PA school prerequisites are set program by program, and there is no national list to check against. PAEA, which sponsors the CASPA application, says outright that it “does not regulate any PA program’s admissions requirements nor determine an applicant’s eligibility to apply to any PA program.” CASPA is the shared application, used by what PAEA counts as 95 percent of accredited programs, but it does not set what they require. The only list that binds you is the one each program publishes.
So we read the requirements pages of eight programs on October 12, 2026: Tufts, Baylor, USC Keck, George Washington, Wayne State, the University of Washington’s MEDEX Northwest, Duke and Utah. Every count below is out of those eight, and each program’s details carry the cycle its own page names.
PA School Prerequisites at Eight Programs
Courses, minimum grades and course age limits, as each program’s page stated them on the day we read it.
| Program | Cycle on the page; date read | Required courses | Minimum grade | Course age limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufts | Upcoming cycle, no year printed; read Oct 12, 2026 | Anatomy and physiology (2 semesters); 2 biology with lab; general chemistry I and II with lab; microbiology with lab; statistics | C | Within 10 years of your program start |
| Baylor | Main list undated; community-college table labeled 2025-2026; read Oct 12, 2026 | Anatomy and physiology with labs; microbiology with lab; genetics; general chemistry I and II with lab; organic chemistry with lab; psychology or sociology; English composition; statistics with ANOVA | C (C- not accepted) | Science 7 years, non-science 10 years, as of the Aug. 1 deadline |
| USC Keck | 2026-2027 cycle; read Oct 12, 2026 | Biology (1 year, or 1 term plus an approved course); general chemistry with lab plus a second chemistry with lab; microbiology with lab; human anatomy with lab; human physiology; 1 year of beginning Spanish; statistics; psychology; medical terminology | B- | Science 10 years; non-science none |
| George Washington | No year printed; read Oct 12, 2026 | Anatomy and physiology; organic chemistry; biochemistry; psychology; statistics; microbiology | B- | 10 years from application |
| Wayne State | No year printed; read Oct 12, 2026 | Human anatomy; human physiology; upper-level human science; microbiology with lab; general or inorganic chemistry; organic chemistry or biochemistry; nutrition; developmental psychology; statistics; 2 English composition; medical terminology | B | Science 6 years before you apply; others none |
| UW MEDEX Northwest | 2026-2027 cycle; read Oct 12, 2026 | Anatomy and physiology I and II; biochemistry or organic chemistry; microbiology; statistics or biostatistics | Letter grade; 3.2 prerequisite GPA | 7 years |
| Duke | 2026-2027 cycle (class entering August 2027); read Oct 12, 2026 | Anatomy; physiology; microbiology; 2 other biology; 2 chemistry with lab; statistics | B- | Within 10 years before Jan. 1 of the application year |
| Utah | 2026 application (2027 entering class); read Oct 12, 2026 | Human anatomy and physiology (8 credits); biology (4 credits); chemistry (8 credits) | C (C- not accepted) | Anatomy and physiology before fall 2019 must be repeated; others do not expire |
What the Eight Lists Share, and Where They Split
Two subjects appear on all eight lists: anatomy and physiology, and chemistry. Seven of the eight also require microbiology and statistics. Utah names neither as a requirement, though it recommends both. Past that core, the lists diverge in length: Utah names three subjects totalling 20 credits, Duke requires eight courses, and Wayne State requires twelve.
Wayne State’s twelve include nutrition, developmental psychology, medical terminology and two English composition courses. Other requirements appear on only one of the eight lists. USC asks for a year of beginning Spanish, with “no language substitutions.” Baylor asks for genetics and a statistics course that covers ANOVA, and it takes science courses only if they are designed for science majors.
Chemistry looks shared, but the details differ. Four of the eight require organic chemistry or biochemistry by name, and George Washington requires both. Duke asks for two chemistry courses of your choice, each with a lab. Utah accepts any chemistry, “including intro, general, inorganic, organic and biochemistry.”
Minimum grades and GPA
Passing a course does not always satisfy the requirement. Tufts, Baylor and Utah accept a C, and Baylor and Utah state that a C- does not count. USC, GW and Duke set the floor at B-, and Wayne State at B.
Seven of the eight pages we read print a minimum GPA, from 3.0 to 3.2. Which GPA they test differs:
- Tufts: 3.0 in science and prerequisite courses, with an “ideal minimum overall GPA” of 3.4
- Baylor and GW: 3.2 overall and 3.2 in science
- UW MEDEX: 3.0 overall and 3.2 across prerequisites
- Wayne State: 3.0 cumulative and 3.0 in prerequisites
- USC and Utah: 3.0 cumulative, with Utah also testing science GPA
How old your courses can be
All eight programs put an age limit on at least some courses. Wayne State’s science courses must fall within six years of applying, Baylor’s within seven, and Tufts, USC, GW and Duke allow ten. UW MEDEX applies seven years to every prerequisite. Utah expires only anatomy and physiology taken before fall 2019.
Each program also counts from its own date. Tufts counts back from your program start, Duke from January 1 of the application year, and Baylor from its August 1 deadline. A course that clears one program’s clock can miss another’s by a semester.
Patient Care Hours: How Many, and What Counts
The hours requirement ranges from none to 2,000 among the eight. CASPA sorts experience into categories, and two of them matter here. Patient Care Experience covers “Experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient’s care.” Healthcare Experience covers work “where you are not directly responsible for a patient’s care, but may still have patient interaction.”
