Admissions Requirements for the Physician Assistant Program

  1. A Physician Assistant application to be completed through CASPA at www.caspaonline.org. Official transcripts and letters of recommendation are included as part of the application process. Please send transcripts directly to CASPA by Dec. 1.
  2. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a recommended GPA of 3.0 or better.
  3. Students must have completed the following prerequisites:
    • Biological Sciences—five courses to include Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology. Biochemistry is recommended.
    • Chemistry—three courses to include at least one semester of Organic Chemistry.
    • Psychology—one course.
    • Statistics—one course.
  4. Three letters of recommendation are submitted directly to CASPA. Ideally, one should be from a professor and one from a practicing licensed physician or physician assistant.
  5. Test scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), taken within the last five years. (Arcadia’s GRE code is 2039.) These tests are required for all applicants, including those who already have a graduate degree.
  6. A minimum of 200 hours of patient care experience.
  7. Students must meet the minimal technical requirements for admission, continuation and graduation. View technical standards.
  8. An interview is required and is by invitation only.
  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. Arcadia performs a holistic review of each student’s application. Students with exceptional clinical experience may have one or more prerequisites waived. The program does not allow students to waive courses, nor does it admit students with advanced standing. However, students who have withdrawn or who have been dismissed from the program can be readmitted and granted credit for courses they have completed successfully.
Top