Concordia University Ann Arbor Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

General chemistry is not on CUAA's science prerequisite list. The chemistry it names is one semester of organic chemistry with lab plus one semester of biochemistry; general chemistry matters only as the usual campus prerequisite for taking organic.

3 credits · lab

"Organic Chemistry: one semester, minimum 3 cr. with lab." One semester only, but required in addition to biochemistry rather than as an alternative to it. The laboratory must be completed in person, and the eight year science window applies.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Biochemistry: one semester, minimum 3 cr. with or without lab." Required alongside organic chemistry, not as an alternative to it. Eight year window.

1 semester · 3 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.

"English Composition: one semester, 3 credit minimum (will accept high school AP credit)." If AP courses are not itemised on the college transcript, the official AP score report must go to the program directly.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Statistics: one semester required; 3 credit minimum (will accept high school AP credit)." A non-science prerequisite here, so it may be the one course still in progress at application, and it is outside the eight year science window.

1 semester · 3 credits

"Psychology: one semester, 3 credits (lifespan/developmental, abnormal, or general psychology. Will accept high school AP credit)." Any of those three answers it.

6 credits · lab

Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.

"Human Anatomy & Physiology: one semester each: minimum 3 cr. with lab", so six credits across the two, both with in person laboratories. Either route works: "May be completed as A & P 1 and A & P 2; or can be a course in anatomy PLUS a course in physiology, both must include lab and must require a college level biology course as a prerequisite for taking A & P." The program may ask for the course description, warns the course "must be rigorous", and closes one substitution outright: "Pathophysiology will not replace the requirement for a physiology course in those who have taken only Anatomy." Eight year window.

3 credits · lab

Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.

"Microbiology: one semester of 3 cr., with lab." The laboratory must be in person. Eight year window.

1 semester · 2 credits

Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.

Required, not recommended: "Medical Terminology: one semester of a 2 credit minimum course from an accredited academic institution." Documented clinical work does not substitute here.

1000+ hours

Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.

"There must be documentation of 1000 hours of paid hands-on patient care experience at the time of application." Paid only, and the 1000 is a floor scored on a curve: "points are assigned for numbers of hours (1000 is the minimum; cohort average >4,500), and for patient care participation requiring some level of decision-making." Counting roles include nursing, CNA, medical assistant, ER tech, EMT or paramedic, dietician, exercise stress test technician, mental health therapist, military medical or clinical specialist, occupational or physical therapist, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, phlebotomist, respiratory therapist and surgical technician. Explicitly not counting: "PA or MD shadowing; non-clinical research assistant; CPR instructor; patient transporter, pharmaceutical rep; ski patrol (unless EMT certified), lifeguard, aerobics instructor, unit clerk, medical insurance clerk, medical secretary." Scribing is capped: "a scribe may use maximum of 500 hours of scribe work as part of the patient care requirement, but the remainder must be in some capacity in which you have direct patient interaction."

CUAA publishes no healthcare experience figure separate from its 1000 paid hands-on patient care hours, and files unit clerk, medical insurance clerk and medical secretary work as not counting at all.

20+ hours

No shadowing minimum is published, and shadowing is explicitly excluded from the patient care hours: "PA or MD shadowing" is listed among what is "NOT considered hands-on experience." It still matters indirectly, since one required reference must come from a clinician "whom you have shadowed or worked alongside".

Three references are required and none of them is academic by requirement. A professor is only one of the options for the character reference, alongside a coach, co-worker or supervisor.

1 letter

The third reference is a character reference, and the writer need not be academic at all: "One letter from a professor, coach, co-worker, or supervisor who can serve as a character reference."

1 letter

The second of the three references: "One letter from a PA or advanced healthcare provider (MD, DO, NP, CNM) whom you have shadowed or worked alongside who can speak to your professionalism." A PA is the first name on that list, so this line and the PA letter line are the same single reference: any one of PA, MD, DO, NP or CNM satisfies it.

1 letter

Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

A PA letter satisfies CUAA's clinician reference but is not required on its own: the line reads "a PA or advanced healthcare provider (MD, DO, NP, CNM) whom you have shadowed or worked alongside".

1 letter

Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.

The first of three required references, and it is tied to the patient care hours: "One letter from an employer/supervisor of your hands-on patient care experience who can speak to your aptitude for a profession as a Physician Assistant." The program scores letters "looking for evidence that matches of patient care hours and experience".