Choosing a Major

General Information

Physician Assistant programs do not care what you major in. These programs have long accepted students from a wide variety of majors. They accept students with majors like History, Spanish, and Exercise Science. So whether you choose a major in life science and physical science majors (biology, exercise science, physics, chemistry, etc) or majors such as sociology, dance, advertising, or geography, schools will not be particular to one over the other. This being said, preparing for PA school requires students to take several courses in biological and physical sciences. Whether you major in Public Health or Finance, you want to make sure you are being thoughtful and proactive when planning your academic semesters in order to complete your pre-requisite courses. These course requirements are listed here.

So what major should I choose?

We encourage students to approach choosing a major just like any other student would: Do you enjoy the discipline? Do you have an aptitude for it? Can you do well? Do you like the careers associated with this major? If you decide not to go to PA school, or do not get in, are there opportunities in this area that you would be excited about? We often call this parallel preparation--while preparing for PA school, also prepare for a career outside of medicine in case you change your mind or are not accepted. If you need help choosing a major, you can seek help from the University Advisement Center (https://universityadvisement.byu.edu/) or the college advisement centers if you already have an area of study in mind (https://advisement.byu.edu/advisement-centers). All BYU majors are listed here: BYU MajorsOnce you've decided on a major then visit your college advisement center and create a graduation plan within that major. Once you have that in place, we can help you determine how to best fit your Pre-Medical coursework within your major graduation plan.