General Program Admission Requirements

General Program Admissions Requirements | Technical Standards | BA-2-PA

Application for admission to the Austin College Physician Assistant (PA) program is accessible through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) starting in April and closing December 1 each year (applications must be verified by CASPA by 11:59PM ET December 1^st). The program will invite select applicants to interview with the program and admit students on a rolling basis beginning in August each year, with the exception of current Austin College students who will be interviewed in July. Applications will be evaluated at the time of submission, therefore, applying early in the application cycle is strongly encouraged.  

AUSTIN COLLEGE PA ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Academic Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. is required to matriculate into the program. Provisional acceptance may be granted pending completion of the degree.
• US citizen or US legal permanent resident
• A science grade point average (GPA) of a 3.0 (4.0 scale) as calculated by CASPA.
• A cumulative grade point average (GPA) of a 3.0 (4.0 scale) as calculated by CASPA.
  
  • If the cumulative GPA is less than 3.00  (4.00 scale), an applicant may still be eligible for admission if
    • the level of academic achievement demonstrates significant improvement with increasing rigor over time (at least a 3.5 GPA in 300 and 400 level courses at the minimum over the last two years of academic training)AND
    • the applicant has at least two years of full-time experience working as a registered nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, respiratory therapist or related health care profession that has a bachelor’s degree as the minimum degree for entry into the health profession
  • Grades below “C” in prerequisite courses will not be accepted.
  • Applicants must indicate all courses that are either in progress or planned in the appropriate section of the CASPA application. Applications that do not list all prerequisite coursework (either as completed, in progress, or planned) will not be reviewed.

Prerequisite Course Requirements

Prerequisite courses:

All required course credits are listed as semester credit hours.  Courses taken using an alternative credit hour designation must be equivalent in credits to meet the semester credit hours listed below. All prerequisite coursework must be completed for a grade and at a regionally accredited U.S. institution (except for courses taken during the spring 2020 term, which can be pass/fail). Courses taken from a community college must be at the general, not introductory, level.

• Anatomy with lab: 4 credit hours (Human anatomy strongly recommended)
  • Or Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab (or equivalent): 8 credit hours
• Physiology with lab: 4 credit hours
  • Or Anatomy and Physiology I and II with lab (or equivalent): 8 credit hours
• Microbiology with lab: 4 credit hours
• Genetics: 3 credit hours
• Organic chemistry with lab: 4 credit hours
• Psychology or Sociology: 3 credit hours
• Statistics: 3 credit hours
• Medical Terminology: 1 credit hour

General information

• The GRE is not required.
• Students must meet the Austin College PA Program Technical Standards for Admission, Continuation, and Graduation requirements. Reasonable accommodation will be granted as per Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
• Applicants for whom English is not their first language: official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL IBT) scores are required.
  • A minimum overall score of 100, including a minimum speaking section score of 26, is required to be considered for admission
  • Scores must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to CASPA in electronic format
  • Scores may be no more than two years old
• Applicants are strongly encouraged to have taken prerequisite courses within ten (10) years of application.
• All science prerequisite courses must be taken at a regionally accredited institution in the United States without exception.
• All prerequisite coursework must be completed by the end of the fall semester prior to matriculation.
• AP credit for science prerequisite coursework will NOT be accepted.

Transcripts

Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be sent directly to CASPA.

Letters of Recommendation

• Three letters of recommendation are required.
• At least one recommendation should come from a professor able to speak of the applicant’s academic capabilities.
• At least one recommendation from a healthcare professional knowledgeable of the applicant’s performance in the clinical setting is strongly recommended.

Direct Healthcare Experience Requirements

Although not required, direct patient care experience (paid or volunteer) is strongly recommended. The most competitive applicants will have a minimum of 500 hours of direct healthcare experience.   Please note that administrative work performed in a health care setting will not qualify as direct healthcare experience but should be recorded under the “Related Health Care Experience” section of the CASPA application. This would include positions such as medical receptionist, unit clerk, etc.

Application Review

The PA program reviews all applications holistically and evaluates multiple factors in assessing the qualities an applicant may bring to the program. These factors include:

• Academic background
• Overall GPA as calculated by CASPA
• Science GPA as calculated by CASPA
• Healthcare experience
• Service mindset (leadership experiences, volunteerism)
• Personal statement
• Letters of recommendation

Special consideration is given to all Austin College (AC) graduates or current AC students in good academic standing. This does not guarantee acceptance, rather this special consideration is part of the holistic review.

Guaranteed Interview for Austin College Students and Graduates. 

AC students who enter as freshman and meet the BA-2-PA criteria, as posted on the website, and current AC transfer students and graduates who have a cumulative and science GPA of at least 3.5 as calculated by CASPA, completed at least two full years of full-time study at AC, and meet all other admissions requirements will be granted a guaranteed interview to the AC PA Program.

Interviews for candidates who meet the BA-2-PA criteria will interview prior to the general applicant pool.  All others will interview with the general application pool each year.  This does not guarantee acceptance into the PA program.

Interview Review

An interview is required for acceptance into the program and is by invitation only.  Applicants are selected for interviews based on a holistic evaluation of their application and supporting materials.

 Candidates interviewing for admission into the PA Program will be evaluated on attributes that support educational success including communication skills, readiness to enter graduate school, problem solving, the ability to persist through challenges, and alignment with the program’s established values of excellence, accountability, engagement, and introspection.

Meeting minimal program prerequisites guarantees neither an interview nor acceptance to the program. The PA program website is the definitive source of information concerning admission criteria.

Offer of Admission

If an offer of admission has been made to an applicant that has coursework required for admission either in progress or planned at the time of application, he or she must submit, by way of official transcript(s), documentation of successful completion of all admission requirements to the Physician Assistant Program by the established deadline prior to matriculation, including:

• In-progress or planned prerequisite coursework (grade of C or higher) and
• Completion of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution in the U.S.