PA · Meridian, Mississippi · public
Mississippi State University-Meridian Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What MSU Meridian asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 14 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.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Either chemistry answers this: "Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry: 3-4 hours (with lab if offered)." You do not need both, and the laboratory is conditional on it being offered.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English composition or writing prerequisite appears in the program's table. The non science lines are College Algebra, statistics and the six hour behavioral sciences block.
- 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.
- College mathematicsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
College Algebra is listed as its own prerequisite alongside statistics, so the two are separate lines here and one course cannot answer both.
- Psychologynot required here
Psychology is not named as its own prerequisite. The program asks instead for six hours of behavioral sciences, which psychology courses count toward, so take psychology as part of that block rather than as a standalone requirement.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
Named outright, which is uncommon on this path: "3-4 hours (with lab if offered)." Must be a course for science majors. The laboratory is conditional on the institution offering one rather than absolutely required.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Split into two separate prerequisites rather than one sequence: "Anatomy: 4 hours (human with lab)" and "Physiology: 4 hours (human with lab)." Both must be human, both must carry the laboratory, and a combined A&P I and II sequence should be checked against the program before you rely on it, because the table names the two as distinct lines.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
"Microbiology or Bacteriology for science majors: 3-4 hours (with lab if offered)." Three credits clears it, and the laboratory is conditional on the course offering one rather than mandatory.
- Medical terminologynot required here
Medical terminology is not mentioned anywhere in the admission requirements.
- Social sciences and humanitiesrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 6 credits
"Behavioral Sciences: 6 hours." The program asks for a six hour behavioral science block rather than naming psychology or sociology individually, so two courses across the behavioral sciences answer it.
- Additional science creditsrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 6 credits
A flexible upper division science block rather than a named subject: "Upper Division Sciences: 6 semester hours. Must be 3000-4000 level courses." The program prefers human focused courses. Because the subjects are not named, anything CASPA counts toward the science GPA at the 3000 to 4000 level answers this, but remember the program's rule that one course cannot satisfy two prerequisites, so a 3000 level genetics course cannot pay for both this block and the genetics line.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
80+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"80 hours of direct patient care experience is required." This is one of the lowest published floors of any program on this path, and it is a floor and nothing more: additional hours earn incremental points toward the overall application score, so the number that gets you admitted is far above the number that makes you eligible.
- Healthcare experiencenot required here
The program counts only direct patient care and shadowing and publishes no separate healthcare experience figure, so there is no broader healthcare experience line to satisfy here.
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
20+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
Required here rather than recommended: "20 hours of shadowing experience with a medical provider (DO, MD, PA) is required as of 2025." A PA is one of three accepted provider types, so the hours do not have to be with a PA specifically.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Professors are an accepted writer category, but the program does not say the professor must teach a science, and only the PA letter is required by title.
- PA letterrequireddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.
Explicitly named. Of the three letters, they "must come from current and/or former professors, current and/or former employers, and one (1) must be from a PA." Letters "must not be from family members" and "must be sent through the CASPA portal only."
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Employers are one of the two writer categories the program names, but only the PA letter is mandatory by title. Three letters total, drawn from "current and/or former professors, current and/or former employers," with one required to be from a PA.
Also on the school’s page
MSU Meridian publishes a long, unusually specific prerequisite table and one of the lowest published patient care floors on this path. Every prerequisite must be a course intended for science majors, taken at a regionally accredited United States institution, with a minimum grade of C; a C- is not sufficient. Two structural rules matter more than they look: "A single course cannot be used to satisfy more than one prerequisite" and "AP courses may not be used to substitute any science prerequisites." Coursework does not all have to be finished at application, but "By August 1st of the application year, the applicant may have no more than 2 outstanding prerequisite courses." On grades, the program states a minimum 3.0 cumulative or last 60 hour GPA on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA, and says the science GPA carries greater weight without attaching a separate minimum. On tests, the GRE is required here, which is now the minority position among PA programs: "Although there is no minimum required GRE score, achieving a higher score earns more points towards overall application score." The PA-CAT is not mentioned anywhere on the page. A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited United States college or university is required by the time of matriculation. Three letters go through CASPA only and may not come from family members. The page states no recency or expiration window on prerequisite coursework and says nothing restricting online or community college credit. Applicants must verify through CASPA by August 1 of the application year, interviews run May through September, and decisions follow within 30 days of interviewing.
Check your transcript against this list
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