Pre-Physician Assistant Advising

Pre-Physician Assistant Advising

If you are majoring in a College of Health Professions department or program, please contact Laura Steck at lsteck AT_TOWSON to schedule an appointment. 

If you are majoring in a Fisher College of Science & Mathematics department, please see information about Pre-Physician Assistant Advising offered by that college.

Application Requirements

There are three primary requirements to apply to the physician assistant program:

1. completion of a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited college or university;
2. completion of a minimum of 800 patient contact hours;
3. completion of 7 prerequisite courses. Those courses are: Anatomy and Physiology I (4 credits with lab); Anatomy and Physiology II (4 credits with lab); Microbiology (4 credits with lab); Biochemistry (3 credits); college level statistics course (3 credits); HLTH 207: Health Care in the United States, or its equivalent at another college or university (3 credits); and Medical Terminology (minimum of 2 credits).

A full description of the Towson University Physician Assistant Studies program, including all of the application requirements and processes, can be found on our website.

Typical applicants to physician assistant programs complete degrees in the sciences and/or health care, although all degrees are acceptable if the prerequisite requirements have been met. Undergraduate majors frequently seen among our applicants include biology, nursing, exercise science, and athletic training. With careful planning, students can complete their prerequisite course requirements in conjunction with the requirements for their bachelor’s degree program.

To receive further guidance about meeting the Physician Assistant Studies program prerequisite requirements, contact Laura Steck at lsteck AT_TOWSON. 

Licensure Requirements

Listed below are requirements for licensure as a physician assistant in Maryland: 

1. graduation from a physician assistant program that is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA);
2. current certification by the National Commission on Licensure of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Physician assistants receive NCCPA certification after successfully completing the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). Individual states may impose additional requirements for licensure.

A complete listing of accredited Physician Assistant programs nationwide is available on the Physician Assistant Education Association website.

Please see the American Academy of Physician Assistants website for more information about being a physician assistant.