PA · West Des Moines, Iowa · private
Des Moines University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Des Moines University asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 10 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
The two-semester sequence with lab. Around a fifth of programs want only one semester or skip general chemistry entirely and start at organic or biochemistry.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
lab
Organic chemistry is named inside DMU's 15 semester hour chemistry block, alongside inorganic chemistry and biochemistry; all three are required, not alternatives. "Labs are required when available." The program states the block total rather than a credit figure for this course on its own.
- Biochemistryrequireddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.
Required, not an alternative to organic chemistry: DMU's chemistry block names inorganic, organic and biochemistry each as a semester. "Labs are required when available."
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
Not on DMU's published prerequisite list, which runs biology, chemistry, psychology, statistics and medical terminology.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Statistics, not calculus. The exception is regional: several Oklahoma and Texas programs require college algebra instead and do not count statistics, so check those individually.
- Psychologyrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.
"Psychology, 6 Semester Hours: Including one course of abnormal psychology." DMU spells out what that course must cover, terminology, classification, etiology, assessment and management of psychological disorders, and closes the door on workarounds: "No course substitutions will be accepted for the abnormal psychology requirement."
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
lab
Genetics is named inside DMU's 16 semester hour biology block, alongside human anatomy, physiology and microbiology. An uncommon PA prerequisite and easy to miss. "Labs are required when available." The program states the block total rather than a credit figure for this course on its own.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"A semester each of human anatomy, physiology" inside a 16 semester hour biology block that also carries microbiology and genetics. "Physical education and exercise science courses are not acceptable," which rules out kinesiology department A&P at some institutions. Completion within five years of matriculation is highly recommended.
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
One semester, inside the same 16 semester hour biology block. "Labs are required when available." Five year recency is highly recommended.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required here, not recommended: "Medical Terminology, 1 Course." The page sets no credit floor beyond one course.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
750+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"You must have completed at least 750 hours of direct patient care experience as an employee or volunteer in a medical office, hospital or extended-care facility." Applicants may apply before finishing the hours but must show a plan for completing them.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
Many programs publish one combined healthcare figure instead of splitting patient care from healthcare exposure; where they do, the number lands here. Median published minimum is 500 hours.
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
20+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
"Shadowing a physician assistant is required." No hours figure is published, but this is a requirement rather than a suggestion, and it must be a PA.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommended
No published minimum
Only a handful of programs require a science faculty letter by name. An academic letter is welcome nearly everywhere and mandatory almost nowhere.
- PA letternot required here
No PA letter is named. DMU requires two letters and leaves the choice of writer entirely open.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
DMU asks only for "two letters of recommendation to CASPA" and does not name the writers. A patient care supervisor is the natural choice given the 750 hour requirement, but the program does not demand one.
Also on the school’s page
DMU publishes its science prerequisites as two blocks rather than as per course credits: "Biology, 16 Semester Hours: A semester each of human anatomy, physiology, microbiology and genetics" and "Chemistry, 15 Semester Hours: A semester each of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry." Both carry the same two riders: "Labs are required when available," and for biology, "Physical education and exercise science courses are not acceptable." Beyond the sciences the program asks for 6 semester hours of psychology including abnormal psychology, one course of statistics or biostatistics, and one course of medical terminology. The recency line is a recommendation, not a bar: "Completion of chemistry and biology prerequisites within five years of matriculation is highly recommended." Grade and credit rules are firm: "No grade lower than a C will be accepted for prerequisite coursework. CLEP credits, AP credits and P/F credits will not be considered for prerequisites," so anything you tested out of has to be taken for credit. The GPA floor is "a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale." You may apply with coursework in progress, but everything must be finished before matriculation, and a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution is required prior to the start of orientation. On letters, the program's admissions process page says only "Submit two letters of recommendation to CASPA" and does not name the writers. On testing, neither the admission requirements page nor the admissions process page mentions the GRE, the PA-CAT or any standardized exam.
School
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