CAA prerequisites: the course list and how to plan it
Prerequisites are where most CAA applications are decided long before you hit submit. The core list is fairly consistent across programs, but the details — labs, minimum grades, and how recently you took each course — vary enough to be worth tracking program by program.
The core science list
Nearly every accredited program expects a common core: general and organic chemistry, biology, physics, biochemistry, human anatomy and physiology, plus calculus and statistics. Most of the science courses are expected with labs.
Individual programs add their own requirements on top — an extra semester of physics, medical terminology, or a specific upper-level biology course. Treat the common core as your baseline and layer each program's extras onto it.
Grades matter more than your major
You don't need a particular undergraduate major. What programs read closely is how you performed in the sciences — science GPA is usually weighed separately from your cumulative GPA.
Aim for a B or better in each prerequisite. One weak grade isn't disqualifying, but a pattern across the sciences is difficult to explain away in an application.
Watch the recency window
Many programs require science prerequisites completed within roughly the last five to ten years. This is the requirement applicants most often miss, and it can quietly invalidate coursework you already paid for.
If you're a career changer with older credits, check each program's window early. It's usually cheaper to retake a course or two on purpose than to discover the problem in the middle of a cycle.
Filling gaps
A post-baccalaureate program or community-college coursework is a common and accepted way to complete missing prerequisites. Programs generally care that the course is equivalent and taken at an accredited institution.
Sequence the courses that gate others first — general chemistry before organic, for example — so you don't add a year to your timeline by accident.
Track them against real programs
Requirements differ enough that a generic checklist will mislead you. Track your completed coursework against the specific programs on your list, and confirm every requirement on the program's official page and on CASAA before you rely on it.
Put it into action
Track prerequisites, score your candidacy, and plan your CASAA timeline — free to start.
General guidance — program requirements vary and change. Always confirm specifics on each program's official page and on CASAA.