Admissions Requirements for the Physician Assistant Program
1. A Physician Assistant application to be completed through CASPA at www.caspaonline.org.
2. A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a recommended GPA of 3.0 or better.
3. One official transcript from each college, university or professional school attended. Transfer credits included on a transcript must include grades earned; if not, an official transcript from the original school must be submitted. Transcripts must be sent from the issuing school in a sealed envelope and contain the appropriate signatures and seals to be considered official.
4. Students must have completed the following prerequisites:
a. Biological Sciences—five lab/lecture courses from a biology department, to include Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology. Biochemistry is recommended.
b. Chemistry—four lab/lecture courses from a chemistry department, to include Organic Chemistry.
c. Psychology—one course; Developmental or Abnormal Psychology is highly recommended.
d. Statistics—one course.
e. Humanities—five courses; a course in Ethics or Medical Ethics is highly recommended.
5. Three letters of recommendation, at least one from a professor and one from a practicing licensed physician or physician assistant.
6. Test scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), taken within the last five years.
7. A minimum of 200 hours of patient care experience or a combination of patient care experience and research.
8. Students must meet the minimal technical requirements for admission, continuation and graduation. The technical standards are available upon request from the Physician Assistant program office and are posted on the program Web page.
9. International applicants should visit www.arcadia.edu/international for detailed information on admissions requirements and application procedures. Official results from the TOEFL or IELTS are required for all students for whom English is a second language except for non-native speakers of English who hold degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g. the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand). A course-by-course evaluation of all transcripts by an independent evaluation service based in the United States also is required.
10. Increasingly, clinical facilities are requiring that students seeking placements undergo various criminal background checks, child abuse clearances, and/or drug screens prior to placements. Therefore, students should be prepared to participate in these screenings, if requested.
NOTE: Students with exceptional clinical experience may have one or more prerequisites waived. The program does not allow students to waive courses, nor does it accept students with advanced standing.
