PA · Lexington, Kentucky · public
University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Studies Program prerequisites
What Kentucky asks for in the 2026-27 cycle, as read from the school's own admissions page. 10 lines differ from the standard PA school set, marked below.
Coursework
- Biology with labrequiredextra here
3 credits · lab
"General Biology w/Lab, 1 Semester + Lab, at least 3 CH," mapped to BIO 148, 150 or 152 with the 151 or 155 lab. The program adds that science equivalents "are generally those taken from a biology/chemistry pre-med curriculum," so a non majors survey will not map.
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
6 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
The full two semester sequence, but at six credit hours rather than the baseline's eight: "General Chemistry I w/Lab" and "General Chemistry II w/Lab," each "1 Semester + Lab, at least 3 CH," mapped to CHE 109/110 with 111 or CHE 105/111, then CHE 107/113.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
3 credits · lab
Required at UK where the baseline names only biochemistry: "Organic Chemistry w/Lab, 1 Semester + Lab, at least 3 CH," mapped to CHE 230/231 or CHE 232. One semester, not the full sequence, and the laboratory is not optional.
- Biochemistrynot required here
Biochemistry appears nowhere in UK's twelve course table. The program requires one semester of organic chemistry with lab in its place, and allows no substitution in either direction.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English composition or writing course is listed among the twelve prerequisites. The non science block here is statistics, two psychology courses, anthropology or sociology, and medical terminology.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester, at least 3 credit hours, and biostatistics or the psychology statistics course both map: STA 291, STA 296, BST 230 or 330, or PSY 216.
- Psychologyrequireddiffers
2 semesters · 6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits.
Two separate psychology courses, six credit hours in total, and the second one is narrowly defined. "Psychology, 1 Semester, at least 3 CH," mapped to PSY 100, plus "Developmental Psychology, 1 Semester, at least 3 CH," mapped to PSY 323 or the former PSY 223, where UK states "we WILL NOT accept abnormal or any other psych. course" and "Must be a full child thru adult lifespan." A lifespan development course is the only thing that answers the second line.
- Sociologyrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
One semester of "Anthropology or Sociology," at least 3 credit hours, satisfied by ANT 160, SOC 101, SOC 255 or HHS 453. Either discipline answers it; only one course is needed.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
Six credit hours across two rows, and the table names no laboratory for either, unlike the chemistry, biology and microbiology rows which say "w/Lab" outright. "Human Anatomy or Anatomy & Physiology I" at least 3 CH, then "Human Physiology or Anatomy & Physiology II" at least 3 CH. UK forbids mixing the two routes: "A standalone Anatomy cannot be paired with an A & P II course and vice versa. The prerequisite must be taken with their corresponding course." ANA 109 must be paired with ANA 110 only.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
"Microbiology w/Lab, 1 Semester + Lab, at least 3 CH," mapped to BIO 208 or 308 with the 209, 309 or 380 lab. Three credit hours rather than the baseline four, laboratory still required.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required here rather than recommended as in the baseline: "Medical Terminology, 1 Semester, at least 1 CH," mapped to CLA 131. A single credit hour answers it.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequired
500+ hours
Required in kind, with no number attached, so there is no floor to fall below and no ceiling that ends the work: "The UKPA Program requires patient contact, however, a minimum number of hours is not set." UK names the roles that count, "CNA, EMT, CMA, Medical Tech., Physical Therapy Assistant, Athletic Training, Scribe, etc.," and defines the standard by task rather than title: "Applicants should obtain hands-on clinical skills such as, but not limited to, taking patient vitals, blood pressure, glucose, administering immunizations." Verification is light: "Patient contact hours are documented in the CASPA application only. The UKPA program does not require any other documentation i.e. pay stubs, signed forms from preceptors."
- 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 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
Twelve prerequisite courses, more than most programs on this path, each pinned to a named UK course number rather than described in general terms, and the program is blunt about how little room that leaves: "exceptions, substitutions, and waivers are not allowed for ANY prerequisite course requirements due to fair admissions policies and accreditation requirements." Equivalency is checked against the UK Transfer Equivalency Database, and "If your course is not listed in the equivalency database, a copy of the course syllabus must be sent to Julia Berry for review of equivalency. If the course is not equivalent to the UK course number below, then it will not be accepted." Grades: "applicants must earn a 'C' grade or higher for the course to be accepted," pass/fail is not accepted outside the Spring 2020 COVID exception, and "We will allow multiple retakes of the prerequisite courses for admission." AP and CLEP credit are both accepted where the score maps to the UK course. Recency is the opposite of the usual PA pattern, an explicit statement that there is no window at all: "Prereqs do not have an expiration. I.E. We will accept courses that were completed over 5 years ago." Exams are ruled out just as plainly: "UKPA does not require any standardized exam for application including GRE, PACAT, MCAT, etc. Applicants do not need to report any standardize test score on the CASPA application, as the admissions committee will not consider test scores in the decision process." GPA floor is the Graduate School's, "A minimum 2.75 institutional undergraduate GPA is required," with a graduate GPA of 3.0 allowed to trump a low undergraduate one only if it carries at least 20 credit hours from an enrolled graduate program, case by case. Timing: the bachelor's degree must be completed by December 2026, and "applicants may apply with two outstanding pre-requisite courses, as long as they are completed in a Summer semester term by August 2026. Fall course completions will not be accepted." Basic Life Support for Health Providers through the American Heart Association is required by matriculation and "Red Cross certifications will not be accepted." The program takes 40 students at Lexington and 16 at Morehead, matriculating in the Spring, and "Applicants may apply to only one campus and are not allowed to apply to both." This page does not address letters of recommendation, so the baseline letter lines stand unmodified here.
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what Kentucky still needs from you.
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