Academic advising at the University of Kentucky is an ongoing educational process that connects the student to their undergraduate education, their career pathway and to resources. As students progress through their academic programs, their advising needs change. At the University of Kentucky, academic advisors help students meet these changing needs. Faculty advisors support students in a variety of ways by providing mentorship and specialized information related to an academic program. In some colleges, faculty advisors serve as the primary academic advising contact for students. Program advisors provide an additional layer of support and guidance for students. University academic and career advising is the responsibility of the Student and Academic Support Office and those colleges offering degree programs. Working together, each area seeks to provide assistance in navigating the degree process, career pathways and University policies and procedures.
Academic Advising Mission Statement
The UK Advising Community empowers students through individualized support, guidance, and connection to resources to realize and achieve academic, career, and personal goals.
Exploratory Studies
Students can explore majors within many colleges at the University of Kentucky. Students can also work with a Major Exploratory Associate within the Stuckert Career Center to explore major and career options. They can schedule an appointment with a Major Exploratory Associate or a Career Advisor at uky.joinhandshake.com or by calling 859-257-2746. Professional academic advisors within the colleges work individually with students to help them explore interests, abilities and values; clarify and articulate academic and professional goals; develop and implement appropriate degree plans; and connect with campus resources. Academic advisors also make referrals to student support services on campus for career interest assessments, personal counseling, academic tutoring and coaching, and financial literacy.
Students may declare an Exploratory Studies Option because there are many areas that interest them, they are considering a pre-professional field and have not selected an undergraduate major, or they wish to explore their options. Time as an exploratory student provides an opportunity to investigate UK’s majors while fulfilling the UK Core requirements. Students can remain an exploratory student until they have earned 60 credit hours.
Colleges that offer an exploratory studies option are:
- Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food & Environment
- College of Arts & Sciences
- Gatton College of Business & Economics
- College of Communication & Information
- College of Education
- Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering
- College of Fine Arts
- College of Health Sciences
- College of Social Work
Each has specific admission and entrance requirements. Students should contact the college for more information regarding the exploratory option.
Transfer Students
Students interested in transferring to the University of Kentucky can utilize the services of the Office of Undergraduate Admission Transfer Center, which serves as a focal point for information concerning programs, resources, and services available to aid the transfer student’s entry and continued success at the University of Kentucky. Transfer staff are available to answer questions about the transfer process, discuss course equivalencies, and provide both pre-admission and general academic advising. UK’s transfer advisors are housed in the Office of Undergraduate Admission, 100 Funkhouser Building, and divide their time between the University of Kentucky and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. Email uktransfer@uky.edu or call 859-257-2000.
National Student Exchange
The National Student Exchange (NSE) program provides opportunities for full-time undergraduate students at University of Kentucky with a GPA of 2.5 or higher to attend one of more than 160 colleges and universities in the United States, its territories, and Canada while paying their regular UK tuition and fees. Students can exchange for a semester or an academic year and remain enrolled in full-time status at UK while attending the NSE host institution. For more information about NSE, including locations, available areas of study and the application process, visit: http://international.uky.edu/ea.
Major Advising
Students who have declared a major are advised by either a faculty member or professional advisor in their college. These advisors, with their in-depth knowledge of a particular field, can provide guidance toward completing degree requirements as well as information regarding careers and long-term educational goals. It is important for students to communicate regularly with their advisor.
Pre-Professional Advising
Pre-professional tracks are not majors at the University of Kentucky, and pre-professional students may choose any undergraduate major based on their interests and strengths. There are many campus resources available to support students considering careers in law and healthcare. The Stuckert Career Center provides campus-wide advising for both prospective and current students considering professional programs in law, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, podiatry, and optometry. Students are encouraged to contact the Stuckert Career Center to inquire about pre-professional advising by visiting www.uky.edu/careercenter, or they can schedule an appointment at uky.joinhandshake.com. Students should consult the preprofessional information found below and the specific college sections of this Catalog for more information.
Pre-Law Study
While a broad, liberal arts education is generally considered to be an excellent preparation for law school, no fixed, comprehensive Pre-Law curriculum is prescribed by any American law school. In general, Pre-Law students should develop rigorous study habits; become skilled in clear and logical communication; and select courses that enhance critical reading, writing, and analytical skills.
Law schools do not require or expect a particular undergraduate degree program. Students are advised to consider majors aligned with their interests, strengths, and potential career choices.
Students also are encouraged to explore the websites of law schools in which they are interested and to familiarize themselves with admissions standards at those schools. Almost all law schools require students to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). Additional information is available from the Law School Admission Council, www.lsac.org. Another valuable resource is the current ABA-LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, published and prepared by the Law School Admission Council and the American Bar Association. This yearly publication and information on the law and lawyers, pre-Law preparation, applying to law schools, the study of law, and most American law schools is available at: www.lsac.org.
