Graduate School Guarantees

The University of Pittsburgh is a member of the Association of American Universities, which includes the top 62 research institutions in North America. It is also one of the top recipients of National Institutes of Health research dollars and home to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), an internationally renowned medical center and one of the leading organ transplant centers in the world. For outstanding freshman applicants, the University offers a limited number of freshman guarantees to some of its most competitive graduate and professional programs.

During your undergraduate career as you complete the academic coursework related to your guarantee program, there will also be plenty of out-of-the-classroom learning opportunities that will allow you to complement your academic coursework with experiential learning in the form of volunteer work, internships, and/or undergraduate research. The city of Pittsburgh, as well as UPMC offer many such opportunities, and the University provides links for you with them through the Office of Experiential Learning, the Student Volunteer Outreach Program, the University Honors College, and individual departments.

To be considered for graduate/professional school guarantees, prospective freshmen must apply to the School of Arts and Sciences and indicate the preprofessional field of study on their admissions application unless otherwise noted, below. Note that these are guidelines for guarantee consideration, as competition may vary from year to year. Application early in the senior year of high school is recommended.

• Indicate Pre-Communication Science on admissions application.
• Achieve a minimum SAT score of 1300.
• Complete the Bachelor of Arts in communication science degree at Pitt with an overall quality point average (QPA) of 3.3 or higher, as well as a QPA of 3.3 or higher in the core communication science disorders courses.
• Achieve a combined score of 1000 or greater on the verbal and quantitative sections and a minimum score of 3.5 on the analytical section of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

• Indicate Pre-Dentistry on admissions application.
• Rank in the top 10 percent of high school class with 1300 SAT I (or 29 ACT) or better.
• Maintain a 3.8 science and general grade point average as a full-time student in Arts and Sciences.
• Complete the minimum coursework required of predental students.
• Attain a Dental Admission Test (DAT) score that will be set during the summer before senior year in college (the current score is 22).
• Complete the American Dental Education Association application process.
• Participate in a satisfactory preadmissions interview prior to School of Dental Medicine admission.

• Indicate Pre-Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition on admissions application.
• Complete the Bachelor of Science in clinical dietetics and nutrition (didactic) degree at Pitt with an overall quality point average (QPA) of 3.3 or higher, as well as a QPA of 3.3 or higher in the prerequisite courses.

• Indicate Pre-Education on admissions application.
• Earn a 3.5 grade point average in high school and a minimum 1250 SAT I (or 28 ACT).
• Maintain a 3.25 grade point average as a full-time undergraduate student at Pitt (individual instances where a student's grade point average falls below 3.25 will be reviewed by the Dean of the School of Education).
• By the end of the sophomore year meet with a School of Education preadmissions advisor.
• Declare the specific teacher education program by the end of the junior year.
• Complete all prerequisite courses for the teacher education specialty area.
• Attain a passing score on the Praxis I examination prior to entering into the program (candidates in Foreign Language must also attain a rating of at least Advanced Low on the Oral Proficiency Interview examination administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages).
• Show evidence of substantial experience working or volunteering with children or adolescents as a teacher, tutor, camp counselor, etc.

• Indicate Engineering as your intended field of study on the admissions application.
• Achieve a minimum SAT score of 1350 (31 ACT).
• Be in the top 5 percent of your high school graduating class or have an equivalent grade point average (GPA).
• Complete an undergraduate degree in the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better.

• Indicate Pre-law on admissions application.
• Be in the top 10 percent of high school graduating class with a 1300 SAT l or 29 ACT test result.
• While enrolled at Pitt, maintain a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) as a full-time student in Arts and Sciences.
• At point of application to law school, satisfy a standard character review and attain a 163 LSAT result.
  
  Note: For students not eligible for a freshman guarantee, working toward early admission to the School of Law after three years of study in Arts and Sciences may be a desirable alternative.

• Indicate Pre-Medicine or Bioengineering on admissions application.
• To compete for the medical school guarantee, applicants must meet the initial eligibility requirements of earning the highest grade point average available in their high school in the context of a curriculum showing the greatest academic rigor possible and earning a minimum SAT I score of 1450 (or 33 ACT).
• Students meeting these criteria will be asked by the School of Medicine to submit additional information in support of their candidacy. Students selected on the basis of their submissions will subsequently be invited for an interview in the School of Medicine.
• The choice of final candidates is contingent upon this interview. Historically, an average of 10-15 students from the entering undergraduate class are chosen each year for the School of Medicine guarantee.
• Students offered the guarantee must complete an undergraduate degree at Pitt within four years, complete the prerequisite course work, maintain a science and quality point average of at least 3.75, and engage in extracurricular activities that provide greater knowledge of the science and practice of medicine.

• Indicate Nursing on admissions application.
• Be in the top 10 percent of high school graduating class with a minimum 1300 SAT score or higher.
• Meet with School of Nursing student advisor annually — identify area of interest for graduate study by completion of the junior year.
• Establish a relationship with a faculty member (for mentoring) in area of interest by first term of senior year.
• Complete the Bachelor of Science in nursing degree at Pitt with a science and general grade point average of 3.5 or higher as a nursing student.
• Attain a score or 1000 or greater on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• Fulfill all specific requirements for selected graduate program.

• Indicate Pre-Occupational Therapy on admissions application.
• Complete an undergraduate degree at Pitt with an overall quality point average (QPA) of 3.3 or higher, as well as a QPA of 3.3 or higher in the prerequisite courses.
• Achieve a combined score of 1000 or greater on the verbal and quantitative sections and a minimum score of 3.5 on the analytical section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• Complete 20 hours of volunteer experience.

• Indicate Pre-Physical Therapy on admissions application.
• Achieve a minimum SAT score of 1300.
• Complete an undergraduate degree at Pitt with an overall quality point average (QPA) of 3.3 or higher, as well as a QPA of 3.3 or higher in the prerequisite courses.
• Achieve a combined score of 1000 or greater on the verbal and quantitative sections and a minimum score of 3.5 on the analytical section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
• Demonstrate evidence of adequate exposure to the field of physical therapy.

• Apply to the School of Arts and Sciences.
• Be in top 10 percent of high school graduating class with a 1300 SAT I (29 ACT) result.
• Maintain a minimum 3.3 grade point average (GPA) in Arts and Sciences.
• Complete 150 hours of volunteer, internship, or work experience in a field related to public health, or complete one year of work after graduation from the bachelor’s program in a public health agency.
• Achieve a minimum score of 550 each on the verbal and quantitative sections, and a minimum score of 3.5 on the analytical writing section of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

• Apply to the School of Arts and Sciences.
• Be in top 10 percent of high school graduating class with a 1270 SAT l (29 ACT) result.
• Maintain a minimum 3.5 grade point average (GPA) in Arts and Sciences while satisfying the minimum coursework requirements.
• Participate in satisfactory admissions interview prior to graduate school admission.

• Indicate Pre-Social Work on admissions application.
• Earn a 3.5 grade point average in high school with a 1200 SAT I (26 ACT) result.
• Complete the requirements for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) in the School of Social Work with a 3.5 or higher quality point average (QPA).
• Complete the BASW program with an overall 3.0 QPA.
• Complete the application to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program.

School of Social Work Guarantee:

• Apply to the College of Arts and Sciences,
• Be in top 10% of high school graduating class with a 1270 SAT l (29 ACT) result,
• Maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA in A&S while satisfying the minimum coursework requirement,
• Participate in satisfactory admissions interview prior to graduate school admission.