Biology: Pre-Physician Assistant

Why become a Physician Assistant (PA)?

Just as there is a growing need for doctors and nurses, there is a critical need for PAs as well. This career has the potential to be personally fulfilling, financially lucrative, and offer better work/life balance than other fields in the medical profession. As practitioners who deliver patient care, PAs also have more space to nurture patient relationships, truly getting to know the unique stories of individual patients.  

Similarly to medical schools and nursing programs, PA programs are subject to accreditation and strict industry standards. However, where doctor and nurse training can require multiple advanced degrees and years of study, most PA programs can be completed in roughly 2 years. Graduates are able to put that education to work almost immediately, showing a clear return on investment for this well-respected career choice. 

Still undecided about pursuing a career as a PA? The AAPA highlights some other benefits to becoming a PA.  

Biology students can also choose from 2 other concentrations to learn the foundational skills that prepare you for advanced study, or any medical career with research or analytical responsibilities:

• Pre-Medicine
• Pre-Pharmacy 

Learn how to: 

• Apply core biological science concepts to real world scenarios

• Master the scientific method and scientific primary literature, experiment design and application, as well as data evaluation

• Apply biological knowledge to individual, community, and global issues

• Master basic laboratory skills and techniques across multiple biology disciplines

• Think critically to formulate problems, gather and analyze data, as well as interpret results

• Effectively communicate biological information to the scientific community through written and oral formats

• Translate and apply skills to graduate or professional studies and/or career goals 

• Demonstrate scientifically ethical conduct, as well as an awareness of legal and ethical implications of scientific issues in society

The Pre-Physician Assistant focus of this program is designed to help students apply biological science theories, principles, and techniques to careers and professional programs related to medicine, pharmacy, and physician assistantships.  

Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Biology and Life Sciences program, students must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing. It also helps if you’re excited about and interested in a career in science!  

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Life Sciences, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among: 

• General Education Requirements, or GERs  

• Core major courses  

• Supporting major courses

• Electives 

General Education Requirements (GERs)

All students must complete 40 GER credits. In addition, all science majors must also take these courses to satisfy GERs:

• MATH 131 (College Algebra for science majors)  

• BIOL 106 (Fundamentals of cell biology)

• CHEM 101 - General Chemistry (Prerequisite MATH 131) 

Learn more about the program courses you may take as part of the Pre-Physician Assistant track within the Applied Sciences concentration of the Biology major.

Core Courses (38 credits)

Supporting Courses (33 credits)

Electives (9 credits)