Education Requirements
- A minimum of a baccalaureate degree or completion of the first three years of the Pre-Physician Assistant SRU 3+2.
- A minimum CASPA calculated GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application and (if admitted) a final program calculated GPA to matriculate into the program for the following areas:
- Cumulative GPA - 3.25
- Prerequisite GPA - 3.25
- Science GPA - 3.25 (for a complete list of biology and chemistry courses included in the GPA, please view the list here)
- Official transcripts from any college/university where credits have been earned at the time of application and (if admitted) prior to matriculation into the program.
- Successful completion of the following prerequisites (a grade of "C" or better is required for all prerequisite courses – courses marked with a + must have been taken within the last five years):
- Biology
- General Biology with lab (3-4 credits)
- A&P I with lab (3-4 credits)+
- A&P II with lab (3-4 credits)+
- Medical Microbiology or Microbiology with lab (3-4 credits)
- Genetics (3-4 credits, lab recommended, but not required)
- Highly Recommended: one upper-level biology or biochemistry course.
- Chemistry
- General Chemistry I with lab (3-4 credits)
- General Chemistry II with lab (3-4 credits)
- Organic Chemistry I (3-4 credits, lab recommended but not required)
- Math
- Inferential statistics course (3 credits, any statistics course with inferential statistics embedded)
- Psychology
- Psychology course (3 credits, introductory, developmental, or abnormal psychology)
- English
- College writing or composition course (3 credits)
- College literature course (3 credits)
- Medical Terminology (at least 1 credit)+
- If you are a non-native English speaker, regardless of citizenship, the Medical Terminology course must have been taught in English.
Educational Requirements - Additional Information
- AP/IB courses are only accepted for the English prerequisite. Scores must be 3 or higher.
- All Anatomy and Physiology courses and the Medical Terminology course must be taken within the past 5 years.
- The program does not make exceptions for any prerequisite course or admission requirement based upon experience.
- P/F or S grades will be considered on a case-by-case basis and require communication from the course instructor stating a letter grade of C or above was earned.
Service, Clinical Shadowing, & Health/Patient Care Experience
These must be completed prior to matriculation, but it is strongly recommended that hours are completed before an interview.
- Completion of 100 hours or more of community service and/or service learning within the last five years.
- Completion of 50 hours or more of clinical shadowing within the last five years. At least 25 hours MUST be with two (2) or more PA-Cs in at least two (2) different areas of medicine.
- Completion of 450 hours or more of health care experience or patient care experience hours within the last five years.
Recommendations
- Submit three letters of recommendation, including one from a former college instructor, one from a supervisor of a required healthcare experience, and one character reference.
Essay
- An essay detailing why the applicant wants to become a Physician Assistant (5000-character limit).
CV/Resume
Interview
- Completion of a successful interview.
Technical Standards
- A candidate for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree at SRU must demonstrate the ability to acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to complete the core educational requirements, defined in the Slippery Rock University Physician Assistant Program Technical Standards. All students must meet the SRU PA Program Technical Standards with or without accommodation. These standards are not intended to deter any candidate from applying, for whom reasonable accommodation will allow for the successful completion of the program. Candidates and current students, who after review of the SRU PA Program Technical Standards, determine that he/she/they require accommodation to fully engage in the program, should contact the Office of Disability Services to confidentially discuss the needed accommodation.
- The ability to meet the SRU PA Program Technical Standards (with or without reasonable accommodation) is a requirement for admission, retention, promotion, and graduation.
Preference for Admission & Advanced Placement
- Preference is given to applicants with higher GPAs, SRU 3+2 students, SRU graduates, other PASSHE school graduates, and veterans.
- The program does not offer advanced placement.
International Students
- International applicants and applicants with international degrees must have their transcripts evaluated for degree and grade equivalency to that of a regionally accredited US institution (see International Admissions).
- Regardless of citizenship, degree, or experience, if you are a non-native English speaker, you are required to submit scores that show proficiency in the English language. SRU accepts several methods of English Proficiency (see International Admissions). If applicable, the English Proficiency requirement must be completed and score received by the application deadline.
Should you have questions, please contact graduate.intl@sru.edu.
Additional Information
- Offers of Admission & Required Deposit: Accepted applicants are required to submit a non-refundable deposit of $500 within two weeks of notification to hold their seat.
- Enrolled Students Immunization & Health Insurance: Matriculated students must provide serologic immunity verification (titers) and maintain health insurance throughout the program. Clinical sites may require additional vaccinations.
- Enrolled Students Criminal Background Checks & Screening: Criminal background checks, fingerprinting, child abuse clearance, and drug screening are required to matriculate and participate in clinical sites. Adverse results can prevent a student from progressing through the program.
Please note: For more information, visit www.sru.edu/graduate. Transfer course evaluation information can be found on our graduate website.
