PA · Reno, Nevada · public
University of Nevada, Reno Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What Nevada Reno 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
3 credits
"Biology: Minimum 3 semester credits or 4.5 quarter credits." The page names no specific biology course and does not require a laboratory for this line; microbiology is listed separately.
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"Chemistry: Minimum 3 semester credits or 4.5 quarter credits." One course rather than the two semester sequence; the page does not specify general chemistry and does not require a laboratory for this line. B- or better.
- Biochemistryrecommendeddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits and list it as required.
"Biochemistry" on the "Additional courses (not required)" list, not the required one.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
Not on UNR Med's required or additional course lists.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Statistics: Minimum 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits." B- or better.
- Psychologyrecommendeddiffers
1 semester · 3 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 3 credits and list it as required.
No psychology is required. "Abnormal Psychology" appears on the "Additional courses (not required)" list.
- Geneticsrecommendedextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"Genetics" on the "Additional courses (not required)" list.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
"Human Anatomy & Human Physiology I & II, or 1 semester of Human Anatomy and 1 semester of Human Physiology. In-person labs. Minimum 8 semester credits or 10 quarter credits." B- or better; completion within seven years is strongly recommended now and required from the 2027-2028 cycle.
- Microbiologyrequired
1 semester · 4 credits · lab
"Microbiology with lab. Minimum 4 semester credits or 5 quarter credits." B- or better.
- Medical terminologyrecommended
1 credits
"Medical Terminology" on the "Additional courses (not required)" list.
- Foreign languagerecommendedextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
"Spanish" on the "Additional courses (not required)" list.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequireddiffers
2000+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 500+ hours.
"Clinical experience: minimum 2,000 hours. Paid hands-on direct patient care experiences may come from various roles. The focus is on the duties performed, not the job title, with emphasis on patient contact and interaction with health care providers. Acceptable roles include EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, scribe, patient care tech, nurse, surgical tech, athletic trainer, physical therapy aide and similar positions." Paid hours only, complete and verified by the September 1 deadline. Recent classes averaged 5,309 to 5,979 paid patient care hours.
- 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
"Shadowing (not required): Physician Assistant shadowing recommended." No number published; "PA mentorship and shadowing experiences" are a selection factor.
Letters
- Science faculty letternot required here
No faculty letter is asked for; the three letters are unconstrained.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Three current letters are required, with no restriction on the admissions page. The selection factors page adds: "it is recommended that at least one reference be obtained from a health care provider (PA preferred) with whom you have worked with or shadowed."
- Supervisor letternot required here
"Three (3) current letters of recommendation" with no named writers; the only guidance is a recommended health care provider letter, recorded on the PA letter line.
Also on the school’s page
UNR Med publishes a short required course list, each with "a minimum grade of B- required for each course": Human Anatomy and Physiology (8 semester credits or 10 quarter credits, in-person labs), Biology (3 semester credits or 4.5 quarter credits), Microbiology with lab (4 semester credits or 5 quarter credits), Chemistry (3 semester credits or 4.5 quarter credits) and Statistics (3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits). Both upper and lower division credits from regionally accredited U.S. institutions are accepted; "Advanced Placement (AP) courses will not be accepted." On recency: "The program strongly recommends completing prerequisite courses within the last seven years to ensure success," and "Please note the 2027-2028 admission cycle will require prerequisite courses to be taken within 7 years." A separate "Additional courses (not required)" list names Genetics, Immunology, Medical Terminology, Spanish, Abnormal Psychology, Public Health and Biochemistry; Immunology and Public Health have no key in this vocabulary and are recorded here only. Admission floors: "Overall qualifying GPA 2.75," a baccalaureate or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution (foreign degrees and equivalency evaluations do not satisfy the prerequisites), and non-U.S. citizens must hold permanent resident visas. The program "does not grant waivers for required admission prerequisites." "All application prerequisites and requirements must be complete and verified by the application deadline of September 1, 2026" for the 2026-2027 cycle, which matriculates in summer 2027. Supporting documents are official transcripts, "Three (3) current letters of recommendation" and an updated CV. Neither the admissions page nor the selection factors page mentions the GRE, PA-CAT or CASPer. There is no residency requirement, but the selection factors page awards preference points: 6 each for Nevada residency or heritage, rural residency, and military service, to a maximum of 18. Recent classes averaged GPAs of 3.61 to 3.67 and 5,309 to 5,979 paid patient care hours; the stated minimums are far below those averages.
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