Physician Assistant

The courses listed on this page are minimum prerequisite requirements.  Additional courses in biology and chemistry are recommended. Candidates must have completed one semester of each of these courses, with a grade of C or better in each course, prior to enrollment in the Physician Assistant Program. Minimum cumulative GPA for all prerequisites and natural sciences must be at least 3.0.  The average GPA for the 2013 PA cohort is 3.6.

The PA program will not accept online or virtual laboratory courses in the natural sciences for the prerequisite courses. 

All prerequisite coursework must be obtained from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S.  BW courses have been listed next to each prerequisite, along with a link to course descriptions, so that candidates may identify an equivalent course at other regionally accredited colleges/universities. Many courses are listed on the BW online transfer guide.

If a student has retaken courses for a better grade, both the original and retaken grade will be included in the GPA calculation, and the better grade will be noted.

All courses should be completed within the last 7 years, and candidates must have a working knowledge of these courses.  The Physician Assistant Program reserves the right to request a proficiency examination or deny application for coursework outside of the 7 year window.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses may satisfy prerequisite coursework only after evaluation by the Admission Committee. 

No previous coursework will transfer to replace courses in the PA program.  There will be no advanced standing permitted in the PA program.

Additional suggested coursework may include: 

Biochemistry, Cell/Molecular Biology, Immunology, Histology, Embryology, Endocrinology, Epidemiology, Neuroscience, Pathophysiology, Virology, Developmental/Abnormal Psychology, College Algebra.