Home / Academics / Graduate / Find a Program / Master of Medical Science (MMSc) Physician Assistant / Admission Requirements | Ursuline - Liberal Arts College in OH
To be eligible for consideration for admission in the Ursuline College Master of Medical Science (MMSc) program, applicants will need to create an account with the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). There is no supplemental application; all applications must be submitted through CASPA.
Application and admission into PA programs are competitive; not all applicants who meet Ursuline College minimum criteria will receive an interview invitation. An interview is required prior to admission to the program.
All prerequisites do not need to be completed at the time of CASPA application but must be successfully completed before students matriculate in the program.
Questions?
If you have questions, reach out to PAadmissions@ursuline.edu at any time.
• Completion of an application for admission to the Ursuline College Physician Program utilizing the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Note: There is no supplemental application.
• CASPA opens the last Thursday in April annually. The admissions window for Ursuline College will be from the time CASPA opens in April until September 1st.
• Only CASPA verified, complete applications received by September 1st will be considered for the application cycle.
• All official transcript(s) for baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited, U.S.-based institution and any additional undergraduate or graduate academic coursework whether credit was earned, the program was completed, or the credit appears as transfer credit on another transcript. Transcript(s) must be sent directly to CASPA. Once received by CASPA, the transcript verification may take up to four weeks.
• A baccalaureate degree must be conferred prior to beginning the program.
• Minimum cumulative GPA and science GPA must be at least 3.0.
• Exceptions may be made (but are not guaranteed) for candidates who present compelling evidence of success in graduate coursework. This means that if an applicant has an overall GPA of < 3.0, their application may still be reviewed/considered by our team if they have completed an entire masters or doctorate level program.
• The prerequisite courses listed are minimum requirements. Candidates must have completed one semester of each of these prerequisite courses, with a grade of C or better in each course (no grade of “C-” or lower will be accepted), prior to enrollment. All prerequisites do not need to be completed at the time of CASPA application but must be successfully completed before students matriculate in the program.
• Pass/Fail classes will not fulfill prerequisite requirements; a letter and numerical grade must be submitted to fulfill the requirements.
• Advanced coursework will be considered as part of the admissions process. AP course credits can satisfy prerequisite requirements.
• All prerequisites do not need to be completed at the time of CASPA application but must be successfully completed before students matriculate in the program.
• In-progress courses that will be completed prior to the program start date are to be listed in CASPA and will be reviewed.
• All prerequisite courses must have been completed within 10 years.
• General Chemistry I & II
• Organic Chemistry
• Biology I & II
• Human Anatomy and Physiology I & II with labs*
• Genetics
• Microbiology
• Medical terminology
• Psychology
• Statistics
• English
* One semester of Human Anatomy with lab PLUS one semester of Human Physiology with lab can substitute for Anatomy and Physiology I and II with labs.
Three recommendations utilizing the required recommendation form or standard recommendation letter format must be submitted directly to CASPA. One reference is required from each category:
• A person holding the PA-C, MD or DO designation and who also holds a current license to practice under that designation.
• A college or university professor where the candidate has been a student in one or more of the classes taught by the faculty member OR an additional person holding the PA-C, MD or DO designation.
• A reference of your choice of someone who has knowledge of your work ethic, academic record, volunteer work or other activities and can comment on your ability to succeed in the physician assistant program.
Application and admission into PA programs are competitive; not all applicants who meet Ursuline College minimum criteria will receive an interview invitation.
• An interview is required prior to admission to the program.
• The PA program selects candidates to interview between May and December.
• All interviews are held on campus in Pepper Pike, OH.
• Aligned with our mission to educate socially conscious healthcare providers and our vision to develop leaders in medicine who serve diverse communities, Ursuline College's PA Program prioritizes interview opportunities for qualified candidates who demonstrate connections to underserved populations, military service, first-generation college status, and graduates of Ursuline College. Granting an interview does not equate to acceptance into the program. Mission aligned preferences include:
• High school HPSA
• Military Veterans
• First-Generation College Student
• Ursuline College Graduate
Our admissions process is holistic and mission driven. Meeting minimum requirements allows for application review, but the qualities below help candidates stand out.
We closely review applications for alignment with our mission to educate socially conscious healthcare providers and develop leaders who serve diverse communities. We give strong consideration to applicants with meaningful connections to:
• Underserved or Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA)
• Military service
• First-generation college experience
• Ursuline College (e.g. graduates)
We intentionally build collaborative learning communities and select individuals who will both thrive in and strengthen their cohort. We value applicants who demonstrate:
• Respect for diverse perspectives and experiences
• Teamwork over competition
• Positive contributions to group culture
In addition to prerequisite completion, we consider the depth and caliber of coursework when evaluating readiness. Competitive applicants often:
• Complete upper-level science coursework
• Select academically rigorous courses or complete graduate level coursework
• Demonstrate sustained success in challenging curricula
Strong academic performance reflects preparation for the intensity of graduate medical education. We evaluate:
• Cumulative and science GPA
• Academic trends and consistency over time
We seek candidates prepared for the pace and independence of PA training. Through the application and interview process, we assess:
• Understanding of the PA profession
• Professional maturity
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Self-motivation and accountability
If you have questions, reach out to PAadmissions@ursuline.edu at any time.
The PA program requires the following vaccines consistent with current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Recommendations:
About Hepatitis B Vaccination | CDC
If you don’t have documented evidence of a complete hepB vaccine series, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to hepatitis B (i.e., no serologic evidence of immunity or prior vaccination) then you should
Get a 3-dose series of Recombivax HB or Engerix-B (dose #1 now, #2 in 1 month, #3 approximately 5 months after #2) or a 2-dose series of Heplisav-B, with the doses separated by at least 4 weeks.
