traditional undergraduate on campus

Pre-Physician Assistant Pathway

Trevecca's Pre-PA Pathway allows students to tailor their undergraduate academic experience to prepare a competitive PA school application and maximize success in Trevecca’s PA program. This pathway consists of the courses required for a major in biology with a minor in chemistry, along with defined upper-level electives focused on building a solid foundation for PA school.

Trevecca’s pre-physician assistant program allows students to tailor undergraduate coursework to build a competitive PA school application and maximize their chances for admittance and success in Trevecca’s esteemed PA program. This degree combines the courses required for a biology major and a chemistry minor with upper-level electives that build a strong foundation for PA school.

Program Benefits

  • Enjoy our small class sizes and supportive campus community.
  • Take advantage of our renovated facilities and state-of-the-art equipment.
  • Learn from faculty who possess high degrees in their fields, who have relevant and valuable real-world experience and who make an effort to know you personally.
  • Take advantage of incredible internships and job opportunities available in the exciting Nashville healthcare market.

What to Expect

Trevecca’s pre-physician assistant (Pre-PA) pathway allows you to tailor your coursework so you can build a competitive PA school application, preparing you for the graduate studies needed to become a physician assistant. A PA works as a crucial member of healthcare teams at hospitals, urgent care centers and clinics by examining patients, prescribing medicine, ordering diagnostic tests, assisting with procedures and performing many other essential duties. 

Your coursework will be a combination of the classes required for a biology major/chemistry minor, along with upper-level electives that build a strong foundation for PA school. On top of a solid academic foundation, Trevecca’s Pre-PA pathway offers the following benefits:

  1. Strong mentoring relationships. Pre-PA students interact with our PA students, faculty and staff through valuable mentoring relationships that help them succeed in their academic journeys and increase their professional skills and network contacts. 
  2. A guaranteed interview. Trevecca students who complete all of the Pre-PA course requirements and meet the Trevecca PA program admissions standards are offered a guaranteed interview for the Trevecca PA program.
  3. A chance for early assurance of admittance into Trevecca’s PA program. Trevecca offers early assurance of admittance to our PA program to a select group of our Pre-PA students based on the following criteria:
  • Exceptional academic performance (including GPA requirements)
  • Alignment with the Trevecca PA program mission
  • Evidence of a character consistent with the highest standards of the PA profession

Students who meet the criteria will be notified of final acceptance into the early assurance process during the spring of their junior year. (The number of approved early assurance students in an incoming class will not exceed 10 percent of the overall Trevecca PA program cohort for that year.)

Your Pre-PA coursework meets the prerequisites for Trevecca’s own historic and highly esteemed PA program, where you can earn a Master of Science in medicine in about 27 months. With the first and longest-running PA program in Tennessee, Trevecca has graduated more than 1,200 PA students who now serve all over the world. Our graduates consistently pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) at rates above the national average. In the past five years, graduates from our program have an average first-time pass rate of 99 percent. 

Why Choose Trevecca?

Founded in 1901 and a leader in online education for more than two decades, Trevecca helps students discover and pursue an individual calling by providing innovative instruction; cultivating a supportive, Christ-centered community; and establishing relationships that open doors.

Recognized nationally and locally for academic quality, Trevecca has earned a reputation for providing the world with servant leaders, problem solvers and difference makers. Trevecca’s holistic approach to education encompasses intellectual, social, emotional, physical and spiritual growth.

As a Christian university, we offer programs that explore the ways faith intersects with your field of study. This means you can gain your pre-physician assistant degree in a supportive, Christian community with small classroom sizes and engaged faculty members who care about you, your faith and your goals.

Course Descriptions

Course Descriptions

Get details on all the courses you’ll complete as you work toward this degree at Trevecca.

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Financial Aid & Costs

Financial Aid & Costs

Nearly every student at Trevecca receives some form of assistance in paying for college. Learn all about the affordability of a TNU education and options for receiving aid.

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Career Opportunities

The U.S. News & World Report ranks the job of a physician assistant as a top profession in the field of healthcare, based on an analysis of salary, employment rates and work/life balance criteria. PA jobs are projected to grow and provide ample career opportunities in the next decade. That means when you complete your Pre-PA undergraduate degree at Trevecca and go on to earn your master’s degree, you’ll be prepared for a lucrative and rewarding career. 

As a PA, you can choose to serve in a variety of medical settings from hospitals to nonprofit medical clinics with a focus on compassionate ministry. Your pre-physician assistant degree from Trevecca is your first step towards a future in which you are serving as part of a collaborative team to offer patient-centered care.



“I could not be more grateful for my experience at Trevecca. The program not only provided me with the medical skills and knowledge needed to be a competent PA, but expanded my ability to face challenges, deepened my faith, gave me life-long friendships and ultimately helped me become a better version of myself.”

Jocelyn Benton Trevecca graduate