General Admission Requirements
Admission to the Physician Assistant profession has become increasingly competitive over the years. The school evaluates applicants through four lenses: cognitive/academic, personal/non-cognitive, healthcare experience, and community service. Detailed information about admissions criteria for a competitive application can be found in our Admissions Guidebook. It is a comprehensive guide to our application requirements and the admissions process.
- Completed the CASPA application by March 1.
Following the online instructions, applicants must contact every college or university attended and request transcripts be sent directly to CASPA. Click here for help sending your official transcripts.
- Citizenship: Applicants to the program must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents (Green Card)
- Qualifying GPA of 3.20 or better (on a 4.0 scale)
- Prerequisite Courses: All eight (8) prerequisite courses must be completed at an accredited U.S. institution with a B- or better grade by March 1. Except Anatomy & Physiology (OR A&P 1 and A&P 2), prerequisite courses must be equal to a minimum of 3 semester credits (5 quarter credits). Anatomy and Physiology must be equal to a minimum of 4 semester credits per semester (6 quarter credits per quarter).
Prerequisite coursework must be completed before the March 1st application deadline. Applications with outstanding prerequisite courses will not be eligible for review.
Required courses include:
- Prerequisite Courses with No Time Limit for Completion:
- Intro to Psychology
- General Chemistry
- College Math, Physics OR Statistics
- Prerequisite Courses that Must be Completed within 10 Years of Application Deadline:
- Organic Chemistry OR Biochemistry
- Microbiology OR Cell Biology
- Advanced Psychology Course
- Anatomy AND Physiology OR A&P I AND A&P II (2 courses required)** Time limit details below
**Beginning in the 2023-2024 application cycle, Anatomy AND Physiology OR A&P I AND A&P II will need to have 4 semester hours / 6 quarter hours per semester and need to be completed within the following time frames:
2024-2025 application cycle: within 6 years of application deadline
2025-2026 application cycle: within 5 years of application deadline
Application Deadline |
PA Class Entering |
Within x Years of Application Deadline |
Prerequisite Window |
March 1, 2025 |
January 2026 |
6 |
January 1, 2019 - March 1, 2025 |
March 1, 2026 |
January 2027 |
5 |
January 1, 2021 - March 1, 2026 |
- Bachelor's degree (or higher graduate degree) is required by July 1.
- Additional Testing:
- Beginning with the 2023-2024 cycle, the CASPer Test is no longer required
- Specifics regarding TOEFL for applicants with foreign education can be found in the Admissions Guidebook.
- Patient Care and Healthcare Experience: Although not required to apply, patient care and healthcare experience is desirable and rewarded in the application review process.
- Licenses and Certifications: Although not required to apply, obtaining a certification in a healthcare field is often helpful in securing paid healthcare experience and is rewarded in the application review process.
- Volunteer Experience: Part of the school's vision is to be recognized as the most community-oriented school of medicine and health professions in the United States. Therefore, we reward applicants with a demonstrated commitment to community service.
- CASPA Letter of Reference: The school requires two (2) letters of reference.
- CASPA Personal Essay: The personal essay should be written at a graduate level and demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the PA role and function.
- Technical Standards: Applicants to the program must be prepared to independently meet the technical standards, with or without reasonable accommodation.
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Application Deadline
A complete application file includes a completed CASPA application by March 1.
If an application is not complete by the March 1 deadline, it will not be considered, regardless of the original CASPA submission date.
Ultimately, it is the applicant's responsibility to be aware of all application requirements and comply with admissions deadlines for the current application cycle to ensure a successful application.
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