Students interested in law school should meet with a Pre-Law advisor at least once a year while pursuing their undergraduate curriculum, attend Pre-Law information sessions, and subscribe to the Pre-Law listserv. Please contact a Pre-Law advisor at ukcareercenter@uky.edu or ASPreLaw@uky.edu to set up a meeting to discuss law school in more detail. Any students interested in law school are encouraged to visit www.uky.edu/careercenter/pre-law or www.as.uky.edu/pre-law for additional information.
Pre-Medical Study
Students are free to choose any major while pursuing their undergraduate degree and fulfilling Pre-Medical requirements. When selecting a major, students should consider subjects they find interesting and challenging, and those in which they perform best. Medical schools do not require a specific major to enter the professional program, but they do have minimum entrance requirements. Most students accepted to medical school earn a bachelor’s degree while satisfying Pre-Med requirements.
Currently the minimum requirements for most medical schools are:
1 semester of biochemistry
2 semesters of college English or intensive writing courses 2 semesters of biology with labs
2 semesters of general chemistry with labs
2 semesters of organic chemistry with labs
2 semesters of physics with labs
Some medical schools have additional requirements beyond the minimum. Check specific medical schools for admissions requirements.
In addition, students are encouraged to take course work in areas such as anatomy, cell biology, calculus, genetics, histology, immunology, microbiology, physiology, psychology, sociology, and statistics.
Students interested in medical school should meet with a Pre-Med advisor at least once a year while pursuing their undergraduate curriculum, attend Pre-Medical information sessions, visit the Pre-Medical website at www.uky.edu/careercenter/pre-medicine, and subscribe to the Pre-Health listserv. For additional information, contact a Pre-Med advisor at www.uky.edu/careercenter. Students in the College of Arts & Sciences are encouraged to visit www.as.uky.edu/pre-medicine and to contact an advisor by emailing ASAdvisingCenter@uky.edu.
Pre-Dental Study
Students are free to choose any major while pursuing their undergraduate degree and fulfilling pre-dental requirements. When selecting a major, students should consider subjects they find interesting and challenging, and those in which they perform best. Dental schools do not require a specific major to enter the professional program, but they do have minimum entrance requirements. All students accepted to dental school must earn a bachelor’s degree while satisfying pre-dental requirements.
Currently the minimum requirements for entering dental school at the University of Kentucky are:
2 semesters of college English or intensive writing courses
2 semesters of biology with labs
2 semesters of general chemistry with labs
2 semesters of organic chemistry with labs
1 semester of physics with labs
1 semester of microbiology
1 semester of biochemistry
Other dental schools in the country may have different prerequisite courses. Check specific dental schools for admissions requirements.
In addition, students are encouraged to take course work in areas such as anatomy, cell biology, calculus, genetics, histology, immunology, physiology, psychology, and statistics.
Students interested in dental school should meet with a Pre-Dental advisor at least once a semester while pursuing their undergraduate curriculum, attend pre-dental information sessions, visit the Pre-Dental website www.uky.edu/careercenter/pre-dental, and subscribe to the Pre-Health Listserv. For additional information, contact a Pre-Dental advisor at www.uky.edu/careercenter. Students in the College of Arts & Sciences are encouraged to visit www.as.uky.edu/pre-dental and to contact an advisor by emailing ASAdvisingCenter@uky.edu.
Students interested in University of Kentucky’s College of Dentistry can schedule a tour and meet with staff. Visit the Dental website at dentistry.uky.edu/prospective-dmd-students.
Pre-Optometry Study
Students are free to choose any major while pursuing their undergraduate degree and fulfilling Pre-Optometry requirements. When selecting a major, students should consider subjects they find interesting and challenging, and those in which they perform best. Optometry schools do not require a specific major to enter the professional program, but they do have minimum entrance requirements. Most students accepted to optometry school earn a bachelor’s degree while satisfying Pre-Optometry requirements.
The Commonwealth of Kentucky has one college of optometry, University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry. Contract seats are also available to legal Kentucky residents at the University of Alabama at Birmingham - School of Optometry, and Southern College of Optometry through the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). Students accepted for the SREB contract program are exempt from the out-of-state tuition. Students are competitively selected by the optometry school to receive a contract seat. Kentucky residency and acceptance into the Doctor of Optometry program does not guarantee a contract seat. Contract availability is subject to change as state legislatures annually review budget expenditures. For the number of contract seats available and more information, contact the specific optometry school.
Pre-Optometry requirements differ but generally include:
2 semesters of general chemistry with labs
2 semesters of English
1 or 2 semesters of mathematics
1 or 2 semesters of general biology or zoology with labs
1 semester of microbiology with lab
2 semesters of general physics with labs
1 or 2 semesters of organic chemistry
2 semesters of statistics
1 or 2 semesters of psychology
Some schools may also require biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology. Check individual optometry schools for specific course requirements.
