Apply to Union’s PA Program

Your journey toward a rewarding career as a PA starts with CASPA.

How do I apply?

To apply to the Union College Master of Physician Assistant Studies Program, use CASPA, Central Application Service for Physician Assistants—a service that provides a single application you can submit to PA programs across the country. Get started here.

Applications are typically initiated after May 1 and must be submitted and given the designation of "completed" through CASPA by September 1. 

PA Program applications are processed at Union College after they are verified, and interviews will be granted from May-September.

If you have questions regarding the online application process, please contact CASPA directly at https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login or call 617-612-2080.

If you have any difficulties completing the application process, do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Union College does not require the GRE, and a supplemental application is not required.

Policy on generative AI use

The Union College PA Program expects applicants to submit applications that are their own work, including but not limited to, personal statements, essays, and descriptions of work and education activities and events. Any work not written by the applicant or modified, in whole or part, by any other person or any generative artificial intelligence platform, technology, system or process, including but not limited to ChatGPT (collectively, “Generative AI”) will be disqualified and removed from the applicant pool by the Union College PA Program.

The Union College PA Program reserves the right to use platforms, technology, systems, and processes that detect content submitted in CASPA and/or provided to the Union College PA Program that was created, written, and/or modified, in whole or part, through the use of Generative AI. 

(The above information is only for master’s level students. If you're interested in a bachelor’s degree, please go to PA Prospective Students.)

Ensure you meet the requirements before applying.

Admissions requirements

Admission into the PA Program is limited and competitive. Please make sure you understand the requirements thoroughly before applying.

Bachelor's degree—You must complete a bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university (any major) and the PA Program prerequisite requirements. All prerequisites must be completed by August of the year of admission. All college transcripts must be received by CASPA by September 1. See the list of prerequisite classes below.

(Note: Students in Union's Biomedical Science, Advanced Pre-PA Emphasis program are exempt from the Bachelor's degree requirement.) 

GPA—You must have GPAs (cumulative and science) of at least 3.0 on a 4.00 scale for all college work. All transcripts (domestic and abroad) will be included. 

Technical Standards—You must demonstrate proficiency in a variety of cognitive, problem solving, tactile, communicative, and interpersonal skills.

Learn more about our technical standards.

Recommendations—You must present three letters of recommendation.

Learn more requirements for letters of recommendation.

Work experience—You must have at least 480 hours of direct patient health care experience by the time you enter the program, 240 of which must be completed and reported at time of application. If the 480 hours are not completed at the time of application, a clear plan that confirms how the hours will be completed by the start of PA classes is required.

Learn more about work experience requirements.

Shadowing—You must have spent time shadowing a PA.

Learn more about shadowing a PA.

Interview—After you submit complete application materials, you may be selected for a personal interview with members of the PA Program Admissions Committee.

Learn more about the personal interview.

Letter from Previous Program Director—If applying from a previous PA or medical school where a diploma was not granted, applicant must supply a letter of recommendation from the previous program director.

International students

Click here for additional information for international students.

Prerequisite courses

Complete these undergraduate classes before beginning your master's. 

These are the prerequisite courses you'll need to complete before you begin the PA Program. There is no time period expiration on prerequisite courses. The transfer equivalency tool may help you find if the courses you took qualify.

Courses

Semester hours

General Biology I *

4

General Biology II * °

4

Microbiology *

4

Human Anatomy * ^

4

Human Physiology * ^

4

General Chemistry I *

4

Organic Chemistry I *

4

Biochemistry (lab preferred) +

3-4

Medical Terminology

1

Elementary Statistics & Probability

3

Developmental (Lifespan) Psychology

3

* Lab required

°Another biology course may (at the discretion of the PA Program) be substituted to fulfill this prerequisite requirement. Examples of substitution include, but are not limited to: Developmental Biology, Immunology, Genetics, Molecular Biology, Endocrinology, or Cell Biology. Please direct questions to Jan Lemon, Admission Coordinator  (jan.lemon@ucollege.edu).

^ Upper division series is preferred

+ Must be upper division (Note: Upper division courses are 300-400 courses (or 3000-4000) geared toward college juniors and seniors. These courses are not offered at community colleges.

Other information

  • All science classes and required labs must be taken in person rather than online. 
  • Since the MPAS is a rigorous graduate program, Union College prefers courses from a four-year college or university. We recommend that you take some upper division biology and chemistry courses for better preparation and to show your academic strength.
  • Union College does not accept prerequisite courses with grades less than "C." Even if you retake courses to get better grades, all courses are averaged when applying to the PA Program.
  • We understand the disruption the COVID-19 has caused to students’ education. We are committed to working with students as they work to meet admission requirements. For science prerequisite requirements, we will accept online course work and pass/fail course work (equaling a C or above) for the spring, summer, and fall 2020 terms. We will also accept online science prerequisite course work for the spring and summer 2021 terms. Science prerequisite classes taken in the fall of 2021 and onward must be taken in person as is our usual policy. For additional questions regarding ability to meet specific requirements as related to COVID-19, please direct questions to the PA department.

Getting accepted

All applications are reviewed without regard to age, sex, race, color, ethnicity, creed or national origin. Admission preference is given to Union College students or graduates and to graduates of other accredited North American Division Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities (read more about our admission preferences below). 

