Can You Apply to PA School With Prerequisites in Progress?
Sometimes. CASPA lets you enter planned and in-progress coursework, but CASPA does not decide whether a program will accept it. Each PA program controls how many courses may be outstanding, which subjects may be unfinished, the grade required, and the date everything must be complete.
The short answer
You can apply with prerequisites in progress only to programs whose published policy allows it. In the 299 deeply structured program records used by PAschoolprereqs, 74 explicitly mention outstanding, pending, planned, or in-progress prerequisites. The policies range from allowing one course to allowing a fixed number of courses or credits. Other programs require all science prerequisites, or every prerequisite, to be complete when you apply.
Examples show why a national yes-or-no answer is unsafe:
- A.T. Still University Central Coast allows up to two outstanding prerequisites at application.
- Butler University allows up to three, with a tighter limit on unfinished chemistry or biology work.
- California Baptist University requires prerequisites complete by its application deadline.
- Dominican University of California does not accept courses in progress at application.
These examples reflect the current structured dataset and can change. Confirm the exact cycle language before submitting.
What CASPA allows
CASPA's Program Materials section can let applicants match courses already taken or planned to a program's prerequisite list. PAEA's current admissions-suite documentation also states that applicants may select in-progress courses where the program enables that section. This is a reporting feature, not permission from the program.
After you submit, you can later change planned or in-progress coursework to completed and enter the grade. CASPA warns that updated coursework is not reverified and the new grade is not automatically added to the existing CASPA GPA. Programs can see the update and may recalculate locally.
If you apply before an important A is complete, the grade may not improve the verified GPA sent with the original application. Applying early can help at a rolling program, but applying before your strongest academic evidence exists can hurt more.
The four questions that decide whether to submit now
- Does the program allow the number of courses you have outstanding? Count courses and credits. Programs use both kinds of limits.
- Does it restrict the subject? A program may allow two unfinished courses but only one unfinished science, or require anatomy and physiology complete before review.
- When must the final grade be posted? Common cutoffs include the application deadline, December 31, spring before matriculation, or a program-specific date.
- Does the unfinished grade materially change your application? If the course is a retake, raises your science GPA above a minimum, or establishes an upward trend, waiting may be strategically stronger.
Apply now, split the list, or wait?
| Situation | Best starting decision |
|---|---|
| One non-science prerequisite in progress, GPA already competitive | Apply to programs that explicitly allow it |
| One or two science courses in progress, programs have mixed policies | Split the list and submit only to programs whose rules you meet |
| Course completion will move a GPA above a hard minimum | Wait for the grade unless the program confirms another review method |
| Retake is meant to prove academic repair | Usually wait until the new grade exists |
| Program requires every prerequisite complete at submission | Do not submit early |
How to record the course correctly
Enter the planned term and course under the institution where it will be taken, mark the term and course as planned or in progress, and match it to the program prerequisite when Program Materials asks. Use the expected course code, title, and credits. Do not claim a course as complete or invent a grade.
Keep a simple program-level checklist with four fields: outstanding course, program allowance, required completion date, and update method. The PA school application spreadsheet guide shows the rest of the fields worth tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Can I submit CASPA before summer grades are posted?
Yes, but only programs that accept those courses as outstanding can consider the application complete under their policy. Updated grades will be visible later but will not automatically change the already verified CASPA GPA.
How many prerequisites can be in progress?
There is no national number. Current policies in the dataset range from none to one, two, three, or a specified credit total. Some also restrict how many science prerequisites may be unfinished.
Should I apply early to a rolling program with a retake in progress?
Only after comparing the benefit of timing with the value of the grade. If the retake is needed to clear a floor or demonstrate repair, the completed A may be more valuable than an earlier incomplete application.