Notes

1. Students who complete the required course work and all Hofstra University undergraduate degree requirements are eligible for the BS degree; however, they will not be eligible to sit for the PANCE exam or to receive the MS degree until all requirements for the MS degree are fulfilled, including completion of the PA Professional Phase of the program. Students who do not continue into the professional phase can earn a BA in Natural Sciences  degree which builds on what has already been taken as part of the pre-PA curriculum. Alternatively, students may choose any other major to transfer into.
2. Students who earn the BS in Physician Assistant Studies at Hofstra need only complete 37 additional semester hours of course work to earn the MS in Physician Assistant Studies. Students who enter the program with a baccalaureate degree from another institution must complete the entire Professional Phase of the program, or 79 semester hours of course work.

Entry and Progression Requirements for direct admission to the dual-degree program (BS and MS)

Students entering Hofstra as incoming first-year students may apply for the direct entry admission to this dual-degree program. The following requirements must be met to be eligible for the dual-degree direct entry program:

1. Enter Hofstra University as a first-year student with a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in high school academic work and a 2. SAT score of 1230 (on the Critical Reading and Mathematics sections) or an ACT score of 27
2. Qualified applicants to the direct entry program will be asked to submit a supplement to their application, consisting of two essay questions

Students admitted directly to the dual-degree program as incoming freshman students will be admitted automatically to the professional phase of the program beginning the fall semester of his/her senior year, provided they fulfill the following requirements:

1. Complete a successful interview during the junior year;
2. Successful completion of a background check during their junior year;
3. Attend Hofstra University for all undergraduate course work;
4. Maintain a minimum semester grade point average of 3.3 for each of the six semesters prior to beginning the PA program curriculum;
5. Achieve a minimum cumulative overall and science grade point average of 3.3 at the end of the spring semester of the junior year;
6. Advanced placement (AP) credit will not be applied to direct entry courses that begin with BIO, CHEM or MATH;
7. Follow the prescribed pre-professional curriculum;
8. Complete three years in-residence before entering the professional phase of the program;
9. Meet with a pre-professional science adviser (and the PA program adviser, if appropriate) at least once each semester;
10. Document 50 hours of health care experience.

Students will receive a letter from the Department of Physician Assistant Studies  at the end of the first year, and every semester thereafter during the first three years, advising them of their academic standing, and of remaining requirements to successfully transition to the professional phase. Students not meeting the required grade point average standards will be advised of the necessary steps needed to gain good academic standing.

Students who do not meet every condition for the first-year direct entry option may apply to the program as an external candidate via www.caspaonline.org.

Dual-degree Program Requirements – Total Semester Hours: 165

BS/MS in Physician Assistant Studies
Five and One-half Year Sequence

Candidates for the dual degree (BS/MS) must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The successful completion of at least 165 semester hours.
2. The successful completion of the progression requirements listed above.
3. The successful completion of the following courses:

Complete BS Requirements

BS Requirements  in Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences