PA Program Prerequisite Coursework
Learn which prerequisite courses you need and how to make sure they meet credit and guideline requirements.
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Prerequisites for admission
You must complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of C (2.0) or higher before your program starts and you must take them at an accredited institution.
Course guidelines:
- Upper- and lower-division courses: You can use both upper- and lower-division credits to meet requirements.
- Online courses: We prefer in-person courses but will accept online courses and labs from accredited schools.
- Course order: You may take courses in any order as long as you meet the minimum credit requirements.
- AP and IB credit: We accept AP and IB credit for some prerequisites. Your transcript must list the credit as a specific course. Upload your official score report from the College Board to your application for AP or IB credit.
- If you plan to take any remaining prerequisites after applying, list them as “in progress” on your application.
Competitive applicants often complete more than the minimum prerequisite coursework.
Ready to apply?
Create an online account in CASPA to apply.
Scholarships available
OHSU offers a variety of scholarships that can help fund your education.
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Learn about the program, admissions requirements and hear from current students and faculty.
Biology, chemistry and physics (BCP) credit requirements
Complete a minimum of 30 semester or 40 quarter BCP credits.
- This includes any biology, chemistry or physics courses related to medical, human or animal sciences.
- Prerequisite courses listed below can count toward the credit requirement.
- Plant, marine, environmental, exercise science/kinesiology, nutrition and similar courses do not count toward the credit requirement.
Note for international students: You must complete 20 semester or 30 quarter of these credit hours at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution.
Biology
Complete two biology courses, minimum 3 credits each (semester or quarter). We recommend labs but do not require them.
Which biology courses qualify?
- Accepted
- General biology
- Cell or molecular biology
- Genetics
- AP and IB credit accepted if shown as a biology credit on your college transcript
- Introductory courses accepted but not preferred
- Not accepted
- Microbiology (separate requirement)
- Anatomy and Physiology (separate requirement)
- Plant biology
- Marine biology
- Environmental science
Accepted biology course descriptions
If you're unsure whether your course qualifies, review your course description to confirm it covers the content listed below.
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General biology
Your course must cover:
- The study of biological processes
- Cell structure and function
- Energy use in living systems
- Ecology and evolution
- Basic biochemistry and cellular biology
- Basic genetics
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Cell or molecular biology
Your course must cover:
- Cell structure, function and life history
- Physiochemical organization
- Molecular basis of inheritance
- Protein synthesis
- Eukaryotic cell biology
- Nuclear structure and exchange
- Endocytosis
- Cytoskeletal functions
- Signaling, cell division, aging and death
- DNA, RNA and proteins
- Gene regulation and expression
- DNA replication and repair
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Genetics
Your course must cover:
- Physical basis and mechanics of inheritance
- Probability
- DNA structure and function
- Gene structure and function
- Chromosome structure and function
- Molecular and behavioral genetics
- Sex chromosomal abnormalities
- Autosomal anomalies
- Regulation of gene expression
Chemistry
Complete two chemistry courses, minimum 3 credits each (semester or quarter). We recommend labs but do not require them.
Which chemistry courses qualify?
- Accepted
- General chemistry
- Inorganic chemistry
- Organic chemistry
- Biochemistry
- AP and IB credit accepted if shown as chemistry course credit on your college transcript
- Introductory courses accepted but not preferred
- Not accepted
- Plant chemistry
- Environmental chemistry
Accepted chemistry course descriptions
If you're unsure whether your course qualifies, review your course description to confirm it covers the content listed below.
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General chemistry
The course must cover:
- Properties of matter
- Measurement and quantitative relationships
- Nomenclature
- Atomic and molecular theory and structure
- Periodicity
- Bonding and intermolecular forces
- Reactions and equations
- Solutions
- Acid–base chemistry
- Equilibrium
- Stoichiometry
- Basic thermodynamics
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Inorganic chemistry
The course must cover:
- Molecular symmetry
- Syntheses, structures and reaction mechanisms
- Atomic structure and bonding
- Acid–base chemistry
- Redox
- Electrical, magnetic and mechanical properties of materials
- Transition metal complexes
- Solid‑state chemistry
- Synthetic modeling
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Organic chemistry
The course must cover:
- Comprehensive study of carbon compounds: structure, properties and bonding
- Functional groups
- Nomenclature
- Mechanisms and synthesis
- Substitution and elimination reactions
- Spectroscopy and stereochemistry
- Biomolecules (carbohydrates, amino acids, proteins, lipids and nucleic acids)
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Biochemistry
The course must cover:
- Chemistry of biological systems: proteins, nucleotides/nucleic acids and lipids
- Heredity
- Metabolism
- Biological energy
- Glycolysis
- Metabolic pathways
- Biochemical aspects of DNA replication and RNA transcription
Microbiology with lab
Complete one microbiology course with lab, minimum 3 credits (semester or quarter). We require a lab and will accept an online lecture with a lab.
Which microbiology with lab courses qualify?
- Accepted
- Microbiology with lab
- Not accepted
- Cell or molecular biology
- Bacteriology*
- AP and IB credit
*Exception: We accept UCSD BIMM 120 (formerly titled Bacteriology) when you combine it with BIMM 121 Microbiology Laboratory.
Note for international students: You must complete this requirement at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution.
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Accepted microbiology course descriptions
If you're unsure whether your course qualifies, review your course description to confirm it covers the content listed below.
