PA · Overland Park, Kansas · private
Ottawa University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Ottawa asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 12 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- General chemistry with labnot required here
General chemistry does not appear on Ottawa's prerequisite table. Biochemistry is the only chemistry named, though the institution teaching it will normally require general chemistry first.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Biochemistry, 1 semester." Ottawa names biochemistry outright rather than offering organic chemistry as an alternative, and no laboratory is asked for. Subject to the seven year recency window.
- English or writing-intensiverequireddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.
"Speech or Communication or Writing Intensive Capstone (e.g. a capstone course), 1 semester." Broader than an English composition line: a speech or communication course answers it just as well. This is one of the three prerequisites with "No time limit," so an old course still counts.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Statistics or Biostatics, 1 semester." One of the three prerequisites Ottawa exempts from its seven year window.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Psychology, 1 semester OR at least 1 year in the field of psychology." Work in the field can stand in for the course here, which is rare. No time limit applies.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"Human Genetics, 1 semester." Human genetics specifically, and it falls inside the seven year window that covers Ottawa's science prerequisites.
- Advanced biologyrecommendedextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"The PA program curriculum is extremely rigorous. As applicants prepare for the academic pathway, we highly recommend additional upper-level science courses. These courses are NOT required." The named list is cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology or immunology, endocrinology, neurology and pathophysiology.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
3 semesters · 12 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
Ottawa lists four separate semesters: "Human Anatomy I with lab," "Human Anatomy II," "Human Physiology I with lab," and "Human Physiology II." A combined sequence substitutes, "A&P I with lab is acceptable, 1 semester" for the first anatomy and physiology courses and "A&P II with lab is acceptable, 1 semester" for the second pair, so a standard two semester A&P sequence with labs answers all four lines. Everything here must fall within the last seven years.
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Microbiology with Lab, 1 semester," within the seven year window and with a grade of C or greater.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required, and satisfiable without college credit: "Medical Terminology, 1 semester OR online certificate of completion." It sits in the timed block, so the course or certificate must be within the last seven years.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
A hard number: "Direct Patient Care Experiences: 1000 hours (paid or volunteer)." Volunteer hours count the same as paid. On how the total is assembled, "In CASPA, to calculate direct patient care experience hours, the program will first look at patient care experiences, followed by health-related experiences, followed by employment to determine hours," so health-related and employment entries can be pulled in once patient care entries run out. Qualifying roles "may include but are not limited to MA, CNA, EMT, Paramedic, LPN, RN, Surgical Technician, Athletic Trainer, Behavioral and Mental Health Technician, Physical Therapy Aide, Medical Corpsman, Medical Scribe and Research Coordinator." Scribe and research coordinator both count as patient care here, which many programs do not allow.
- Healthcare experiencenot required here
Ottawa publishes no separate healthcare experience requirement. Health-related experience matters only as a fallback source of hours toward the 1,000 hour direct patient care figure, counted after patient care entries.
- PA shadowingnot required here
No shadowing requirement, recommendation or hour count appears on Ottawa's admission page.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Professors are on Ottawa's list of acceptable writers, but no science faculty letter is specifically required and none of the three slots is assigned.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Three letters are required but none is reserved for a PA: "Letters should be from physicians (MDs/DOs), PAs, APRNs, research mentors, professors, or volunteer coordinators/supervisors who directly interacted with the applicant within the last three (3) years." The recency test on the relationship matters as much as the writer's role. "Letters must not be from a family member or peer."
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Volunteer coordinators and supervisors are among the six acceptable writer types, but no letter category is mandatory. The writer must have "directly interacted with the applicant within the last three (3) years."
Also on the school’s page
Ottawa splits its prerequisite table into a timed block and an untimed one. The science and medical terminology courses "Must be within the last 7 years (January 2019 to close of admission cycle 2026)" and "Require a C or greater for consideration," while the communication, statistics and psychology lines carry "No time limit." On grades the program is unusual: "No minimum overall Undergraduate GPA," only "A minimum 'C' for prerequisite courses." A baccalaureate degree is required and, unusually, so is citizenship or permanent residency: applicants must be a "US Citizen" or a permanent resident who provides the card before admission, with pending status not eligible. No GRE and no PA-CAT requirement appears anywhere on the admission page. Substitution rules are strict: "College Level Examination Program (CLEP) or Advanced Placement (AP) course credit may not be used or substituted to meet prerequisite requirements," "Experiential learning is not substituted for prerequisite courses," and "Courses from Straighterline, Sophia, Portage, or similar ACE credit providers do not meet the PA Program prerequisite requirements." Online courses from regionally accredited institutions are accepted. "Applicants cannot have any outstanding course at the close of our CASPA deadline of September 1, 2026." Not required but highly recommended as upper-level science: cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology or immunology, endocrinology, neurology and pathophysiology. Admission preferences, none of them requirements, include military service, Ottawa graduate or legacy status, rural high school, a Health Professional Shortage Area connection, first-generation status, a health-related master's degree, CNA or MA certification, English not being the applicant's first language, residency in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, Wisconsin, Florida or Colorado, and four years of volunteer service. Interviews are by Zoom, and this is a new program: check its ARC-PA accreditation status, currently provisional, before applying.
School
ottawa.edu/paprogramCheck your transcript against this list
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