PA · Springfield, Missouri · public
Missouri State University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Missouri State 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 labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
The 12 hour chemistry block "Must include the complete sequence (2-3 semesters) of general chemistry at the pre-med level or for science majors, including lab." Missouri State will look for two or three semesters, not one, and the science-major level is required.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"An organic chemistry or biochemistry course is also required" on top of the general chemistry sequence. Either one satisfies it, so a single semester of organic answers this line.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing requirement appears in Missouri State's four prerequisite blocks.
- 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
The 6 hour social science block "Must include a course in general or introductory psychology." The remaining 3 hours come from a second social science course.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"Human or general genetics," 3 or more semester hours, inside the 14 hour life sciences block. No lab is required.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
The life sciences block "Must include courses (8 semester hours total) in anatomy and physiology at the pre-med level or for science majors with lab." The pre-med or science-major level is the operative phrase: an allied health survey sequence does not answer it. Separate human-based anatomy and physiology courses are recommended over a combined sequence, and a cadaver lab is suggested.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
Microbiology, 3 or more semester hours, inside the 14 hour life sciences block. Unlike the anatomy and physiology and general chemistry lines, the microbiology line does not state a lab requirement.
- Medical terminologyrecommended
1 credits
"A course in medical terminology is strongly recommended" for applicants without a healthcare background or extensive medical terminology experience. Strongly recommended, not required, and no credit figure is published.
- Social sciences and humanitiesrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
The social science block runs to 6 hours minimum, of which introductory psychology is one course. The second course may cover "developmental psychology, abnormal psychology, sociology, healthcare ethics, or death and dying."
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequired
500+ hours
"Applicants must have a minimum of 500+ hours of paid, direct, hands-on patient care experience at the time the CASPA application is submitted." Paid only: volunteer time does not count toward this figure. 500 is the floor and not the competitive number, since the January 2026 cohort averaged more than 3,500 hours.
- 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 shadowingrequireddiffers
24+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
"Candidates for admission to the PA program are required to shadow a practicing PA for at least 24 hours." A hard requirement here, not a recommendation, and it must be a PA.
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
"Three professional or academic letters of recommendation should be submitted to CASPA," with no PA or clinician letter named. Note that PA shadowing is separately required.
- Supervisor letternot required here
The three letters may be professional or academic, and the program does not require one from a work supervisor specifically.
Also on the school’s page
Missouri State builds its prerequisites as four credit hour blocks rather than a flat course list: life sciences 14 hours minimum, chemistry 12 hours minimum, statistics 3 hours minimum, and social science 6 hours minimum. "A grade of 'C' or higher must be earned in each of the courses. A minimum GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by CASPA) is required." Recency: "Preference may be given to applicants who have completed their pre-professional prerequisite courses during five years prior to applying to the program," a preference rather than a cutoff. Exams: a score report is mandatory, and the program takes any of three, listing "PA-CAT (recommended), GRE or MCAT score report" due by the July 15 deadline. The GRE code for MSU PA is 2189. No minimum score is published; the January 2026 cohort averaged 550 on the PA-CAT and 306 combined verbal and quantitative on the GRE. Letters: "Three professional or academic letters of recommendation should be submitted to CASPA," with family members and friends excluded and no particular writer named. The program applies through CASPA with no supplemental application. Class profile figures are averages, not minimums: the January 2026 cohort averaged 3.7 overall, 3.7 science, 3.8 in the last 60 hours, and more than 3,500 hours of paid direct patient healthcare experience.
School
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