PA Admissions Information

Our program offers admission on a rolling basis; therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the application process early in the cycle.

Applicants must submit the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA), non-refundable Application Processing Fee, and official GRE score report to be eligible for consideration for the MPAS program.  No incomplete applications will be considered, and no application materials will be accepted after the published deadlines.

The program will begin making invitations to interview in late summer. To be considered for our first interview day of the cycle, applicants should have their application completed, fees paid, and all supporting materials submitted no later than the end of June. An applicant’s CASPA must be verified and all application materials must be received before the file will be read by the Admissions Committee.

No application status updates will be available until after CASPA has verified an application.

In order to be eligible for consideration for the MPAS program, applicants must:

• Earn a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States prior to matriculation into the MPAS program.
  • Applicants may have a degree in progress at the time of application but must have a plan in place to have their degree conferred prior to matriculation into the MPAS program.

• Achieve a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 as calculated by CASPA.

• Complete all prerequisite course requirements, with a grade of C or higher.
  • See details in the Academic Prerequisites section below.

• Complete all additional application requirements.  See details in the Application Requirements section below.

CASPA: The Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) is offered through the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). Applicants must have a verified date through CASPA on or before September 1 of the year the applicant applies.

Once all of the required application materials are received, the application’s status changes to Complete, and the application is placed in line to be verified. Verifications occur in chronological order and typically take two to four weeks. Once the application is verified by CASPA, the applicant will receive a notification from CASPA and the application’s status will change to Verified.

All application materials, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other information must be submitted through CASPA. Transcripts should not be mailed to the Office of Admissions and Recruitment unless the applicant has received an email specifically requesting that the applicant do so.  Applicants may use CASPA’s academic update feature to report grades that have been earned since submitting their application.  No academic or health care updates, or letters of recommendation will be accepted outside of CASPA. Neither the Office of Admissions and Recruitment nor MPAS program assumes any responsibility for application materials sent to CASPA and will not forward admissions materials to the application service on behalf of applicants.

There is no supplemental application required in addition to the CASPA.

GRE official score report: The MPAS program requires a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test Score. The official GRE score report is due by September 1 of the year the applicant applies.

There is no minimum score requirement; however, higher scores are considered more competitive.

Applications will be considered incomplete until an official score report is received from Educational Testing Service (ETS). Early submission of scores is strongly encouraged.

The GRE code for the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth (HSC) PA Studies is: 6380.

$50 Non-refundable Application Processing Fee: This HSC processing fee is in addition to any fees required by CASPA.

The processing fee is payable online. Instructions for paying the application processing fee will be emailed to an applicant once the program has received a verified CASPA application.

To allow for timely receipt and processing, it is recommended that all application materials, fees, transcripts, and letters of recommendation be submitted at least 30 days prior to the posted deadline. Applicants submitting after the posted deadline will not be considered.

Prerequisite courses may be in progress or planned at the time of your application; however, all prerequisite coursework must be completed by December 31st of the year the applicant applies. Prerequisites must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Foreign coursework is not accepted.

Prerequisite coursework must be satisfied with a grade of C or higher (2.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale).

The Office of Admissions and Recruitment cannot provide transcript evaluations. Applicants are responsible for confirming that prerequisite requirements have been satisfied.

If there is a question about whether a particular course satisfies one of our prerequisite requirements, please contact the Office of Admissions and Recruitment at admissions@unthsc.edu.

CLEP or AP credit will be accepted for courses that have been recognized by the applicant’s undergraduate institution and the credit is recorded on the applicant’s college/university transcript. The MPAS program does not award advance placement or course waivers to students accepted into the MPAS program. The MPAS program does not accept transfer credits. No credit is awarded for portfolio-based experiential learning or non-credit courses. The MPAS program does not admit transfer students from other physician assistant programs.

Required Courses:

• • Psychology – 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Statistics – 3 Semester Credit Hours
  • Anatomy with Lab – 4 Semester Credit Hours *
  • Physiology with Lab – 4 Semester Credit Hours *
  • Organic Chemistry with Lab – 4 Semester Credit Hours
  • Microbiology with Lab – 4 Semester Credit Hours
  • Genetics – 3 Semester Credit Hours

*A combination of 8 semester credit hours of A and P coursework can be used to fulfill the requirements for Anatomy and Physiology.

All science coursework must be intended for science majors. Nursing coursework will not meet this requirement.

Coursework is converted to semester credit hours when calculating GPA and when determining if minimum prerequisite requirements have been met. There is no restriction on the number of years since prerequisite courses were completed.

In reviewing applications for interview selection and acceptance, many factors are evaluated that help us examine the qualities that an applicant could bring to our program. These factors include:

• Academic background
• Direct patient care or healthcare-related experiences
• PA mentorship/shadowing experiences
• Understanding of the role of the PA
• Letters of recommendation
• Community service
• Honors, achievements, and awards
• Other life experiences and extracurricular activities
• Communication and leadership skills
• Resiliency and adaptability
• Desire to attend HSC

Although an applicant’s entire academic record is considered, strong academic performance alone does not ensure acceptance. Applicants who demonstrate consistent academic success, particularly in their most recent 60 credit hours of coursework, with grades above “C” in prerequisite courses, a competitive science GPA (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale), and with no persistent pattern of withdrawals on their transcript, are more likely to be extended an invitation to interview.

While prior experience in a health care setting is not required, this experience is considered a beneficial attribute and viewed positively by the Admissions Committee. Typically, admitted students will have experience working in a setting where PAs practice and will have experience shadowing PAs. PA mentoring and shadowing experiences are not required but are encouraged.

Letters of recommendation from a PA or physician are strongly encouraged.

• • Evidence of personal integrity, maturity, motivation, well-developed communication, interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills, writing ability, dedication, and the ability to work with others are additional factors that will be considered.

These qualities are evaluated by several means, including the content of the application, letters of recommendation, the scope and nature of extracurricular activities (including work and volunteer experience), the scope and breadth of prior education, and the interview process.

Candidate factors that decrease the likelihood of offer of admission to the program include a criminal record or evidence of prior enrollment in a PA program, medical school, or other health professions program without earning a degree.

Between 200-300 selected applicants will be invited to the HSC for an interview annually.  The program utilizes a multiple-mini-interview (MMI) format.

Interviews generally take place on campus from September to January, but interviews may end sooner if the class is filled.

Candidates who are invited to interview will be contacted by email. Declining an invitation or failing to appear for a scheduled interview will result in rejection of the application.

Early submission of a candidate’s application can increase the chances of interview selection. Interview results are confidential.

The MPAS program may make offers of admission as early as September. Offers will be continuously made until the class is filled.

A $500 seat deposit, which will be applied toward the student’s first semester tuition, is required upon acceptance of an offer of admission.

Applicants are considered without regard to age, race, creed, sex, national origin, veteran’s status, or disability.  All applicants are required to meet the posted Health and Technical Standards in order to participate in the MPAS program.