Admission Prerequisites
Our admissions prerequisites are designed to help you build the academic foundation and experiences needed to succeed in TCU's rigorous physician associate studies curriculum. These requirements reflect the knowledge, skills, and attributes that support success in both the classroom and clinical settings while aligning with our mission in preparing compassionate, competent, and practice-ready physician associates.
Highly qualified candidates generally will have enrolled in 2-3 upper-level Biological and/or Chemical Science courses each semester during their junior and senior years, completed most of their upper-level Biological and Chemical Science courses at a four-year institution, and taken few, if any, courses through an online program.
Applicants must meet all of the requirements listed below.
Bachelor’s Degree Requirement
Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university prior to matriculation. Applicants must also be in good standing with the college or university last attended or currently enrolled.
GPA Requirements
GPA minimums are based on a 4.0 scale.
- Overall GPA minimum: 3.3
- Prerequisite GPA minimum: 3.3
All undergraduate and graduate course grades are included in the Overall GPA calculation.
Applicants may use the Prerequisite GPA Calculator to estimate their prerequisite GPA.
Prerequisite Courses
Prerequisite courses must be completed by September prior to January matriculation. Prerequisites are effective for the class matriculating in January 2028.
All prerequisite courses must be completed with a letter grade of “C” or better. Prerequisites may be taken at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
| Minimum Credit Hours | Course | TCU Equivalent |
| 3 | English Composition* | ENGL 10803 Intro Comp/ENGL 20803 Intermediate Comp |
| 4 | Microbiology with Lab | BIOL 30304 Microbiology w/ Lab |
| 3 | Biochemistry | BIOL 40513 Fundamentals of Biochemistry |
| 3 | Genetics | BIOL 40123 Genetics |
| 4 | Chemistry I with Lab | CHEM 10113 Gen Chem I |
| 4 | Chemistry II with Lab | CHEM 10123 & CHEM 10122 Lab |
| 4 | Organic Chemistry I with Lab | CHEM 30123 & 30121 Organ Chem I & Lab |
| 4 | Human Anatomy with Lab** | BIOL 20204/20214*** A & P I & II (BIOL30414 Human Anat w/ Lab) |
| 4 | Human Physiology with Lab** | BIOL 20204/20214*** A & P I & II (BIOL40403 Mammalian Physiology) |
| 3 | Psychology | Any PSYC course (e.g. 10213 Intro to Psychology) |
| 3 | Statistics | MATH 10043 Elementary Statistics |
| 4 | Physics with Lab | PHYS 10154 Gen Physics I w/ Lab |
| 1 | Medical Terminology | NTDT30331 Medical Terminology |
*Advanced Placement is accepted for English prerequisites.
**If Anatomy/Physiology is a combined course, you must complete the required credit hours.
***These courses are intended for science majors that require Anatomy and Physiology as a prerequisite for application to graduate or professional school, as well as Nursing, Nutrition, Health and Fitness, and athletic training majors. They may not adequately prepare students for the rigors of PA school and are not accepted for pre-med majors. Instead, it is recommended that pre-PA students take BIOL 30414 Human Anatomy w/lab and BIOL 40403 Mammalian Physiology. Beginning with the admissions cycle for the class matriculating in January 2030, BIOL 20204, BIOL 20214, will not fulfill the prerequisite requirements.
Prerequisite Course Guidelines
Applicants should review the following guidelines carefully when planning prerequisite coursework.
- Prerequisite courses may be completed at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university.
- Classes taken at a community college must be general-level courses, not introductory-level courses.
- Prerequisite courses must be completed with a letter grade of “C” or better.
- All science courses must be designated for science majors.
- All science prerequisites must be completed within 10 years of matriculation.
- The English prerequisite is not subject to a time limit.
- Advanced Placement, credit by exam, and pass/fail courses do not meet prerequisite requirements for all courses except English.
- Foreign coursework or non-U.S. credits are accepted only if they appear as transfer credit with U.S. equivalencies on an official transcript from a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
- Advanced Placement credit is accepted for English prerequisites only.
- Most nutritional science courses are not adequate as prerequisites.
- If Anatomy and Physiology are completed as a combined course sequence, applicants must complete the required credit hours.
The following may not be applied toward required prerequisite courses:
- Prior learning experiences
- Courses from another PA program
- Courses from another healthcare career program
- Graduate coursework
- Continuing education coursework
- Foreign credits without U.S. equivalency
- Workforce credits
The following guidance is intended for TCU undergraduate students planning prerequisite coursework for the PA Studies Program.
For Human Anatomy with Lab and Human Physiology with Lab, pre-PA students are encouraged to take:
- BIOL 30414 Human Anatomy w/ Lab
- BIOL 40403 Mammalian Physiology
Although BIOL 20204 and BIOL 20214 are offered at TCU, these courses may not provide the level of preparation recommended for PA school. For this reason, beginning with the admissions cycle for the class matriculating in January 2030, BIOL 20204 and BIOL 20214 will no longer fulfill the Anatomy and Physiology prerequisite requirements for the TCU PA Studies Program.
Shadowing experience is required for all applicants. Online shadowing will not be accepted.
Patient care and healthcare experience are not required but are considered as part of our holistic applicant review.
Applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate sufficient English proficiency for academic and clinical success. Guidance for this process is outlined in the English Proficiency Policy.
In addition to meeting all academic and prerequisite requirements, applicants must be able to meet the technical standards outlined in the Technical Standards for TCU Physician Associate Studies Students policy.