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Check out our video! How to Apply to the PA Studies Program

The CASPA application period for Spring 2025 is from April 25, 2024 – August 1, 2024.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications and supporting documents as early as possible. Applicants are responsible for following up with CASPA to ensure all necessary documents are received. After CASPA confirms receipt of all necessary documents and completes the application, students must forward any updated transcripts for courses in progress at the time of application to the Office of Graduate Admission.

Once your application is verified by CASPA and received by Chapman University, no additional updates will be viewed in the admissions process except for transcripts showing completion of non-science requirements.

Admission to the Chapman University MMS PA Studies Program is competitive. Admissions decisions are based on the following:

• CASPA application
• Academic performance
• Letters of recommendation
• Patient contact hours
• Shadowing hours
• Community service
• Other health-related experiences
• Diversity of life experiences
• HRSA indicators
• Personal statement of intent
• Performance during an interview

The supporting documents required for your CASPA application include the following:

• All official transcripts; must include degrees posted
• GRE scores
• TOEFL scores (if Bachelor’s Degree was completed at an institution where English is not the primary language of instruction)
• Three letters of recommendation – one must be from a PA, MD, or DO
• Personal statement of intent

Other experiences needed for your CASPA application include the following:

• Patient Contact Experience hours (minimum of 1,000 hours required at the time of application)
• Observational/Shadowing experience hours (optional)
• Community service experience hours (optional)
• Health related experience hours (optional)
• Research experience hours (optional) 

Deadline

The application deadline for classes beginning January 2025 is August 1, 2024. All applications must be e-submitted and verified, and all documents must be received by the August 1, 2024 deadline.

Your application is considered complete when CASPA has received all of the following:

1. Electronic application
2. All official transcripts
3. Three letters of recommendation: one must be from a PA, MD, or DO
4. Official GRE scores
5. CASPA processing fee

Admission Process

For the 2024 Admissions Cycle (for classes beginning January 2025)

CASPA will open on April 25, 2024

• Step 1: Submit application and official transcripts via CASPA no later than August 1, 2024.
• Step 2: Beginning in May 2024, a select group of qualified applicants will be contacted by phone or email, and invited for an interview.
• Step 3: Complete the interview process.
• Step 4: Admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis until all class seats have been filled.
• Step 5: Once accepted, submit a non-refundable deposit of $1,000 and a new student acknowledgment form to the program to secure your seat in the upcoming class.
• Step 6: Complete a successful background check, provide a negative drug test, and meet all health and immunization requirements.

Please Note: Persons who have been dismissed from any PA program are not eligible for admission to Chapman University's MMS PA Studies Program.

Are you a reapplicant? Check out these helpful tips for reapplicants from PAEA!

All prerequisite coursework must be obtained from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States with a grade of “C” or better, with the exception of Medical Terminology which may be taken as a pass/fail course.

All science prerequisites must be completed and the grade needs to be reflected on your transcript at the time of application submission; otherwise, your application will be flagged as “does not meet minimum requirements.”

Non-science courses can be “in progress,” but they must be completed by the time of matriculation, and priority will be given to applicants with all prerequisites completed.

Applicants will be denied if they do not meet the minimum admission requirements.

Quarter to semester unit conversion chart

Prerequisite Coursework

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university or college prior to matriculation into the Chapman University MMS PA Studies Program
• No specific major is required, but strong candidates have demonstrated ability in the sciences.
• Completion of all prerequisite coursework with a “C” or better
• Overall cumulative GPA minimum 3.2
• Cumulative science GPA minimum 3.2
• All applicants must complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). No minimum GRE score is required, although your score will be taken into consideration in the overall assessment of your application. The GRE must have been taken within the last 5 years from our program's application deadline. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program will be accepting the At-Home GRE at this time. The official GRE score report must be received by CASPA no later than August 1, 2024 (the application deadline), for your application to be considered for admission. Chapman University’s institution code is 3681. A department code is not needed. 
• U.S. Citizenship, Lawful Permanent Resident (Green Card Holder), or DACA Applicant 
• A TOEFL score is required if the bachelor’s degree was completed at an institution where English was not the primary language of instruction. TOEFL score must meet a minimum standard requirement of 94.
• Technical Standards: qualified applicants must have sufficient abilities and skills in the following areas: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, conceptual, integrative, qualitative, and behavior/social.
• Three letters of recommendation (one must be from a PA, MD, or DO);
• At least 1,000 hours of direct patient contact in a healthcare-related work experience, voluntary or paid; click here to view the approved patient contact list. Minimum hours must be completed at the time of application submission. The Chapman PA Program Experiences Form must be completed in addition to the CASPA application's "Experiences" section and uploaded into the "Documents" section of the application. 
• Personal statement/Narrative: Please describe your motivation towards becoming a PA. 5000 characters limit = approximately 625 words. 
• Personal interview: After initial assessment and screening of applications, selected candidates will be invited to an interview. 
• Shadowing experience with a licensed and practicing PA, MD, or DO is recommended; PA shadowing is preferred. Virtual shadowing hours are not considered. Shadowing hours will not count towards the 1000 required direct patient contact hours. Applicants must enter any shadowing hours in the "Experiences" section of the official CASPA application. Shadowing experiences are to be arranged by the student. The PA Studies program will not arrange nor recommend observational sites. Clinical work experience, as well as any formal health career training (EMT, CAN, LVN, RN, RT, PT, MT, etc.), cannot be counted as shadowing hours. 
• Social Security Number 
• Background Check: Successful completion 
• Drug Test: Negative result
• Health Clearance 

