School of PA Medicine Prospective International Applicants

Northwest University’s School of PA Medicine welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds. International applicants may be students requiring F-1 visas, international medical graduates, temporary or permanent residents with foreign degrees, US citizens with foreign degrees, or those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. International applicants are evaluated using the same holistic admissions criteria regardless of citizenship or immigration status. The requirements for the different types of international applicants are outlined below. 

All admission requirements apply to international students and holders of foreign degrees in addition to the related requirements outlined below. 

Visa Requirement 

Applicants from foreign countries that desire to study in the US must obtain a visa from the United States. International students interested in applying to the PA program should contact International Student Services at Northwest University to verify compliance with entry requirements within the US. Applicants must meet all the requirements for admission to the PA program. All foreign applicants must be admitted to the PA program prior to applying for a student visa. The University assists admitted PA students with the necessary forms to apply for the required student visa. 

Foreign Degree Requirements 

Any college or university transcript submitted from a school located outside of the US or Canada must be supplemented by an official course-by-course evaluation for US degree equivalency and GPA performed by an institution approved by NACES (https://www.naces.org/members). For more information on foreign transcript evaluation and submission through CASPA, please visit the help center.

To qualify for consideration, the foreign degree evaluation must:

• Show the degree is equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Include GPA equivalence demonstrating a GPA above the minimum 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

English Language Proficiency Requirement 

Applicants are exempt from the English Language Proficiency Requirement if their native language is English, or if they have completed a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college/university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). 

PA applicants for whom the requirement applies must fulfill it via one of the following test scores to qualify for admission to Northwest University: 

• TOEFL internet-based (iBT) score of 100   
• IELTS score of 7.5 
• Duolingo English Test score of 125 
• Completion of Northwest University’s Center for English Language Education (CELE) program Level 6 Bridge with a grade of 85% or higher and a GPA of 3.0 in NU Bridge Classes 

Required Coursework

All required coursework must be taken at a regionally accredited US or Canadian university or college. No foreign coursework or experience can be used to fulfill prerequisite coursework requirements. No exceptions will be made.

Patient Care Experience

Foreign medical experience can count toward the required direct Patient Care Experience hours. Northwest University School of PA Medicine reserves the right to confirm and verify all employment, volunteering, and clinical experience as included in the submitted application. Please include current contact information for submitted experiences. 

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Applicants with DACA status are eligible to apply for admission to the PA Program provided they meet all academic, technical, and professional standards required for enrollment. DACA status alone does not disqualify an applicant from consideration. 

While the PA Program does not consider an applicant’s financial circumstances in the selection process, it is important to note that federal funding is not available to students with DACA status. DACA students are responsible for finding and obtaining funding to cover the costs of tuition, fees, living expenses, and travel, etc. for the full 28 months of the program. 

Additionally, to complete the PA program, DACA students will need to meet the onboarding requirements for supervised clinical rotations at affiliated healthcare sites, which operate independently and may impose requirements beyond the program’s control, including background checks and verification of legal identity. DACA students must also be able to travel to clinical rotation sites across the US.