M.S. Entry Requirements (Post-Baccalaureate)

PLEASE NOTE: Please visit this page for the updated admission requirements for students entering fall 2015.

Students must meet the following requirements to be considered for the MS program.

1. Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0;
2. Cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the science courses;
3. Completion of all prerequisite course work;
4. Personal essay;
5. Two letters of recommendation;
6. Documentation of 50 to 100 hours of health-care experience;
7. International students must take the TOEFL exam and pass with a minimum score of:
   Internet-based test: 80;
   Computer-based test: 213;
   Paper-based test: 550.

Prerequisite Course Work

All prerequisite course work must be completed before matriculation into the physician assistant program. It is necessary to indicate courses in progress or planned on the CASPA application.

1. General biology (with laboratory): 8 s.h.
2. General chemistry (with laboratory): 8 s.h.
3. Human or mammalian physiology: 4 s.h.
4. Biochemistry: 3 s.h. or organic chemistry: 4 s.h.
5. Statistics: 3 s.h.
6. Microbiology: 4 s.h.
7. Genetics, or cell biology, or another upper-level biology course: 3-4 s.h.

Please note the following conditions:

1. Physiology, microbiology, and either biochemistry or organic chemistry must have been taken within the five years preceding the start of the curriculum;
2. General biology and general chemistry will be waived in circumstances where more advanced courses have been passed with a grade of B+ or better;
3. SOC 180 (Statistics in Sociology), PSY 040 (Statistics), or any other statistics courses approved by the program director may be substituted for BIO 100 (Biostatistics);
4. Introductory courses in anatomy and physiology will fulfill the pre-requisite in human or mammalian physiology only if these courses are advanced enough to be applied to the biology major. BIO 103 and 105 do not fulfill the pre-requisite. Most anatomy and physiology courses taken in community colleges do not fulfill the pre-requisite, and will be evaluated by the program director; and
5. Genetics, cell biology, or any other upper-level biology course (3-4 s.h.) must have been taken at a four-year college or university.

Application

Students must apply to the program in physician assistant studies through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applications are submitted to CASPA online at www.caspaonline.org. The deadline is November 1 for admission to the class beginning the subsequent September. Admission to the program is granted on a rolling basis. Qualified applicants will receive a supplemental application that must be completed to be further considered.

Applicants should be aware that a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in science courses do not guarantee entry into the program. The PA program is competitive and only the strongest applicants will be selected for a personal interview with the physician assistant studies program admission committee prior to acceptance into the program.

Admission to the PA program is granted on a rolling basis. Those who apply earliest have the best chance of being invited for an interview and therefore being offered a seat.

M.S. Program Curriculum - Total Semester Hours: 79

The following major and additional requirements can be fulfilled as follows:

M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies
Two and one-half Year Sequence
Full-time Students: 79 s.h.

Tuition

Students in the PA Professional Phase of the program will be charged the standard graduate tuition .