The course must cover these core topics:
- General principles of microbial cell structure and function
- Microbial physiology and biochemistry
- Growth, survival, classification and diversity of microbes
- Bacterial structure and function
- Growth, metabolism and genetics of microorganisms
- Microbes and their role in infection and disease, with an emphasis on bacteria and viruses
- Bacterial, viral and parasitic relationships with human health and disease
- Bacterial identification, morphology, metabolism and genetics
- Microbial diversity, growth and inhibition of growth
- The role of immunity and host defense mechanisms
Psychology
Complete one course in general or developmental psychology, minimum 3 credits (semester or quarter).
Which psychology courses qualify?
- Accepted
- General psychology
- Introduction to psychology
- Social psychology
- Human development
- Adult development and again
- Abnormal psychology (accepted but not preferred)
- AP and IB credit accepted if shown as a course credit on your college transcript
Accepted psychology course descriptions
If you're unsure whether your course qualifies, review your course description to confirm it covers the content listed below.
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General psychology or intro to psychology
The course must cover:
- Overview of history, research methods, human development, consciousness, emotions, behavior, motivation, personality and intelligence
- Survey of psychological disorders, therapies and treatments
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Social psychology
The course must cover:
- How individuals think about, influence, and relate to one another
- Social beliefs
- Persuasion
- Attraction
- Conformity
- Obedience
- Prejudice
- Aggression
- Prosocial behaviors
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Human development
The course must cover:
- Major theories
- Biological, cognitive, and emotional development across lifespan
- Cultural influences
- Cognitive, social-emotional, and personality development (infancy to older adulthood)
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Adult development and aging
The course must cover:
- Biological, cognitive and psychosocial aspects from onset of adulthood through old age
- Genetic and environmental influences on health
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Abnormal psychology
The course must cover:
- History
- Theories
- Etiology
- Assessment
- Diagnosis
- Treatment of psychological disorders
Statistics or biostatistics
Complete one statistics or biostatistics course, minimum 3 credits (semester or quarter).
Which statistics courses qualify?
- Accepted
- General statistics courses offered through math, statistics, biology, psychology, kinesiology or sociology departments
- Biostatistics
- General business statistics
- AP and IB credit accepted if shown as a statistics credit on your college transcript
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Accepted statistics course descriptions
If you're unsure whether your course qualifies, review your course description to confirm it covers the content listed below.
The course must cover these core topics:
- Interpretation and communication of statistical concepts
- Data analysis
- Descriptive statistics
- Sampling methods and distributions
- Point and interval estimates
- Means and proportions
- Probability and correlation
Human anatomy and physiology with lab
Complete one of the options below:
- Option A: Two semester courses (or three quarter courses) of combined human anatomy and physiology with lab.
- Option B: One semester of human anatomy with lab plus one semester of human physiology with lab.
Note for international students: You must complete this requirement at an accredited U.S. or Canadian institution.
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Accepted human anatomy and physiology course descriptions
If you're unsure whether your course qualifies, review your course description to confirm it covers the content listed below.
The course must cover:
- Cell structure and function
- Tissues and membranes
- Integumentary, skeletal, muscular and endocrine systems
- Nervous system
- Lymphatic and cardiovascular systems
- Respiratory and urinary systems
- Fluid and electrolyte balance
- Digestive system
- Nutrition and metabolism
- Reproductive system and human development
- Immune system
Course timing and refresher
- Finish your anatomy and physiology course within five years of your start date.
- If your last course was over five years ago, you must take a refresher.
Refresher requirements:
If you need a refresher, take one term of combined anatomy and physiology with lab or separate anatomy and physiology lab courses. The full anatomy and physiology sequence with lab offers the best preparation for the PA program.
Lab requirements
All anatomy and combined anatomy and physiology courses must include a lab. We will consider physiology without a lab if your school did not offer one.
Course content
We prefer human anatomy and physiology coursework. We accept mammalian, vertebrate or comparative courses but recommend pairing them with human anatomy and physiology courses.
Credit and level
- If you attended a Washington or California state school, a two-quarter sequence of 5-credit courses (10 credits total) meets the minimum.
- Two-quarter sequences with less than 5 credits each do not meet the requirement on their own. You must complete additional Anatomy and Physiology coursework to fulfill it.
Additional recommended courses
We do not require these courses, but they can help prepare you for the program.
Upper-division science
- 300-400 level (upper division) biology and chemistry courses beyond the prerequisites
Additional science courses
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
- Pharmacology
- Pathophysiology
- Immunology
Other beneficial courses
- Epidemiology
- Medical terminology
- Spanish language course(s)
- Other courses relevant to healthcare practice
Prerequisite FAQs
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What minimum grade do I need for prerequisite courses?
You need at least a C (2.0) in each prerequisite course.
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Do I need to finish all prerequisites before I submit my application?
No. You can apply with courses in progress. List any unfinished prerequisites as “in progress” in your application.
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Do you offer advanced placement or accept transfer credit into the program?
No. All students must meet our requirements and complete the entire program.
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Do you accept AP or IB credit for prerequisites?
Yes, for biology, chemistry, psychology and statistics. Your transcript must show which course the credit covers, and you must upload an official College Board score report in CASPA.
If your AP credits appear on your official transcript and are not applied to specific subjects, you must also include a letter from the Registrar stating which subjects the AP credits were for.
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Should I repeat a course for a better grade?
We recommend repeating a prerequisite only if you earned a C- or below. CASPA counts both grades, so retaking a course rarely helps.
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Is there a time limit on required courses?
Yes, for anatomy and physiology only. Complete the course within five years of your planned start date. If your course was over five years ago, take a refresher.
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I work with patients and use anatomy and physiology every day. Do I still need a refresher if my credits are older than five yea
Yes. Work experience does not replace the refresher.
Contact us
- Email: paprgm@ohsu.edu
- Call: 503-494-3633