PA · Rochester, New York · private
Rochester Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What RIT 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
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
No published minimum
For transfer applicants "Biology and chemistry are required"; for first-year applicants the same is said of high school science. No credit count or laboratory is stated, and "AP credit is not accepted for biology or chemistry as course substitutions."
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 8 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"Biology and chemistry are required" for transfer applicants. No credit count or laboratory is stated, and AP chemistry is not accepted as a substitute.
- Biochemistrynot required here
Not named as an entry requirement; see the microbiology note.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
Only four years of high school English are named, for first-year applicants; no college English requirement is stated.
- Statisticsnot required here
Statistics is only "preferred" for first-year applicants; the stated college requirement is algebra, recorded on the college mathematics line.
- College mathematicsrequiredextra here
No published minimum
Transfer applicants: "A minimum of college algebra is required. Pre-calculus or calculus is preferred." First-year applicants need three years of high school math including algebra 2/trigonometry, with pre-calculus and/or statistics preferred.
- Psychologynot required here
Not named as an entry requirement.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 8 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
For transfer entry: "Anatomy and physiology are required and must be taken within the last 5 years prior to matriculation." "For eligibility to transfer into the professional phase of the program (year 3), anatomy and physiology courses must be taken within the last five years prior to matriculation." No credit count or laboratory is stated.
- Microbiologynot required here
Not named as an entry requirement. RIT teaches the basic sciences inside the pre-professional phase of the major; a transfer applicant should confirm equivalents with the program chair.
- Medical terminologynot required here
Not named as an entry requirement.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerecommendeddiffers
500+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as required.
No minimum. "While health care experience is not a requirement for admission, preference is given to applicants who have accrued more than 40 hours of patient care experience. Program faculty highly recommend that candidates volunteer in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice centers, and/or health care facilities." The baseline's 1,000-hour floor does not apply here.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
"Prior health care experience and/or shadowing are strongly recommended" for transfer applicants, and "health care experience is not a requirement for admission." No number is published.
- PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
"Shadowing health care professionals (physician assistants, medical doctors, etc.) in clinical arenas is highly recommended as a means of observing the role of physician assistants and other members of the health care team." No hour figure is published.
Letters
- Science faculty letternot required here
No letters of recommendation are named on the program page.
- PA letternot required here
The program page names no letters of recommendation; admission runs through RIT undergraduate admissions rather than CASPA, and invited applicants "must submit a supplemental data packet and application."
- Supervisor letternot required here
No letters of recommendation are named on the program page.
Also on the school’s page
RIT is structurally different from a graduate-entry PA program and the baseline fits it badly. "The physician assistant major is offered as a BS/MS degree program, which enables students to earn both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in five years," with a pre-professional phase in years 1 and 2 and a professional phase in years 3 through 5. Entry is through RIT undergraduate admissions, not CASPA, either as a first-year student from high school or as a transfer: "We welcome transfer applications for spaces available in the second and third years of the physician assistant program," reviewed case by case, "ONLY on a space available basis," and "Transfer admission is highly competitive." First-year applicants need "4 years of English, 3 years of social studies and/or history, 3 years of math (required, and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry; pre-calculus and/or statistics is preferred), 2-3 years of science. Biology and chemistry are required." Transfer applicants: "A minimum of college algebra is required. Pre-calculus or calculus is preferred. Biology and chemistry are required. Anatomy and physiology are required and must be taken within the last 5 years prior to matriculation." "All pre-professional course work must be completed to be considered for entry into the professional phase of the major." GPA: "Prospective applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to be considered for admission. Preference is given to students with a GPA of 3.5 and above," and a 3.0 must be maintained each year to progress. "Personal interviews are by invitation only and play a critical role in applicant ranking and selection. If invited for a personal interview, applicants must submit a supplemental data packet and application." AP: "AP credit is not accepted for biology or chemistry as course substitutions"; AP for general education, calculus, statistics and electives is evaluated by advisors. The page mentions no GRE, PA-CAT or CASPer and no letters of recommendation. Health care experience is not required at all; see the hours lines.
Check your transcript against this list
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