PA · North Charleston, South Carolina · private
Charleston Southern University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Charleston Southern asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 14 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
3 credits
"Biology or Genetics, 3 semester credit hours." One course, and a genetics course satisfies it. The table does not require a laboratory for this line, unlike anatomy, physiology, microbiology and organic chemistry. Survey courses are not accepted.
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 8 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"General Chemistry, 8 semester credit hours," with the footnote "General Chemistry may consist of any chemistry course." The table does not state a laboratory requirement for this line, and "a course may not be used more than once to fulfill a prerequisite," so the organic chemistry semester cannot double as part of these 8 hours.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Organic Chemistry with Lab, 4 semester credit hours." One semester.
- Biochemistrynot required here
Biochemistry is not on the prerequisite table; the chemistry ask is 8 hours of any chemistry plus one semester of organic with lab.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing course is named.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Statistics, 3 semester credit hours."
- Psychologynot required here
No psychology course is required.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Human Anatomy Lecture with Lab AND Human Physiology with Lab, 8 semester credit hours." "Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 sequences with Lab are also acceptable for a total of 8 semester credit hours. Animal, mammalian, or specific body system (e.g., vertebral) anatomy will not satisfy the prerequisite." The only course with a recency window: it "must be completed within the past seven (7) years."
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
"Microbiology Lecture with Lab, 3 semester credit hours."
- Medical terminologynot required here
Not on the prerequisite table.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"A minimum of 1000 hours of direct patient care experience (PCE) is required at the time of application submission." "Direct patient care experience (PCE) involves actively providing health care services to patients. While this experience is often 'hands-on,' not all hands-on work qualifies, what matters is the direct provision of medical care or treatment." Acceptable roles include acupuncturist, athletic trainer, ABT behavioral therapist, chiropractor, clinical medical research assistant with direct patient care, dental hygienist or assistant, dietician, doula, EMT, ER technician, exercise physiologist, home health aide, laboratory technician or technologist, medical assistant, medical scribe, corpsman or combat medic, nursing (CNA, LPN, RN, MSN), OT or OTA, paramedic, patient care technician, pharmacy technician, phlebotomist, PT or PTA, radiology technician, respiratory therapist and surgical technician. "Medical scribe experience is an acceptable exception to direct patient care provision"; virtual scribing counts for up to 200 hours, and "Shadowing a PA, NP, MD, or DO and/or telehealth experience will count for a maximum of 200 direct PCE hours." Not accepted: medical office administrators, aestheticians, CPR instructors, patient transport or orderlies, lifeguards, medical interpreters, receptionists, transcriptionists, nannies, fitness trainers, pharmaceutical reps, non-clinical research assistants, veterinary assistants. Preference goes to applicants with more PCE hours, and acceptability is at the program's sole discretion.
- Healthcare experiencenot required here
The program defines "health-related experience" (shadowing, patient transport, patient education, non-clinical research, laboratory work, records, administrative duties, internships) only to say it does not count as PCE; no healthcare experience figure is required or recommended.
- PA shadowingnot required here
No shadowing requirement or recommendation is published. Shadowing a PA, NP, MD or DO may count toward the 1,000 PCE hours, capped at 200 hours.
Letters
- Science faculty letternot required here
No faculty letter is named; two letters total, one clinical, the other unrestricted apart from the family-or-friend exclusion.
- PA letternot required here
A PA letter is one way to satisfy the required medical provider or healthcare supervisor letter, recorded on the supervisor line; it is not required on its own. Two letters total.
- Supervisor letterrequireddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.
Of two required letters, "One letter of recommendation must be from a medical provider (MD, DO, PA, NP) or an individual in a healthcare supervisory role who has observed the applicant interacting with patients." Recorded here as the broad clinical letter; a PA, NP, MD or DO letter also satisfies it. "Letters may not be from a family member or friend," and references should have known the applicant professionally for at least six months.
Also on the school’s page
Charleston Southern (MMSPAS, North Charleston SC, 24 months, January start) publishes a 29 semester hour prerequisite table: "Human Anatomy Lecture with Lab AND Human Physiology with Lab, 8 semester credit hours. Microbiology Lecture with Lab, 3. Biology or Genetics, 3. General Chemistry, 8. Organic Chemistry with Lab, 4. Statistics, 3." "All prerequisite coursework must be awarded a grade of B (3.0) or higher on a 4.0 scale" and must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution; online courses and labs are accepted. "Prerequisite coursework has no expiration date, except for Human Anatomy and Physiology, which must be completed within the past seven (7) years." Not accepted: survey courses, AP, CLEP, exam credits, IB, competency training, work experience, foreign coursework. Pass grades earned between January 1, 2020 and September 1, 2022 are accepted. Up to two prerequisites may be in progress at application if finished with a B or higher by September 1, with transcripts by October 1. GPA gate: "The minimum requirement for the cumulative GPA and science GPA is 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of application," using CASPA-calculated GPAs only, with the note that accepted students typically have higher. Testing: the application requirements and admissions pages read do not mention the GRE or the PA-CAT at all. Letters: "Two (2) letters of recommendation are required for an application to be considered complete. One letter of recommendation must be from a medical provider (MD, DO, PA, NP) or an individual in a healthcare supervisory role who has observed the applicant interacting with patients." Not from family or friends, and references should have known the applicant professionally for at least six months. Bachelor's degree in any field conferred by September 1, 2026. CASPA opens April 30, submission and verification deadline September 1, then a required $75 supplemental application due September 5; rolling admissions, and "it is possible for all available seats to be filled before September 1." Scoring uses cumulative, science and prerequisite GPAs plus points for CSU alumni, military service, second-language fluency, additional medical training or licenses, an advanced degree, first-generation status, collegiate athletics, and leadership and volunteer experience; "preference is given to candidates who have completed a greater number of patient care experience (PCE) hours." TOEFL iBT total 94 (R22, L22, S26, W24) for applicants whose primary language is not English.
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