PA · San Antonio, Texas · public
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio Physician Assistant Program prerequisites
What UT Health San Antonio 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 I with lab," 4 semester hours, TCCNS CHEM 2423. First semester only, and it must be the science majors course taken in person.
- Biochemistrynot required here
Biochemistry is not on the prerequisite table. The chemistry required here is general chemistry I and II plus organic chemistry I, all with labs.
- 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, any discipline-specific course is acceptable," 3 semester hours, TCCNS MATH 1342. May be taken online.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Psychology, Introductory, General, Abnormal or Developmental," 3 semester hours, TCCNS PSYC 2301. Any of the four counts, and it may be taken online.
- Geneticsrequiredextra here
1 semester · 3 credits
Three semester hours, TCCNS BIOL 2316. One of only three prerequisites the program will accept online.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequired
2 semesters · 8 credits · lab
Human anatomy and physiology I and II with lab, 4 semester hours each, TCCNS BIOL 2401 and 2402. "Human Anatomy with Lab (4 SCH) and Human Physiology with Lab (4 SCH) sequences also meet the Anatomy and Physiology requirements." Must be in person and within ten years of class enrollment.
- 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.
"Shadow hours (PA, MD, DO, and NP), hands-on patient care experience, and community service hours are strongly recommended and may enhance the application, but not required." No hours minimum. Hours of health care experience are one of the data points the holistic review categorises applicants on.
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
The program lists "hours of health care experience" among the factors that can augment an application, without a number and without distinguishing it from hands-on patient care in its requirement wording.
- PA shadowingrecommended
20+ hours
"Shadow hours (PA, MD, DO, and NP)" are strongly recommended but not required, and hours of PA shadowing are counted in the holistic review. Unusually, shadowing a physician or a nurse practitioner counts here, not only a PA. No hours figure is published.
- Non-clinical volunteeringrecommendedextra here
No published minimum
"Community service hours are strongly recommended and may enhance the application, but not required." Community service hours are one of the data points the holistic review categorises applicants on. No number is published.
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.
"Two reference letters, submit directly to CASPA." The program does not say who must write them, so a PA letter counts toward the two but is not required. Only two letters are asked for.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Not specified. Two reference letters are required through CASPA with no writer named.
Also on the school’s page
UT Health San Antonio publishes its prerequisites against Texas Common Course Numbering System codes: human anatomy and physiology I with lab 4 (BIOL 2401), human anatomy and physiology II with lab 4 (BIOL 2402), general chemistry I with lab 4 (CHEM 1411), general chemistry II with lab 4 (CHEM 1412), microbiology with lab 4 (BIOL 2421), organic chemistry I with lab 4 (CHEM 2423), genetics 3 (BIOL 2316), psychology 3 (PSYC 2301), statistics 3 (MATH 1342). "All science courses, including a lab component, MUST be intended for science majors ONLY." Online policy is strict: "No online courses will be accepted to fulfill science prerequisites. We will consider online courses for the following courses: Genetics, Psychology, Statistics," with an exception for "Prerequisite courses transitioned to an online platform between Spring 2020 and Summer 2021." Recency: "All required courses MUST BE completed within ten years of class enrollment." All prerequisites must be finished before the application deadline, need "a grade of C or better in the individual prerequisite classes (a C- will not fulfill a prerequisite)," and "No Credit by Exam or AP credit can be used to fulfill any prerequisite coursework." Academics: bachelor's degree by the class start date, overall GPA 3.0 and overall science GPA 3.0. Exams: "Graduate Record Examination (GRE) official scores up to five years old (no minimum score requirement). GRE code for CASPA 7552." No PA-CAT requirement is published. Letters: "Two reference letters, submit directly to CASPA," with no writer named, which is one fewer than most programs ask. Two applications are required, the CASPA application and a PAS Supplemental Application, both submitted through CASPA, deadline September 1. Interviews are in person multiple mini interviews. The program runs on the San Antonio campus and at the UT Education and Research Center at Laredo; applicants pick a campus preference in CASPA, and "Priority for the Laredo campus will be given to applicants from Laredo or Webb County."
Check your transcript against this list
Cyclios keeps this list beside your coursework and tells you what UT Health San Antonio still needs from you.
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