Please see the FAQ page for additional information. 

Background Check

• Inability to demonstrate a clear background check may result in failure to matriculate into the program, and/or may negatively affect your ability to participate in clinical rotations or become a licensed PA in any State. Inability to complete all components of the curriculum, including all required clinical rotations, will result in administrative withdrawal from the program and inability to graduate.

Health Clearance

• Our program requires all students to comply with tuberculosis testing requirements and the CDC vaccinations for healthcare workers. Students must submit a completed and signed AAMC Standardized Immunization Form prior to matriculation. The form is available here: AAMC Standardized Immunization Form.
• The program will send specific deadline requirements to accepted students. If there are any problems or questions with uploading information, please contact Complio. Students are notified if there are any deficiencies in the required documentation, at which time the student is responsible for correcting any deficiencies.
• For those who do not have certain immunizations, it may take up to 6 months to receive the full series and have titers drawn. Accordingly, please make sure you allow yourself enough time to complete this requirement.
• If you are a documented nonresponder to the Hepatitis B vaccine (i.e. your titers remain low despite supplemental doses), please contact your medical provider for CDC recommendations.

COVID-19

• COVID-19 VACCINE AND RETURN TO CAMPUS REQUIREMENTS: Current University policy regarding COVID-19 vaccines and returning to campus can be found here: https://cusafelyback.chapman.edu/. All students should keep up to date on current Chapman policy. While COVID-19 vaccines are not currently required by the University, conditions and procedures can change. It is also important to be aware that clinical, education, or other fieldwork placement sites may require COVID-19 vaccines, and failing to comply with placement site requirements may result in delays or the inability to complete clinical programs or licensure requirements. 

Program Tuition

• FALL 2023- $21,903.00
• *SPRING 2024- $22,560.00
• *SUMMER 2024- $22,560.00

*Rate change in Spring for Physician Assistant only

Tuition Refund Schedule for Rinker Health Science Students

Program tuition is subject to change and typically updated annually. For more information on Tuition, Student Health Insurance, Financial Aid, Refunds, and other student charges, visit the Student Business Services website.

Students are responsible for health insurance, transportation, parking, room and board, textbooks, laptops, medical equipment, and supplies. There are no out-of-state resident fees.

Fees 

*Littman Classic III or the Littman Cardiology IV Diagnostic stethoscope is recommended by the program

**PA students are required to have Health Insurance; therefore, the University bills health insurance as a part of the registration. For more information on the waiver or how to enroll in the health insurance plan please visit the Student Health Insurance webpage.

***A certified background check, drug screening, and medical insurance are required of all accepted applicants prior to matriculation into the program. Additional certified background checks and drug screenings may be required by clinical sites or preceptors.

Fee Refund Policy

Graduate student fees for the Physician Assistant Studies Program are non-refundable.

Accreditation standards require that admission criteria into a PA program are established by the program faculty but must include Technical Standards for Admission developed by the accrediting agency, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Completion of the program signifies that the graduate is prepared for entry into the practice of medicine. Graduates must have the skills and knowledge to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. It is essential for good patient care to require minimum standards for the education of the physician assistant.

In the admission process, the University must judge not only the scholastic accomplishments and potential of the applicant, but also the applicant's current physical and emotional status, cumulative and progressive disability, and drug-induced impairments that may pose obstacles to the safe application of the student's knowledge and skill or prevent effective interaction with patients and co-workers.

In accordance with University policy and as delineated by federal and California law, the University does not discriminate in admission, educational programs or employment against any individual on the basis of that individual's handicap or disability and will make good faith efforts at providing reasonable accommodation as required.

