PA · Greensburg, Pennsylvania · private
Seton Hill University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Seton Hill 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
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
3 credits
"General Biology, minimum 1 semester." No laboratory is stated for this line.
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Seton Hill does not name general chemistry lecture. The line here is "Chemistry laboratory, minimum 1 semester," one in-person chemistry lab of any level, alongside the required organic chemistry and biochemistry courses.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
3 credits
"Organic chemistry, minimum 1 semester." No laboratory is attached to organic itself; the separate "Chemistry laboratory, minimum 1 semester" line is recorded on the general chemistry key. Online labs are not accepted.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Biochemistry, minimum 1 semester," required in addition to organic chemistry rather than as an alternative.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing course is on Seton Hill's prerequisite list.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Statistics, minimum 1 semester."
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Lifespan development or abnormal psychology (or equivalent courses in psychology), minimum 1 semester." The FAQ is explicit: "Intro to Psychology does not fulfill this requirement."
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Human anatomy and physiology I and II with laboratories, minimum 2 semesters (or Human Anatomy with laboratory, minimum 1 semester and Human Physiology, minimum 1 semester)." Labs must be in person; must be within seven years of matriculation.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
"Microbiology with laboratory, minimum 1 semester." Online labs are not accepted.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required here: "Medical terminology, minimum 1 semester." A graded course from a CASPA-verified U.S. institution, within the seven-year window.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
300+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
The admission page says "Have a minimum of 300 hours of health care experience," and the FAQ states the same number as "a minimum of 300 hours of direct patient care experience, which may be either paid or volunteer." The progression standards phrase it as "health care experience with direct patient contact." Hours must be complete by matriculation; "Applicants may apply with outstanding hours as long as they are actively working toward completing them prior to the program start date." Documented on the program's Healthcare Hours Documentation Form.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
No separate number. Seton Hill's single 300-hour requirement is described as direct patient care and is recorded on the patient care line.
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
12+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
"Have completed three physician assistant shadowing experiences in different medical or surgical specialties. The length of each shadowing experience must be a minimum of 4 hours." Three separate PAs in three specialties, at least four hours each, documented on the Shadowing Hours Documentation Form and complete by matriculation.
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 letterrecommended
No published minimum
Fewer than a third of programs require a letter from a PA. Most ask for a clinician letter that a PA, physician or nurse practitioner satisfies equally, so a PA letter is usually sufficient and rarely necessary.
- Supervisor letterrecommended
No published minimum
A letter from a work supervisor is required by about a quarter of programs. Many name no writer category at all and simply ask for three letters.
Also on the school’s page
Seton Hill's graduate-entry MS lists prerequisites in semesters rather than credits: "Organic chemistry, minimum 1 semester; Biochemistry, minimum 1 semester; Chemistry laboratory, minimum 1 semester; Medical terminology, minimum 1 semester; Human anatomy and physiology I and II with laboratories, minimum 2 semesters (or Human Anatomy with laboratory, minimum 1 semester and Human Physiology, minimum 1 semester); Microbiology with laboratory, minimum 1 semester; Lifespan development or abnormal psychology (or equivalent courses in psychology), minimum 1 semester; Statistics, minimum 1 semester; General Biology, minimum 1 semester." General chemistry lecture is not on the list; the chemistry ask is organic, biochemistry and one lab. Prerequisites must be "completed within the past seven years at a CASPA-verified U.S. institution, with a combined GPA of at least 3.2 at the time of application submission. Students must earn a C or better in all prerequisite courses." The FAQ spells the window out: "if the matriculation date for the program is January 2028, all prerequisite courses must have been completed on or after January 2021." Courses may be in progress at application but must be done before matriculation. "Online lecture courses and community college courses are accepted. Online labs are not accepted." "AP credits are not accepted for any PA Program prerequisite courses." If a prerequisite is repeated, both grades are averaged into the prerequisite GPA. GPA: "a minimum 3.2 CASPA evaluated undergraduate GPA or a 3.2 completed Graduate Degree GPA at the time in which your application is submitted." A bachelor's degree by the program start date is required. Testing: "The GRE is not required. Seton Hill uses a holistic review process that evaluates academic performance, healthcare experience, and readiness for the program rather than standardized test scores." The PA-CAT is not mentioned. The page states no letter of recommendation count for graduate-entry applicants (the two-letter line on the page belongs to the freshman BS/MS track), so the letter lines are left at baseline. The program begins each January; CASPA applications are due April 1 for the following January class, with online interviews in late spring and early summer. International students need IELTS 8 or TOEFL 114 iBT. Applicants are scored on a published screening rubric.
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Seton Hill still needs from you.
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