Those categories are CASPA’s, not the programs’ rules. CASPA’s own page warns that “it is not guaranteed that your experience will be accepted by every program in the way you categorize it.” Medical scribing shows why. CASPA lists scribes under Healthcare Experience, yet Duke, USC and UW MEDEX count scribe work toward their hours requirement, and Tufts does not.
Same eight pages, read October 12, 2026:
| Program | Hours required | What counts, in the program's terms |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor | None | Patient care, healthcare and shadowing hours are "encouraged but NOT required" |
| Wayne State | 500 | Direct patient care in the two years before you apply; paid preferred |
| Tufts | 1,000 (1,750 recommended) | Direct patient care, paid or volunteer; medical scribe not accepted |
| George Washington | 1,000 | Direct patient care, completed before you submit |
| Duke | 1,000 | Hands-on patient care by May 1 of the application year; scribe accepted, not virtual scribe |
| USC Keck | No minimum printed for 2026-2027; 1,000 from 2027-2028 | Hands-on patient care, paid or volunteer; scribing counts |
| UW MEDEX Northwest | 2,000 | Paid clinical experience, one year (2,000 hours); volunteer work excluded |
| Utah | 2,000 | Health care experience of all forms; hands-on care most preferred |
Paid versus volunteer splits the eight as well. UW MEDEX excludes volunteer work, apart from EMTs and paramedics in all-volunteer services. Utah weights paid experience more heavily, and Wayne State prefers it. USC’s two pages read differently: its admission page says paid hands-on experience “is preferred,” while its FAQ answers “No” when asked whether paid experience is weighted more heavily than volunteer work.
Four of the eight say shadowing does not count toward the hours: Tufts, Duke, Wayne State and UW MEDEX. Tufts says shadowing “is encouraged, but not required,” and UW MEDEX “strongly encourages” it. Your hours also come back at the interview stage: Wayne State lists “What have you done to prepare to become a physician assistant?” among four questions interview candidates should be able to answer.
Tests: Duke Requires the GRE, Six Say They Do Not
Of the eight pages we read, only Duke’s requires the GRE. Its page says “GRE scores are required of ALL candidates,” and it accepts no other test in place of the GRE. Six programs say on their own pages that they do not require it:
- Tufts: optional, and considered as part of review if you submit scores
- USC: not required since the 2022-2023 cycle
- GW: the program “does not require, nor consider” GRE scores, per its admissions FAQ
- Wayne State: no longer required as of the 2026-2027 cycle
- UW MEDEX: not required, and scores are not considered in admission
- Utah: no GRE “or other standardized test”
Baylor’s prerequisites page names only English proficiency tests, TOEFL or IELTS, for applicants whose native language is not English. Utah also dropped the CASPer test for the current application cycle.
Checking a Program Against Your Transcript
Duke’s page says “Every school has different eligibility requirements,” and its admissions staff “always recommends creating a spreadsheet.” Give each program a row, with a column for each of these:
- required courses and the minimum grade
- course age, counted from that program’s own date
- GPA floor, and which GPA it tests
- hours, and how that program defines them
- test policy
When a course is borderline, ask the program rather than CASPA. Baylor approves coursework only in writing, “not CASPA or any other entity.”
At Tufts, every prerequisite must be complete before you submit, or the file is not eligible for review by the admissions committee. Courses and hours are only part of the file; for the essay, our PA personal statement examples annotate four model excerpts.
ExceptionalGrad’s medical school application consulting page names PA school alongside medical school, dentistry and residency, and says “our advisors understand the rigors and demands of the application process.” The same page describes Individual Applicant Advising for medical applicants “wondering what experiences will be most helpful or advantageous.” The Medical School and Residency Application Review page names CASPA alongside AMCAS and ERAS, and says “gaining input regarding key experiences and how to highlight them.”
We edit and advise; we never write your essays. If you are planning a PA application this cycle, start with a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patient care hours do you need for PA school?
Anywhere from zero to 2,000 among the eight programs we read, as of October 2026. The deadline for those hours matters as much as the count. Duke wants them finished by May 1 of the year you apply, Tufts and GW before you submit, and Wayne State within the two years before submission.
Do PA schools require the GRE?
Six of the eight say they do not, as of October 2026. Only Duke’s page requires it, even from candidates who already hold master’s or doctoral degrees, and it accepts scores from tests taken January 1, 2022 through August 15, 2026. Tufts accepts optional GRE or MCAT scores.
Do PA school prerequisites expire?
Yes, at all eight programs, for some or all courses. Seven set limits of six to ten years; Utah expires only anatomy and physiology taken before fall 2019. Fixes differ: Tufts accepts repeated or higher-level courses, USC may exempt recent graduate science credit, and Wayne State waives only for continuous work in the subject.
Do PA schools require organic chemistry or biochemistry?
Some do by name. Of the eight we read, GW requires both, Baylor requires organic chemistry, and Wayne State and UW MEDEX accept either one. USC lists both among its options for a second chemistry course. Tufts accepts organic chemistry toward general chemistry and strongly recommends biochemistry.
Do PA schools accept online prerequisites?
Four of the eight do, with conditions on labs. Utah accepts online courses and online labs, and Tufts accepts both while preferring classroom courses. Baylor accepts online courses but requires labs in person, apart from those taken in spring 2020 through fall 2021. USC highly prefers in-person labs, as of October 2026.