PA · Lincoln, Nebraska · private
Union Adventist University Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Union Adventist asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 11 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"General Biology I" (4) and "General Biology II" (4), both lab required. For the second semester, "Another biology course may (at the discretion of the PA Program) be substituted to fulfill this prerequisite requirement. Examples of substitution include, but are not limited to: Developmental Biology, Immunology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Endocrinology, or Cell Biology."
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
Only the first semester: "General Chemistry I" (4), lab required. The second semester of general chemistry is not on the table; organic chemistry I and biochemistry are required instead.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Organic Chemistry I" (4), lab required, and the one prerequisite with an earlier deadline: "Course must be completed prior to application." Required alongside biochemistry, not instead of it.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Biochemistry (lab preferred)" at 3 to 4 semester hours, and it "Must be upper division (Note: Upper division courses are 300-400 courses (or 3000-4000) geared toward college juniors and seniors. These courses are not offered at community colleges.)"
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English or writing course appears on Union's prerequisite table. English composition surfaces only as one way for non-native English speakers to demonstrate proficiency.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Elementary Statistics & Probability" (3).
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Lifespan psychology specifically rather than introductory: "Developmental (Lifespan) Psychology" (3).
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Two separate courses, "Human Anatomy" (4) and "Human Physiology" (4), both lab required, and "Upper division series is preferred."
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Microbiology" (4), lab required.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
"Medical Terminology" (1) is on the required prerequisite table, not merely recommended as in the baseline.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
480+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"You must have at least 480 hours of direct patient health care experience by the time you enter the program, 240 of which must be completed and reported at time of application. If the 480 hours are not completed at the time of application, a clear plan that confirms how the hours will be completed by the start of PA classes is required." Hours must come "through work or volunteering rather than as a student in training." "Direct, hands-on care of patients in a clinical setting is preferred," and the committee grades the level of experience by hands-on care, training period, license required, exposure to patient types, and independence. Example roles: EMT, CNA, medical scribe, patient care tech, lab tech, physical therapy tech, pharmacy tech; the list is not exhaustive. Early acceptance requires the healthcare experience to score 50/100 or higher.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
Union publishes one direct patient care figure and no separate healthcare experience number. Its example list reaches into roles such as medical scribe and pharmacy tech, but the committee explicitly ranks experiences by how hands-on and independent they are, and "Preference is granted to all applicants with direct, hands-on patient care experience in a clinical setting."
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
20+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
Required with no number: "Applicants are required to shadow a PA. Although a specific amount of PA shadowing hours isn't required, shadowing PAs in several specialties should give the applicant a good understanding of the diverse role of the PA." "In-person shadowing is required" outside the May 2020 through August 2021 virtual window.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
The academic reference Union names is "a former or current college/university instructor" with no science requirement, recorded on the faculty letter line. Three letters total.
- Faculty letter (any discipline)recommendedextra here
1 letter
Three letters are required and the program describes its ideal set rather than mandating writers: "Academic traits as addressed by a former or current college/university instructor." Any discipline; science is not specified. The second ideal writer, "a member of clergy or spiritual advisor" for general character, has no key in this vocabulary and is worth planning for.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
No PA letter is named. The three ideal references are a college instructor, a member of clergy or spiritual advisor, and a healthcare work supervisor; a PA who supervised your patient care work fits the third.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Described as ideal rather than mandated: "Professionalism and work habits as addressed by a former or current health care work supervisor." "Submission of three reference letters (with scores averaged by the program) is required on forms provided by the electronic application through CASPA. Please select three individuals who can best address your personal qualities."
Also on the school’s page
Union publishes a full prerequisite table in semester hours: general biology I and II (4 each, lab required), microbiology (4, lab), human anatomy (4, lab) and human physiology (4, lab), general chemistry I (4, lab), organic chemistry I (4, lab, and "Course must be completed prior to application"), biochemistry (3 to 4, upper division, lab preferred), medical terminology (1), elementary statistics and probability (3), and developmental (lifespan) psychology (3). "There is no time period expiration on prerequisite courses," which is unusual on this path. "Union Adventist University does not accept prerequisite courses with grades less than 'C.' Even if you retake courses to get better grades, all courses are averaged when applying to the PA Program." "All prerequisites must be completed by August 1 of the year of admission," "Prerequisites taken from extension colleges will not be accepted," and the program "prefers courses from a four-year college or university." Floors: a bachelor's degree from an accredited US college or university in any major, and "GPAs (cumulative and science) of at least 3.0 on a 4.00 scale for all college work," with all domestic and foreign transcripts included. On tests: "Union Adventist University does not require the GRE, and a supplemental application is not required," the PA-CAT is not mentioned, but "All applicants are required to complete Casper," the online situational judgment test, for the 2026/27 cycle. Three CASPA letters are required with scores averaged by the program; the ideal set named is a college instructor for academic traits, "a member of clergy or spiritual advisor" for general character, and a healthcare work supervisor for professionalism. Applicants coming from a prior PA or medical program without a diploma must add a letter from that program director. CASPA applications must be verified and "completed" by September 1; interviews run May through September on a rolling, first-come basis for roughly 100 interviewees and 30 seats. Preference is explicit: Union students and graduates and graduates of other North American Division Seventh-day Adventist colleges receive preference points, Union and Bryan College of Health Science undergraduates with 3.5 science and cumulative GPAs get interview preference, and the committee looks for "a commitment to Christian principles." An internal PANCE Failure High Risk Indicator formula is one data point in review. Early acceptance criteria are published (3.50 overall and science GPA, letters averaging 90/100, healthcare experience scored 50/100, interview 360/400). Generative AI use in any application writing is grounds for disqualification. International applicants must complete at least three upper division science courses at US four-year institutions with grades of A, earn the 480 direct patient care hours in the American medical system, and meet TOEFL or English composition requirements.
School
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