Physician Assistant

Entrance to the Physician Assistant (PA) program is gained through a formal application review and interview. Application to the program is made through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).  Applicants must specifically designate the South University campus(es) to which their application should be submitted within the CASPA system. Additional, campus-specific information regarding the application process can be obtained through the PA program web site or by calling the respective campus:

• (512) 516-8800 (Austin)
• (804) 727-6894 (Richmond)
• (912) 201-8025 (Savannah)
• (813) 393-3720 (Tampa)
• (561) 273-6520 (West Palm Beach)

Individuals whose applications are deemed competitive will be invited for a required interview. All programs utilize a rolling admissions process in which applicants are notified of their admission decision within 2 weeks after interviewing. Not all qualified applicants will receive an interview.

The application process includes submission of scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Applicants must specifically designate the South University code for each applicable campus to which their GRE scores should be submitted electronically to CASPA directly from ETS (Educational Testing Service):

• 0174(Austin)
• 7147 (Richmond)
• 0467 (Savannah)
• 0454 (Tampa)
• 7108 (West Palm Beach)

Applications must be completed and verified in the CASPA application portal. Submission deadlines vary by campus. Please refer to the individual program’s website for further details.

Applicants who are offered a seat into the Physician Assistant program are only permitted to reserve a seat at one campus. Within 14 calendar days of the applicant signing and submitting the acceptance form, it is the responsibility of the applicant to notify any other South University Physician Assistant program(s) of the applicant's intent to withdraw. Seat acceptance fees are non-transferable to other South University programs.

Note: Applicants should refer to the Physician Assistant Program policy on Acceptance Fee for more details.

Admission Criteria

Selection for the Physician Assistant program is highly competitive. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview or admission. Successful applicants will generally exceed the minimum criteria. The following criteria represent the minimum conditions established for applicants interested in applying to the South University Physician Assistant Master of Science degree programs:

• Applicants must have an earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution by August 1^st of the admissions cycle.
• Applicants must have an overall GPA as calculated by the CASPA service of 3.0 or greater (on a 4.0 scale) (including undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, and graduate coursework)
• Applicants should have a Biology-Chemistry-Physics (BCP) science GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) as calculated by the CASPA service.
• Applicants submit scores from the GRE general exam directly to the CASPA service for the designated South University campus(es) to which they are applying.
• At least three (3) letters of reference as part of the CASPA application must be submitted. At least one letter must be from a physician (MD/DO), Physician Assistant, or Nurse Practitioner with whom the applicant has worked or shadowed and to whom the applicant is not related. Impressive, well- articulated, and unequivocal letters attesting to the applicant’s motivation, communication and interpersonal skills, professionalism, and future contribution towards health care are considered competitive. Applicants with letters of reference from licensed medical providers (e.g., MD, DO, NP, PA) are considered to be more competitive.

Pre-requisite Courses

Applicants must complete all prerequisite courses listed below with a grade of C or better at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university prior to submission of their application. The PA program accepts prerequisite coursework completed in an online, virtual, or campus-based format from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university.

Coursework which is designed for science majors is generally considered more competitive. In general, prerequisite coursework with titles that include “Essentials of,” “Survey of,” or “Introduction to,” unless specifically designed for science majors, are considered less competitive.

Basic science courses should be those for science majors. The General Biology and Biochemistry courses are recommended to include a lab, but it is not required.

Only courses (excluding General Biology, Biochemistry, and Organic Chemistry) with an associated lab will be given credit for fulfilling prerequisite requirements. In the event that a laboratory is not offered with a prerequisite course, applicants may request the lab requirement for that course be waived by contacting the program. Lab waivers and/or course substitutions are granted at the discretion of the Admissions Committee. Applicants requesting such should be prepared to submit supporting documents, including, but not limited to, course descriptions and syllabi.

The South University Physician Assistant program accepts credit for Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP courses taken and successfully completed will be counted as one course credit towards completion of the respective prerequisite subject. Grades earned in AP courses are not used in the calculation of the applicant’s overall or prerequisite GPA.

The South University Physician Assistant program does not accept College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit for any prerequisite requirements.

Please refer to the Transfer of Credit Policy for additional information. All students must complete each course in the South University Physician Assistant curriculum.

Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program Technical Standards

To ensure that patients receive the best possible care, the faculty of the South University Physician Assistant (PA) program has identified essential skills and professional behaviors required for successful progression in the program and future practice as a physician assistant.

Students with physical, mental, or emotional disabilities who can perform these skills and behaviors, either independently, with dependable use of assistive devices, or by employing other reasonable accommodations, are eligible to apply for enrollment in the program. The program is committed to providing reasonable accommodation in accordance with applicable laws and professional standards while ensuring that all students are able to meet the required competencies for safe and effective patient care.

These technical standards require that each student possess the physical, mental, and emotional health necessary to fully engage in both the academic and clinical training environment. Minimum performance expectations include the ability to demonstrate accurate observation, effective communication, sufficient motor and physical function, intellectual and cognitive abilities, and appropriate behavioral and social attributes.  

