Have questions about the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) at Indiana University? Browse the FAQs below to find answers to some of our most common questions.
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General
We enroll 44 new students per year.
Students begin in the summer term. Typically, the first day is the second or third Monday in May.
The MPAS program is 27 months. Students begin in May and graduate two years later in August.
No. The program is an on-campus program. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, temporary adjustments to the curriculum have been made so students can continue progressing through the program during this time.
Due to the intensity and academic rigor of the program, the IU Department of Physician Assistant Studies strongly recommends that students do not work while in the program. Students are required to be available for class meetings Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional individual and group study time outside of class are also required.
We do not offer individual tours of our facilities; however, during admissions interviews, the program provides a tour of the MPAS program facilities.
If students would like to experience the IUPUI campus first-hand, schedule a campus tour through the IUPUI Admissions Office.
We encourage to you attend an information session hosted prior to the application deadline each cycle.
Admissions
Applications are accepted until August 1.
Our MPAS program does not use a rolling admissions process.
No. The MPAS admissions committee does not give preference to any applicant type.
Applicants that have completed coursework outside of the United States are required to have a course-by-course evaluation completed for all foreign coursework. Below are the evaluation services that have been approved by the PA admissions committee.
- International Education Research Foundation (IERF)
P.O. Box 3665
Culver City, CA 90231-3665
Phone: 310-258-9451
www.ierf.org - Josef Silny & Associates
7101 SW 102 Avenue
Miami, FL 33173
Phone: 305-273-1616
www.jsilny.com/index.htm - World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
PO Box 745
New York, NY 10113-0745
Phone: 212-966-6311
www.wes.org
The IU MPAS admissions committee accepts an undergraduate degree in any major from a regionally accredited institution. Completion of the prerequisite courses is also required. The most common undergraduate majors are biology, exercise science, health sciences, and psychology.
No. The GRE is not required and scores will not be reviewed.
Applicants are not eligible to apply if they do not meet our minimum requirements, which includes a 3.2 cumulative GPA and a 3.2 overall science GPA.
We do not give special consideration to the last 60 credit hours. All college coursework is factored into the cumulative GPA.
The most competitive applicants will likely be those that surpass the minimum academic requirements, have a clear understanding of the physician assistant profession, demonstrate professionalism, leadership, community service, and are a good match to the program vision, mission, and values.
The program requires patient contact hours though there are no minimum hour requirements. These hours may be paid, volunteer, or shadowing experiences. The purpose of accruing patient contact hours is to ensure the applicant has adequate exposure to the health care system, patients, and the role of a PA. All patient contact hours are accepted. Applicants need to address how their patient contact hours have prepared them for PA school in their personal statement. There is no ideal number of patient contact hours that applicants need to be most competitive. This requirement is just one part of the holistic admissions process.
No. You do not need to upload your transcripts in the IU CAS, and you do not need to submit them to IUPUI. Please only submit your official transcripts to CASPA.
Prerequisite coursework
Yes. The MPAS admissions committee accepts coursework from any regionally accredited institution.
Yes. Online courses and labs are being accepted for prerequisite requirements.
Yes. Prerequisites can be retaken. However, all attempts at prerequisite courses will be factored into the overall GPA calculations.
Review the prerequisite requirements for the IU MPAS program.
If you still have questions about a prerequisite's eligibility or match to the requirement email us shhsinfo@iupui.edu.
Applicants can only have one outstanding prerequisite at the time they submit their application. A prerequisite course is considered outstanding if it is incomplete and ungraded. The outstanding prerequisite can be completed in either the fall or spring semester. It will need to be completed by the time the program begins in May.
No. Transfer credits are not accepted. Applicants should be aware that all courses in the program curriculum are required. There is not an option for the curriculum to be accelerated.
No. The prerequisite requirements for admission to the MPAS program could have been completed at any time, from weeks ago to years ago.
Admission interviews
Applicants should expect interviews to occur in early fall for admission the following May.
Approximately 100 applicants are invited to interview each year.
Due to the volume of applicants, the admissions committee is not able to provide personalized feedback to each applicant based on their interview performance.
Denied applicants
Yes, you can reapply the next cycle. We offer one application cycle per year. It opens at the end of April and the deadline is August 1.
Financial aid and tuition
Visit the cost and finance page to see our scholarships for incoming students and learn more about financial aid opportunities.
Visit the cost and finance page to review the latest rates and fees.