Candidates for the program must possess the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data. They must have functional use of the senses of vision, hearing, equilibrium, and taste. Their exteroceptor (touch, pain, and temperature) and proprioceptor (position, pressure, movement, stereognosis, and vibratory) senses must be sufficiently intact to enable them to carry out all the activities required to complete the activities described below. Candidates must have sufficient motor function capabilities to meet the demands of the PA program and the demands of total patient care. They must be able to complete the didactic and clinical curriculum in its entirety.

The candidate for the PA program must possess ability, aptitude and skills in five areas: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, behavioral and social.

1. Observation: The candidate must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, visual presentations in lectures and laboratories, laboratory evidence and microbiologic cultures, microscopic studies of microorganisms, diagnostic studies like electrocardiograms and radiographic imaging, and tissues in normal and pathologic states. A candidate should be able to observe a patient accurately and completely at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation and is enhanced by a sense of smell.
2. Communication: A candidate should be able to speak, to hear, and to observe patients in order to elicit information, perceive non-verbal communication, describe changes in mood, activity and posture. A candidate should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech but reading and writing. Communication in oral and written form with the health care team must be effective and efficient.
3. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. A candidate should be able to carry out basic laboratory tests (urinalysis, CBC, wet mount, gram stain, etc.) and carry out diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (phlebotomy, venipuncture, placement of catheters and tubes). A candidate should have motor function sufficient to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment for patients. Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of a physician assistant are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the administration of intravenous medications, the application of pressure to arrest bleeding, the opening of obstructed airways, the suturing of simple wounds and the performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers. Such skills require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
4. Intellectual: Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of PA's requires all these abilities. The candidate must also be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.
5. Behavioral and Social Attributes: A candidate should possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients. Candidates should be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, and to function effectively under stress. They should be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainty inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that are assessed during the Admission and education processes.

This is a guide for courses at Chapman University that can be used to satisfy the Masters of Medical Science PA Studies Program prerequisites.

Foreign Coursework

All Foreign Academic records must be translated to English and certified by University Language Services and submitted to CASPA. If foreign transcripts are in English applicants still need to submit the foreign transcript to CASPA and also have them evaluated by one of the following services: World Education Services (WES), International Education Research Foundation (IERF), and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).

All foreign coursework and degrees must be evaluated for North American equivalencies with calculated GPAs on a 4.0 scale by one of these services and submitted to CASPA. We will only recognize the degree, course credentials, and GPA that they have evaluated.

Depending on the circumstances, the applicant might have to begin with the language services because WES, IERF, and ECE will not evaluate the credential or coursework or calculate GPA without an English translation. All of these services are the responsibility of the applicant.

Undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applicants are considered for admission to Chapman’s MMS PA Studies Program. Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens, permanent U.S residents holding a valid green card, and applicants who have been granted DACA status by the U.S. government. Matriculation to the program is contingent upon a valid social security number, current work permit, successful background check, and compliance with the Program’s health clearance requirements. Maintaining eligibility is the responsibility of the student.  

Upon completion of the MMS PA Studies Program, graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). While DACA students are currently eligible to apply for and obtain a license to practice in California, eligibility varies by state. Therefore, students and prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the State’s licensure entity where they intend to practice and review all licensure and certification requirements imposed by the State(s) of their choice.  

• California licensure information
• state-specific licensure information

Matriculant Student Data

• Matriculant Data Averages - Last Five Years

Graduating Student Data

• NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report - Last Five Years
• NCCPA PANCE First Time Taker Summary Report - Last Five Years

*Attrition rate calculation:  Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.

**Graduation rate:  Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

SCHOLARSHIP

The Chapman University PA Studies Program is pleased to be able to award a number of merit-based scholarships to incoming students who have demonstrated excellence in the following areas: Academics, Community Service, Healthcare Experience, Leadership, and Research.

Simon Scholar PA Scholarship Program

The new Simon Scholar PA Scholarship Program creates pathways for underserved Orange and San Diego County students facing adversity by offering full-tuition scholarships. This scholarship supports eligible students who wish to earn their Master in Medical Science degree (MMS) at the Chapman University Physician Assistant program. Learn more about the Simon Scholar PA Scholarship Program here.

FINANCIAL AID

The Graduate Financial Aid Office supports Chapman University’s mission and vision of being a student-oriented institution that provides personalized education to all students. To learn more about financial aid or to apply, please visit the Graduate Financial Aid Office website.

MMS-PA/BS Bridge

Highly qualified Health Science majors at Chapman University who satisfy all Bridge Program criteria are offered an interview. This does not guarantee admission to the program. Interviewed applicants who have satisfied the Bridge Program requirements are carefully considered alongside other qualified applicants, and offers of acceptance are extended to selected candidates. View the Bridge Program criteria here.

The program hosts information sessions and tours each spring to provide information about the program and the application process. 

To register for a program event, please visit our PA Program Events Page.