SearchClose Search
Toggle Menu

Program Admission

Program Requirements

Students enter the Physician Assistant program in the summer term of each year.

The 24-month, full-time program requires continuous attendance. Therefore, students should plan finances carefully to avoid the necessity for employment. Information on financial assistance opportunities is available in the Student Financial Services office, Student Services Center.

Students must meet academic and technical standards prior to admission to the program. Admission to the program is required prior to registering for any MSPA course. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better in the physician assistant curriculum is required to progress into the clinical year of the program.

All physician assistant students are required to have a personal cell phone, email address and Internet access.

Refer to the PA Admissions Booklet 2025-2026 Application Cycle for detailed admissions requirements, curriculum information and application instructions. 

  • Completed CASPA Application
  • Applicants to the Physician Assistant program must have a bachelor’s degree or higher conferred from a nationally recognized institution.  The degree and graduation date must be reflected on the official transcript that is included with the completed CASPA application.
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
  • Completion of the following prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of B (3.0) in each course:
    • Anatomy and Physiology 1
    • Anatomy and Physiology 2
    • General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry
    • Medical Terminology
    • Microbiology
    • Introduction to Psychology, General Psychology or Developmental Psychology
    • Elementary Statistics, Biostatistics or Statistics in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Science prerequisite coursework must be at least 4 credits and include a lab component.  Anatomy and Physiology prerequisites must be completed within seven (7) years of application submission. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure course equivalency.

  • Three (3) letters of recommendation.
  • 1000+ hours of patient contact experience.
  • Foreign educated students must have their international college transcripts from all higher-level institutions attended evaluated by one of the following credential evaluators: ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) at www.ece.org or WES (World Education Services) at www.wes.org. Please be advised that this process may take several months and must be included with the completed CASPA application.
  • Applicants whose native language or language of the home is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 250 for the computer-based test and 100 for the Internet-based test. Please note that TOEFL scores are only valid for two years. Official TOEFL scores must be reported on the CASPA application and be mailed to CASPA by the application deadline. 

All physician assistant students must receive a minimum grade of C in each physician assistant course (and maintain a 3.0 GPA). Students who receive a final grade below C in any physician assistant didactic course will be awarded a grade of F in the course and will not be permitted to continue in the program.

The selection criteria used to evaluate each applicant will include, but are not limited to:

  • Cumulative GPA
  • Natural science GPA and credits/hours
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Patient contact experience
  • Community, military and/or civil service
  • Conversational fluency in multiple languages
  • Recommended Courses (Biochemistry and Developmental Psychology)
  • Interview

No selection decisions will be communicated via telephone. The decision of the Physician Assistant Admissions Committee is final.

A non-refundable seat deposit is required upon acceptance to the program. This will be applied to your first term bill.

Students who are provisionally accepted to this program of study will be required to submit confirmation that they are free of communicable diseases as evidenced by required immunization/titers.  A Technical Standards form which states that the student meets the technical standard of good physical and mental health as established by the University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies must be completed and submitted to the admissions office before the start of the program.

This program requires the satisfactory completion of a criminal background check and possible drug screening. 

Students seeking readmission to the Physician Assistant program are referred to the PA Program Manual. Specific requirements and eligibility must be met for consideration for readmission.

The University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies Physician Assistant program does not offer advanced placement in or transfer into either the didactic or clinical portions of the program.

Students are required to have individual health insurance coverage throughout the duration of the program.

 

Next Steps: Your path to success starts here

620 W. Lexington St.
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 706-3100

University of Maryland School of Graduate Studies. All Rights Reserved.