PA · Omaha, Nebraska · public
University of Nebraska Medical Center Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What UNMC 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
lab
"General Biology with Lab" heads the biological sciences list. No credit count is published; introductory, survey and non-science-major courses do not satisfy it.
- General chemistry with labrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"General or Inorganic Chemistry with lab (one year sequence)." The page states the requirement as a full year rather than a credit count; the two-semester figure here is the baseline's.
- Organic chemistry with labrequiredextra here
lab
"Organic Chemistry with lab (one year sequence recommended)." One semester with lab is the stated floor; the full year is recommended. Required alongside biochemistry.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Biochemistry (lab recommended)." Required in addition to organic chemistry, not as an alternative.
- English or writing-intensiverequireddiffers
2 semesters · 6 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 6 credits and list it as recommended.
Two courses: "English Composition (or other English elective)" and a "Writing-intensive course." No credit count is published.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Statistics" is the required mathematics course; "Algebra is strongly recommended."
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Three psychology courses rather than one: "General Psychology (or other psychology elective)," "Abnormal Psychology," and "Life Span/Developmental Psychology." No credit counts are published.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Human Anatomy with Lab" and "Human Physiology with Lab," and "Anatomy and physiology requirements can be fulfilled by a series of two courses of combined anatomy and physiology." No credit count is published.
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Microbiology with Lab." No credit count is published. "Genetics and Immunology are strongly recommended" alongside it; UNMC's online MLS 404 immunology course is available but is not a preference factor.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required, and stricter than most: "Must be a college/university course (certificate course not accepted)." UNMC's own CAHP 310 satisfies it but "Taking medical terminology at UNMC is not a preference factor for admission."
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerecommendeddiffers
500+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours and list it as required.
No minimum. From the Preference Factors page: "Work or volunteer experience demonstrating direct patient care. The most competitive applicants will have attained 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience; there is no minimum requirement. We value all types of direct patient care experience, however higher levels of responsibility with patient care are given greater preference during our admissions process." The 2,000 figure is a competitiveness marker, not a floor.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
UNMC publishes no healthcare experience figure separate from direct patient care and states no minimum for either. Its preference language is about direct patient care and level of responsibility.
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
20+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
Recorded here because it is the closest key, but UNMC frames it more broadly than shadowing: "Completion of at least 20 hours of PA career exploration is required. Within CASPA, applicants will find the 'Discovering the PA Profession Form' and can use it to document their different methods of discovery." Nebraska Medicine runs a job shadowing program for applicants, though "Shadowing specifically at Nebraska Medicine is not a preference factor for admission."
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
No faculty letter is named. Three letters total, source unspecified.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Not required by title. The How to Apply page says only "Three letters of reference are required," submitted online through CASPA, with no writer specified.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
No supervisor letter is named; three letters of reference from writers of your choosing. The Preference Factors page notes that maturity, professionalism, self-awareness, leadership and resilience are read "in letters of reference."
Also on the school’s page
UNMC publishes its prerequisites as a course list by subject area without credit counts: general biology, human anatomy and human physiology, and microbiology, all with lab; general or inorganic chemistry with lab as a one-year sequence, organic chemistry with lab, and biochemistry; English composition plus a writing-intensive course; general, abnormal and lifespan psychology; statistics; and a college medical terminology course. Genetics, immunology and algebra are strongly recommended. "Introductory courses, survey courses, or courses intended for non-science majors will not satisfy the prerequisites." Courses "may be planned or in progress during the application process" but must be complete with official transcripts to the program by July 15 of the entry year. "Required course work graded Pass/Fail or credit obtained by CLEP Examination or Advanced Placement (AP) will not be accepted for any of the listed prerequisites," and the program grants no advanced standing. The page states no recency window. Three GPA floors must be met by application submission: cumulative 3.0 (all coursework including repeats), prerequisite 3.0 (highest grade used if repeated), and CASPA BCP science 3.0 (including repeats); "Grades below 'C' are not accepted in transfer to the University of Nebraska (e.g., C-, D+, D, D-, F)." On tests: "UNMC does not require or utilize scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)," and the PA-CAT is not mentioned. A bachelor's degree in any field is required before August matriculation. The program's Preference Factors page states there is no patient care hour minimum but names 2,000 hours as the competitive mark, and lists preference for an overall and science GPA of 3.20 or higher, motivation to practice in a medically underserved area, and "Nebraska residency or residency in contiguous states (CO, IA, KS, MO, SD, and WY)." Three letters of reference are required through CASPA with no writer specified (How to Apply page). UNMC does not use rolling admissions, interviews at both Omaha and Kearney, and anticipates 50 Omaha and 16 Kearney seats, with up to 11 reserved for RHOP and KHOP pathway students. The class entering Fall 2025 had 555 applicants and 66 accepted (42 Nebraska residents), averaging a 3.77 overall GPA (range 3.21 to 4.00) and 3.64 science GPA (range 2.81 to 4.00); averages, not minimums.
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