Cyclios

PA · Hickory, North Carolina · private

Lenoir-Rhyne University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites

What Lenoir-Rhyne 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

    3 credits · lab

    "Biology with lab: 1 semester course designed for science majors (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." One semester, not the two semester sequence, and the lab must be in person.

  • General chemistry with labrequireddiffers

    6 credits · lab

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

    Two separate lines: "General Chemistry I with lab: 1 semester (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)" and "General Chemistry II or higher with lab: 1 semester (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." Six credits minimum for the pair, both with in person labs.

  • Biochemistryrequired

    1 semester · 3 credits

    Either course answers this line: "Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry: 1 semester, in addition to the General Chemistry or higher with lab requirements (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." It cannot double as the general chemistry II or higher course.

  • English or writing-intensivenot required here

    No English or writing course appears on Lenoir-Rhyne's prerequisite list.

  • Statisticsrequired

    1 semester · 3 credits

    "Statistics or Biostatistics: 1 semester (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." AP statistics is accepted if the undergraduate institution gave 3 semester hours of credit.

  • Psychologyrequired

    1 semester · 3 credits

    "General, Abnormal or Developmental Psychology from the Psychology Department (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." AP general psychology is accepted if the undergraduate institution gave 3 semester hours of credit.

  • Advanced biologyrequiredextra here

    1 semester · 3 credits

    "Upper-level Biology: 1 semester; Highly recommend Genetics. Other options include Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Embryology, Histology, Virology, Immunology, etc. (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." No laboratory is named.

  • Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers

    6 credits · lab

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

    "Human Anatomy/Human Physiology with lab: 2 semesters; This requirement may be met by the applicant taking either: one semester of Anatomy (with lab) and one semester of Physiology (lab preferred but not required) or by the applicant taking two semesters of Human Anatomy with lab and Human Physiology combined. (Minimum 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours)." Six credits rather than the baseline eight, and the physiology lab is optional if the courses are taken separately. Labs must be in person.

  • Microbiologyrequireddiffers

    3 credits

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

    "Microbiology: 1 semester (Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours)." No laboratory is named on this line.

  • Medical terminologyrequireddiffers

    1 credits

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

    Required, with no credit floor: "1 semester or continuing education credit," and it "may be credit hour course completed at a regionally accredited institution or continuing education course."

Experience hours

  • Patient care experiencerequired

    500+ hours

    "Minimum of 500 hours of direct, hands-on patient care is required. 1,000 hours of direct hands-on patient experience is recommended," and preference points rise with hours. "Direct, hands-on patient care experience does not include seat time, lab time or training programs. Telemedicine experience is acceptable, though in-person experience is preferred." Hours need "signed documentation of clinical experience or PA shadowing hours." Shadowing counts in a capped way: "Shadowing a PA, NP, MD, or DO: up to 50 hours may be counted toward Patient Care Experience Hours." Accepted roles are listed in a separate contact hours document, and "All other positions not listed here will be considered on a case-by-case basis."

  • Healthcare experiencerecommended

    500+ hours

    Lenoir-Rhyne publishes no separate healthcare experience figure; its only stated number is the 500 hour direct, hands on patient care minimum.

  • PA shadowingrecommended

    20+ hours

    "Recommended 20 hours of shadowing/observation of a physician assistant. Preference points are given to those applicants with 20 hours or more of PA shadowing experience depending on the number of hours performed." Up to 50 shadowing hours may also be counted toward patient care experience.

Letters

  • Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers

    1 letter

    Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

    "One academic recommendation is acceptable," with no restriction to science faculty and no faculty letter required.

  • PA letterrecommendeddiffers

    1 letter

    Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

    Recommended rather than mandated, and a PA is one of several acceptable clinical writers: "It is recommended that applicants have: At least two letters from physicians, PAs or clinical supervisors and others familiar with your clinical experience." "Personal recommendations are not accepted."

  • Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers

    1 letter

    Most PA programmes publish no minimum.

    Clinical supervisors are among the writers named for the two recommended clinical letters: "physicians, PAs or clinical supervisors and others familiar with your clinical experience."

Also on the school’s page

Lenoir-Rhyne publishes its PA prerequisites on the graduate application page, ten lines each stated as "Minimum 3 semester hours or 4 quarter hours" unless noted: biology with lab for science majors, upper level biology, microbiology, human anatomy and physiology with lab (two semesters, minimum 6 semester hours), general chemistry I with lab, general chemistry II or higher with lab, biochemistry or organic chemistry, psychology, statistics or biostatistics, and medical terminology. "A grade of C or above is required in all prerequisite courses," and "Prerequisite laboratory requirements must be fulfilled through in-person lab experiences." Timing: "Applicants can have no more than two outstanding prerequisite courses pending at the time of application," courses must be completed by September 1 with final transcripts by October 1, and the bachelor's degree must be finished "by September 1st of the year just prior to matriculation for the January start of the program." AP credit is accepted for general psychology and statistics when the undergraduate institution awarded 3 semester hours. The recency rule is unusual because it is tied to a test rather than a cutoff: "The Lenoir-Rhyne PA Studies program requires the PA-CAT if the oldest prerequisite course will be greater than ten years before matriculation in the program." Otherwise the PA-CAT is voluntary but rewarded: "It is recommended that applicants complete the PA-CAT prior to application," and "Preference points are given to those applicants voluntarily completing the PA-CAT." "GRE - Not required. MCAT - Not required." GPA floor: "Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 and above OR GPA of 3.0 and above on last 60 credit hours of college coursework, including undergraduate and graduate study, based on a 4.0 scale." International applicants with a U.S. regionally accredited bachelor's degree and prerequisites are eligible and may be asked for TOEFL scores. Apply through CASPA; "There is no supplemental application." Preference points also go to current LR students, alumni, military veterans and holders of prior graduate degrees.

School

lr.edu/physician-assistant-studies-ms

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