Engineering Dual-Degree
Berea College offers a dual-degree program in engineering in cooperation with the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. This dual-degree program of study leads to a B.A. degree from Berea College (usually in the Applied Science and Mathematics major) and a B.S. degree in engineering from the University of Kentucky. The program provides students with a strong background in the liberal arts and the field of engineering. Engineering programs available in cooperation with the University of Kentucky are biosystems engineering; chemical engineering; civil engineering; computer engineering; electrical engineering; materials engineering; mechanical engineering; and mining engineering. For more information on the Applied Science and Mathematics major, which is intended to help prepare 3-2 Engineering students for the second part of this dual degree, please refer to that program in the Academic Departments and Courses section of this Catalog. Dr. Troy Messina serves as the pre-engineering coordinator at Berea.
The entire dual-degree program normally is completed in five or six years, the initial three or four of which are at Berea College and the subsequent two at the University of Kentucky. Although Berea College does not have a special agreement with any other engineering schools at this time, Berea students have successfully entered engineering programs with other universities upon completion of the dual-degree requirements.
Students may request permission to participate in Commencement exercises with their classmates even though they elect to have their Berea College degree conferred at a later date.
Pre-Law
Many undergraduates interested in becoming a lawyer begin by asking, "how do I get into law school?" -- yet, that is not the first question. The better initial question to ask is, "why do I want to be a lawyer?" At Berea College, this career-focused question begins a multi-year process for the student of seeking information and designing experiences aimed at understanding the legal profession. A student takes the first step in this process by visiting the website for the College's Pre-Law Pathway (PLP) at the following link: https://www.berea.edu/academics/majors-minors/pre-professional-programs/pre-law-pathway-timeline/ . The PLP begins in the sophomore year and includes attending small-group learning events, visiting law school campuses (including sitting in on classes), linking up with a mentor who practices law, participating in law-related internships, and other activities encouraged by the PLP program. Before joining the PLP in their sophomore year, first-year students are encouraged to focus on the new challenges they face at Berea, but any student always is welcome to schedule a meeting with the Campus Pre-Law Advisor, Dr. Daniel Huck, to begin a discussion about law as a professional career.
As a student progresses through each new milestone in the PLP, they move closer to deciding whether to become an attorney and how they might begin that career by attending law school after Berea. Law schools in the United States neither require nor recommend any particular major or undergraduate course of study as preparation for legal study after college. Instead, Berea College prepares students for law school by developing their analytical abilities, including their abilities to read, write, and reason well across a range of courses, especially as part of the College's general education curriculum. Also, Berea does not have a "Pre-Law Major" as such, but the College does offer a minor in Law, Ethics and Society that may serve some students in considering their long-term interest in the study of law. Students considering a legal career should choose an academic major at Berea that develops their abilities to read difficult texts, to write structured arguments, and to reason in depth. Whatever a student's academic major, strong preparation for law school also will require demonstrated excellence in a broad curriculum of study focused in the liberal arts.
Pre-Health Professions Program (including Pre-Medicine/Pre-Dental)
Berea College has a broad and vigorous Pre-Health Professions Program. Through this curricular program, students interested in pursuing numerous health careers can begin their foundational studies. The Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dental Programs are included under the Pre-Health Professions umbrella. Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dental are curricular/extra-curricular programs, not academic majors. Students interested in preparing for medical or dental school can select any academic major. Students most frequently major in Biology, Chemistry or Psychology because their major coursework overlaps with many medical and dental school admission prerequisites. Pre-medical and pre-dental prerequisite coursework does not, however, preclude students from majoring in other natural or social sciences or the humanities.
Detailed advising and curriculum guides for the Pre-Medicine and Pre-Dental Programs can be found at the Berea College "Division I: Natural Sciences, Nursing and Mathematics" web site (https://www.berea.edu/division-one/). Click on the "Pre-Health Professions" link at the right, under Home. Detailed advising/curriculum guides for other pre-health professions can also be found at this link including pre-physician assistant, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-public health, pre-genetic counseling and pre-medical/clinical laboratory science certification.
Students considering medical or dental school (or other non-nursing health professions) are very strongly encouraged to contact a member of the Pre-Medical/Dental Advisory Committee for assistance with general Pre-Medical/Dental (or other health career) curriculum planning. Current members of the Committee include Dr. Dawn Anderson (Biology; past-Chair; MAC118), Dr. Sarah Blank (Biology; MAC325), Dr. Mary Robert Garrett (Chemistry; MAC420), Dr. Wayne Messer (Psychology; Frost014), and Dr. Troy Messina (Physics; current Committee Chair; MAC439). Students with specific questions regarding pre-pharmacy curriculum planning, should contact Dr. Garrett.
Pre-Veterinary
While every veterinary program has its own requirements for entry, there are some commonalities. For example, Chemistry I and Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Physics are courses required by all 32 veterinary programs in the United States and Canada. Veterinary programs have high undergraduate GPA standards, generally a 3.2 minimum overall GPA. It also is important to have a broad understanding of the field and applied practical experience in some aspect of veterinary medicine. This can be obtained through academically supervised internships and field studies. Students may enter veterinary colleges from a number of majors. Most students pursue degrees in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Biology, or Chemistry. Due to the residency stipulations, it is strongly suggested that all students work with Berea’s pre-veterinary advisor, Dr. Quinn Baptiste, in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department, to ensure they meet the qualifications and to certify residency for many of the programs.
Social Work through Child and Family Studies
Students majoring in Child and Family Studies may pursue graduate study or careers in counseling, social work, non-profit social-service agencies, family resource centers, cooperative extension, childcare, or ministry. Graduates in Family Studies are well prepared for Master of Social Work programs in Kentucky and other states. Students should contact Neil Mecham, Department Chair for Child and Family Studies, for more information about this degree or these career opportunities.