PA · Belton, Texas · private
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What UMHB 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 labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
The two-semester sequence with lab. Around a fifth of programs want only one semester or skip general chemistry entirely and start at organic or biochemistry.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Organic Chemistry 1 with a Lab," 4 credit hours. Only the first semester is required, and biochemistry is not an accepted substitute here because the table does not list it.
- Biochemistrynot required here
Biochemistry is not on UMHB's prerequisite table. The chemistry requirement is general chemistry 8 hours plus organic chemistry 1 with lab.
- 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/Biostatistics," 3 credit hours. Exempt from the 10 year science recency window.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"General, Abnormal, or Developmental Psychology," 3 credit hours. Any of the three satisfies it, and the 10 year recency window does not apply to psychology.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
Three credit hours of genetics, a named prerequisite with no lab listed.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Listed as two 4 credit courses with labs: "Human, Human Comparative or Vertebrate Anatomy with a Lab" and "Human Physiology or Vertebrate Physiology with a Lab." Comparative and vertebrate versions are explicitly acceptable. "Seven to eight hours of Anatomy and Physiology I and II may be substituted for the Anatomy and Physiology prerequisite requirements." Must be less than 10 years old at time of application.
- 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.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerecommendeddiffers
500+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as required.
No patient care minimum and no separate patient care bucket. The program pools patient care, healthcare and shadowing hours into one scored total, described on the healthcare experience line. Log hours in CASPA's own categories anyway; UMHB just adds them up.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
UMHB does not split patient care from healthcare experience: "Our program evaluates all healthcare-related experience hours as a whole rather than stratifying the hours into separate categories such as patient care experience, healthcare experience, and shadowing hours. We recommend following CASPA's guidelines when categorizing these, but the program will evaluate these experiences together once an application is received." The single combined figure is scored, not required: "Points are awarded once applicants reach 250 hours and then subsequently increase at the 500, 1000, and 1500 hour thresholds. Applicants with 0-250 hours are still eligible for admission."
- PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
Counted inside the single pooled healthcare experience total rather than separately, and "Virtual shadowing hours will be accepted," which many programs refuse.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
Community service is scored: "Points are awarded once applicants reach 100 hours and then subsequently increase at the 200, 300, and 400 hour thresholds." No minimum is set. Leadership experiences are scored separately, by number of experiences.
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 professional letters of recommendation" are required, but the writer list is wide: "Recommendation letters can be from professors, medical professionals, employers, ministers, or area leaders." A PA letter counts, and so does a minister's. "These letters should reflect your desire and commitment to becoming a physician assistant, as well as notable accomplishments."
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Employers are named as acceptable writers among the three required letters, but no specific writer is mandated.
Also on the school’s page
UMHB publishes a prerequisite table of eight courses: human, human comparative or vertebrate anatomy with a lab 4; human or vertebrate physiology with a lab 4; microbiology with a lab 4; genetics 3; general chemistry with a lab 8; organic chemistry 1 with a lab 4; statistics or biostatistics 3; general, abnormal or developmental psychology 3. "Seven to eight hours of Anatomy and Physiology I and II may be substituted for the Anatomy and Physiology prerequisite requirements." Coursework rules: "All prerequisite courses must be completed by August 31st during the year prior to matriculation. Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate high school courses, and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit will not be accepted for any prerequisite courses nor will the program offer advanced placement. Prerequisite science courses (excluding Psychology and Statistics) must be less than 10 years old at time of application." Unusually, "Online prerequisite courses, including those with lab components, will be acceptable options to fulfill our prerequisite requirements." GPA, from the program's Admission Requirements and Application Process page: a bachelor's degree plus four separate 3.0 minimums as calculated by CASPA, overall, last 60 hours, science and prerequisite, with increased points for higher GPA. Exams: "The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and PA-CAT assessments are NOT required nor considered for UMHB MSPA program applicants." Letters: "Three professional letters of recommendation," which "can be from professors, medical professionals, employers, ministers, or area leaders." Experience is scored, not gated: the program awards points at 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 healthcare hours and states that "Applicants with 0-250 hours are still eligible for admission." Interviews are multiple mini interviews on campus with rolling admissions starting in June. Second page read for the non-course requirements: https://www.umhb.edu/graduate/physician-assistant/application-process
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what UMHB still needs from you.
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