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 is required. The degree must be completed prior to the application being submitted in CASPA.
  • An overall science GPA of 3.20 or higher is required. The overall science GPA is calculated by CASPA and includes all undergraduate and graduate science coursework completed at regionally accredited colleges or universities, including all attempts of any repeated courses.

Prerequisite Courses

Completion of prerequisite courses and labs with a grade of “B-” or better at a regionally accredited college or university, completed 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).

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: Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency by submitting official TOEFL iBT or IELTS Academic scores, unless they qualify for an exemption. Exemptions include applicants who have earned a degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Additional exemptions to the English Proficiency requirement may apply based on prior education in approved English-speaking countries, as outlined by Towson University Graduate Admissions.

Applicants who do not qualify for an exemption must meet the following minimum scores:

  • TOEFL iBT (test date prior to Jan 21, 2026) – score of 100 overall with minimum score of 20 in listening, reading, and writing and a 25 in speaking
  • TOEFL iBT (test date after Jan 21, 2026) – overall score of 5.0 with a minimum score of 4.5 in listening, reading, and writing and a 5.0 in speaking
  • IELTS Academic – overall score of 7.0 with a minimum score of 6.5 in writing, reading, and listening and a 7.0 in speaking

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.