PA · Florence, Kentucky · private
University of the Cumberlands Physician Assistant Studies Program, Northern Kentucky Campus prerequisites
What Cumberlands Northern KY 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
- General chemistry with labrequireddiffers
6 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
"General Chemistry 1 and 2 with labs - 3 semester hours or more." Both semesters, three hours each, six in total, lighter than the baseline's eight.
- Biochemistryrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Either course answers the line and no laboratory is specified: "Organic 1 or Biochemistry - 3 semester hours or more." One semester only. Note that biochemistry is not on this campus's elective list, which is restricted to upper level biology.
- English or writing-intensivenot required here
No English composition or writing course appears in the prerequisite list. The only language requirement is a fluency test for non-native speakers of English, waived for anyone with US bachelor's or master's coursework.
- Statisticsrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
Statistics, not calculus. The exception is regional: several Oklahoma and Texas programs require college algebra instead and do not count statistics, so check those individually.
- Psychologyrequired
1 semester · 3 credits
"Psychology (Abnormal or Developmental preferred) - 3 semester hours or more." One course; introductory psychology answers it, but the program names the two versions it would rather see.
- Advanced biologyrequiredextra here
2 semesters · 6 credits
Six credits of upper level biology specifically, which is where this campus parts company with Williamsburg's broader science elective block: "Biology electives - 6 credit hours (Must be upper level Biology courses; highly recommend Genetics, Molecular Biology, Histology, Immunology)." Chemistry and pharmacology courses do not answer it here. The four named courses are recommendations, not a closed list. Subject to the same ten year window and C minimum as the rest.
- Anatomy and physiologyrequireddiffers
6 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 2 semesters · 8 credits · lab.
Two courses, each with a laboratory, six semester hours in total rather than the baseline's eight: "Human Anatomy with lab - 3 semester hours or more" and "Human Physiology with lab - 3 semester hours or more." Human is named outright here rather than merely preferred as on the Williamsburg page.
- Microbiologyrequireddiffers
3 credits · lab
Most PA programmes ask for 1 semester · 4 credits · lab.
"Microbiology with lab - 3 semester hours or more." Three semester hours rather than the baseline four, laboratory required.
- Medical terminologyrequireddiffers
1 credits
Most PA programmes ask for 1 credits and list it as recommended.
Required rather than recommended as in the baseline, and the only prerequisite with no credit figure attached: the page lists "Medical Terminology" flat while every course around it carries a semester hour count.
Experience hours
- Patient care experiencerequired
500+ hours
"Applicants are required to have a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient contact. A minimum of 50 of these hours must be PA shadowing. Other experience can be paid or voluntary." This campus publishes both sides of the line by job title. Accepted: "EMT, paramedic, LPN, CNA, therapists (RT, PT/PTA, OT, SLP), medical assistant, medical scribe, pharmacy technician, x-ray technician, surgical technician, athletic trainer, and phlebotomist." Not accepted: "lifeguard, pharmacy representative, medical secretary, or transporter." Hours are not merely a gate, they are scored: "The number of direct patient contact hours will be used as part of the applicant ranking process for all applicants that meet all other admission requirements."
- Healthcare experiencerecommended
500+ hours
No separate healthcare experience figure is published. This campus draws the patient care line by job title instead, and it excludes exactly the roles that sit in the healthcare experience bucket: "Non-acceptable options include lifeguard, pharmacy representative, medical secretary, or transporter." Hours in those roles do not count toward the 500.
- PA shadowingrequireddiffers
50+ hours
Most PA programmes ask for 20+ hours and list it as recommended.
Required with a number, and carved out of the 500 rather than added on top: "A minimum of 50 of these hours must be PA shadowing." It must be a PA, not a physician.
Letters
- Science faculty letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
Not named. Only one of the three letters is constrained, "at least one from a physician (MD/DO) or PA," leaving the other two to any writer, a science professor among them.
- Physician letterrecommendedextra here
1 letter
One clinician letter is mandatory and a physician is one of the two writers who can supply it: "Submission of 3 letters of recommendation with at least one from a physician (MD/DO) or PA." Due by the March 1 deadline, and letters of recommendation are one of the six factors scored on the applicant point sheet.
- PA letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
A PA satisfies the one mandatory clinician letter, but so does a physician: "Submission of 3 letters of recommendation with at least one from a physician (MD/DO) or PA." Three letters total, all due by March 1. The 50 hour PA shadowing minimum makes a PA writer straightforward to reach.
- Supervisor letterrecommendeddiffers
1 letter
Most PA programmes publish no minimum.
No supervisor letter is named. The only writer this campus specifies by role is the clinician, "at least one from a physician (MD/DO) or PA," and the remaining two of the three letters are left open.
Also on the school’s page
The Northern Kentucky campus runs on a different calendar from the Williamsburg one and asks for a different science elective block, so do not read one campus's page for the other. The cycle "opens on October 1 of each year and closes on March 1," now with rolling admission, and requirements fall into two dated buckets. By March 1: the CASPA application, the supplemental application, the three letters, and language fluency documentation for non-native speakers. By July 1: the earned degree, the GPAs, and the prerequisite coursework. GPA floors are "Earned Baccalaureate degree with overall minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale" and "A minimum Biology-Chemistry-Physics (BCP) GPA average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale calculated by" CASPA. Grades and recency travel together in one sentence: "A minimum letter grade of C in all undergraduate or graduate prerequisite courses (listed below) within ten years prior to admission." No exam is named among the admission requirements, so neither the GRE nor the PA-CAT is stated as required; the only tests on the page are language ones, "Paper-based TOEFL (PBT) - 550, Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) - 79, IELTS - 6, Duolingo - 100," waived for anyone with US bachelor's or master's coursework. Selection runs on a published point sheet: "Consideration is given based on GPA (cumulative and biology-chemistry-physics), prerequisite grades, documented clinical experience, letters of recommendation, applicant residence, and the number of credit hours completed at University of the Cumberlands. Applicants who reside in Kentucky, a medically underserved area or those who have completed hours at UC receive additional points." The cohort is 30, interviews are on campus, and "Waivers for the above prerequisite courses will be considered by the admissions committee on a case-by-case basis... Under no circumstances will the minimum requirements for entrance to the program be waived." This campus is closed to international applicants: "International students seeking to study in the Physician Assistant program under an F1 student visa can only apply to study at our Williamsburg, KY campus." No transfer credit or advanced placement is granted.
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