Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and  Science GPA of 3.0

Course of study must include the successful completion (grade of C minus or greater) of the following courses with labs as indicated (+).

  • General Chemistry*+
  • Organic Chemistry+
  • Biochemistry
  • General Biology*+
  • Microbiology
  • Anatomy and Physiology*+
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Statistics

*One year of coursework
+Lab Required

Each prerequisite course must have been completed within 10 years of matriculation into the program (January of the year you start), except for Anatomy and Physiology I & II with lab, which must be completed within 5 years of matriculation, unless the applicant has been continuously employed as a licensed or certified health-care professional.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)

  • The exam must have been taken within the last 5 years 
  • No substitution for the exam will be accepted (i.e. MCAT, PA-CAT or GMAT)
  • See https://www.ets.org/gre for further information

Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) Submission

  • The application cycle opens each year in April and can be accessed at https://portal.caspaonline.org
  • Three letters of Recommendation
    • One letter must come from a Physician Assistant
    • One letter from a current or prior professor or supervisor
    • One letter must be from another professional or social colleague (family members are not permitted)

Health Care Experience

  • Minimum health care experience of 500 hours to include direct patient care (e.g., nurse aide, nursing assistant, medical assistant, EMT), which may be paid or voluntary in nature.
  • Minimum of 40 hours shadowing a Physician Assistant in a clinical setting

TOEFL iBT Requirement for international students or those students who did not attend a high school where English is the primary language. Information can be accessed at https://www.ets.org/toefl

A minimum score of 120 is required with at least a 26 in each of the following:

  • Reading
  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Writing

There is no acceleration or advanced standing in the program regardless of prior experience or degree.

No applicant who was dismissed from, or discontinued their participation in, a health professional program due to an academic deficiency or non-academic policy violation(s) will be considered for admission.

After completion of the initial application process, a prospective student may be offered an interview with the program admissions committee to determine the applicant’s readiness to undertake the rigorous course of study.  The committee will consider all information available including academic achievements, letters of recommendation, community service, interpersonal and communication skills, personal integrity, compassion and motivation for a health care career.

Preference will be given to those applicants who are:

  • Graduates of Mount St. Joseph University
  • Veterans of the Armed Forces (In order to receive VA Educational Benefits, students must have their Clinical Rotations limited to Ohio hospitals that have been approved by the Veteran's Administration.)
  • Residents of Greater Cincinnati (Includes the following OH-KY-IN Counties)
    • Dearborn County, Indiana
    • Franklin County, Indiana
    • Ohio County, Indiana
    • Boone County, Kentucky
    • Bracken County, Kentucky
    • Campbell County, Kentucky
    • Gallatin County, Kentucky
    • Grant County, Kentucky
    • Kenton County, Kentucky
    • Pendleton County, Kentucky
    • Brown County, Ohio
    • Clermont County, Ohio
    • Hamilton County, Ohio
    • Warren County, Ohio  
    • Butler County, Ohio
    • Clinton County, Ohio
  • Applicants with significant prior health care experience
  • Applicants with higher grade point average (GPA)
  • Applicants with higher GRE scores
  • Applicants with higher number of hours shadowing a physician assistant.

Following acceptance into the program, but prior to matriculation, students must;

  • Complete a criminal background check and drug screening evaluation.  This is completed at the student’s expense.
  • Provide proof of immunization status consistent with the current CDC recommendations for health care workers.
  • Complete a medical screening examination with a health care professional who attests the student meets the Technical Standards for Physician Assistant students with reasonable accommodation, if necessary. 
  • Provide proof of health insurance coverage

Additional background checks, drug screening and proof of immunization will occur annually throughout the program and as may be required by clinical rotation sites. This will be done at the student’s expense.