Admission Requirements & Deadlines

Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.)

Application Deadline

Applications must be verified in CASPA by August 1. Please allow sufficient time for verification, as it can take up to 4 weeks from the date of submission.

Admission Requirements

  • An application must be submitted through CASPA. The verification deadline is August 1. Please allow sufficient time for verification, as it can take up to 4 weeks from the date of submission.
  • If an invitation for an interview is extended, the Towson University application must be completed by the given deadline. 

Academic Requirements

  • No GRE scores are required. 
  • A baccalaureate or master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. The baccalaureate or master’s degree must be completed by July 1 of the applicant year and prior to the application being submitted in CASPA.
  • An overall science GPA of 3.20 or higher. This GPA is cumulative and includes all undergraduate and graduate science course work completed at regionally accredited colleges or universities.

Prerequisite Courses

Completion of prerequisite courses and labs with a grade of “B-” or better at a regionally accredited college or university, completed by July 1 of the applicant year and prior to the application being submitted in CASPA. Online courses and labs are acceptable provided they meet the above requirements. There are six prerequisite courses:

  • Anatomy (or Anatomy and Physiology I) with lab** (4 semester hours)
  • Physiology (or Anatomy and Physiology II) with lab** (4 semester hours)
  • Microbiology with lab** (4 semester hours)
  • Biochemistry (3 semester hours) 
    • Note: Organic Chemistry is not a substitute for Biochemistry
  • Medical Terminology (minimum 2 semester hours, 3 preferred)
  • College-level Statistics in any discipline (3 semester hours)
    • AP Statistics credit may be used towards this requirement

Patient Contact Experience Hours

Applicants must have a minimum of 500 patient contact hours completed in a health care setting prior to applying. Patient contact hours cannot be updated after the application is submitted in CASPA.

Hands-on patient contact experience must involve interacting with patients directly. Experience hours may be volunteer or paid employment through a company or non-profit organization. Hours that are from self-employment or shadowing are not accepted.

recommendation letters

A minimum of 2 recommendation letters is required.

One letter must be from clinician with direct clinical oversight.

A second letter must be from a coach, faculty member, supervisor, military officer, or other individual who knows the student well in a professional or academic capacity (excluding academic advisors, personal friends, and family members).

The program will evaluate the first two letters submitted that meet the above criteria. 

Additional Requirements for International Applicants

Immigration Status: Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or hold employment authorization that is not dependent upon student visa sponsorship.

English Proficiency: The TOEFL iBT is the only exam accepted for this program on which a minimum score of 25 is required for the speaking section and a minimum score of 20 for all other sections (listening, reading, and writing).

International Credential Evaluation: World Education Services (WES) is the only credential evaluation accepted for this program. A course-by-course evaluation with GPA is required. 

Please see Admission Requirements for International Students for more information. 

Program Preferences

Program preferences for admission are given as follows:

  • Towson University alumni, USM alumni, OR Maryland resident
  • Military service (discharge must be honorable or general)
  • First-generation, low-income family, OR family with public assistance
  • Bilingual (advanced language proficiency in a language other than English)
  • Less than two Ws among all science courses taken
  • Higher overall science GPA

Interview

The program will begin reviewing applications after the August 1 deadline has passed. The most competitive applicants will be invited for an interview. Once an applicant is selected for an interview, the candidate will be sent an interview date and notified to complete the Towson University supplemental application. Please do not complete a Towson University application until you are notified by the PA program to do so. This interview is a compulsory part of the application process.