Admissions Requirements

Education Requirements

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent academic accomplishments, approved by the World Education Service (WES) Credential Evaluation
• Overall GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA
• Last 60 hours GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA (increased points for higher GPA)
• Science GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA (increased points for higher GPA)
• Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA (increased points for higher GPA)
  • All prerequisite courses must be taken at a U.S. regionally accredited college or university and completed by August 31 during the year prior to matriculation
  • Online prerequisite courses, including those with lab components, will be acceptable options to fulfill our prerequisite requirements.

Other Requirements

• Original transcripts submitted to CASPA
• Three professional letters of recommendation (Overall reference scores are used with average scores of 4 or 5 preferred)
  • Recommendation letters can be from professors, medical professionals, employers, ministers, or area leaders. These letters should reflect your desire and commitment to becoming a physician assistant, as well as notable accomplishments
• Demonstration of Experiences on the CASPA (Visit the CASPA Help Center to determine how to choose the category that best fits the experience)
  • Healthcare-related experience (increased points based on number of hours)
    • Points are awarded once applicants reach 250 hours and then subsequently increase at the 500, 1000, and 1500 hour thresholds. Applicants with 0-250 hours are still eligible for admission.
    • Our program evaluates all healthcare-related experience hours as a whole rather than stratifying the hours into separate categories such as patient care experience, healthcare experience, and shadowing hours. We recommend following CASPA’s guidelines when categorizing these, but the program will evaluate these experiences together once an application is received.
    • Virtual shadowing hours will be accepted.
  • Community service (increased points based on number of hours)
    • Points are awarded once applicants reach 100 hours and then subsequently increase at the 200, 300, and 400 hour thresholds. Applicants with 0-100 hours are still eligible for admission.
  • Leadership experiences (increased points based on number of experiences)
• The Graduate Record Exam (GRE), PA-CAT, and CASPer assessments are NOT required nor considered for UMHB MSPA program applicants.

Application Process

Step 1. Applicants will complete all admission requirements including application to the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

Step 2: Interview Process (for applicants invited to interview)

• The UMHB MSPA program Admissions Committee decisions are based on a holistic review of the candidate’s application.
• Applicants invited for an interview will be notified via email of an interview invitation. Interviews with rolling admissions will start in June each year.
• The interview will consist of a tour of campus, multiple mini interviews, and time with faculty, staff, and students. The multiple mini interviews are designed to assess non-cognitive qualities that cannot be measured by an application alone. Non-cognitive qualities that may be assessed include empathy, responsibility, management skills, ethical and moral judgment, resilience, self-awareness, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Step 3: Offers of Admission

• Offers of admission are communicated in writing via letter or email from the program and must also be accepted in writing (letter or email) by the applicant. Once the following conditions are met, the applicant is considered a matriculating student.

Step 4: Completion of Enrollment Requirements

Conditional offers of admission by the MSPA program are contingent upon the following:

• Completion of all minimum admission requirements
• Completion of all outstanding prerequisite coursework by August 31st in the year prior to matriculation
• Maintenance of a GPA at or above the minimum GPA requirement at the end of each semester prior to matriculation
• Completion of background check
• Completion of pre-matriculation immunization and/or titer requirements listed under program policies
• Completion of other requirements communicated in writing by the MSPA program

Disclosure of Admission and Enrollment Practices

1. The UMHB MSPA program will grant a one-time interview to all applicants who are current full-time students or graduates of UMHB who meet the minimum requirements for admission. If the applicant is not admitted and reapplies in a future admissions cycle, they are not guaranteed an interview. An interview does not guarantee admission into the program.
2. Falsification of any application materials will be grounds for denial of admission to or expulsion from the MSPA program.

Additional Requirements for International Applicants or Domestic Applicants Who Attended Foreign Universities

• Transcript Evaluation by World Education Services (WES), submitted through CASPA
• Official iBT TOEFL scores submitted to CASPA, with a minimum total score of 100 AND at least 25 in each section (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). TOEFL scores are only valid for two years.
• Immigration documents, including a copy of a valid passport submitted to www.umhb.edu/graddocs
• If offered admission, further documents may be requested by the UMHB International Student Services Office
• All prerequisite courses must be taken at a U.S. regionally accredited college or university and completed by August 31 during the year prior to matriculation