PA · Abilene, Texas · private

Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

What Hardin-Simmons 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.

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Coursework

Biology with labrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Biology with lab (2 separate courses)," 8 hours. This sits beside the anatomy and physiology and microbiology requirements rather than absorbing them.
General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"Chemistry with lab," only 4 hours, so a single semester rather than the two-semester sequence most programs ask for. Organic chemistry with lab is required separately.
Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Organic Chemistry with lab," 4 hours. Hardin-Simmons names organic chemistry and does not require biochemistry.
Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Roughly half the programs that ask for an upper chemistry accept either biochemistry or organic chemistry for the same single line, so one course often covers both entries on this list.
English or writing-intensiverequireddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.
"English," 3 hours, on the required prerequisite table rather than merely recommended.
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.
Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
General psychology. Many programs fold it into a broader social or behavioural science block that sociology or anthropology also satisfies.
Sociologyrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"Sociology or an additional Psychology course," 3 hours, on top of the 3 hour psychology requirement. A second psychology course satisfies this line.
Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Human Anatomy with lab" 4 hours and "Human Physiology with lab" 4 hours, listed separately. "Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II with lab may be substituted (should be taken at the same institution)."
Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
Named by nearly every program, usually 3 or 4 credits. A minority accept it without the lab, so read the school's own line before dropping one.
Medical terminologynot required here
Medical terminology is not on the prerequisite table, and "prerequisites cannot be waived" cuts both ways: the published list is the whole list.

Experience hours

Patient care experiencenot required here
Hardin-Simmons publishes no patient care hours floor: it "does not require a minimum number of hours in either patient care or health-related roles." Patient care experience still counts in the holistic review, but nothing gates on it.
Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
No number of any kind: "The Hardin-Simmons University PA Program welcomes all types of experience and does not require a minimum number of hours in either patient care or health-related roles." The program draws the line this way: "Health-Related Experience typically involves non-clinical duties in a healthcare setting, such as office administration or medical scribing, where you don't have direct patient contact," while "Patient Care Experience refers to hands-on roles that include physical assessment or direct contact with patients, such as medical assistant, nursing, phlebotomy, CNA." It says it reviews holistically and values "both experience types equally," and warns against listing one position in both categories.
PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
No minimum is published. "PA Shadowing Hours" is named as a holistic review factor, and post-interview candidates are weighed on "Professional Exposure: Clinical experience (quality, quantity, and responsibility), PA shadowing, and understanding of the PA role."
Non-clinical volunteeringrecommendedextra here
250+ hours
Not required, but it buys queue position in a rolling cycle: "Applicants with 250+ hours of community service receive priority application review." The program cautions that "an excess of 250+ volunteer hours does not guarantee an interview." Reported pre-admission volunteer hours have averaged roughly 475 across recent classes, an average and not a minimum. Volunteer hours are also a named holistic review factor.

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. The program asks for a minimum of three letters through CASPA and does not specify who writes them.
Supervisor letternot required here
No supervisor letter is named either. Three letters, writers unspecified, and additional letters sent to the program directly are not read.

Also on the school’s page

Hardin-Simmons publishes its prerequisite table, its screening minimums, and a long admissions FAQ on one page. Two hard screens decide whether an application is read at all: an overall GPA of 3.0 and a science GPA of 3.0, both "as calculated by CASPA," plus three letters of recommendation and CASPA verification by September 1. "Once applications are verified by CASPA and evaluated for the above requirements, the HSU PA program will not reevaluate application eligibility." All prerequisites must earn a C or better and, along with the bachelor's degree, be finished before August 1 of the matriculation year, though you may apply with coursework in progress. Unusually, there is no recency window at all: "Do prerequisites expire? No. We do not impose an expiration date on prerequisite coursework." The program also accepts community college and fully online prerequisites including labs, and accepts AP or CLEP credit if it appears on an official college transcript; pass/fail grades count only for courses taken in 2020 and 2021. Prerequisites cannot be waived for any reason, and cannot be satisfied by CME or CEU credit. On testing, the GRE is neither required nor accepted: "As of the 2024-2025 admission cycle, the HSU PA program no longer requires the GRE. We also are not accepting GRE score submissions as they are not considered in the admission decision-making process." The PA-CAT is encouraged but carries no weight: "Currently, the test results are not used for admission decision-making, instead the program is collecting data on how best to implement score results." Letters: a minimum of three, with no writer specified, and "we only review the three letters submitted through CASPA. Any additional letters sent directly to the program will not be considered." Interviews are in person in Abilene only, with an individual interview, a moderated group interview, and a critical thinking writing assessment. Admissions are rolling. Recent admitted classes averaged around a 3.66 overall and 3.59 science GPA, which are averages and not requirements.

School

hsutx.edu/academics/holland/graduate/physician-assistant

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