6.3 Eligibility for Pre-Health Certificate Program

Bachelor’s Degree
Students enrolled in the Pre-Health Certificate Program must have completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Students are permitted to take courses toward their pre-health certificate prior to the conclusion of their baccalaureate degree but their degree must be complete to enroll in the certificate program. 

TOEFL/ IELTS
The language of instruction and clinical education at the MGH Institute is English and a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English is required. Students who have not completed either an undergraduate or graduate program where English is the language of instruction must demonstrate English Language proficiency as part of the requirements for the Pre-Health Certificate Program at MGH Institute of Health Professions.  

  • Applicants who are citizens of Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, New Zealand, Guyana, an Anglophone country of Africa, or an English-speaking country of the Caribbean are not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores.
  • Applicants who are candidates for graduation from an accredited degree-granting program in the United States or at an English-speaking school in one of the countries listed above are also not required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. Completion of the Pre-Health Certificate Program at IHP will be contingent upon successful completion of this degree.

Please note that in some circumstances, demonstrating English language proficiency may be required by the academic program even if you are a citizen of a country in which the (or one of the) national language(s) is English. Decisions about the need for TOEFL or IELTS scores are at the discretion of the online prerequisites program in coordination with the department of OES.
 
The IHP accepts either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System). The test must have been taken within two years of your matriculation into the Pre-Health Certificate Program and official score reports are required. The minimum TOEFL (internet-based) score accepted is 89 and the minimum IELTS score accepted is 6.5.  

  • To forward your TOEFL score please contact the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The MGH Institute of Health Professions code is 3513.
  • For IELTS, a Test Report Form may be mailed to MGH Institute of Health Professions and score information will be verified by the IHP directly. You may designate up to 5 schools to receive Test Report Forms at the time you register for the test. To request additional Test Report Forms, contact your test center.

Please contact the Office of Admissions if you have any questions about the MGH Institute’s English Language requirements.