The PA Program Admissions Committee admits applicants from other colleges and universities who have demonstrated a commitment to Christian principles and are best suited to meet the educational goals of the Union College PA Program. The committee will recommend candidates who meet the admission requirements, technical standards, and course prerequisites listed herein, and present the best overall profile evidenced in these areas: 

  1. Overall GPA—ability to meet the demands of the PA Program as shown by college GPA, grade trends, and variety and rigor of courses taken.
  2. Science GPA—ability to successfully complete the basic science portion of the PA Program as shown by the quality of academic science preparation.
  3. Health care experience—ability to perform professionally in the health care environment as shown by experience in the delivery of health care.
  4. Christian values—career goals consistent with the philosophy and goals of Union College, including commitment to Christian service.
  5. Sound healthphysical and mental health to meet the standards of the profession, as evidenced by completion of a physical examination (and submission of the required form).
  6. Outstanding character—noteworthy character traits such as moral integrity, compassion, diligence, etc.
  7. Personality and maturity—commendable interpersonal skills and appropriate maturity based on a personal interview with representatives of the PA Program Admissions Committee.

Admissions preferences

Admission preference is given to Union College students or graduates and to graduates of other accredited North American Division Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities. This preference is a linear formula based upon the number of semester hours the applicant has completed at Union College or another accredited Seventh-day Adventist college or university in the United States and takes into account the overall applicants score (post-interview) to apply preference points for final ranking of interviewed applicants.

The Union College PA Program also has interview preference for undergraduate Union College and Bryan College of Health Science students who meet the following criteria: Maintenance of 3.5 science and 3.5 cumulative GPAs; completion of all application requirements, and a successful interview (although obtaining an interview does not guarantee admission). 

Applicants applying as Biomedical Science, Advanced Pre-PA Emphasis students will be considered by the Admissions Committee based on criteria established for this degree. These criteria allow exceptional applicants from Union College to apply to the PA Program prior to their junior year of undergraduate studies. If accepted, these students would begin the PA Program studies after the successful completion of their junior year and would earn the Biomedical Science Advanced Pre-PA Emphasis degree at the successful completion of their first full year in the PA Program. The Admissions Committee will determine their acceptance prior to the end of the applicants’ junior fall semester. Biomedical Science Advanced Pre-PA Emphasis students who are not accepted into the PA program may not reapply for this degree and will be advised to pursue a different degree option. As these students work to complete four-year degrees, they may again apply and may be accepted into the program after graduation. These students, however, have no additional preference than what is outlined above. 

Preference is also granted to all applicants with direct, hands-on patient care experience in a clinical setting; please see the above section "work experience requirements" for more information.

 

Policy for PA Applicant Processing

1. Applicants received from CASPA are reviewed.

2. Those not meeting application requirements are notified via email.

3. Those meeting application requirements are considered for interviews through approval of the Admissions Committee, through a rolling admissions process of first-come, first-served (see below for more information).

4. Approximately 100 candidates will be invited for interviews (to fill 30 available seats).

5. Candidates interview from May to September. 

6. Applicants are notified by email of their status. 

Understanding the Rolling Admissions Process

The Union College PA Program uses a rolling admissions approach.  In this approach, interviews are conducted and admission decisions are made while applications are still being accepted. Our process is specifically designed so that open seats remain after the application deadline and conclusion of interviews in September.

While applications are reviewed in the order that they are received, all applicants who meet our minimum requirements will remain under consideration for the duration of the interview period and may be invited for an interview at any time during that period. 

In this rolling approach, the timeline between application submission and interview invitation can vary significantly for a given applicant. Thus, one applicant could submit their application in May and receive an invitation to interview in June, while another applicant could submit their application in May and receive and invitation to interview in September.

If not selected for an interview, applicants are notified at the conclusion of the interview season, typically by October.

Post-acceptance requirements

Seat Deposit—To accept an offered seat, a $650 non-refundable deposit, along with written notice of acceptance, must be received within 10 days of acceptance. 

Health requirements—You must complete a physical examination and have all required immunizations.

Learn more about the physical examination requirements.

Learn more about the PA Program immunization requirements.

Background check—You must receive clearance through a criminal background check.

Learn more about the background check.

Health insurance—proof of current, valid personal health insurance is required while enrolled as a PA student. Personal liability insurance is encouraged.

American Heart Association HeartCode BLS—CPR certification must be obtained by May1 of the same calendar year the student begins the PA Program and must be kept active while a PA student.

Acceptance statistics

Summary of graduate program accepted students, 2019-2021 CASPA Admission Cycles

Class of 2025 applicant pool profile

Advanced placement

Within the Union College PA Program, “advanced placement” refers to allowing students to transfer graduate credits from another accredited PA institution rather than complet­ing those hours in the Union College PA Program. While possible for didactic course­work, advanced placement does not apply to the clinical component (clinical rotation experiences in the third year).

Transfer of PA professional courses—those specific to the PA profession, not to include general study requirements that are part of a bachelor’s degree in PA studies—is limited to students transferring from another accredited PA Program. The student must have a recommendation from the previous program and may be required to validate proficiency in courses being transferred either by a challenge examination or by demonstration of the necessary skills. Individuals requesting advanced placement must meet the regular application and selection criteria.

Due to the rigorous academic course work in the PA Program, international medical graduates may not receive advanced placement beyond the scope of this policy. (See the PA Student Handbook Section 9.10.2 ADVANCED PLACEMENT.)