Physician Assistant (PA)
Common Requirements for Physician Assistant
The list below shows common basic requirements for most PA programs in North Carolina. To make sure you are fulfilling the prerequisites for the schools you are interested in attending, please check their individual admissions websites. As a reminder, this list is not a substitute for meeting with the Academic Advisor in your College.
In addition, most PA programs will require a minimum of 1,000 hours of direct patient care hours, but most competitive applicants will have 2-3,000+ hours at the time of application.
| Course | Requirement | Fulfilled By* |
|---|---|---|
| General Biology | 1-2 semesters lecture, 1-2 semesters lab | BIO 183 BIO xxx |
| Anatomy + Physiology | 2 semesters lecture, 1 semester lab | BIO 240 BIO 245 BIO 242 |
| Microbiology | 1 semester lecture, 1 semester lab | MB 251/252 |
| Genetics | 1 semester lecture | GN 311 |
| General Chemistry | 1 semester lecture, 1 semester lab | CH 101/102 |
| Organic Chemistry** | 1-2 semesters lecture, 1-2 semester lab | CH 221/222** CH 223/224** |
| Biochemistry | 1 semester lecture | BCH 351** |
| Psychology | 1-2 semesters lecture | PSY 200 PSY 376 |
| Statistics | 1 semester lecture | ST 311 or ST 370 |
| Medical Terminology | 1 semester lecture | WLCL 115 |
**CH 221/222 and 223/224 are prerequisite courses for BCH 351 and BCH 451 at NC State.
In addition to the above minimum requirements, some schools may require:
- Additional biological sciences courses
Prerequisites for PA programs in North Carolina: