Duke PA Program Prerequisites: The 2026–2027 Cycle- the exact eight courses Duke’s founding PA program requires for the 2026–2027 cycle, the rules that changed this year, and how each requirement maps to an accredited online course.
THE QUICK ANSWER
For the 2026–2027 cycle, Duke’s PA Program requires eight prerequisite courses: Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, two “other biology” courses of choice, two chemistry courses with lab, and statistics. New this cycle: all prerequisites must be completed with a grade of B- or better (raised from C), the GRE is required of every applicant with no substitute, and 1,000 hours of hands-on patient care is a hard minimum.
Prerequisites must be no older than 10 years, you may apply with at most two outstanding, and online courses from regionally accredited institutions are accepted. Always confirm current requirements on Duke’s official prerequisites page.
Duke is where the physician assistant profession began — the first PA class was founded at Duke in 1965 — and it remains one of the most searched and most competitive PA programs in the country, admitting a class of 90 each year. If you’re targeting Duke for the 2026–2027 cycle, the prerequisite list is more demanding than many programs’, and Duke has tightened several rules recently that can catch returning applicants off guard.
This guide maps Duke’s eight required prerequisites course by course, flags the rules that changed for this cycle, and shows which accredited online courses satisfy each requirement. Everything below is drawn directly from Duke’s published prerequisites page for the 2026–2027 cycle — always the authoritative source, and worth confirming yourself before you enroll in anything.
Here is the complete required course list with Duke’s stated credit-hour minimums:
| Requirement | Minimum Credits | Notes |
| Anatomy | 3 sem / 4 qtr hrs | Combined A&P acceptable if total ≥ 6 sem hrs. Human A&P and labs preferred, not required. |
| Physiology | 3 sem / 4 qtr hrs | See combined A&P note above. |
| Microbiology | 3 sem / 4 qtr hrs | |
| Other Biology (choice) | 3 sem / 4 qtr hrs | Recommended: genetics, cell bio, molecular bio, embryology, histology, or immunology. |
| Second Other Biology (choice) | 3 sem / 4 qtr hrs | Same recommended list as above. |
| Chemistry with lab (choice) | 4 sem / 5 qtr hrs | Lab required. |
| Second Chemistry with lab (choice) | 4 sem / 5 qtr hrs | Lab required. |
| Statistics | 2 sem / 3 qtr hrs |
Requirements reflect Duke’s published page for the 2026–2027 cycle as of May 2026 and can change between cycles. Always verify directly.
Two features set Duke’s prerequisite list apart from the typical PA program:
The flexibility of “course of choice” is a double-edged sword: it lets you tailor your coursework, but it also means you carry the responsibility of choosing courses that clearly satisfy the category. When in doubt, confirm a specific course with Duke’s admissions office before enrolling.
Duke has revised several admissions rules recently. If you applied in a prior cycle, do not assume the old rules still apply:
Duke is unusually specific about what counts toward the 1,000-hour patient-care minimum — and unusually firm that it’s a floor, not a target. Accepted roles include EMT or paramedic, health educator, registered nurse, CNA or patient care attendant, clinic or medical assistant, health-related Peace Corps volunteer, technologist, therapist, in-person scribe, and clinical research assistant with direct-care duties such as phlebotomy.
Just as important is what doesn’t count. Duke explicitly excludes PA/physician shadowing, non-clinical research positions, pharmacy technician roles, hours from certificate or student clinical experiences, virtual/remote scribing, medical translation, junior-volunteer/candy-striper roles, CPR/ACLS instruction, hospital patient transport, pharmaceutical or device sales, lifeguarding, fitness instruction, and clerical roles like unit clerk or medical secretary. If your hours are borderline, categorize them carefully in CASPA — because Duke will not accept updates after you submit.
Duke accepts online courses from regionally accredited institutions. PrereqCourses.com delivers courses through Upper Iowa University, regionally accredited by the HLC — satisfying Duke’s accreditation baseline. Here’s how Duke’s eight requirements line up with available courses:
| Duke Requirement | Mapped Course | Notes |
| Anatomy + Physiology (combined A&P route) | A&P I (BIO 270)A&P II (BIO 275) | Combined A&P I & II meets both, if total ≥ 6 sem hrs. |
| Microbiology | Microbiology with Lab (BIO 210) | |
| Other Biology x2 (choice) | Principles of Biology I (BIO 135)Principles of Biology II (BIO 140) | Confirm a specific biology course satisfies Duke’s category before enrolling. |
| Chemistry with lab x2 | General Chemistry I (CHEM 151)General Chemistry II (CHEM 152) | Both must include lab and total 4 sem hrs each. |
| Statistics | Elementary Statistics (MATH 220) |
This mapping is a planning aid, not a guarantee. Duke’s published page and admissions office are the authoritative sources — verify that a specific course satisfies a specific requirement (especially the lab requirement and the “other biology” categories) before you enroll.
