PA · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · private
Thomas Jefferson University Center City Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Jefferson Center City asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 9 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Biology I with Lab" and "Biology II with Lab," 4 semester credits each. For either: "Other Acceptable Courses: Any upper level biology course with lab. Examples include: Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Developmental Biology, Genetics, Embryology, Histology, Immunology, Organismal Biology, Pathology, Pathophysiology, Zoology."
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Chemistry I with Lab" and "Chemistry II with Lab," 4 credits each. Either may be replaced by "any upper level Chemistry Course with lab. Examples include: Organic Chemistry I and Physical Chemistry" (Organic Chemistry II for the second).
- Biochemistrynot required here
Not required. Biochemistry appears only as an acceptable upper-level substitute for Biology I or II with lab.
- English or writing-intensiverequireddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.
"English/Writing Intensive: Any 3 credit English or Writing Intensive designated course." AP credit accepted for this one.
- 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.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Anatomy with Lab" (4) and "Physiology with Lab" (4), each of which "must be human based." Anatomy accepts "Anatomy & Physiology I with lab, Human or Functional Anatomy with lab, and Mammalian/Vertebrate Anatomy with lab"; Physiology accepts "Anatomy & Physiology II with lab."
- 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 terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Listed in the prerequisite table at 1 semester credit. No work experience substitute is offered on the page.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
200+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"Direct Patient Care Experience: A minimum of 200 hours is required. More than 200 hours is highly recommended. Strong patient care experience can be paid or volunteer and would include hands-on patient interaction with responsibilities in patient health and/or outcomes and exposure to multiple patients and multiple conditions. Examples include: Nurse, Nurse Assistant, EMT, Medical Assistant, Patient Care Tech." Documented in CASPA; Jefferson has no separate form.
- 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 hour count. "Jefferson highly recommends shadowing healthcare and PA professionals to support your exposure, understanding, and commitment to the PA field and healthcare in general."
Letters
- Science faculty letternot required here
Jefferson's academic letter is not restricted to a science instructor; it is recorded on the faculty (any discipline) line instead.
- Faculty letter (any discipline)requiredextra here
1 letter
"Two letters of recommendation are required. One academic and one patient care recommendation is required." The academic letter is not restricted to a science professor.
- PA letternot required here
No PA letter is named. Jefferson asks for one academic letter and one patient care letter.
- Supervisor letterrequireddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum and list it as recommended.
The second of two required letters is a "patient care recommendation." The page does not say the writer must be a PA or physician, only that letters from family, friends or co-workers are not accepted; a supervisor from your patient care work is the natural fit.
Also on the school’s page
Jefferson's Admissions Information page renders its requirements from the embedded Jefferson Application Requirements Portal. It publishes a semester-credit table: Anatomy with lab 4, Physiology with lab 4, Biology I with lab 4, Biology II with lab 4, Microbiology with lab 4, Chemistry I with lab 4, Chemistry II with lab 4, Statistics 3, Psychology 3, English/Writing Intensive 3, Medical Terminology 1. Grades: "Completed with a grade of 'B' or above. A grade of 'B-' will not meet the prerequisite requirement." Recency: "Science prerequisite coursework must be completed within 7 years of application to Jefferson." "At least five of the seven prerequisite science courses must be fulfilled at time of application in order to qualify for review." "Labs are highly preferred to be completed in an in-person format. Lecture courses can be completed in an on-campus, hybrid or online format." AP credit is accepted only for English/Writing Intensive, Psychology and Statistics, never for science. GPA: "A cumulative, science, and science prerequisite coursework GPA of 3.25 is required; a 3.5 or higher is more competitive." The page does not mention the GRE or the PA-CAT at all. Two letters of recommendation, one academic and one patient care; "letters from family, friends, or co-workers will not be accepted." A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution is required before the program starts. Applications go through CASPA with a Jefferson supplemental application (fee waived); an interview is required; there is no deferral option. The portal lists the Pre-Fall 2027 final deadline as October 1, 2026 (a second line reading October 1, 2027 appears to be a portal artifact).
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Jefferson Center City still needs from you.
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