Wake Forest University Online STEM Programs

Thinking about going into STEM and want a real-world taste of what it’s like? Wake Forest's pre-college online courses in STEM, designed for high school students ages 13 and up, have been created for this purpose. We offer exciting topics covered in-depth, through online coursework. You’ll learn from Wake Forest faculty and professors and earn a Certificate of Completion from Wake Forest.

The courses are 100% online, meaning that you can complete your course whenever it works with your schedule. There will be 30 hours of overall course time over 2 to 4 weeks, depending on the session you choose, including video lessons, unit assignments, and access to your mentor. 

The courses offered are:

The Mystery and Science of Human Behavior: An Insider’s Guide to Psychology

“Go with your gut.” “Think positive.” “Follow your passion.” People use phrases like this to guide behavior. But are they effective when measured by science? This course helps you separate common sense from true psychological insight. Learn how your brain forms perceptions, and how easily it can be tricked. Delve into the hidden world of unconscious emotion. Find out if memories can be trusted and learn about psychological disorders. Whatever your career aspirations — doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, social worker — this course will help you understand human behavior.

Bioscience: An Inside Look at Infectious Disease

Are you curious about how scientists study and treat infectious diseases at the very deepest level? Would you like to explore college majors and careers connected with this field? If you have a passion for understanding how diseases spring from nature to humans and then spread across our planet, this course is for you. We’ll take a deep dive into the causes and treatments of conditions such as Covid-19, tuberculosis, HIV, and more. Ideal for anyone interested in pre-med, scientific research, global health, biology, or chemistry.

Making the Rounds: An Insider’s Guide to Becoming a Doctor

Always wanted to be a doctor or pursue pre-med? Wake Forest’s online course is designed for high school students. You’ll get an inside look at how physicians manage patient care from ambulance to ER to aftercare. Teaching the course are Wake Forest School of Medicine professors Dr. Lindsay Strowd and Dr. Roy Strowd. Through immersive simulations, videos and course assignments, you’ll study the anatomy of the heart, what triggers a heart attack and how a treatment team works.

Cancer: An Inside Look at Caring, Curing and Treating

Are you interested in a future in medicine? Oncology (treatment of cancer) is a leading medical specialty.  In this online course, you’ll accompany a patient on their cancer journey. You’ll see what it’s like to be diagnosed, to receive treatment, and how people cope with its spread. Learn the types of treatment and their specialists, along with groundbreaking advances that are changing the lives of patients. If you are interested in pre-med or careers in healthcare, this course is a must.

Sports Medicine: An Inside Look at the Major Injuries & Treatments

Your favorite quarterback is out with a concussion. Will he return for the 4th quarter? You’re playing tennis and you feel your shoulder pop. What’s going on? Get the answers in this course on sports medicine. We’ll focus on 3 common injuries—ACL tear, shoulder dislocation and concussion. Plus, you’ll learn about traumas and treatments of star athletes. This online course is a must if you seek a future career in the field—from orthopedic surgeon to athletic trainer.

Women’s Medicine: An Inside look at Treatment, Intervention, and Surgery

More than ½ of any doctor’s patients will be women. Symptoms for common conditions such as heart disease and Lupus express themselves differently in women than in men. That’s why for anyone thinking about a future in medicine or healthcare, this course is an absolute must. Gain insight into menstruation, birth control, pregnancy, hormonal shifts, and more. Learn to think like a doctor who faces health issues like these every day.

All course options, whether 2 or 4 weeks, contain the identical educational content, learning materials, number of assignments, and access to mentoring. The difference in length of the course is due to the time of year (not the amount of instruction). We know the school year keeps you busy, so we've made the course longer during that time so you can get assignments done.