Two mapping notes worth flagging. First, the chemistry lab requirement is firm at Duke — make sure any chemistry course you take to satisfy this includes a lab component that appears on your transcript. Second, the two “other biology” courses are open-ended; Duke recommends genetics, cell biology, molecular biology, embryology, histology, or immunology, so if your target is to match Duke’s recommendation precisely, those upper-level courses are stronger choices than introductory biology and may need to be sourced from a four-year institution offering them.
For the foundation requirements — anatomy and physiology, microbiology, general chemistry with lab, and statistics — accredited self-paced courses are a fully accepted, far faster way to satisfy Duke’s list, provided they meet the credit-hour minimums and (for chemistry) include a lab. You can see the full PA prerequisite course list here or browse the complete catalog.
The honest caveat: Duke’s two “other biology” slots favor upper-division courses (genetics, immunology, histology, and the like) that an introductory online catalog may not fully cover. Where that’s the case, plan to complete those specific courses at a four-year institution, and use accredited online coursework for the foundation requirements. Always confirm the credit hours and lab status of any course against Duke’s stated minimums before enrolling — Duke’s per-course credit thresholds (4 semester hours for each chemistry, 6 combined for A&P) are stricter than some programs’.
What are the prerequisites for the Duke PA program?
For the 2026–2027 cycle, Duke requires eight prerequisite courses: Anatomy (3 sem hrs), Physiology (3 sem hrs), Microbiology (3 sem hrs), two “other biology” courses of choice (3 sem hrs each), two chemistry courses with lab (4 sem hrs each), and statistics (2 sem hrs). Combined anatomy and physiology is acceptable if it totals at least 6 semester hours.
What grade do I need in Duke PA prerequisites?
As of December 2024, all prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of B- or better — raised from the previous C minimum. For courses graded Pass, you must provide documentation of a final course score equivalent to B- or better.
Does Duke’s PA program require the GRE?
Yes. The GRE is required of all candidates, including those who already hold master’s or doctoral degrees, and no other exam (including the PA-CAT) can be used in its place. For the 2026–2027 cycle, the GRE must be taken no earlier than January 1, 2022 and no later than August 15, 2026, with scores reported by ETS directly to CASPA code 0422.
Does Duke accept online prerequisite courses?
Yes — Duke accepts online courses from regionally accredited institutions, including community colleges. Note that chemistry prerequisites must include a lab, and each course must meet Duke’s credit-hour minimums. Courses awarded by examination, such as AP, are not accepted.
How old can Duke PA prerequisites be?
Prerequisites should have been taken no earlier than 10 years prior to January 1 of the application year. Courses older than that must be retaken to count toward Duke’s requirements.
How many patient-care hours does Duke require?
A minimum of 1,000 hours of direct, hands-on patient care is required and must be completed by May 1 of the application year. This is a hard floor — Duke will not consider applications with fewer hours and will not accept updated hours after CASPA submission. Shadowing, virtual scribing, and clerical roles do not count.
Can I apply to Duke with prerequisites still in progress?
Yes, but no more than two. You may apply with at most two outstanding prerequisites, and all prerequisites must be completed by December 31, 2026 for the class entering August 2027.
Duke’s status as the founding PA program comes with a demanding, specific prerequisite list — eight courses, two of them open-ended biology choices, two chemistry courses with labs, and credit-hour minimums that are stricter than many programs’. The rules tightened recently: a B- floor, a universal GRE requirement, and a hard 1,000-hour patient-care minimum that won’t be updated after you submit. Map your coursework against the eight requirements early, mind the 10-year window, and confirm every course’s credits and lab status against Duke’s page. When you need to complete a foundation requirement, PrereqCourses.com offers accredited, self-paced courses through a regionally accredited university — with the combined A&P sequence covering two of Duke’s eight requirements at once.
Complete Your Duke Prerequisites Online
PrereqCourses.com delivers self-paced prerequisite courses through Upper Iowa University (HLC-accredited) — meeting Duke’s regional-accreditation requirement. Map your gaps against Duke’s eight requirements above, confirm credits and lab status, then complete your foundation prerequisites on your own schedule.
This guide reflects Duke’s published 2026–2027 prerequisites as of May 2026 and is for general planning only. Duke’s requirements can change between cycles. Always verify prerequisite, GRE, experience, and deadline requirements directly with the Duke Physician Assistant Program and with CASPA before enrolling in any course.
