Admissions Requirements
Applicants must meet the following GPA thresholds (no exceptions):
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (includes all academic coursework), or
- Last 60 semester hours of 3.0
Degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. to be conferred by December 31, 2025.
Minimum cumulative prerequisite GPA of 3.2. See below for accepted coursework and click to find out if your courses will count.
| Required Course | Semester Hours | Quarter Hours | UNC Chapel Hill Equivalencies | NC Community College Equivalencies | Anatomy* | 3 | 4.5 | EXSS 155; EXSS 175 or BIO 252 & BIO 253* | BIO 168 & BIO 169* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physiology | 3 | 4.5 | EXSS 256; EXSS 276 or PHYI 292 | |||
| Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry | 3 | 4.5 | CHEM 261 or CHEM 430 | CHM 251 or CHM 271 | ||
| Microbiology | 3 | 4.5 | BIO 422 or MCRO 251 | BIO 175 or BIO 275 | ||
| Sociology or Psychology | 3 | 4.5 | PSYC 101 or higher or SOCI 101 or higher | PSY or SOC prefix course | ||
| Statistics or Biostatistics | 3 | 4.5 | STOR 151, 155 or PSYC 210 | BUS 228, MAT 152 or PSY 285 | ||
| Medical Terminology** | CLAS 126 | MED 121 & MED 122 | ||||
* A&P Human-based highly preferred. Applicants completing A&P I are required to take A&P II. Completion of A&P I and A&P II do not require additional physiology coursework.
** A certificate of completion may also be accepted in lieu of academic credit. Please, email your certificate of completion to the program’s email (paprogram@unc.edu).
Notes: Prerequisite courses must be completed with grades “C” or better (not C minus) . It is strongly recommended, but not required, that all prerequisite courses be taken within the last seven years. Students with prerequisite courses older than seven years are encouraged to audit or retake courses to refresh their understanding of the subject matter.
Students who taking quarter hour courses need to multiply their quarter hours by 0.667 to get the equivalent number of semester hours. Students must have the minimum number of semester hours for their prerequisite. For example, a 4 quarter hour class = 2.67 semester hours.
A minimum of 1,000 hours of paid, direct, hands-on patient care.
- Examples include experiences in which you are directly responsible for patient care: prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, work as an active nurse, EMT, etc.
- Positions may be paid.
- These hours must be completed no later than the CASPA deadline (now closed).
- Applicants are required to confirm their patient care experiences during application on our program Patient Care Experience Verification Form. Please email your Patient Care Experience Verification form as a pdf to the program at paprogram@unc.edu.
Three (3) Letters of Recommendation are required and should include the following:
- At least two of the three letters are required from experienced health care professionals who observed or supervised you in a clinical setting.
- At least one letter is required from a practicing Physician Assistant.
- No personal recommendations are accepted.
- It is strongly recommended that letters of recommendation are from references who have known you for at least one year.
Students must meet the technical standards for admission, progression, and graduation from the PA program.
In accordance with state law, the University of North Carolina provides admissions deferments to members of the military and their spouses.
- Reserved Armed Forces: two-year minimum deferment period
- Active Duty Armed Forces: five-year minimum deferment period
- Students must request a deferment at least 30 days prior to enrollment.
- No applicant will be denied admission to the University solely based on military service or the intent to enter military service.
In addition to providing an in-state tuition rate to any student using Veterans Affairs Education Benefits and others who qualify under the Choice Act, per state law the University of North Carolina will provide an in-state tuition rate to student veterans who meet certain criteria.
- To qualify for in-state tuition students must meet all three of the criteria below.
- Served active duty for at least 90 days
- Honorably discharged
- Meet one of the following:
- Served active duty with a permanent station in North Carolina for at least 90 consecutive days
- Graduated from a North Carolina high school on or after January 1, 2004
- Was awarded a Purple Heart
- The student is responsible for providing documentation that the above criteria have been met.
Accepted students to the program are required to be up to date on all immunizations as outlined by the NC Required Immunizations requirement and those required of all Health Sciences students.
It is the responsibility of all incoming students to provide appropriate documentation to Campus Health Services and the program to show compliance prior to December 1.