Admission Requirements

Five-Year Master of Physician Assistant Science Program Students

General Requirements

Admission Requirements for Fall 2023

• Completion of 16 academic units at the high school level, four of which must be English; four in social sciences, at least two units of math, including algebra, both with B's or higher. Two to four units of science including biology and chemistry with labs and grades of B's or higher
• Letter of recommendation from a high school science teacher
• Satisfactory recommendation from high school counselor or principal
• Academic course performance with emphasis on science courses, grades (a minimum GPA of 3.4), letters of recommendation, and personal statement will be carefully reviewed for admission consideration
• Qualified applicants will be required to participate in an interview day either in-person or via Zoom. Interview days will be October 10, November 4, November 18, and December 2 of 2022.
• Applicants must be US or Canadian citizens

Please note for Fall 2023 admission: SAT/ACT scores are not required and will not be considered when making admissions decisions

Available Seats:

The physician assistant program is a high-demand major at Gannon and there are 58 seats available for each incoming freshman class. In order to be considered for acceptance to the program, students must submit a completed application (application, official transcripts and letters of recommendation) by November 15 ^th of their senior year. Qualified students will be invited to one of four interview days. After the interview days students will be evaluated for the 58 available seats. Students not offered a seat in the program may be offered a seat on a wait list. Up to 15 early admission seats will be offered after the October 10^th interview date and up to 15 early admission seats will be offered after the November 4^th interview date.  The remaining admission decisions will be made following the Dec. 2^nd interview day. Up to three seats will be reserved for transfer students who will enter at the freshmen level. Transfer students must participate in an interview.

Students who are accepted into the program must complete 30 hours of patient interaction experience prior to matriculating. Additional hours are required each summer during the first four years of the program. More information is provided at time of acceptance into the program.

Transfer Students for Fall 2023

• Gannon's physician assistant program is designed for first-time students. Due to limitations on class size, the only option available for transfer students is to enter the program at the freshman level. This will require students to remain at Gannon for a full five years regardless of the number of credits the student transfers in with. In order to be considered for the program, students must submit a completed application (application, official college transcript(s) and official high school transcripts if necessary) by November 15, 2022.
• In order to be considered, transfer students must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 as well as a GPA of 3.0 for science courses. If a transfer student has earned fewer than 30 college credits, an official high school transcript is required.
• Qualified applicants must complete an interview.
• Transfer students must repeat any science course which was taken longer than five years prior to program admission.
• 30 hours of patient interaction experience must be completed prior to matriculating. Additional hours are required each summer during the first four years of the program. More information is provided at time of acceptance into the program.
• Advanced placement is not available in the fourth or fifth year of the program. Credit is not given for experiential learning.

Post-Baccalaureate Students (When Seats Are Available) 

Applications for the post-baccalaureate option will be reviewed on a space available basis. Prospective students may contact the Gannon University Office of Graduate Admissions for additional information. A limited number of seats are anticipated for the Fall of 2023. The application deadline is January 1^st, 2023. Interested applicants can apply at apply.gannon.edu.

Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required from previous professional education and prerequisites must have been completed within the last seven years. As part of the application process, applicants must submit recommendation forms from three evaluators and qualified applicants will be required to participate in an in-person interview day. In addition, applicants must submit the following: official transcripts, curriculum vitae and 30 hours of documented volunteer/paid medical experience or 30 hours of shadowing a Physician Assistant.

Prerequisites

Following are prerequisites for the Post-Baccalaureate Option and must be completed prior to enrolling:

• Major Level Biology - 8 Credits
• Chemistry - 8 Credits
• Medical Terminology (or demonstrated competency) - 3 Credits
• Psychology - 3 Credits
• Statistics - 3 Credits

Undergraduate Courses:

• BIOL 365 - Human Gross Anatomy - 3 Credits
• BIOL 366 - Human Anatomy Lab - 1 Credit
• BIOL 368 - Human Physiology - 3 Credits
• BIOL 369 - Human Physiology Lab - 1 Credit
• BIOL 378 - Medical Microbiology - 3 Credits
• BIOL 379 - Medical Microbiology Lab - 1 Credit
• BIOL 232 -  Human Genetics - 3 Credits
• PHAS 363 -The Research Process - 3 Credits