Admissions Information - MPAS

Admission Requirements | Application Requirements | Academic Prerequisites | Foreign Course Work | GRE Requirement | Applicant Selection | Interview Selection | Decision Dates | Transcripts | Waivers and Advanced Placement | Transfer Policy for Students from other PA Programs | Texas Residency

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 Physician Assistant Studies degree program.

Admission Requirements

• An earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States prior to matriculation to the Physician Assistant Studies program.  This requirement will not be waived and exceptions are not permitted. 

• A minimum overall GPA of 2.85.

• Satisfactory completion of all prerequisite course requirements by the December 31st deadline.

• Two letters of professional reference (submitted to CASPA). A letter from a practicing physician assistant is highly recommended. A third letter may also be submitted to CASPA.

Application Requirements

• CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) Due by November 1, 2012

• Supplemental Application  Due by November 15, 2012
  In addition to the CASPA application, all applicants are required to submit a Supplemental Application directly to the Physician Assistant Studies program. We encourage you to initiate the CASPA application before you begin your Supplemental Application so that you may submit your CASPA ID.
  
  After the PA Studies program receives your CASPA application, an e-mail will be sent directly to the e-mail address you provided to CASPA.  This email contains your Enterprise User Identification (EUID) and Personal Identification Number (PIN). With the EUID and PIN, applicants can access the status of their documents received by the Admissions Office, as well as get additional information about the admissions process.  UNTHSC's PA Studies program encourages all applicants to complete the Supplemental Application as early as possible.  You do not need to wait to receive your EUID and PIN before you submit the Supplemental Application.
    

• GRE Scores Due by December 1, 2012

  GRE Score reports must be received at the Office of Admissions by the due date.  Please be advised that ETS often estimates a timeframe of 4-6 weeks to process and deliver score reports.  The GRE code for the PA Studies program is 6380.

• $35 Non-refundable Application Fee Due by November 15, 2012

  Application fees are payable by check or money order issued to UNT Health Science Center. Application fees can be mailed directly to PA Admissions at:

  UNT Health Science Center
  PA Admissions
  3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard
  Fort Worth, TX 76107-2699
  

   

Academic Prerequisites 

• Prerequisites may be in progress at the time you submit an application to CASPA, however, they must be completed by December 31 of the year prior to matriculation into the program.

• Minimum prerequisite requirements cannot be waived and exceptions/substitutions are not permitted.

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

• One course cannot be used simultaneously to meet two different prerequisite requirements.

Important Notes

• Exceptions cannot be granted to the prerequisite deadline (December 31).

• Preference will be given to applicants who complete their course work in the classroom versus through examination tests such as CLEP.

• Distance learning or online courses obtained through regionally-accredited colleges or universities in the United States are recognized to meet the prerequisite requirements.
  
   

Foreign Course Work
Admitted students must have earned a baccalaureate degree from a U.S. regionally accredited college or university by matriculation regardless of any foreign equivalent degree(s) previously earned.  

An applicant with academic course work from a college or university located outside the United States, who wishes to apply that study toward meeting prerequisite requirements, must follow all instructions posted in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistant (CASPA) application. Applicants must also follow application instructions when submitting course work from foreign colleges or universities for U.S. equivalence through CASPA, and these courses must be deemed equivalent by the PA Studies Program.

Admission requirements are the same for applicants with foreign course work. All course work taken at foreign colleges or universities must be evaluated for U.S. equivalence by a CASPA approved evaluation service. Please note that there is no waiver to the academic requirement for an earned bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally-accredited college or university. The requirement for a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally-accredited institution  will not be waived and exceptions are not permitted. Foreign degrees are not considered equivalent nor are they accepted in lieu of an earned bachelor's degree from the U.S.

For a listing of evaluation services, you should contact CASPA at apply@caspaonline.org or visit the CASPA website.

Upon completing of all the required applications and admission requirements (see above), applicants with foreign course work will be processed with the same consideration as that given to other applicants.
 

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Requirement
All applicants are required to submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test scores (verbal, quantitative, and analytical writing sections) that were received no more than five years prior to application to the program. No minimum GRE score is required; however, the applicant's scores will be taken into consideration as one potential indication of student success in the program. The GRE code for the PA Studies program is 6380 and information on registration is available at: http://www.ets.org. 

Applicant Selection Factors
In reviewing applications for interview selection and acceptance, we evaluate many factors that help us examine the qualities that you bring to our program. Those factors include:

• Academic background

• Direct patient care or healthcare-related experiences 

• PA mentorship/shadowing experiences

• Understanding of the role of the PA 

• Letters of reference (or support)

• Community service

• Honors, achievements and awards

• Other life experiences and extracurricular activities

• Applicant's personal interview

Although an applicant's entire academic record is considered, this alone does not ensure acceptance. 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. PA mentorship and shadowing experiences are not required, but are encouraged. Letters of reference from a physician assistant or physician are strongly encouraged. Evidence of personal integrity, maturity, motivation, communication skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills, writing ability, dedication and the ability to work with others are additional factors that will be considered. The above qualities are evaluated by several means, including letters of reference, the scope and nature of extracurricular activities (including work and volunteer experience), the scope and breadth of prior education and through the interview process.
 

Interview Selection
Selected applicants will be invited to the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth for an admissions interview. Interviews generally take place on campus from September to February. Interviews may end sooner if the class is filled. Candidates that are invited to interview will be contacted by phone or email. Declining an invitation or failing to appear for a scheduled interview will result in rejection of your application. Early submission of your application can increase your chances of interview selection. Interview results are confidential and are considered in the competitive selection process.
 

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

Transcripts
Upon notification of acceptance, all candidates admitted into the PA program will be required to send new official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities directly to the UNTHSC School of Health Professions Admissions Office.

Reminder: Official transcripts must be sent directly from the originating school to CASPA during the application process. Do not send transcripts directly to UNTHSC unless specifically requested to do so.
 

Waivers and Advanced Placement
Advanced placement and waiver of courses in the professional curriculum are not available to applicants to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program. Once enrolled, a PA student may apply for advanced placement and/or course waiver by meeting specific requirements and deadlines. For more information on this, applicants should contact the PA program academic office directly.
 

Transfer Policy for Students from other PA Programs
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program does not admit transfer students from other physician assistant studies programs. All applicants must participate in a competitive admissions process.
 

Texas Residency
An alien living in the United States under a visa permitting permanent residence, or who has filed with the proper federal immigration authorities a declaration of intention to become a citizen, has the same privilege of qualifying for Texas residency as do citizens of the United States.

For rules and regulations on Texas residency, visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's Residency Information site.