Prerequisites & Guidelines for the Physician Assistant Program
OHIO’s PA program’s prerequisite guidelines and course equivalents.
View the Printable Version of Prerequisite Guidelines [PDF]
- All prerequisite courses must be completed at the pre-medical or pre-health science level at an Institutionally Accredited U.S. institution.
- Math and Science prerequisite courses are used to calculate the math/science GPA requirement. General Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Medical Terminology are not included in this calculation. Math/Science GPA must be a minimum of 3.0 to apply.
- At the time of application, candidates may have no more than three outstanding prerequisite courses. Of these, no more than two outstanding prerequisites can be courses factored into the M/S GPA calculation. Courses in progress are considered outstanding.
- Outstanding prerequisite courses must be completed, in progress of, or registered for by the time of interview scheduling (August). Failure to meet this requirement will result in the closure of the CASPA application.
- Prerequisite courses that require both, lecture and lab components, must be taken as a series at the same institution.
- No candidate will be eligible for matriculation unless all prerequisite coursework is complete by December 31 of the application year.
- Candidates must provide an updated transcript and/or proof of course registration to the OHIO PA Program upon request. Candidates must also update CASPA as outstanding prerequisite courses are completed.
- Human Anatomy (lecture and lab) and Human Physiology prerequisite courses must be taken within 5 years of matriculation.
- All other science prerequisite courses, medical terminology, and statistics must be taken within 10 years of matriculation.
- General Psychology, Abnormal/Developmental Psychology, and College Algebra have no expiration date.
- No work/life, CLEP, technical, or vocational skill credit will be accepted in place of prerequisite courses.
- Advanced Placement (AP) and College Credit Plus (CCP) Credits may be accepted if taken within 10 years of matriculation and coursework is reported individually on official college transcripts.
- If a prerequisite course is repeated, the most recent grade will be considered.
- Alternative grades such as Pass or Satisfactory will be subject to further review. If given the option, applicants should elect to keep the standard letter grade for the course in progress. If an alternative (pass/satisfactory) grade is elected, a formal letter from the graduating institution verifying that a C or higher was earned in the course, will be required during the admissions process. OHIO's PA program reserves the right to decline coursework with alternative grades.
- For alternate prerequisite course approval, send the following to paadmissions@ohio.edu: Name of course, course number, offering institution, number of credit hours, and published course description.
| Required Course | Semester Hours | Alternate Courses Accepted |
|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy with lab (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 4 | Course must be Human Anatomy. Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 and 2 combination courses are accepted. Both courses must be taken to get full anatomy exposure. Second course would apply to Human Physiology requirement. Course must be taken within 5 years of matriculation. |
| Human Physiology with or w/o lab (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | Course must be Human Physiology. Lab course preferred. Human physiology without a lab is accepted. Human Anatomy & Physiology 2 combination courses are accepted. Course must be taken within 5 years of matriculation. |
| Biology I & II with labs (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 8 | Cellular Biology, Molecular Biology, Ecology, Molecules and Cells, Genetics, Botany, Zoology. The course must contain a laboratory. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| Microbiology with lab (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | Immunology, Micro-Organisms. Course must contain a laboratory. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| Chemistry I & II with labs (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 8 | Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry II, Physical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Medical Chemistry. Courses must contain a laboratory. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| Organic Chemistry I with lab (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 4 | Organic Chemistry I or II. Must contain laboratory or must take lab separately. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| Biochemistry (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | Biochemistry, Biological Chemistry, Biomolecules, Metabolism, Nutritional Chemistry. Laboratory is not required. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| Statistics (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | Intro to Statistics, Biostatistics, Stats for the Behavioral Sciences, Biometry, Quantitative Methods in Psychology. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| College Algebra (Course is calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus. Course has no expiration date. |
| Medical Terminology (Course is NOT calculated in M/S GPA) | 1 | Medical Terminology, Advanced Medical Terminology. Certificate courses are not accepted. Course must be taken within 10 years of matriculation. |
| General Psychology (Course is NOT calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | General Psychology, Introduction to Psychology. Course has no expiration date. |
| Developmental or Abnormal Psychology (Course is NOT calculated in M/S GPA) | 3-4 | Abnormal Psychology, Child Development, Adolescent Development, Lifespan Development, Human Growth and Development, Physiological Psychology, Neuropsychology. Course has no expiration date. |
OHIO University Pre-PA Tracks
The College of Health Sciences and Professions (CHSP) undergraduate majors in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition Science; and the College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate major in Biological Sciences serve as OHIO University's Pre-PA tracks. Reach out to your academic advisor to view sample degree plans.
Contact undergraduate advising for more information about OHIO's Pre-PA tracks and other majors that are compatible with PA education: College of Health Sciences and Professions: chspss@ohio.edu College of Arts and Sciences: CAS.undergrad@ohio.edu
Pre-Admission Questions
If applicants have questions about pre-admission coursework, please contact the Director of Admissions and Recruitment Jeff Weisberger via email jeffweisberger@ohio.edu.