Frequently Asked Questions About
Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising
Welcome to the FAQ page for the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center at Kansas State University. Whether you're a prospective, current student, or a campus partner, you'll find answers to common questions about Pre-Health, Pre-Law, and Pre-Vet advising here.
General Questions
"Pre-Professional" refers to students planning to attend professional graduate programs such as medical, veterinary, or law school.
Examples of Pre-Professional paths include: - Pre-Medicine (MD or DO)
- Pre-Law
- Pre-Veterinary Medicine
At K-State, Pre-Professional designations like Pre-Med can be officially added to your student record. These are not majors, but they help connect you to the right support team.The Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center specializes in supporting students in: - Pre-Health
- Pre-Law
- Pre-Vet
Visit our Health Professions webpage for a breakdown of Pre-Health topics.Pre-Professional advising is free and works alongside your academic (major) advisor. Your Pre-Professional Advisor can help you:
- Plan prerequisite coursework
- Connect with campus resources
- Find hands-on experiences
- Prepare for applications
- Develop personal statements and resumes
Not sure where to start? We’re happy to meet with you to answer your questions or discuss your interests in professional school. Meet our team of Pre-Professional Advisors.
Future (or Prospective) Students
- Being a pre-professional student at K-State means that you intend to pursue a health, vet, or law career pathway and Graduate or Professional School may be part of the journey. It also means you want to prepare academically as well as socially and experientially.
Pre-Professional advisors have years of experience supporting students through their journeys to Healthcare and Law School - let us help answer some questions!
Here at K-State we want to help you succeed & declaring a Pre-Professional designation helps connect you with the right support team.
- Investigate and be curious - ask questions of individuals working in your fields of interest. Do not hesitate to reach out or visit us!
Students may select any academic major of interest to them; no major is preferred. Consider what topics hold your attention or excite you. Explore majors at Kansas State University.
Many Professional School Pre-Requisites can be completed as part of core curriculum or as electives under many majors and programs.
- Correct. Pre-Professional designations are not degree plans and instead are used to connect students to resources (like the Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center).
- Shadow and be curious - ask questions of professionals in your field of interest AND do not be afraid to reach out to us at the Pre-Professional Advising Center.
- If you have completed or plan to complete dual credit courses, consider the following:
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- Confirm the credits transfer to K-State.
- Do the courses fit into your potential degree plan?
- Many Professional Schools have restrictions on AP and transfer credits for specific coursework. If in doubt, reach out!
Current Students
If you have an advisor assigned, you will find them listed under your Support Team in Navigate.
If you have not yet declared a Pre-Professional designation, you likely have not been assigned a specific pre-professional advisor. Submit this form to add or change your Pre-Professional designation.
Check out our team webpage for specific advisor information.
- Schedule an appointment or reach out to your support team (advisors, mentors, people you trust) to discuss what a change might look like. Submit this form to add or change your Pre-Professional designation.
Here at K-State we want to help you succeed & declaring helps connect you with the right support team.
The Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center proactively engages with students who have declared - through appointments, programs, and information-sharing.
At Kansas State University we have a club for almost every Pre-Professional designation.
We have 3 application-based clubs:- Alpha Epsilon Delta - National Health Pre-Professional Honor Society
- Pre-Health Ambassadors - focused on fostering interest in Pre-Health at KSU and the community through service.
- Pre-Law Ambassadors - focused on fostering interest in Pre-Law at KSU and building support and recognition within the community.
Faculty, Staff, and Other Partners
- Being a Pre-Professional student at K-State means the student intends to pursue a health, vet, or law career pathway and Graduate or Professional School may be part of the journey. It also means the student wants to prepare academically as well as socially and experientially.
When students declare a Pre-Professional designation, their KSIS and Navigate profiles are updated to include Pre-Professional Advisors as a more easily accessible resource.
Pre-Professional advisors have years of experience supporting students through their journeys to Healthcare and Law School.
Being a Pre-Law student, for example: - Adds our Pre-Law advisor to that student's profile
- Adds that student to our information-sharing Canvas courses
- Used to share information regarding internships, campus events, application resources, and more as shared by Law Schools and community partners.
- Encourages connection with Pre-Law Ambassadors
- Encourages utilization of our articulation agreement with the University of Kansas School of Law
We are here to support students across the life cylce (from prospective student to K-State graduate - if you think a student would benefit in any way from discussion with our team of advisors, do not hesitate to refer or ask us to reach out.
There are many nuances and often changes to the application process and expectations for any given designation. Through regular engagement with symposiums and professional schools, our advisors update advising materials and processes to best support students.
- We are happy to present to students through clubs, short introduction presentations, classroom sessions, and more. We are open-minded when it comes to student outreach - let's work together.
Glossary of Pre-Professional Terms and Definitions
- Typically assigned to students through their college and program. This is your major advisor, focused on assisting with degree progression and general student success.
- Having an academic designation added to your student profile. This will be visible in both KSIS and Navigate.
- K-State’s student information system. It manages all aspects of enrollment and maintenance—from applying and enrolling in classes to accessing grades and paying tuition. Login to KSIS.
- A tool students use to: make appointments with advisors and campus services, plan and view class schedules, track deadlines, locate resources, and explore majors. Login to Navigate.
- A broad term that includes many areas under the healthcare umbrella.
- Indicates an interest in pursuing law school.
- Pre-Professional describes a population of students whose career interests require professional education such as master’s or doctoral programs.
Pre-Professional Advisors are assigned to students after declaring a Pre-Professional designation. Their primarly role is to educate students about becoming competitive applicants to professional programs and to guide them through preparation for and execution of the application process. - A broad term that encompasses application requirements for professional school—typically includes minimum credit hours and specific types of coursework.
- Classified under Pre-Health at K-State. Indicates an interest in pursuing veterinary school.
- Sometimes referred to as graduate school. Indicates an advanced education program that has prior coursework requirements and an application process.
- Observing a professional in your field of interest. Typically, this involves observing your specific career path (e.g., a Pre-Dentistry student shadows a dentist). Helps students determine if the path is a good fit.
- Unpaid activities to support the community. Showing dedication and consistency is key—seek repeat or long-term involvement over time.
Pre-Professional and Exploratory Advising Center
114 Berney Family Welcome Center
705 N. MLK Jr. Dr.
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-3371
ppac@ksu.edu
pre-law@ksu.edu
prehealth@ksu.edu