Prerequisite Courses
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 Courses | Description | Length |
---|---|---|
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 Biology | A 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) |
Microbiology | A 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) |
Chemistry | Two 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) |
Statistics | Any 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 Terminology | While 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 Number | Minimum Grade Requirement |
---|---|---|
Human Anatomy & Physiology I with lab | BIOL 251/251L | A |
Human Anatomy & Physiology II with lab | BIOL 252/252L | A |
General Biology with lab | BIOL 130/130L | B |
Microbiology with lab | BIOL 331/331L | B |
General Chemistry I with lab | CHEM 101/101L | B |
General Chemistry II with lab | CHEM 102/102L | B |
Organic Chemistry I with lab | CHEM 201/201L | B |
Organic Chemistry II with lab | CHEM 202/202L | B |
Statistics | NSCI 220 | B |
Psychology | PSYC 101 or PSYC 212 | B |
Medical Terminology | BIOL 303 | B |
Calculus | Math 201 | B |
Biochemistry with lab | BIOL 230/230L | While 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.