Minimum Requirements

Undergraduate Degree Completion 

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree must be completed prior to the intended summer start date for the program. No preference is given to any specific area of study.

Credits & Transfers

• The admissions committee accepts coursework from any U.S. regionally accredited institution. However, this does not guarantee that all coursework will meet IU MPAS prerequisite standards.
• Per the IU MPAS Transfer Credit and Advanced Placement Policy, the program does not grant advanced placement and does not accept transfer credit from other physician assistant programs. All students must complete the entire prescribed curriculum in sequence, regardless of prior graduate or professional coursework. There is not an option for the curriculum to be accelerated.

Prerequisite Courses

• All prerequisites with a maximum of one outstanding course must be completed at the time of your application. All prerequisite courses must be completed before starting the program. The IU MPAS prerequisite courses do not have an expiration date.

*For combined Human Anatomy & Physiology classes, a two-course sequence—two semesters or one full year—at a 200 level or higher is recommended.

• All courses, except for Medical Terminology, must be at least three credit hours.
• Online courses are accepted for science courses with labs, though in-person labs are recommended. 
• Read the prerequisite course descriptions to make sure your prerequisites are a suitable match.

Prerequisite Course Grade Requirements 

• The required courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher. In some cases, an official course description or syllabus may be requested to ensure the course you completed aligns with the required IU MPAS prerequisites.
• If you have an outstanding prerequisite course, it too must be completed with a grade of C or higher. A final transcript indicating successful completion of the prerequisite is required prior to matriculation into the program.
• Applicants are permitted to retake prerequisite courses, and both the original and repeated course grades will be factored into the GPA calculation. The interpretation of repeated coursework varies.

In some cases, students may have struggled in prerequisite courses due to external factors but later return to school, repeat those courses, and excel across the curriculum. This upward academic trajectory suggests a strong potential for success in PA school.

However, simply retaking a course to replace a poor grade does not automatically strengthen an application. A pattern of excellence across all coursework is a more meaningful indicator of an applicant’s readiness for the rigors of PA education.

Cumulative and Overall Science GPA

• Both cumulative and overall science grade point averages are calculated by CASPA. 
• A minimum cumulative grade point average, including all undergraduate and graduate courses, of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale is required.
• A minimum overall grade point average of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale for all science courses is also required. For a list of all course subjects factored into the science GPA view CASPA's course subject list.

Preferences 

• Cumulative GPA and overall science GPA significantly higher than the minimum requirement of 3.2. In the most recent graduating cohort, the average cumulative GPA was 3.87 and the overall science GPA was 3.83.
• All prerequisite courses completed with a B– or better.

Minimum Requirements 

• The purpose of accruing patient care experience is to ensure the applicant has adequate exposure to the health care system, patients, and the role of a physician assistant.
• There is no minimum number of patient care hours or pre-approval process required.
• All hours linked to patient care will be considered including both paid and volunteer roles.
• PA shadowing hours are not calculated in the cumulative number of patient care hours but are encouraged as a way to better understand the physician assistant's role in the healthcare system.
• Each applicant’s patient care experiences will be individually evaluated on the quality of the experiences and the cumulative patient care hours obtained. The quality of the experience is assessed based on the amount of direct hands-on patient care involved in the role. Inclusion of a detailed description of duties is encouraged for the most accurate assessment of the quality of experiences.
• Examples of acceptable patient care experiences include, but are not limited to, employment as a Medical Assistant, Patient Care Tech, Registered Nurse, Combat Medic, Paramedic, or Emergency Medical Technician.
• All patient care hours should be recorded in the CASPA application in the “Experiences” section. Please review the information contained in the link below for directions regarding what types of activities should be placed in the subcategories in the "Experiences" section of the CASPA application.

 Learn more about experiences

Preferences

• At least 1000 hours of direct hands-on patient care hours.
• Many competitive candidates will have over 2000 hours.

Requirements 

• Leadership is a core value of the IU MPAS program. While there is no minimum hour requirement for leadership, successful applicants will have at least some experience in leadership roles.
• Each applicant's leadership experience will be assessed based on scope, impact, and cumulative hours. Inclusion of a detailed description of duties is encouraged for the most accurate assessment of the scope and impact of leadership roles.
• All leadership roles should be recorded in the CASPA application in the “Experiences” section. Please review the information contained in the link below for directions regarding what types of activities should be placed in the subcategories in the "Experiences" section of the CASPA application. 

Learn more about experiences

Preferences 

• Meaningful leadership roles with significant scope and impact over at least a one-year period.
• Demonstration of initiative, decision-making skills, delegation, and ability to take on responsibility.

Requirements

• A commitment to service and advocacy is essential to the IU MPAS mission.
• Applicants will be evaluated on consistent, impactful community service and advocacy experiences that reflect dedication to helping others and improving communities.
• All community service and advocacy experiences should be recorded in the CASPA application in the “Experiences” section. 

Learn more about experiences

Preferences 

• Ongoing and consistent community service throughout the 3 years prior to submission of application.

Applicants must meet the technical standards that are deemed essential to be an MPAS student and to practice medicine. (Adapted from the Indiana University School of Medicine Technical Non-Academic Standards.) If you have any questions regarding accommodations available to students at IU Indianapolis, please contact Accessible Education Services.

Observation 

• The applicant/physician assistant student must be able to participate actively in all demonstrations and laboratory exercises in the basic medical sciences and to assess and comprehend the condition of all patients assigned to him or her for examination, diagnosis, and treatment. Such observation and information acquisition usually requires the functional use of visual, auditory, and somatic sensation.

Communication 

• The applicant/physician assistant student must be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients in order to elicit information, describe changes in mood, activity and posture, assess non-verbal communications, and be able to effectively and efficiently transmit information to patients, fellow students, faculty, staff and all members of the health-care team. Communication skills include speaking, reading and writing, as well as the observation skills described above.

Motor

• The applicant/physician assistant student must have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers; be able to perform basic laboratory tests; possess all skills necessary to carry out diagnostic procedures, and be able to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment to patients.

Intellectual-conceptual, Integrative, and Quantitative Abilities 

• The applicant/physician assistant student must be able to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of physician assistants, requires all of these intellectual abilities. In addition, the applicant/physician assistant student must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures. The applicant/physician assistant student must have the capacity to perform these problem-solving skills in a timely fashion.

Behavorial and Social Attributes 

• The applicant/physician assistant student must possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his or 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 and others. They must also be able to tolerate taxing workloads, function effectively under stress, adapt to a changing environment, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of uncertainties inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, commitment, and motivation are personal qualities that each applicant/physician assistant student should possess.