration, opportunities to connect with professional school representatives and additional support for applying.

Partnership agreements do not guarantee admission. You must meet all eligibility requirements established by the participating professional school and complete the regular application process.

Connect with the NIU Pre-health Professions Program as early as possible to plan your coursework, experiences and application timeline appropriately. Contact prehealth@niu.edu to get started.

Midwestern University

NIU has an Admissions Articulation Agreement with Midwestern University that provides guaranteed interviews for qualified NIU applicants to participating Midwestern University professional programs. Qualified applicants to participating Midwestern University College of Graduate Studies programs receive priority consideration for admission.

Healthcare pathways included in this partnership:

• Osteopathic medicine
• Pharmacy
• Dental medicine
• Optometry
• Physician assistant
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Podiatric medicine
• Veterinary medicine

To qualify for the benefits of the agreement, NIU students must meet Midwestern University's general admission requirements as well as the specific requirements established for their intended professional program.

University of Illinois Chicago

NIU has an affiliation agreement with the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Pharmacy to support students planning to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. Qualified NIU students may receive a guaranteed PharmD admission interview with the UIC College of Pharmacy.

The pathway is designed for NIU students who intend to complete a bachelor’s degree at NIU before entering the UIC PharmD program. Students may pursue the PharmD through either the UIC College of Pharmacy’s Chicago or Rockford campus.

Become Our Partner

We are working on additional partnerships with professional schools to provide you with even more pathways toward a healthcare career. Please contact us at prehealth@niu.edu with any questions, or for additional information.