University of Charleston

University of Charleston

Applicants must complete the required prerequisite coursework for their intended admission pathway prior to matriculating into the Physician Assistant Program. Applicants should view their intended pathway for prerequisite requirements.

General Prerequisite Requirements:

  • Courses do not have to be completed prior to application, but there must be a feasible plan for their completion prior to the program start date for which the application is being made.
  • Under no circumstance will applicants be permitted to begin the Physician Assistant Program if a prerequisite course as outlined in their admission pathway is not completed prior to the program start date.
  • Seats will be automatically forfeited if the required prerequisites cannot be completed prior to the program start date

Prerequisite Requirements:

Traditional Admission is for applicants who have been awarded a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from an accredited institution of higher education prior to the matriculation date for which the application is being made.

A letter grade of a “C” or better is required for all prerequisite courses for Traditional Admission applicants.

Required Prerequisite CoursesDescriptionLength
Human Anatomy &
Human Physiology
One semester of Human Anatomy with a lab and one semester of Human Physiology with a lab.
-OR-
One semester of Human A&P I with a lab and one semester of Human A&P II with a lab.

Must be “Human” courses for natural science majors. Comparative or Vertebrate will not be accepted. Introductory courses and courses for non-science majors will not be accepted. This prerequisite must be completed within 10 years of
matriculation into the UC Physician Assistant Program.
2 semesters (a minimum of 8
credits, including
labs)
General BiologyA General Biology course with a lab for natural science majors.
Introductory courses and courses for non-science majors will not be
accepted.
1 semester
(a minimum of 4
credits, including
lab)
MicrobiologyA General Microbiology or Medical Microbiology course for natural science majors. Introductory courses and courses for non-science majors will not be accepted.1 semester (a
minimum of 3
credits – lab not
required but
strongly recommended)
ChemistryTwo General Chemistry courses with labs for natural science majors. Upper-level Chemistries and Biochemistry will be accepted. Introductory courses and courses for non-science majors will not be accepted.2 semesters
(a minimum of 8
credits, including
labs)
Organic Chemistry I Organic Chemistry I with a lab for natural science majors. Introductory courses and courses for non-science majors will not be accepted. Organic Chemistry II with a lab will not fill this requirement.1 semester (a
minimum of 4
credits, including
lab)
StatisticsAny Statistics course directed towards an understanding of foundational statistics.1 semester (a
minimum of 3
credits)
Psychology An Introductory, Developmental or Abnormal psychology course.1 semester (a
minimum of 3
credits)
Medical TerminologyWhile not required, a 1-3 credit course is strongly recommended. Admitted students will be required to take a medical terminology exam the first week of classes.
Biochemistry While not required, at least one semester with a lab is strongly recommended.
Calculus While not required, at least one semester is strongly recommended.

Note: The UC PA Program may consider additional courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements on a case-by-case basis.

 

Fast Track Admissions is for enrolled full-time UC undergraduate students with less than 30 credit hours from other institutions.

Course Name UC Course NumberMinimum Grade Requirement
Human Anatomy & Physiology I with labBIOL 251/251LA
Human Anatomy & Physiology II with labBIOL 252/252L A
General Biology with labBIOL 130/130LB
Microbiology with lab BIOL 331/331LB
General Chemistry I with labCHEM 101/101L B
General Chemistry II with labCHEM 102/102LB
Organic Chemistry I with labCHEM 201/201LB
Organic Chemistry II with labCHEM 202/202LB
StatisticsNSCI 220B
PsychologyPSYC 101 or PSYC 212B
Medical Terminology BIOL 303B
Calculus Math 201 B
Biochemistry with labBIOL 230/230LWhile not required, this course and lab are strongly recommended.

Transfer Admission is only available to students who are currently or were recently enrolled in an ARC-PA-recognized, master’s-level PA Program. Applicants must be in good standing at their current program.

Applicants need to meet one of two options to satisfy prerequisites.

  • Option 1: Have a letter grade of a C or better in all UC PA Traditional Admission prerequisite courses.
  • Option 2: Submit evidence of meeting their currently enrolled PA Program admission requirements.

Note: The UC PA Program may consider upper-level or equivalent courses to satisfy prerequisite requirements.

Does the UC PA Program accept Pass/Fail prerequisite course grades?

The UC PA Program will accept pass/fail grades for prerequisite courses completed during the Spring 2020 to Summer 2021 semesters.

Does the UC PA Program waive required prerequisite labs?

The UC PA Program will waive lab requirements for prerequisite courses taken during the the Spring 2020 to Summer 2021 semester if the associated lecture was taken during that time frame.

Does the UC PA Program accept online courses and labs?

Our program accepts online courses and labs from regionally accredited institutions. However, when available, in-seat courses at a 4-year institution of higher learning are generally preferred.

Does the UC PA Program accept community college credits?

Our program accepts community college credits. However, when available, in-seat courses at a 4-year institution of higher learning are generally preferred.

Does the UC PA Program accept AP and CLEP Credits?

Yes. AP and CLEP credits are accepted if your undergraduate school accepted credit for these. AP and CLEP credits will not be considered for GPA calculations.

My classes are in quarter hours. How will that be converted to semester hours?

Click here to learn how CASPA will convert your quarter hours into semester hours. All applicants must meet the semester credit hour minimums for prerequisite courses.

I submitted my application and have since completed additional courses. Can I submit an updated transcript?

Courses that have been completed after the submission of the application can be reflected on an updated official transcript. The official transcript must be sent directly from the institution to the UC PA Admissions Coordinator at jeanettebane@ucwv.edu. The Admissions Coordinator can reassess an applicant’s academic strength if the applicant emails a request. Academic strength can be updated through January 1st of the current admissions cycle.

Can you explain what you mean by “courses for non-science majors will not be accepted” for your prerequisites?

Prerequisite courses need to be taken at the appropriate level of rigor. Acceptable prerequisite courses can be found on your institution’s major pattern sheets. These are the courses that count toward natural science degrees. In general, introductory, survey, basic, and non-science major courses do not meet prerequisite requirements.

GRE CODES

Traditional Admissions Pathway:
USE GRE CODE “8830”

Fast Track Admissions Pathway:
USE GRE CODE “5419”

Transfer Admissions Pathway:
USE GRE CODE “5419”

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