Certificate in Health Professions Preparation

The Graduate Certificate in Health Professions Preparation program evaluates the overall quality of its applicants, looking at academic achievement, personal motivation, knowledge of health care and osteopathic medicine, profession related experiences, and recommendations.

Specific criteria for admission are as follows:

• NSU CHPP (Post Baccalaureate) application (Must have previously applied to the current cycle of the DO Program).  Must have an AACOMAS application on file from the current DO cycle OR have completed the PostBacCAS application.
• Application fee - $ 50 (required)
• Official transcripts of all coursework, even if in progress (even if the applicant has previously submitted a service application)
• Official MCAT (medical) scores (cannot be older than three years).
  • Official MCAT acceptable if part of service application or AACOMAS. MCAT scores sent by applicant can be validated with verification code 
• Three letters of recommendation (must be submitted according to AACOMAS procedures):
  • 2 from science professors and 1 from a non-science professor OR
  • 1 pre-professional committee letter OR
  • If applicant has been out of school for at least two years, please contact an admissions counselor
• Personal Interview

Prerequisites

• B.A./B.S. degree from a regionally accredited university
• Completion of a minimum of 8 semester hours with a grade of C (2.0 GPA) or higher in each of the following:
  • Biology with lab
  • General Chemistry with lab
  • Organic Chemistry with lab
  • General Physics with lab
• Completion of a minimum of 6 semester hours in English with at least 3 semester hours in composition with a grade of C (2.0 GPA) or higher
• Completion of a minimum of 3 semester hours with a grade of C (2.0 GPA) or higher in Biochemistry
• A cumulative MCAT of 498 or higher
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Students first step in the application process is to initiate an application to the CHPP program by first applying to NSU through either the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) or the PostBacCAS application services.

Step 1:

AACOMAS Path

The college participates in the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) for the receipt and processing of applications.  All students who are currently applying to NSUS’s DO program must complete an AACOMAS application and thus have already started the application process for the CHPP program.  Students who submit through PostBacCAS will need to fill out an AACOMAS application in order to matriculate into the D.O. program at a later date. AACOMAS takes no part in the selection of students.

To start the application process through AACOMAS:

Applicants should submit applications electronically through AACOMAS Online, an interactive, web-based application at aacom.org. For questions, applicants may call (301) 968-4190.

The following steps are necessary to the primary application process.

1. The applicant must submit the following materials to AACOMAS by January 15.
   • completed AACOMAS application
   • official transcripts from the registrars of all colleges or universities attended, mailed directly to AACOMAS by the college or university
   • a letter of recommendation from the preprofessional committee, or, if such a committee does not exist, then three letters of evaluation—two from science professors and one from a nonscience professor
   • a letter of recommendation from a physician
   • MCAT scores (must be no more than three years old prior to the date the application is submitted)
   • a secondary application, which will be sent to the applicant by the college upon receipt of the AACOMAS application
   • NSU CHPP (postbaccalaureate) application
   • a nonrefundable application fee of $50

After completing your primary application and receiving notification that it is verified NSU will send you a secondary application to complete.  Once submitted, please contact the office of admissions and notify them of your intent to apply to the CHPP program.  Students may apply to the CHPP program and the D.O. program concurrently.

PostBacCAS Path

To start the application process through PostBacCAS:

Applicants should submit applications electronically through PostBacCas Online, an interactive, web-based application at postbaccas.liaisoncas.org. For questions about PostBacCAS, applicants may call (857) 304-2047. PostBacCas takes no part in the selection of NSU students.

The following steps are necessary to the PostBacCAS application process.

1. The applicant must submit the following materials to PostBacCAS by May 15:
   • a completed application
   • official transcripts
   • a letter of recommendation from the preprofessional committee, or, if such a committee does not exist, then three letters of evaluation—two from science professors and one from a nonscience professor
   • a letter of recommendation from a physician
   • MCAT scores (must be no more than three years old prior to the date the application is submitted)

After completing your primary application and receiving notification that it is verified NSU will send you a secondary CHPP application to complete. If you have questions about this or experience a delay receiving the CHPP application, please contact Melissa Chamberlain (954-262-1989, or chammeli@nova.edu).

Step 2:

A personal interview is a part of the admission process; however, being interviewed is not a guarantee of admission. Not all applicants will be granted an interview. Those selected for an interview will be notified of the date and time of such interview by the Office of Admissions.

Notice of acceptance will be on a rolling or periodic schedule; therefore, early completion of the application is in the best interest of the applicant because of the limited number of spaces available in each class.

After acceptance, final and official documents and requirements must be received by the Office of Admissions within 90 days following the start of the first term. If these final and official documents are not received, or other requirements are not met by that time, the student will not be able to continue his or her enrollment.

NSU is proud to offer the CHPP program with one of the most affordable tuition price points in the country. Tuition for the CHPP program during the 2021–2022 academic year is $20,000. A Health Professions Division general access fee of $145 is required each year. An NSU student services fee of $1,500 is also required annually. There is also a registration fee of $30 each semester. All tuition and fees are subject to change by the NSU Board of Trustees.

Financial Aid eligible. Eligibility dependent upon the completion of the FAFSA application and institutional review. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid, or Maria A. Mateu, M.B.A. (mmateu@nova.edu | (813) 574-5292), for more information.

Required Courses—Class of 2021

This is a full-time graduate program of study with 18 total credits over 2 semesters.

Please plan on attending one of our virtual open houses. The director of the CHPP program and our inaugural class of students will give a presentation on the program and will be available to answer all of your questions.