Admission Requirements

The program is highly competitive and enrollment is currently limited to 80 students each year. The admissions process has four components that include academic evaluation, assessment of direct patient care experience, supporting documentation review, and a personal interview.

All applicants must meet the following requirements for consideration for the Physician Assistant Program:

Academics

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution at the time of matriculation;
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale;
• Minimum cumulative science GPA of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale;
• GPAs are calculated utilizing ALL college level courses completed by the applicant;
• Advanced Placement credits with a score of 4 or higher on the AP examination will be considered for prerequisite course requirements. Applicants who wish to have AP credit considered for prerequisite coursework must submit the AP examination score report as part of their CASPA e-submission. There is no advanced placement for program didactic courses.
• Completion of all prerequisite courses with grades recorded on official transcript(s) at time of CASPA e-submission;
• No more than one grade that is less than "B-" in required prerequisite coursework;
• The program gives preference to applicants who possess higher cumulative and science GPAs, higher science course load per semester, and prerequisite courses taken at a four-year institution. The program also gives preference to applicants who achieved a B- or higher in all prerequisite courses on the initial attempt.

Clinical Experience

• Minimum of 200 hours of direct patient care experience is required at time of application submission.
• Documentation of direct patient care experience will be required if accepted into the program.

Personal Statement

• A one-page personal statement describing why you wish to become a physician assistant (CASPA Narrative).

References

• Three references from professionals (one of which must be from a health professional from any health-related field).

Additional Notes

If you earned a bachelor's degree in a country where English is not the official language and English is not your first language, you must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) OR the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Pearson PTE that are no more than two years old. In general, a TOEFL score of 100 (Internet-based version) or an IELTS score of 7.5 or Pearson PTE score of 68 is sufficient to demonstrate the requisite proficiency in English for admission into the College of Health Professions academic programs.

Our Process

Priority consideration is given to those who have submitted a verified application ahead of the September 1 application deadline. Applications verified after this date will be reviewed on a space available basis. We assess applications as they are verified by CASPA beginning when the cycle opens in April. We do not make or release decisions as to who will be invited to interview until after the cycle closes on September 1. Interviews are then scheduled on a first come, first served basis. Decisions regarding admissions are made and released on an ongoing basis, starting with the first interview date and throughout the interview season. The program will not accept more than 80 students at any given time.

Interviews

• A personal interview may be granted if the above criteria are met. During the interview applicants will be evaluated on cognitive capability; professional awareness; commitment to the profession; leadership qualities; service and community orientation; communication skills including verbal ability, personal, and behavioral qualities; interpersonal skills; self-confidence; motivation and initiative; professionalism; social support; and coping abilities.
• Meeting the minimum academic requirements does not guarantee an interview.

The Physician Assistant Program Admissions Committee will admit candidates who meet the admission requirements, are granted an interview, and present the best overall profile evidenced in these areas. As part of our efforts to create an inclusive and equitable admissions process and recruit a diverse cohort, the program plans to give additional consideration to applicants who are the first in their families to attend college. This will take effect beginning in the 2025-2026 admissions cycle.