Admission Requirements for the MS in Physician Assistant Studies
Applicants that are considering an application for admission to the NU PA program must have the following requirements in order to apply:
- Baccalaureate degree
- Minimum GPA (3.0) – total and science
- Complete ALL prerequisites by the application deadline
- 2000 hours of healthcare experience
- Three Letters of Reference
Baccalaureate Degree
Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited US institution of higher learning. The degree must be completed prior to the application deadline (January 15th). If the degree was obtained outside the US, please refer to the international applicant page for further information regarding degree requirements.
Minimum GPA
Applicants must have a minimum total and science grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. No exceptions will be made. Those applicants not meeting the GPA requirements will be ineligible for admission and removed from further consideration.
**Applicants meeting the minimum GPA are NOT guaranteed an interview nor acceptance to the PA program. **
Prerequisite Coursework
All of the following prerequisites MUST be completed with a (B) 3.0 or better. All prerequisites must come from a regionally accredited college or university. A single course cannot satisfy more than one prerequisite. **Applicants MUST have all prerequisite courses completed by the application deadline. All prerequisites must be completed within the last 10 years at the time of the application deadline. If you have prerequisite coursework completed outside the US, please refer to the international applicant page for further information.
Required Courses Credit / Hours
| Required Courses | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| Microbiology with lab | 3 |
| Mathematics, College Algebra or higher | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 |
| Psychology | 3 |
| Human Anatomy with lab* | 4 |
| Human Physiology with lab* | 4 |
| Genetics | 3 |
| Biochemistry | 3 |
*Combined Anatomy and Physiology courses may be taken provided a minimum of 8 semester hours are completed.
**Official transcripts - ALL transcripts must be submitted directly to CASPA.
Healthcare Experience
A minimum of 2000 hours of healthcare experience must be completed prior to the application deadline (January 15th). Further information regarding the various types of acceptable healthcare can be found in the Admission Selection Factors and Preferences section.
Three Letters of Reference
Three letters of reference must be submitted with the CASPA application by the application deadline (January 15th). For more information regarding the letters of references, please visit Admission Selection Factors and Preference section.