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Department)of)Physician)Assistant)Studies/)PA)Program)) Page 9 of 20
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Regarding prerequisite course requirements, please note the following:
• We do not make any course acceptance decisions without a CASPA application on file. If we have any questions
regarding a course’s eligibility to meet our requirements, we will contact the candidate after reviewing the
completed CASPA application. Candidates may be asked to provide the program with a copy of the official course
syllabus, course catalog description, and a copy of the lecture topic outline. It is a good idea to keep all
undergraduate course materials prior to applying to PA school.
• We accept courses taken at any U.S., regionally accredited 2- and 4- year college or university of higher
education, including online courses offered through such programs.
o We do not accept coursework taken through non-degree-granting programs.
o Courses taken at nationally accredited institutions are evaluated towards admissions eligibility on a case-by-
case basis.
o Advanced placement and CLEP courses are not accepted towards meeting prerequisite course requirements.
o For all prerequisite coursework taken at a non-U.S. or Canadian degree-granting institution, a WES or ECE
evaluation is required at the time of application submission.
• Candidates must have four of the six prerequisite courses completed at the time of application in order to be
eligible for review. If a candidate has outstanding prerequisites, they must be completed with a grade of "C" or
higher before the start of the program.
o Note: If a candidate has only taken one of a 2-course sequence Human Anatomy/Human Physiology course
to fulfill prerequisite requirements, they are missing both human anatomy and human physiology courses.
o We do not accept combined Organic & Biochemistry courses. Biochemistry must be a stand-alone course.
• Candidates must complete all course work with a minimum final grade of a “C” or higher by the program start
date. Acceptance offers to candidates with outstanding prerequisites are conditional, pending successfully
completing all course requirements. If a candidate does not complete all prerequisite courses before the
program start date, they forfeit their seat in the class.
• Below is a list of the minimally expected content for the program’s prerequisite courses. If a prerequisite course
includes these topics, it should fulfill the program's admission requirements:
o Human Anatomy – covers the structure and function of the major human organ systems. Includes the
musculoskeletal, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, urinary, endocrine, and reproductive systems.
o Human Physiology – discusses basic biochemical principles, including cytology, histology, immunology, and
the function and interaction of the major organ systems of the human body.
o Biochemistry – discusses the relation of molecular structures to the functional processes of living organisms,
such as kinetics, enzymatic reactions, metabolic pathway functions, and the genetic code. Includes the
structure of amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, and sugars and their corresponding macromolecular structures,
such as proteins, nucleic acids, cell membranes, and polysaccharides.
o Microbiology – covers the biology of microorganisms - bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses - that impact
human health. The course covers the identification, physiology, control, host defense, and the relationship
of microorganisms to health and disease.
o Psychology/Behavioral Sciences – covers the major principles of behavioral science, including factors
influencing behavior, personality, and mental processes, and the science of psychological investigation. A
wide range of courses related to human behavior and psychosocial dynamic are acceptable towards meeting
this requirement.
o Statistics – discusses statistical reasoning and methodologies. Content should include methods for data
analysis, correlation and regression, sampling and experimental design, basic probability theory, normal and
binomial distributions, hypothesis testing, and confidence intervals for means, proportions, and regression
parameters. A wide range of courses that address statistical methodologies are acceptable towards meeting
this requirement.