Prerequisite Courses for Physician Assistants

Physician Assistant Admissions

PrerequisiteRequirementDuration
Human Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) I and II with labs
OR
Human Anatomy with lab and Human Physiology with lab		Must be HUMAN to be accepted. These two tracks cannot be combined (e.g. Human Anatomy cannot be paired with Anatomy and Physiology II).
Animal, Mammalian, or Comparative A&P are not accepted.		2 semesters or equivalent
Microbiology with labMicrobiology course designed for Biology or Chemistry majors1 semester or equivalent
Additional BiologyBiology course designed for Biology or Chemistry majors. Recommended course options: genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology, or immunology or general biology II. While none of the listed courses are specifically required, all provide a good foundation for the study of medicine.

General biology I with lab is a prerequisite course for most courses that qualify; therefore, General biology I will not be accepted for the Additional Biology prerequisite.		1 semester or equivalent
Organic Chemistry with labOrganic Chemistry or Biochemistry course designed for Biology or Chemistry majors1 semester or equivalent
Additional Chemistry with labChemistry course designed for Biology or Chemistry majors. Recommended course options: analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, or general chemistry II.

General chemistry I with lab is a prerequisite course for most courses that qualify; therefore, General chemistry I will not be accepted for the Additional Chemistry with lab prerequisite.		1 semester or equivalent
StatisticsBusiness Statistics not accepted1 course
PsychologyGeneral, Abnormal, or Developmental Psychology1 course
Medical TerminologyCan be a certificate program. No exceptions are provided for other experience or certifications.1 course

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION TO NOTE

  • Bachelor’s degree must be from a U.S. regionally accredited institution.  A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required.
  • ALL prerequisite courses must be from a U.S. regionally accredited institution. Each course grade must be at least a B-minus (a grade of C+ or lower will not be accepted).  A minimum overall prerequisite GPA of 3.0 is required.
    • NOTE:  Should a course be taken more than once, all grades are utilized in the overall cumulative GPA calculation, but only the highest grade for each course will be factored in the prerequisite GPA requirement and individual prerequisite course grade requirement of a B-minus.
  • Survey courses do not meet the prerequisite course requirements (usually 100 or 101 classes).
  • Online labs will not be accepted.
  • Either of the following will be accepted:
    • Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs OR
    • Human Anatomy with lab AND Human Physiology with lab
    • PLEASE NOTE:
      • These two tracks cannot be combined (e.g. Human Anatomy cannot be paired with Anatomy and Physiology II).  The admissions committee may choose to review the content of a syllabus if the course title does not accurately reflect the course content. 
      • Animal, Mammalian, or Comparative Anatomy and Physiology courses do not qualify as substitutes for Anatomy and Physiology.
  • Prerequisites may be met via Advanced Placement credit (college equivalent courses taken in high school), provided the official score report reflects a 4 or 5.
  • If prerequisite courses are older than seven years, we recommend refreshing them.
  • Students are encouraged to have taken Anatomy and Physiology within the last two years. 
  • Courses may be taken at any regionally accredited institution, including community colleges.  It is preferred that all prerequisite courses be taken at a four-year institution.
  • Gardner-Webb University requires all students to submit a foreign transcript evaluation for any coursework completed through non-U.S. institutions.
    • This does not apply for study abroad credits earned through U.S. institutions.
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit or credit by examination for any prerequisite requirements will not be accepted.

Under no circumstance will applicants be allowed to begin the Department of Physician Assistant Studies if the required courses or bachelor’s degree are not completed by the first day of September prior to the program start date.

For additional requirements and details, please visit the Academic Catalog.