PA Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission into the PA program, you must meet the following criteria. 

University requirements

Program requirements

1. Completion of the CASPA.
   • A completed and verified CASPA application by September 1st.
2. Official college transcripts from all higher education institutions attended, including CMU, must be sent from those institutions directly to CASPA.
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
   • As part of our holistic review, we try to ensure that applicants can demonstrate the ability to complete our rigorous coursework. Applicants with higher overall GPAs, science GPAs, prerequisite GPAs, and last 60 credit hour GPAs will be given preference. 
   • CMU students and alumni with a minimum overall GPA of 3.40 or higher who meet all other admission requirements will be offered an interview. 
4. Completion of direct patient care hours.
   • A minimum of 500 hours of paid experience involving direct patient care hours is required. Hours that exceed the minimum requirement will be scored accordingly. Additionally, the level of health care experience based on degree or license will also be considered in scoring. Please review the list of qualified direct patient care hours for more information. Shadowing experience is not required but recommended.
5. Submission of a personal statement.
   • This is submitted with your CASPA application. It should be a reflection of you and give the admissions committee insight into the experiences that have led you to the PA profession. We want to know why you are passionate about the PA profession. 
6. Demonstration of service learning and volunteering.
   • A strong commitment to the community through volunteering that demonstrates compassion and a desire to serve others is considered as a part of the holistic application review.
7. A minimum 3.0 grade point average for every prerequisite course.
8. Completion of prerequisite coursework.

• At the time you apply for admission to the PA program, you must have completed the prerequisite courses.  View the course equivalencies from other institutions.  The following rules apply for prerequisite courses:
  • We allow up to two outstanding prerequisite courses at the time of application, however, those classes must be completed successfully by December 31st in the year of the application.
  • All prerequisite courses must be completed within six years prior to the time of the application. Classes older than that must be retaken.
  • Credit/no credit will not be accepted for any prerequisite course requirement.
    
  • Knowledge-based testing does not satisfy any of the prerequisites.
• You may request a waiver of the six-year requirement or grade requirement for a prerequisite course. There is no specific form for waiver requests. If requesting a waiver, you should email Clint Fitzpatrick, Director of Graduate Admissions for the College of Health Professions, explaining why you qualify for the waiver and attach documents to verify the statement. You may request a waiver for a prerequisite course under either or both of the following conditions:
  • You document a continuous employment history that demonstrates knowledge and continued application of the course content.
  • Within the last six years, you received a B grade or better in a more advanced course in the same subject.

Additional requirements for international students only

International students must complete the following requirements. Contact the College of Health Professions Graduate Admissions with any questions or concerns at chpgradadm@cmich.edu.

1. Course-by-course foreign evaluation.
   • Coursework taken at international institutions must be evaluated by one of the following organizations and sent to CMU and CASPA. Canadian students are exempt from the foreign evaluation requirement and should simply send their official transcripts to CASPA.
     • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE).
     • World Education Services (WES).
     • Josef Silney & Associates.
     • Spantran.
2. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores.
   • All prospective students who are not citizens of a TOEFL-exempt country must submit a satisfactory test score on the TOEFL or IELTS. Score requirements: 79 or 6.5 on the TOEFL/IELTS for regular admission, 61-78 or 5.5 and 6.0 for conditional admissions. Visit the TOEFL website for more information.
   • Please send your official TOEFL scores to CASPA using code #3709. Exception: If you completed your bachelor's degree or equivalent at a school where classes were conducted in English, you do not need to submit TOEFL scores.
3. I-20 requirements.
   • International students who are accepted into our PA Program must submit an I-20 Affidavit/Statement of Support form, along with evidence of financial support. For more information, please contact grad@cmich.edu.

PA program articulation agreements

We have the following articulation agreements with other Michigan universities:

1. Northern Michigan University (NMU) articulation agreement.
   • Our PA program, per an articulation agreement with NMU, will interview up to four suitably qualified and duly enrolled full-time students from NMU who satisfy all of the criteria.
2. Lake Superior State University (LSSU) articulation agreement.
   • Our PA program, per an articulation agreement with LSSU, will interview up to two suitably qualified and duly enrolled full-time students from LSSU who satisfy all of the criteria.
3. Michigan Technological University (MTU) articulation agreement.
   • Our PA program, per an articulation agreement with MTU, will interview up to two suitably qualified and duly enrolled full-time students from MTU who satisfy all of the criteria.