CAA ADMISSIONS GUIDE
CAA School Prerequisites & Requirements: 2026–2027 Guide
CAA school prerequisites are similar to a traditional premedical curriculum, but there is no single prerequisite list that applies to every Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant program.
Biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, mathematics, and other science coursework appear frequently across CAA programs, while requirements for biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, statistics, English, standardized testing, and course recency vary by school.
Use this guide to understand the common requirements and plan your coursework, then verify your final eligibility directly with each CAA program before applying.
What Classes Do You Need for CAA School?
Most prospective CAA students should plan for a strong undergraduate science foundation. The table below summarizes coursework commonly encountered across anesthesiologist assistant programs.
It is a planning guide—not a universal admissions checklist. Individual programs determine which courses they accept, whether laboratories are required, how many semesters are needed, and whether specific course substitutions are allowed.
| Course Area | Common Pattern | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| General Biology | Commonly two semesters with laboratory. | Required number of credits, laboratory requirements, and accepted course level. |
| General Chemistry | Commonly two semesters with laboratory. | Whether a full general chemistry sequence and labs are required. |
| Organic Chemistry | One or two semesters are commonly required. | Whether the program requires one or two semesters and whether an organic chemistry laboratory is required. |
| Biochemistry | Frequently required or accepted as part of the chemistry requirement. | Whether biochemistry is mandatory and whether it can substitute for another chemistry course. |
| Physics | Commonly two semesters with laboratory. | Whether algebra-based or calculus-based physics is accepted or preferred. |
| Calculus | One semester is commonly required. | Whether the course must be traditional calculus rather than a survey or applied mathematics course. |
| Statistics | Required by many programs but not universally. | Accepted departments, course level, and whether a specific type of statistics course is required. |
| Human Anatomy | Required by some CAA programs. | Whether a laboratory is required and whether combined Anatomy & Physiology coursework is accepted. |
| Human Physiology | Required by some CAA programs. | Whether a laboratory is required and whether combined A&P courses satisfy the requirement. |
| English / Writing | Required by some programs. | Number of credits and whether writing-intensive coursework can satisfy the requirement. |
| Additional Sciences | Some programs may require or recommend additional upper-level science coursework. | Requirements involving microbiology, cell biology, genetics, immunology, or other advanced sciences. |
Do All CAA Schools Have the Same Prerequisites?
No. This is one of the most important things to understand when planning for CAA school.
Two programs may both require chemistry, for example, but differ in the number of semesters required, laboratory expectations, acceptable substitutions, minimum grades, or how recently the coursework must have been completed.
Programs can also differ in their treatment of AP or IB credit, community college coursework, online courses, and prerequisite courses that are still in progress when an applicant submits CASAA.
Build your school list early enough to compare these policies before registering for your final undergraduate courses.
Do CAA Prerequisites Expire?
Sometimes.
Some CAA programs place time limits on prerequisite coursework, particularly science courses. Others use different recency rules or may make exceptions based on additional academic preparation or standardized testing.
Do not assume that an older prerequisite automatically qualifies simply because you earned a passing grade. Applicants who completed their science coursework several years ago should check the current policy of every program they are considering.
Example: Indiana University currently states that prerequisites should be completed within 10 years of matriculation, while other CAA programs use different recency policies.
Can You Apply Before Finishing All of Your Prerequisites?
At some CAA programs, yes—but the policy varies.
A program may allow an applicant to submit while one or more prerequisite courses are still in progress as long as they are completed before matriculation. Other programs may place additional limits on how many courses can remain outstanding. Applicants should distinguish between being technically allowed to apply and presenting the strongest possible academic record at the time their application is reviewed.
Indiana University allows prerequisite coursework to remain outstanding at application, provided requirements are completed before the program's required deadline. The University of Colorado also permits applicants to apply before all prerequisites are finished, but its current FAQ cautions applicants with several outstanding courses because the admissions committee has less completed coursework to evaluate.
What GPA Do You Need for CAA School?
GPA requirements should be evaluated separately from prerequisite coursework.
Some programs publish minimum cumulative or prerequisite GPAs, while others describe competitive applicant profiles instead of treating one GPA as a guarantee of admission.
A minimum GPA answers the question, “Am I eligible to apply?” A competitive applicant profile asks a different question: “How does my academic record compare with applicants a program has historically considered strong?”
Applicants should pay particular attention to overall GPA, science performance, prerequisite grades, and recent academic trends.
Do You Need the GRE or MCAT for CAA School?
Standardized testing requirements vary among CAA programs. Depending on the school, applicants may encounter the GRE, MCAT, a choice between the two, or other testing policies. Do not choose an entrance exam based only on what appears easiest. Start with the programs you are seriously considering and identify which exam or exams preserve eligibility across that school list.
For example, Emory currently accepts either the GRE or MCAT, while the University of Colorado currently requires the MCAT.
Compare current testing policies, published score guidance, and score-validity rules in the CAA GRE & MCAT Requirements Guide.
Is Shadowing a CAA School Prerequisite?
Anesthesia exposure is another requirement that varies substantially between programs.
Some programs require documented operating-room or anesthesia shadowing. Others strongly recommend exposure without establishing the same formal minimum. The accepted professional you may shadow and the required documentation can also differ.
Regardless of the numerical requirement, anesthesia exposure serves a larger purpose: an applicant should understand what CAAs do, how the anesthesia care team functions, and what the clinical environment is actually like before committing to the profession.
Indiana University currently requires at least eight hours of anesthesia shadowing in the anesthesia care team model, and Emory requires documentation showing at least eight hours observing anesthesiology procedures.
Compare Requirements Across CAA Programs
Prerequisites are only one part of choosing where to apply. Testing, shadowing, deadlines, supplemental requirements, program location, accreditation status, and other admissions policies can also affect your school list.
Keep Your CAA Application Requirements Organized
Tracking prerequisites across multiple CAA programs can get complicated quickly.
The free CAA Application Starter Kit includes a Program Comparison Worksheet, application readiness scorecard, timeline, pre-submission checklist, personal statement self-check, interview readiness checklist, and final application review.