Wayne State University

Aim Higher

Admission Requirements

Physician Assistant Studies - Link to Department

Master of Science

Admission Requirements

  • A combined minimum of 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all coursework taken, and a minimum 3.0 GPA for required prerequisites. Each prerequiste course must have earned a grade of "B" (3.0 on 4.0 scale) or better.
  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
  • All prerequisite coursework (listed below) must be completed by September 1st of the year in which you are completing an application.
  • Completion of Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application by September 1st.
  • Three recommendation forms, preferably one from a physician assistant and one from a work supervisor, submitted to CASPA as required.One of the three references submitted to the CASPA application must be from a direct patient care supervisor.
  • A minimum of 500 contact hours of direct patient care experience in a health service environment by September 1st of the year prior to admission.
  • To be considered, the 500 hours of health care experience (within the last 2 years) must fulfill the following criteria

    a.       The experience must involve direct patient care.

  • b.      The work experience must involve the applicant’s use of medical terminology on a regular basis.

    c.       The applicant must apply knowledge of anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology in their direct patient care experience.

    d.      Must demonstrate familiarity with medical documentation and patient education.

  • Official Documentation of all Community Service activity within last two years.
  • A written goal statement of no more than 500 words submitted via CASPA application
  • The general test of the Graduate Records Exam (GRE). The GRE must be submitted by September 1st of the year you are applying. Applicants must submit two separate applications-one to the Graduate School and the other to CASPA at www.caspaonline.org
  • Applicants must achieve minimum GRE scores of 800 combined and 3.5 writing to be considered for admission.
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum computer score of 250-required only if English is not your first language. (Score of 600 for written exam TOEFL and 100 for Internet based exam) The TOEFL must be completed by September 1st of the year you are applying.
  • A personal interview
  • Application to Wayne State University Graduate School.
Prerequisite coursework - must have earned a grade of "B" or better (3.0 on 4.0 scale) on each course
  • Human Anatomy * - One course
  • Human Physiology - Two courses (at least 1 course must be 300 level or above in physiology)*
  • Microbiology - One course (with laboratory)*
  • Chemistry - Two courses (must include a course in organic chemistry and/or biochemistry)*
  • Nutrition - One course (human/clinical)
  • Medical Terminology - One course
    Please note:  the program will not accept any Medical Terminology course taken as PASS/FAIL. The course must be taken for a grade.
  • Developmental Psychology -One course
  • Basic Statistics - One course
  • English Composition - Two courses

*All designated science courses must have been completed within six years prior to the date of application. A waiver of the six-year requirement for the designated course can be requested by the applicant if the applicant’s employment history demonstrates knowledge of the content of the course(s).

Interview

Applicants satisfying the minimum requirements will be required to appear for an interview.

Please Note: Students must complete all prerequisite coursework by September 1st  prior to admission in the Spring/Summer semester. The application deadline is September 1st of each year. The program begins in the Spring/Summer semester which starts in May of each year.

 

Wayne State University PA Studies deadline definition

The Wayne State University PA Studies Program deadline for September 1st means the following:

  1. CASPA must have a complete application on or before September 1st.  An application is not complete until:
    1. All  transcripts received
    2. (2) recommendations received.  The WSU PAS Program also has the additional requirement that the 3rd recommendation must also be received at CASPA, on or before September 1st in order to be considered.
    3. Completed application form & fees received

All applications not complete with CASPA on or before September 1st deadline will not be considered.

  1. WSU Graduate Admissions must receive all supplemental application materials (GRE scores, TOEFL scores, resume, official community service documentation and foreign transcript evaluations) by September 1st.  Any late materials will not be reviewed/accepted and may make your application incomplete.

NOTE:

The WSU PAS Program urges all applicants to make sure all application materials reach CASPA and the WSU Graduate Admissions office on or before the deadline date, in order to meet these requirements. 

It is the responsibility of the applicant (not CASPA or WSU PAS program faculty) to insure that recommendations are completed in a timely fashion.  As always, we strongly recommend applicants to have their recommendations completed electronically. 

As always, the WSU PAS Program and CASPA continue to encourage applicants to frequently check the status of their application online with CASPA and to direct questions or concerns with their application, as soon as possible, to the CASPA customer service department.

As in previous years, prerequisite coursework must be completed bySeptember 1st of the application year, and the bachelor’s degree must be completed prior to the program start date.

Transfer Credit Policy

Course work in the Physician Assistant Studies curriculum is lock-step and is quite different from other graduate programs. Work in each semester builds upon work from the previous semester. It is imperative that all students in the Wayne State University Physician Assistant Studies program complete all of the required coursework and do so in the required sequence. No transfer of credit from other programs or institutions will be allowed to fulfill any requirement of the program. No advanced standing will be afforded to any individual and all course credits must be completed in order.

This policy will also apply to students requesting transfer from other Physician Assistant programs and no credit will be accepted in lieu of required coursework. Physician Assistant programs have variations of curriculum and intensity of instruction. Due to these variations, no students will be accepted for transfer into the WSU Physician Assistant Studies for the clinical curriculum (rotations)