PA · Washington, District of Columbia · private
Howard University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Howard asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 11 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
General Biology I with lab (4 credits) and General Biology II with lab (4 credits). The baseline does not carry a general biology line for PA because most programs fold it into A&P; Howard requires the full majors sequence on top of A&P.
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
General Chemistry I with lab (4 credits) and General Chemistry II with lab (4 credits). The full sequence, not a single semester.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
3 credits · lab
"Organic Chemistry with lab or Biochemistry with lab (3 - 4 credits)." One course satisfies the line; either choice must carry its laboratory.
- Biochemistryrequireddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.
"Organic Chemistry with lab or Biochemistry with lab (3 - 4 credits)." Biochemistry answers this line only if taken with its laboratory, which is unusual and worth checking against your transcript early.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
Not on Howard's prerequisite list.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Statistics, 3 credits.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Psychology, 3 credits, listed alongside a separate 3 credit social sciences requirement.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Human Anatomy and Physiology I with lab (4 credits) and Human Anatomy and Physiology II with lab (4 credits). As a science prerequisite it falls inside the seven year recency window.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
Microbiology with lab, 3 to 4 credits.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 semester · 2 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required outright at Howard, 2 credits, not merely recommended as at most programs.
- Social sciences and humanitiesrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
Social Sciences, 3 credits, listed separately from and in addition to the 3 credit Psychology requirement.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
800+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"Documentation of a minimum of 800 hours of direct patient care experience (paid or volunteer) is required." Volunteer patient care counts toward the 800 here, and the hours must be documented.
- 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 shadowingrecommendeddiffers
40+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours.
"Documentation of up to 40 hours shadowing a practicing physician assistant is recommended, not required." Shadowing must be with a PA specifically.
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
Howard asks for three letters addressing your potential as a physician assistant without requiring that any writer be a PA.
- Supervisor letterrequireddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.
"Submit 3 letters of recommendation addressing the applicant's potential as a Physician Assistant." Howard fixes the number and the subject of the letters but not the writers' roles, so choose people who have seen you with patients.
Also on the school’s page
Howard publishes a long, fully specified prerequisite table, most of it with lab: General Biology I and II with lab (4 credits each), General Chemistry I and II with lab (4 credits each), Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab (4 credits each), Microbiology with lab (3 to 4 credits), Organic Chemistry with lab or Biochemistry with lab (3 to 4 credits), Medical Terminology (2 credits), Psychology (3 credits), Social Sciences (3 credits) and Statistics (3 credits). This is one of the heavier prerequisite loads on the path, and the two-semester general biology and general chemistry sequences are required in addition to A&P rather than in place of it. "Prerequisite science requirements must be completed within seven (7) years prior to the date admissions," so a seven year recency window applies to the sciences. "Applicants must have cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale" and "Applicants must have a 3.0 prerequisite science GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale." On testing, the prospective applicants page names neither the GRE nor the PA-CAT, so neither appears to be required; confirm with the program before assuming a waiver.
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Howard still needs from you.
See it for PA school