Admission Requirements: Doctor of Chiropractic
Earn your doctorate in just over three calendar years of study.
Northeast College of Health Sciences is committed to the achievement of academic excellence, leadership and professional best practices. The College admits candidates into the Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Program whose goals, abilities and character are consistent with the program's mission and who have the desire to transform lives.
Requirements for Admission.
Applicants are required to show proof of successfully completing three academic years (90 semester hours) of undergraduate study at an institution(s) accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or an equivalent foreign agency. Applicants much also show:
- A cumulative grade point average (GPA) in these designated 90 hours of at least 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.*
- A minimum of 24 hours in life and physical science courses. These science courses will provide an adequate background for success in the program and at least half of these courses will have a substantive laboratory component.
- A well-rounded general education program, which may include the humanities, social sciences, fine arts, business management, and other course work deemed relevant to achieve success in the curriculum.
* Candidates who have a grade point average of 2.75 to 2.99 in the designated 90 semester credit hours may be considered for admission under Northeast's alternative admissions criteria consistent with the Council of Chiropractic Education's guidance. Students admitted under this criterion will be provided an individual education plan designed to optimize their opportunity for success.
Doctor of Chiropractic Program
Advanced Placement Courses
All college credit earned via advanced placement (AP) courses is acceptable toward meeting the entrance requirements, providing the credit was granted by an accredited, degree-granting institution.
CLEP or Other Proficiency Exams
- Up to 20 semester hours of a candidate’s pre-professional requirements can be earned through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and certain other college proficiency examinations.
- These credits must be granted by an accredited, degree-granting institution.
- None of the science prerequisites can be satisfied through examination programs.
Technical Standards
In support of Northeast's vision, a candidate for the Doctor of Chiropractic degree program must have abilities and skills in five areas:
- observation and participation
- communication
- motor
- intellectual (conceptual, integrative, and qualitative)
- behavioral and social
These guidelines specify the attributes that Northeast faculty consider essential for completing the D.C. program. Because these standards describe the essential functions that students must demonstrate to meet the requirements of a first professional degree program, they are prerequisites for matriculation, continuation, and graduation.
Outcomes Assessments
A knowledge and skills assessment of every Doctor of Chiropractic student is performed throughout the course of study to ensure that they have acquired the proper skills for professional success. They are first measured through tests and performance evaluations in each course, up to and including final examinations. In clinical settings, the broader outcomes of the learning experience – including the ability to retain, integrate, and apply the knowledge and skills acquired over the entire program – are measured at regular intervals.
Northeast is fully committed to equal opportunity in educational programs for all otherwise qualified individuals without regard to handicap or disability, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 and Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In addition to meeting academic standards, candidates for these programs must also meet the following technical standards with or without reasonable accommodations throughout the full course of their education at Northeast.
These standards ensure patient safety and that all candidates are otherwise qualified. Reasonable accommodations can be made in some of these areas provided that they do not require fundamentally altering the applicable degree program. Requests for reasonable accommodations will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; however, candidates for admission and enrolled students should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. The use of an intermediary who would, in effect, require a student to rely on someone else's power of observation and/or communication will not be permitted. Northeast reserves the right to rescind admission or continuation to any candidate who is unable to meet all technical standards with reasonable accommodations. Any candidate should evaluate his/her ability to meet all technical standards prior to submission of an application.
In addition to meeting Northeast’s current entrance requirements, transfer applicants must have met the Northeast entrance requirements at the time they enrolled at the college/university from which they wish to transfer.
- Course work to be transferred must have been completed within five years of the transfer date.
- Exceptions may be made for candidates holding a first professional degree or an academic graduate degree in a related discipline from an accredited institution.
- To be considered for transfer credit, a course must be equivalent in content and credit hours to the Northeast course for which credit is sought.
- The student must have earned a grade of “C” or higher, and not have used the course to meet entrance requirements.
- Basic science academic courses must have been taken at the professional or graduate level.
- Transfer applicants must complete all application procedures and must furnish official transcripts of graduate or professional schools attended.
- Transfer applicants must obtain and complete an application for transfer credit and wait for an evaluation.
- An offer of transfer credit, if accepted by the candidate, is not subject to further negotiation after transfer to Northeast.
- In consultation with appropriate department heads and faculty, the appropriate academic dean or director may grant transfer credit under exceptional or unusual circumstances that vary from the parameters defined above.
- Evidence of proficiency in the subject matter will be required for course work from professional schools in countries that do not have accreditation systems equivalent to that of the United States.
Northeast welcomes applications from international candidates. Applicants who are not U.S. citizens must meet the same entrance requirements as U.S. citizens or be qualified via a CCE-recognized, non-U.S. equivalency program
If your university uses a half credit or full credit system, the following equivalences apply:
3 U.S. credits = .5 credits, and 6 U.S. credits = 1 credit
International applicants must meet the same entrance requirements as U.S. citizens, and must additionally provide the following:
- Evidence of the ability to read, write, and speak English at a level of mastery sufficient to successfully complete the course of study for the graduate programs in human anatomy and physiology instruction.
- A comprehensive evaluation of educational credentials by an appropriate agency such as World Education Services (WES), SpanTran, Academic Evaluation Services, Inc., Educational Credential Evaluators, etc.
- Certified English translation of educational credentials.
- An ability-to-pay statement.
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Healing Through Doing.
Northeast’s Doctor of Chiropractic program focuses on rigorous academics, evidence-informed research and hands-on experience to powerfully prepare you for your healthcare career.