PA Admission Requirements

Prerequisite Courses: Students must complete the following courses with a B- or better in the course/lecture portion at a regionally accredited or otherwise approved US institution of higher learning prior to December 31 of the year prior to matriculation:

Note: applications are accepted and processed for review with up to nine outstanding credits provided there is a plan for completion by the December 31st deadline included in the CASPA Application. Unofficial transcripts showing completion of any outstanding prerequisites must be submitted to Grad Admissions by February 1st. Applicants who fail to complete the outstanding courses by December 31st will have their application/acceptance withdrawn from consideration.

Up to two prerequisites may be completed with a non-grade (e.g., Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP test, or "Pass") if they meet institutional standards.

Cedarville University does not routinely recognize credit earned through non-traditional online learning experiences, even for completion of program pre-requisites.

Science courses labeled as "survey" or "introductory" are not sufficient preparation for PA education.

Questions related to these policies or acceptability of courses taken or planned should be directed to gradadmissions@cedarville.edu. 

Experiential Preparation

Healthcare Experience: Due to the compressed nature of PA education, prior healthcare experience prepares students for success.

Applicants should have some clinical patient care experience at the time they apply. We recommend 750 hours of paid (or 1,000 volunteer hours) clinical patient care experience to establish a good foundation, however this is not an established prerequisite to apply. Experience is preferred and rewarded by the review committee. Healthcare experience that is not directly involving patient care is also considered if included on the CASPA application.

Licenses and Certifications: Obtaining a certification in a healthcare field is often helpful in securing paid healthcare experience and is rewarded in the application review process.

Community Service Experience: Our program desires to foster and equip students to serve those in need. Applicants are given the opportunity on the CASPA application to show their commitment to serving by including experience in the local church and community accrued since starting college. International experience is also considered.

Non-Cognitive Attributes

Reference Letters: Cedarville accepts up to five letters of reference and a minimum of three are required to complete the application. The three required letters should come from:

1. A professional colleague/supervisor who can speak to your work ethic and performance (submitted through the CASPA application)
2. An academic professor/mentor who can speak to your academic capabilities (submitted through the CASPA application)
3. A Christian leader/mentor who has known you for 6 months or more and can speak to your spiritual development (submitted  through the Cedarville Graduate Application)

References should not come from family members.

Personal Statement and Program Specific Essays: Included in the CASPA application are your personal statement on motivation for pursuing a PA career, as well as additional program-specific essays (including your personal testimony of faith, utilizing a PA career as ministry, and impact of prior healthcare and life experiences) that are reviewed by the admissions committee.

Program Diversifying Qualities: The program reviews for and rewards attributes and backgrounds/experiences that we feel will help diversify our classroom and add depth and richness to the educational experience of the students in the program. See Selection Process for details.

Repeat Applicants: The program reviews for and rewards applicants who reapply to our program after demonstrating improvement in their application.

International Applicants

The following requirements apply to international applicants:

U.S. Citizenship: Due to the lack of parity and reciprocity of the PA model outside the U.S. at this time, applicants must be a US citizen or permanent resident (Green Card).

Non-US Degrees: Degrees obtained from institutions outside of the United States will be considered once translated for degree and performance equivalency (i.e., comparable U.S. degree, grade equivalency, and GPA). Applicants with foreign degrees should contact Graduate Admissions for additional information.

English Proficiency: due to the speed and depth of material we will be covering in the program, students must have a good command of the English language and ability to communicate clearly (written, spoken) at a level appropriate for graduate healthcare programs. International Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency by one of the following objective measures:

• TOEFL (iBT): 87 or greater (with at least a 24 in the speaking component)
• Duolingo: 120 or greater
• IETLS band: 6.5 or greater

The program reserves the right to require an objective assessment of English proficiency at any time during the admissions process.

Prerequisite Completion: To establish a track record of performance in the U.S. educational system, all prerequisite courses must be completed at an accredited U.S. educational institution.

Healthcare Experience: Healthcare experience outside of the U.S. will be considered in the community service evaluation of an applicant but does not count toward the healthcare experience requirements listed above.