PA · Ithaca, New York · private
Ithaca College Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Ithaca asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 7 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- General chemistry with labnot required here
Not on Ithaca's prerequisite list. The chemistry requirement is Organic Chemistry I with Lab plus Biochemistry.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Organic Chemistry I with Lab", one semester. Only the first semester is required, and it must carry the laboratory. C or better, within 10 years of matriculation.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Biochemistry", one semester, no laboratory named. Required alongside Organic Chemistry I rather than as an alternative to it.
- English or writing-intensiverequireddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.
"Writing Intensive/English Composition", one semester. Required here rather than recommended; a writing-intensive course outside the English department answers it by the program's own wording.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Statistics", one semester.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Psychology", one semester. No specific course named.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"Genetics", one semester, no laboratory named. An uncommon PA prerequisite, so check your transcript early.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Human Anatomy & Physiology with Lab", two semesters. Minimum grade of C, and completed within 10 years prior to matriculation.
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Microbiology with Lab", one semester.
- Medical terminologyrecommended
1 credits
Not a prerequisite, but the page lists Medical Terminology as "strongly recommended."
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequired
500+ hours
"A minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience in a healthcare setting must be completed prior to application." The program's list of acceptable roles includes EMT, Medical Scribe, Paramedic, Medical Assistant, Nurse, Surgical Technician, Athletic Trainer, Physical Therapy Aide, Medical Corpsman, and hospital or nursing home volunteer work with patient contact. Note that Ithaca counts medical scribing toward direct patient care, which many programs do not.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
Ithaca publishes a single direct patient care figure and no separate healthcare experience number. Work without patient contact is not named on the requirements page.
- PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
Shadowing is not mentioned on the admission requirements page, so no hours figure is recorded. The 500 hour direct patient care requirement is the experience line that matters here.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
"Three letters of recommendation are required" from physicians, PAs, nurse practitioners, research mentors, professors, or supervisors who have had direct interaction with you within the last 5 years. "Letters must not be from a family member or peer." No writer type is mandated, so a professor is one acceptable choice among several.
- PA letternot required here
No PA letter is required. The three letters may come from physicians, PAs, nurse practitioners, research mentors, professors, or supervisors.
- Supervisor letternot required here
No supervisor letter is specifically required. A supervisor is one of several acceptable writers for the three required letters.
Also on the school’s page
Ithaca publishes its prerequisites by semester rather than credit: two semesters of Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab, and one semester each of Microbiology with Lab, Organic Chemistry I with Lab, Biochemistry, Genetics, Statistics, Psychology, and Writing Intensive/English Composition. Medical Terminology is "strongly recommended." There is no general chemistry line and no physics line. All prerequisites require a minimum grade of C and must be completed within 10 years prior to matriculation (after January 1, 2017 for this cycle). CLEP and AP credits are not accepted, online courses from regionally accredited institutions are accepted, and courses taken outside the U.S. are not accepted. GPA floors are 3.0 overall (undergraduate or graduate) and 3.2 prerequisite. A baccalaureate degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university is required, and the program admits U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents only. Experience: "A minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience in a healthcare setting must be completed prior to application." Three letters of recommendation are required. The admission requirements page makes no mention of the GRE, the PA-CAT or CASPer, and does not mention shadowing; confirm exam policy with the program directly (paadmissions@ithaca.edu).
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Ithaca still needs from you.
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