PA · Midland, Texas · public
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What TTUHSC 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 labnot required here
General chemistry is not in the program's 25 hour prerequisite table. The chemistry ask here is 4 hours of organic chemistry or biochemistry only.
- Biochemistryrequireddiffers
4 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.
The line reads "Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry, 4 hours." Either course satisfies it, and the credit ask is 4 rather than the usual 3.
- 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
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
General psychology. Many programs fold it into a broader social or behavioural science block that sociology or anthropology also satisfies.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
Three credit hours of genetics, listed in the program's prerequisite table. Unusual as a hard PA prerequisite and easy to miss.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Eight credit hours. The table marks A&P "Human preferred." AP and CLEP credit are not accepted for it.
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
Named by nearly every program, usually 3 or 4 credits. A minority accept it without the lab, so read the school's own line before dropping one.
- Medical terminologyrecommended
1 credits
Required outright by nearly half of programs, which is more than its recommended level here suggests. Several refuse a certificate or a free online course and want transcript credit; a few teach it after acceptance instead.
- Additional science creditsrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
Not required, but the program describes its competitive applicants this way: "typical candidates have additional science courses beyond the minimum with strong performance (B+ average) in upper division sciences courses." The prerequisite table also notes that "upper division courses" are highly recommended.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencenot required here
The published admissions requirements list, which covers the GRE, degree, GPA, prerequisites, letters and essay, states no patient care hours minimum. The holistic review criteria mention work and life experience but attach no number.
- 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
Under a fifth of programs set a shadowing minimum; among those that do the median is 20 hours and a handful ask for 100 or more. Several count shadowing inside their experience total rather than separately, and a few have dropped it from scoring entirely.
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 letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
"Three letters of recommendation are required for an application to be complete." The program does not name who must write them, so a PA letter counts toward the three but is not itself required.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Three letters total through CASPA, writers unspecified. A supervisor letter is a strong choice here but the program does not demand one.
Also on the school’s page
The Nadine and Tom Craddick MPAS program publishes a short prerequisite table totalling 25 credit hours: genetics 3, microbiology 4, anatomy and physiology 8 (human preferred), organic chemistry or biochemistry 4, psychology 3, statistics 3. "All sciences courses must be intended for science majors." General chemistry and English are not on the list. Academics: "A minimum cumulative GPA and science GPA of a 3.0 as calculated by CASPA is required; this includes all courses taken at every institution attended. Applicants who do not meet minimum GPA requirements will not be sent to the admissions committee." A bachelor's degree is required. Coursework rules: "Prerequisite courses completed within the last 7 years are preferred," all prerequisites must be finished before matriculation, "AP and CLEP credit will not be accepted for any science prerequisite courses," no more than 9 hours of prerequisites may be in progress at the time of application, and credit must come from a regionally accredited US or Canadian institution. Exams: "Official GRE scores are required for admission," sent to CASPA under SHP code 3652, and "If your GRE scores are more than 5 years old, they are not considered valid." The program describes typical competitive candidates as having "GRE scores > 35th percentile." No PA-CAT requirement is published. Letters: "Three letters of recommendation are required for an application to be complete," submitted through CASPA, with no writer named. The published admissions requirements do not state any patient care or healthcare experience hours minimum. Application runs through CASPA plus a TTUHSC School of Health Professions supplemental application; priority deadline August 1, applications close October 1. Special consideration may be given to residents of the West Texas counties in the TTUHSC service area and the Permian Basin, veterans and military, and residents of a Health Professional Shortage Area.
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what TTUHSC still needs from you.
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