ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All applicants are required to complete the CASPA Application, which includes the CASPA Personal Statement and Assumption University PA Program Supplemental Application within the CASPA Application.
The Personal Statement should demonstrate the applicant’s understanding of the PA profession, reasons and motivation to become a PA, quality of writing, and self-awareness.
The Supplemental Application should include discussion related to the applicant’s alignment with the Assumption University PA Program mission, vision, and goals, including community service and interpretation of diversity. Applicant responses should demonstrate quality of writing and knowledge/experience of the PA profession. All questions within the Supplemental Application must be answered.
Academic Requirements
- A minimum overall GPA (as determined by CASPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The program cannot consider any applicant with an overall GPA of less than 3.0.
- A minimum prerequisite GPA (as determined by the program) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. The program cannot consider any applicant with a pre-requisite GPA of less than 3.0.
- Students for whom English is not their primary language or who have not completed a degree at a US Academic Institution must take the online Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT Exam and receive a minimum score of 100. The TOEFL must be completed within two (2) years of application submission.
ARC-PA Standard A3.13d
Coursework
Applicants must have completed the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of C in each course and an overall GPA of 3.0 for all prerequisite coursework:
- Biology with Lab (8 semester hours)
- Chemistry with Lab (8 semester hours)
- Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, or Cell-Molecular Biology (must have one of these courses, Biochemistry encouraged) (3 semester hours)
- Human Anatomy with Lab (4 semester hours)
- Human Physiology with Lab (4 semester hours)
- Microbiology (lab encouraged) (3 semester hours)
- Psychology (3 semester hours)
- Statistics (3 semester hours)
The PA Program Director of Admissions, Assessment, & Academic Success (DAAAS) will verify each course and determine if it meets the program requirements. Applicants are encouraged to e-mail copies of course syllabi to the DAAAS to verify if courses meet the prerequisite.
Courses and credits do not expire and will be accepted regardless of when they were taken. The program does recommend that applicants re-take Anatomy & Physiology, if it was taken more than 10 years ago.
ARC-PA Standard A3.13b
Patient Care Experience
- All applicants must have at least fifteen hundred (1,500) hours of documented direct patient care experience.
- Direct patient care experience must be completed in a setting where there is contact with a medical supervisor or medical control (working with or for a physician, PA, or other healthcare providers). The following (non-exhaustive) list includes acceptable types of direct patient care experiences:
- Emergency Medical Technicians (at any level)
- Military Medics, Corpsmen, and Health Services Technicians
- Registered Nurses
- Medical Assistants
- Nursing Assistants or LPNs
- Emergency Room Technicians
- Respiratory Therapists
- Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, or Physical Therapy Assistants
- Surgical Technicians
- Medical Scribes
The program reserves the right to verify all documented experiences.
- The following experiences should be documented under the health care experience section of CASPA and are typically not considered direct patient care experience:
- Home Health Aide
- Pharmacy Technician
- Dental Technician, Dental Hygienist, Dental Assistant
- Personal Care Attendant
Any applicant who has any questions regarding whether their particular work experience qualifies as direct patient care should contact the PA program as soon as possible, and the program will review the details of the applicant’s own experience.
ARC-PA Standard A3.13b
Letters of Recommendation
The program requires at least three (3) letters of recommendation. Ideal letters of recommendation will be provided by PAs or physicians. Other letters that the program places in high regard are those written by immediate supervisors from clinical positions, science professors, and pre-health advisors. The program will not consider personal letters, letters from family or relatives (even if they are PAs, physicians, or other healthcare providers), or letters from individuals who have only a cursory knowledge of the candidate.
Letters should address the following characteristics:
- Ability to succeed as a PA student
- Future potential as a PA
- Professional characteristics
Additionally, the program will request the contact information (name, relationship to applicant, e-mail address, and telephone number) of a personal reference. This can be a friend, roommate, co-worker, or another individual who can attest to the character, reliability, and social interaction of the applicant. Applicants may not use an individual who has written a letter of recommendation. This may not be a family member or relative of the applicant.
Standardized Test Scores
The program does not require standardized aptitude test scores (GRE, MCAT, PACat) to apply to the PA Program.
Curriculum Vitae
Applicants must submit a current CV to the program via CASPA during the application process. The CV must be complete and contain all education and work experience. The program considers employment history, community service/enrichment, personal achievements, and leadership roles.
Transfer Credit & Advanced Placement
The Assumption University PA Program does not accept any Advanced Placement (AP) or College Level Examination Program (CLEP) coursework to fulfill prerequisite requirements. All prerequisite coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university.
The PA Program does not provide advanced placement in the PA Program based on any coursework completed before matriculation in the Assumption University PA Program, including coursework completed previously in any PA program or medical school. The required prerequisite courses do not substitute for any courses in the Program’s curriculum.
ARC-PA Standard A3.13c
Adherence to PA Program Admission Policies and Procedures
The program must follow its published guidelines in the admission process and may not make exceptions to the published standards.
The program reserves the right to confirm all information submitted as part of the application, including information submitted to CASPA or directly to the program. Submitting false information is grounds for immediate dismissal from the program.
