CAA Prerequisites & Admissions Requirements by Campus
Last reviewed September 5, 2026 · Compiled from published prerequisite requirements across 29 of 30 campuses in our program directory.
All CAA programs require a core premed foundation: biology, general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy & physiology, physics, and college-level math. However, schools differ in course recency limits (usually 5 to 7 years), required lab components, and additional course requirements (such as medical terminology or genetics). Use the first table to compare coursework across all campuses, and the second for entrance exams, Casper, score windows, and shadowing.
The short version: of the 29 campuses that publish prerequisites, every one lists general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics; the courses that actually vary are statistics (19), English (22), biology (23), calculus (23), biochemistry (26), anatomy (26), physiology (26). Sort any column to see which campuses skip it.
Course categories are normalized (e.g. combined "Anatomy & Physiology" satisfies both subjects). A dash means the course does not appear in the program's published list, not that the program excludes it; some programs list anatomy and physiology in place of general biology, for example. Click any column header to sort matching campuses to the top.
Additional specific requirements by school: Emory University — Atlanta: Medical Terminology · Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee: Medical Terminology · Ohio Dominican University — Columbus: Humanities (12 credits) · University of Missouri–Kansas City — Kansas City: Mathematics (additional), Medical Terminology
Entrance Exams, Casper, and Shadowing by Campus
Of the 29 campuses that publish a testing policy, 25 accept either the GRE or the MCAT, 1 takes the MCAT only, and 3 require no entrance exam at all. Casper, the situational-judgment test, is required at 6 campuses. Anesthesia shadowing is required at 21 of the 29 campuses that address it (eight hours at 19) and only recommended at 8, so eight documented hours with a CAA satisfies every program that requires it. A dash means the program has not published a rule.
| Program | Tests accepted | Casper | Stated floor or benchmark | Score window | Shadowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluefield University at VCOM — Auburn Auburn, AL | None required | Not required | — | — | Not required (encouraged) Strongly encouraged, not required; the official MHSA shadowing form or equivalent documentation with the provider's signature |
| Bluefield University at VCOM — Carolinas (Spartanburg) Spartanburg, SC | None required | Not required | — | — | Not required (encouraged) Strongly encouraged, not required; the official MHSA shadowing form or equivalent documentation with the provider's signature |
| Bluefield University at VCOM — Virginia (Blacksburg) Blacksburg, VA | None required | — | — | — | Not required (encouraged) Program-wide MHSA policy; Blacksburg has published no campus-specific requirements. Strongly encouraged, not required; the official MHSA shadowing form or equivalent documentation with the provider's signature |
| Burrell College of Health Sciences — Melbourne Melbourne, FL | — | — | — | — | — |
| Case Western Reserve University — Austin Austin, TX | GRE or MCAT | Required | Recommended: GRE 60th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 4.0+ analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | 3 years | 16 hours recommended Strongly recommended rather than required, ideally with a CAA in the operating room; the program's shadowing form is uploaded to CASAA |
| Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland Cleveland, OH | GRE or MCAT | Required | Recommended: GRE 60th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 4.0+ analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | 3 years | 16 hours recommended Strongly recommended rather than required, ideally with a CAA in the operating room; the program's shadowing form is uploaded to CASAA |
| Case Western Reserve University — Houston Houston, TX | GRE or MCAT | Required | Recommended: GRE 60th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 4.0+ analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | 3 years | 16 hours recommended Strongly recommended rather than required, ideally with a CAA in the operating room; the program's shadowing form is uploaded to CASAA |
| Case Western Reserve University — Washington, DC Washington, DC | GRE or MCAT | Required | Recommended: GRE 60th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 4.0+ analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | 3 years | 16 hours recommended Strongly recommended rather than required, ideally with a CAA in the operating room; the program's shadowing form is uploaded to CASAA |
| Emory University — Atlanta Atlanta, GA | GRE or MCAT | Not required | GRE 55th percentile or higher in each section with 4.0+ analytical writing, or MCAT 502+ with 124+ in each section | 5 years | 8 hours required Anesthesiologist, CAA, or CRNA; Documentation of Familiarity form |
| Indiana University School of Medicine — Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Hard floor: GRE below the 40th percentile on verbal or quantitative, or MCAT below 499, is not accepted | 3 years | 8 hours required |
| Kansas City University — Joplin (Farber-McIntire) Joplin, MO | GRE, MCAT, or DAT | Not required | No stated minimum; an MCAT above 500 or DAT above 17 waives the prerequisite time limit | 5 years | Not required (encouraged) Listed among the nonacademic factors the committee considers, not a requirement |
| Lipscomb University — Nashville Nashville, TN | GRE or MCAT (MCAT preferred) | Not required | Competitive applicants typically score above the 50th percentile | — | 8 hours required CAA, physician, or CRNA; waived for applicants whose healthcare experience already exposed them to anesthetic care; medical mission trips accepted |
| Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Competitive benchmark: GRE 150 verbal / 150 quantitative / 4.0 writing, or MCAT 490 | 5 years | 8 hours required Anesthesiologist, CAA, or nurse anesthetist; Verification of Exposure to Anesthesia Practice form uploaded to CASAA |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University — Rootstown Rootstown, OH | GRE or MCAT | Not required | MCAT above 490, or GRE at least 150 verbal / 150 quantitative / 4.0 analytical writing | 5 years | 8 hours required Any anesthesia practitioner; a written explanation is accepted if shadowing could not be arranged that cycle; program form provided |
| Nova Southeastern University — Denver Centennial, CO | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Competitive: GRE 40th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 3.5 analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | — | 8 hours required Documented operating-room observation of anesthesia, submitted through CASAA |
| Nova Southeastern University — Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale, FL | GRE or MCAT | Required | Competitive: GRE 40th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 3.5 analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | — | 8 hours required Documented operating-room observation of anesthesia, submitted through CASAA |
| Nova Southeastern University — Jacksonville Jacksonville, FL | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Competitive: GRE 40th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 3.5 analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | — | 8 hours required Documented operating-room observation of anesthesia, submitted through CASAA |
| Nova Southeastern University — Nevada (Henderson) Henderson, NV | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Competitive: GRE 40th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 3.5 analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | — | 8 hours required Documented operating-room observation of anesthesia, submitted through CASAA |
| Nova Southeastern University — Orlando Orlando, FL | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Competitive: GRE 40th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 3.5 analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | — | 8 hours required Documented operating-room observation of anesthesia, submitted through CASAA |
| Nova Southeastern University — Tampa Bay Clearwater, FL | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Competitive: GRE 40th percentile or higher on verbal and quantitative with 3.5 analytical writing, or MCAT 500+ | — | 8 hours required Documented operating-room observation of anesthesia, submitted through CASAA |
| Ohio Dominican University — Columbus Columbus, OH | GRE or MCAT | Not required | No published minimum scores | 5 years | 8 hours required |
| Saint Louis University — St. Louis St. Louis, MO | GRE or MCAT | Not required | No absolute minimum; MCAT 501 or GRE 152 verbal / 155 quantitative is considered competitive | 3 years | 16 hours required Documented shadowing hours |
| South University — Orlando Orlando, FL | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Accepted students average the 55th percentile or higher on GRE verbal and quantitative | 5 years | 8 hours required CAA, anesthesiologist, or CRNA; South University's form or another program's form is accepted, and more than eight hours is encouraged |
| South University — Savannah Savannah, GA | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Accepted students average the 55th percentile or higher on GRE verbal and quantitative | 5 years | 8 hours required CAA, anesthesiologist, or CRNA; South University's form or another program's form is accepted, and more than eight hours is encouraged |
| South University — West Palm Beach Royal Palm Beach, FL | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Accepted students average the 55th percentile or higher on GRE verbal and quantitative | 5 years | 8 hours required CAA, anesthesiologist, or CRNA; South University's form or another program's form is accepted, and more than eight hours is encouraged |
| UTHealth Houston — Houston Houston, TX | GRE or MCAT (MCAT preferred) | Not required | Minimum MCAT 498 or GRE 309; an MCAT above 505 waives the 7-year prerequisite limit | 3 years | 8 hours required Some operating-room observation is required and eight hours is the recommended minimum; applicants arrange it themselves, the program does not assist |
| University of Colorado — Anschutz Medical Campus (Aurora) Aurora, CO | MCAT only | Required | No stated minimum; an MCAT of 500+ waives the 7-year prerequisite window | 5 years | 8 hours required With an anesthetist or anesthesiologist in the operating room; additional hours strongly suggested; Documentation of Shadowing Experience uploaded with the application |
| University of Mary Hardin-Baylor — Belton Belton, TX | GRE or MCAT | Not required | No stated minimum; an MCAT above 500 waives the 7-year prerequisite window | 3 years | 8 hours required Operating-room observation with an MD/DO, CAA, or CRNA, documented on the UMHB program form |
| University of Missouri–Kansas City — Kansas City Kansas City, MO | GRE or MCAT | Not required | No hard minimum; recommended MCAT 494+ or GRE 300+ | 3 years | 4 hours required Minimum of four hours |
| University of New Mexico — Albuquerque Albuquerque, NM | GRE or MCAT | Not required | Generally interviews applicants at or above the 45th percentile | 3 years | 8 hours required With an anesthetist or anesthesiologist in the operating room; more hours suggested; Documentation of Shadowing Experience form uploaded to CASAA |
Floors and benchmarks are quoted as each program states them; "competitive" figures are guidance, not cutoffs. Shadowing rules were verified against each program's admissions page between August 17, 2026 and September 5, 2026; the source for each is linked on the program page.
Planning your path? Check out our How to Become a CAA guide and the CASAA application timeline.