Students interested in optometry school should meet with a Pre-Optometry advisor at least once a year while pursuing their undergraduate curriculum and subscribe to the Pre-Health listserv by contacting www.uky.edu/careercenter, and visit the Pre-Optometry website at www.uky.edu/careercenter/pre-optometry for more information. Students in the College of Arts and Sciences are encouraged to contact an advisor by emailing ASAdvisingCenter@uky.edu.
Pre-Pharmacy Study
The equivalent of two years (70 semester credit hours) of college-level liberal arts and basic sciences is the minimum requirement for admission to the PharmD program. The minimum course requirements for admission to UK’s College of Pharmacy are:
2 semesters of English*
1 semester of introductory biology (with laboratory) (BIO 148 ) and (BIO 155 )
1 semester of microbiology (with laboratory) (BIO 208 or BIO 308 ) and (BIO 209 )
1 semester of mathematics (Calculus I) or the combination of 1 semester of college algebra and 1 semester of elementary calculus (MA 113 or MA 137 ) or (MA 109 and MA 123 )
1 semester of any of the following: principles of microeconomics, principles of macroeconomics, financial accounting, corporation finance (ECO 201 , ECO 202 , ACC 201 , or FIN 300 )
1 semester of human anatomy (ANA 209 )
1 semester of elementary physiology (PGY 206 )
2 semesters of general chemistry (with labs) (CHE 105 , CHE 111 , CHE 107 , CHE 113 )
2 semesters of organic chemistry (with labs) (CHE 230 , CHE 231 , CHE 232 , CHE 233 )
1 semester of statistics (BST 230 or STA 296 )
Students must complete sufficient electives to raise the total hours, including prerequisites, to 70 or more semester hours.
*English requirement for students interested in pharmacy: University of Kentucky students must take courses which satisfy the Composition and Communications I & II requirements. Non-UK students: two semesters of English writing/composition and one semester of basic public speaking will suffice.
Prepharmacy courses should be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to the desired fall enrollment, with at least one semester completed in a lecture and lab in organic chemistry, and either anatomy or microbiology by the end of the fall semester prior to the application deadline.
Students are encouraged to take elective courses that satisfy their major requirements. Highly recommended electives include biochemistry, genetics, and physics. Other electives to consider: courses required by major; UK Core courses; PharmD Dual Degree prerequisites (if needed); medical terminology; healthcare-related courses; undergraduate courses in Human Health Sciences (HHS), Public Health (CPH), Clinical Leadership and Management (CLM).
Admission to the college is competitive, based on a holistic review of the application, grade-point average, and interview.
For more information, contact the College of Pharmacy at:
University of Kentucky
College of Pharmacy
Academic and Student Affairs
114 Lee Todd Building
Lexington, KY 40536-0596
859-323-2755
pharmacy.uky.edu/
pharmacyadvising@uky.edu
Pre-Podiatry Study
The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not have a school/college of podiatric medicine. Students are free to choose any major while pursuing their undergraduate degree and fulfilling Pre-Podiatry requirements. When selecting a major, students should consider subjects they find interesting and challenging, and those in which they perform best. Podiatry schools do not require a specific major to enter the professional program, but they do have minimum entrance requirements. Most students accepted to podiatry school earn a bachelor’s degree while satisfying Pre-Podiatry requirements.
Currently the minimum requirements for Pre-Podiatry school are:
2 semesters of college English or intensive writing courses
2 semesters of biology with labs
2 semesters of general chemistry with labs
2 semesters of organic chemistry with labs
2 semesters of physics with labs
In addition, students are encouraged to take course work in areas such as anatomy, biochemistry, cell biology, calculus, genetics, histology, immunology, microbiology, physiology, psychology, and statistics.
Students interested in podiatry school should meet with a Pre-Podiatry advisor at least once a year while pursuing their undergraduate curriculum and subscribe to the Pre-Health listserv by emailing ukcareercenter@uky.edu.
Pre-Physical Therapy and Pre-Physician Assistant Studies
Students interested in pre-professional advising for physical therapy should visit www.uky.edu/chs/physical-therapy/admissions/advising for details about upcoming advising information sessions. Students interested in pre-professional advising for physician assistant studies should visit www.uky.edu/chs/physician-assistant-studies/admissions/info-sessions for more information about upcoming advising information sessions. Pre-PT and pre-PA students may contact the College of Health Sciences for pre-professional advising questions and requests by e-mailing CHS-Advising@uky.edu.
Pre-Veterinary Studies
Students who are interested in attending veterinary school should contact the Department of Animal and Food Science in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment by visiting afs.ca.uky.edu/students/pre-vet and by emailing colette.tebeau@uky.edu. Students are encouraged to view the pre-veterinary information in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment section of this Catalog.
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