PA · Hillsboro, Oregon · private
Pacific University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Pacific U Oregon asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 5 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Year-long General Chemistry series with labs. "May not be introductory courses such as Introduction to Chemistry or Preparatory Chemistry." No credit count is stated.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Pacific's advanced chemistry line: one Organic or Biochemistry course, "Lab not required, may not be a combined course." Either subject satisfies it.
- English or writing-intensiverecommended
2 semesters · 6 credits
English composition, usually two semesters where it is asked for at all.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
One Statistics course, "Minimum of 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits." "May not be substituted with calculus or algebra." AP credit accepted if college credit was awarded.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
One Psychology or Sociology course, "Minimum of 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits." Sociology answers this line equally. AP credit accepted if college credit was awarded.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Year-long series of Human Anatomy and Human Physiology with Labs," combined or separate courses, grade of C or higher, and taken "within seven years from matriculation." Pacific "Will accept Washington community colleges two quarter series." No credit count is stated; 8 is the working figure for a year-long series.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
One Microbiology or Bacteriology course, "Lab not required." "Introductory Microbiology and Medical Microbiology will be accepted." No credit count is stated.
- Medical terminologyrecommended
1 credits
Named among Pacific's recommended, not required, courses alongside pharmacology, Spanish, abnormal and developmental psychology, public health, technical writing and communications.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
1000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"A minimum of 1,000 hours of Patient Care Experience at the time of CASPA submission," paid or volunteer. The program defines it as "direct patient care: obtaining manual vital signs, collecting detailed patient histories, assisting with minor procedures or treatments, administering medications," and lists roles such as athletic trainer, dental hygienist, EMT, medical assistant, nurse, paramedic, physical therapist, respiratory therapist and surgical technician. Not counted: "administration duties, billing, insurance, patient transport, lifeguarding, care of family members, companionship, working with animals." Since the 2019 entering class "we will no longer accept hours that an applicant earned to obtain a degree, license, or certificate."
- 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 shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
No shadowing minimum is published. On the patient care page, "Shadowing a PA or MD/DO or NP (cannot be used for the majority of the hours)" toward the 1,000. The required PA evaluation may come from a PA "who you have worked with or shadowed."
Letters
- Science faculty letternot required here
Pacific asks for two professional evaluations, one from a PA. No faculty letter is named.
- PA letterrequireddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.
"Two professional evaluations are required," and "At least one evaluation be from a PA who you have worked with or shadowed and who is not a relative."
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Pacific asks for two professional evaluations and specifies only that one is from a PA. The second is unspecified; a patient care supervisor is the natural choice but the program does not require it.
Also on the school’s page
Pacific publishes a short, course-shaped list, every line needing a grade of C or higher: a year-long Human Anatomy and Human Physiology series with labs, one Microbiology or Bacteriology course (lab not required), a year-long General Chemistry series with labs, one Organic or Biochemistry course (lab not required), one Statistics course, and one Psychology or Sociology course. The only recency window stated is on A&P, "within seven years from matriculation." "Credit will be accepted from any regionally accredited institution including universities, community colleges and online courses." Prerequisites may be in progress at application but must be completed by December 31 of the year before the program starts. Recommended but not required: "Pharmacology, Medical Terminology, Spanish, Abnormal Psychology, Development Psychology, Aging and Disabilities, Public Health, Technical Writing, Communications." GPA floor on the admissions page: "A minimum GPA of a 3.0 in the CASPA Biology, Chemistry and Physics (BCP) GPA and in the most recent 45 Semester Credits," both calculated at CASPA verification, and applications below either are not reviewed. "Bachelor's degree is not required" for admission. Testing: "The Pacific University PA program does not require or evaluate scores from the GRE, PA-CAT, MCAT, CASPer, etc." Letters: "Two professional evaluations are required," and "At least one evaluation be from a PA who you have worked with or shadowed and who is not a relative." Patient care detail is on https://www.pacificu.edu/physician-assistant-studies-ms/admissions/patient-care-experience.
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