Chiropractic health care focuses on the restoration and enhancement of health by altering the neural regulation of body systems, primarily, but not exclusively by adjustment of the spine and other articulations of the body. Training requires three and one-half to four years at a college of chiropractic. Prerequisite requirements range from 90 college credits to a bachelor’s degree depending on the particular school and the regulations for state licensing. No admissions test is required, but a letter of recommendation from a Doctor of Chiropractic often is.
For information on the profession, please visit the Association of Chiropractic Colleges website. There are 18 colleges of chiropractic medicine in the US; all are private. Two are located in New York State: the Northeast College of Health Sciences in Seneca Falls and the Doctor of Chiropractic Program at D’Youville University in Buffalo. More information about different chiropractic colleges can be found online.
Start planning as a freshman to meet the following course requirements:
A minimum of one year each of chemistry, organic chemistry, biology and physics, all with a year of lab; one year of English; and one year of math is recommended. Below are the UB courses which we recommend you take in order to meet these requirements:
| Course Name | Course Number(s) | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Chemistry (May be required or recommended) | CHE 101-102 w/labs 113-114, or 105-106, or 107-108 w/labs 127-128 | 8-10 credits |
| Organic Chemistry (May be required or recommended) | CHE 201-202, or 203-204 w/labs 205-206, or 251-252 | 10 credits |
| Biology (May be required or recommended) | BIO 200, and BIO 201 w/lab 211 | 9 credits |
| Physics (May be required or recommended) | PHY 101-102 w/labs 151-152, or PHY 107-108 or 117-118 w/lab 158* | 10 credits |
| English/Writing (May be required) | Communication Literacy 1 and 2 (If any waived take 3 or 6 credits of writing intensive, literature-based courses – check with prehealth advisor if unsure) | 6 credits |
| Calculus and/or Statistics (May be recommended) | MTH 121 OR 141; STA 119 or PSY 207 | 4 credits |
*Consult with a prehealth advisor regarding additional lab requirements if taking a physics sequence which includes only one lab.
Be sure to check with individual schools for additional requirements. Chiropractic schools may require human anatomy, physiology, and/or psychology and other social science or humanities courses.
Let your major advisor know of your professional goals so they can help you, along with Prehealth, plan your courses accordingly. There are sometimes cases for course substitutions that are allowed (for example, engineering majors) and always a need for careful planning.