Students must meet the following technical standards:

1. Observation

• Accurately perceive information through vision, hearing, touch, and other somatic senses.
• Gather information from demonstrations, patient encounters, diagnostic tests, and clinical instruments.
• Detect nonverbal cues such as facial expressions, body language, and affect, both at a distance and close range.

2. Communication

• Communicate clearly and effectively in oral and written form with compassion and sensitivity.
• Engage in professional interactions with patients, families, faculty, peers, and healthcare teams.
• Document, interpret, and convey medical information accurately and efficiently.
• Recognize and appropriately respond to nonverbal communication and feedback

3. Motor and Physical Function

• Perform physical examination techniques such as palpation, auscultation, percussion, and diagnostic maneuvers.
• Execute essential motor tasks required for medical practice, including performing physical examinations, assisting with patient positioning for procedures, carrying out clinical and emergency interventions, and delivering routine patient care safely and effectively.
• Manipulate medical equipment, instruments, and technology with both fine and gross motor skills.
• Maintain physical stamina to meet the rigors of classroom, laboratory, and clinical settings (including long hours, varied shifts, and high patient care demands).

4. Intellectual and Cognitive Abilities

• Demonstrate skills in measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis.
• Integrate and apply information from lectures, simulations, patient encounters, and medical literature.
• Problem-solve efficiently in complex and dynamic clinical situations.
• Comprehend spatial and three-dimensional relationships essential for anatomy, imaging, and procedures.

5. Behavioral and Social Attributes

• Possess the emotional health and stability required for sound judgment, safe clinical decision-making, and effective patient care.
• Demonstrate integrity, compassion, professionalism, and ethical conduct in all academic, clinical, and community settings.
• Develop professional, respectful, and collaborative relationships maintaining appropriate boundaries with all patients, families, faculty, staff, and colleagues.
• Meet all professional and academic responsibilities in a timely and reliable manner, including attendance, preparation, participation, and follow-through on assignments and clinical duties.
• Exercise good judgment and self-control in both routine and stressful situations, avoiding behaviors that are disruptive, unsafe, or unprofessional.
• Adapt to stressful, changing, or uncertain environments while maintaining appropriate coping skills and a professional demeanor.
• Accept, integrate, and act upon constructive feedback to promote ongoing personal and professional growth.

Clinical Experience

Clinical experiences should provide the applicant with a knowledge of and orientation to the presentation, signs, and symptoms of a variety of ill or injured patients. Although clinical experience is not required, preference is given to applicants who have direct patient care experience (i.e., care that involves personal interaction with patients such as: physical therapist, respiratory therapist, emergency medical technician/paramedic, nurse, medical assistant, certified nursing assistant, or other similar professions). However, there is no requirement for a predetermined number of hours (or months) of health care experience to be earned by an applicant.

Admissions Committee Selection Factors

Applicants for admission are considered using multiple selection factors. Applicants are awarded preference based upon the following:

• Academic achievement (overall GPA, BCP, GRE)
  • For overall GPA, BCP, and GRE preferences, please refer to the respective program’s website.
• Quality of letters of reference from medical providers (e.g., MD, DO, NP, PA)
• Clinical experience that requires direct patient care
• Personal statement/essay.
• Healthcare provider mentorship/shadowing experiences.
• Community service
• Interview performance

Evidence of an applicant’s interpersonal skills, problem-solving ability, professionalism, motivation, academic potential, communication, knowledge of the PA profession and the health care system with an alignment to the mission and vision of the program are assessed by the Admissions Committee in awarding preference.

Post-Acceptance Requirements

Accepted applicants will be required to complete the following items in order to obtain approval for matriculation in January:

• Satisfactory Criminal Background and Drug Screen Report
• Health/ Immunization Requirements
• Personal Health Insurance Documentation
• Baccalaureate Diploma Verification
• American Heart Association (AHA) Approved Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification
• FAFSA application (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) submission for those applying for financial aid
• There is a $1000 acceptance fee, which is non-refundable, for those applicants accepted into the Physician Assistant program at South University, Austin, South University, Savannah, South University, Tampa and South University, West Palm Beach. There is a $1000 acceptance fee, $900 of which is refundable, for those applicants accepted into the Physician Assistant program at South University, Richmond. Acceptance fees are applied towards tuition.

Applicants seeking admissions to the Physician Assistant program must abide by the College of Health Professions Background Check Policy and Substance Abuse and Screening Policy. Acceptance into a South University program or its completion does not guarantee that a student will be able to obtain subsequent licensure or certification.

All Physician Assistant program students are responsible for meeting matriculation deadlines and requirements as published within the campus-specific Enrollment Guide.

Clinical Experiential Learning and Travel Policy:

All students may be required to travel/commute and/or relocate for any given clinical rotation.  While many rotations are located within a commutable distance from the program, students may be assigned to clinical rotation sites outside the local campus geographical area and should anticipate the need to travel or temporarily relocate for those assigned rotations. Students are responsible for all costs associated with travel, transportation, housing, credentialing, and living expenses during the clinical year. These expenses will vary based on the location of each clinical rotation site.  Please refer to the program website for further details on clinical travel.

For additional admissions information please see the admissions section here.