Pre-Physician Assistant
The pre-physician assistant post-baccalaureate program is designed to allow career changing students the opportunity to complete core course requirements needed for admission to physician assistant (PA) programs. The Pre-PA program meets most foundational requirements for physician assistant graduate programs in the Chicago area, though students are strongly advised to confirm the admission requirements of the graduate programs in which they are interested before enrolling to ensure that the SPS program fulfills their needs.
Pre-PA students complete courses with Northwestern curriculum and faculty, which offers students the opportunity to build a deep and strong science foundation. Pre-PA coursework is primarily offered in evening and weekend classes, and can be completed in 15 or 21 months, depending on the student's needs.
This program is designed for career changers and students who have not completed the core coursework needed to apply to PA programs. Students who need only some of these courses should consider the pre-physician assistant completion program. Students who have already completed the course requirements for master’s programs for PAs may consider the Advanced Studies in Biology for the Health Professions certificate program, or designing a specialized post-baccalaureate certificate to meet their needs.
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The professors are doing cutting edge research and it helped me get the most out of my time at Northwestern. I’m certain some of the more advanced concepts I learned here are going to help me fit in well at Yale.”
Dennis Shea, completed prephysician assistant program, accepted to Yale Physician Associate program
While Northwestern University’s programs are designed to align with core sequences required for medical, dental, veterinary, and related professional schools, students should familiarize themselves with the admission requirements for desired institutions as they choose which program aligns best. Northwestern University’s policy on awarding credits states that credit is awarded in units, rather than credit hours, on student transcripts. Courses are offered over a ten-week period and are assigned 1.0 unit of credit. One unit of credit is equivalent to four quarter hours, which is equivalent to 2.67 semester hours. Some institutions will round up to 3 semester hours while others will not, so it is imperative that students know the requirements of the institutions to which they intend to apply.
Students in the pre-physician assistant post-baccalaureate certificate program may transfer up to eight semester hours, or twelve quarter hours of academic credit. A transcript and grade of B or better are required for transferred courses in the program. Courses audited or taken with the pass/no credit option cannot be applied toward a certificate program. Courses earned for a bachelor's degree at SPS may not be applied retroactively toward certificate requirements. Students who have completed up to two courses as a student-at-large may apply for a certificate and ask that those courses be included in the certificate. If students complete additional courses (beyond two) as a student-at-large, a petition to the Student Affairs Committee requesting an exception to policy should be submitted.
Post-baccalaureate students at Northwestern's School of Professional Studies pay per course. For more information about financial obligations and tuition, please visit the tuition page.
In addition to completing an online application, you'll also need to submit a few supplemental materials. A list of requirements for admission including application deadlines and tips on how to apply can be found on the admission page.
Whether you're a first-time registrant or current and returning student, all students register using our online student registration and records systems. Important information about registering for courses at SPS, including registration timelines and adding or dropping courses in which you are already enrolled, can be found on the registration information page.
Review sample course plans for the pre-PA program offered by Northwestern University School of Professional Studies.
Learn how students support one another through forums, resources and social networks on the pre-physician assistant pre-health professional student group page.
