Admission Requirements and Prerequisites

• Requirements
• Prerequisites

The Mission of the Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies Program is to educate highly qualified physician assistants, preparing them to become competent, compassionate, and comprehensive health care providers for clinical practice in rural and urban areas, focusing on underserved communities. Our vision is that our graduates will be leaders in the health care community, continuously striving for excellence in their professional endeavors.

Personal interviews with the principal Physician Assistant faculty are required for final admission and will be offered only to the most qualified individuals. In order to be considered for admission to the Masters of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies Program at South College, the following admission and prerequisite courses must be met:

Program Admission Requirements

1. Completion of a baccalaureate degree (Science, Nursing, Health Science recommended) from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, prior to matriculation.
   
   
2. Applicants are encouraged to obtain patient care experience, sufficient to recognize the physical and psychological demands of dealing with patients and to appreciate the challenges and rewards of being a health care professional. Health care experiences should provide the applicant with a knowledge and/or orientation to the signs and symptoms of a variety of ill or injured patients. Health care experiences will be evaluated on an individual basis, with an emphasis on direct patient care.
   
   
3. Completion of all the pre-requisite coursework with a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
   
   
4. Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The South College school code is 1310. The average GRE has been around 297 (equivelent to 1000 old GRE format ) with a 4.0 on analytical writing. Applicants with prior advanced graduate degrees are exempt from taking the GRE exam.
   
   
5. Submit three letters of recommendation, one must be from a health care professional such as a Physician (MD or DO), Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner.
   
   
6. Current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BLS) from the American Heart Association is required upon enrollment in the program. Most clinical sites do not recognize other institutions. NO SUBSTITUTIONS ARE ALLOWED.
   
   

Prerequisite Courses

1. Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs (minimum of 8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
   
   
2. General Chemistry I and II with labs (minimum of 8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
   
   
3. Biology I and II with labs (Mammalian, Cell or Human Biology; minimum of 8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
   
   
4. English (Minimum of 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours)
   
   
5. Statistics, Algebra, Calculus, Finite Math, or other equivalent Advanced Mathematics (minimum of 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours)
   
   
6. Humanities and/or Social Science (minimum of 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hour)

Strongly suggested courses include: Genetics, microbiology, immunology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and other advanced biology or chemistry courses.

Selection for the Physician Assistant program is very competitive. It is anticipated that the successful applicant will generally exceed the minimum criteria for consideration for admission.

Applications are reviewed relative to undergraduate cumulative and pre-requisite course GPAs, health care experience (military or civilian), letters of reference, and GRE scores. Personal interviews with the principal Physician Assistant faculty, practicing Physicians, and Physician Assistants from the community will be required for final admission and will be offered only to the most qualified individuals.

 

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