Get an anti-HBs serologic test 1-2 months after the final dose.
See Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States: Recommendations of the ACIP.
About Seasonal Flu Vaccination and Preventable Disease | CDC
Get 1 dose of influenza vaccine annually.
About Measles Vaccination | CDC
If you were born in 1957 or later and have not had the MMR vaccine, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to measles or mumps (i.e., no serologic evidence of immunity or prior vaccination), get 2 doses of MMR (1 dose now and the 2nd dose at least 28 days later).
If you were born in 1957 or later and have not had the MMR vaccine, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to rubella, only 1 dose of MMR is recommended. However, you may end up receiving 2 doses, because the rubella component is in the combination vaccine with measles and mumps. For HCWs born before 1957, see the MMR ACIP vaccine recommendations.
About Chickenpox Vaccination | CDC
If you have not had chickenpox (varicella), if you haven’t had varicella vaccine, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to varicella (i.e., no serologic evidence of immunity or prior vaccination) get 2 doses of varicella vaccine, 4 weeks apart.
About Pertussis Vaccination | CDC
Get a one-time dose of Tdap as soon as possible if you have not received Tdap previously (regardless of when previous dose of Td was received).
Get either a Td or Tdap booster shot every 10 years thereafter.
Pregnant HCWs need to get a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy.
All U.S. health care personnel should be screened for TB upon hire (i.e., preplacement). TB screening is a process that includes:
• A baseline individual TB risk assessment.
• TB symptom evaluation
• A TB test (e.g., TB blood test or a TB skin test)
• Additional evaluation for TB disease as needed
For More Information:
Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers | CDC
Testing & Diagnosis | TB | CDC
Health information is maintained by CastleBranch, the PA program only has access to confirmation of completion.
Procedure
Minimum Technical Standards
Candidate must acquire information as presented through demonstrations and experiences in lectures and laboratories. Candidates must be able to evaluate patients accurately and assess their relevant health, behavioral, and medical information. Candidates must be able to obtain and interpret information through a comprehensive assessment of patients, correctly interpret clinical data, accurately evaluate patients’ conditions and responses, as well as develop a diagnostic and treatment plan. Vision, hearing and touch or the functional equivalent is required.
Candidates must exhibit interpersonal skills to enable effective caregiving of patients, including the ability to communicate effectively and sensitively in English, with all members of a multidisciplinary health care team, patients, and those supporting patients, in person and in writing. Candidates must be able to clearly and accurately record information and accurately interpret verbal and nonverbal communications.
Candidates must have adequate physical endurance, motor function and sensory ability to be able to provide and/or direct the:
• Provision of general care and emergency treatment to patients.
• Performance of routine physical examination and diagnostic maneuvers.
• Performance of treatment maneuvers, which may include lifting, transferring of patients, and assisting during. ambulation while assuring their own safety as well as the safety of the patient.
• Elicitation of information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and movement of limbs.
• Candidates must meet applicable relevant safety standards for the environment and follow universal precaution procedures.
Candidates must effectively interpret, assimilate, and understand the complex information required to function within the health professional programs of the SOM. Problem solving is a critical skill that requires conceptual integrative and quantitative thinking abilities. Candidates must also be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships, the spatial and functional relationships of structures, and to analyze and apply this information for problem-solving and decision-making. Candidates must be able to effectively participate in educational activities either online or in person, individually and in small groups in all learning environments. They must have the ability to organize, prioritize, analyze, and evaluate detailed and complex information individually, in small groups, in clinical settings and within a limited time frame both in person and via remote technology. Candidates must be able to learn, participate, collaborate, and contribute as part of a team.
Candidates must exercise good judgement and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients. A candidate must have the emotional health to fully use their intellectual ability, exercise good judgement, and to complete all responsibilities attendant to the evaluation and treatment of patients. They must be honest, able to self-assess own mistakes, respond constructively to feedback and assume responsibility for maintaining professional behavior. The skills required include the ability to effectively handle and manage heavy workloads, function-effectively under stress, adapt to changing environments, display flexibility, and learn to function in the face of the uncertainties inherent in the practice of their profession.
A candidate must be able to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with faculty, patients, families, caregivers and colleagues. A candidate must be able to tolerate physical and emotional stress, maintain alertness and wakefulness, and continue to function effectively. They must have a high level of compassion for others, motivation to serve and integrity. They must behave in an ethical and moral manner consistent with professional values and standards. A candidate must possess sufficient interpersonal skills to interact positively and sensitively with all people.
The PA program requires the following vaccines consistent with current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations:
About Hepatitis B Vaccination | CDC
If you don’t have documented evidence of a complete hepB vaccine series, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to hepatitis B (i.e., no serologic evidence of immunity or prior vaccination) then you should
Get a 3-dose series of Recombivax HB or Engerix-B (dose #1 now, #2 in 1 month, #3 approximately 5 months after #2) or a 2-dose series of Heplisav-B, with the doses separated by at least 4 weeks.
Get an anti-HBs serologic test 1-2 months after the final dose.
See Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United States: Recommendations of the ACIP.
About Seasonal Flu Vaccination and Preventable Disease | CDC
Get 1 dose of influenza vaccine annually.
About Measles Vaccination | CDC
If you were born in 1957 or later and have not had the MMR vaccine, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to measles or mumps (i.e., no serologic evidence of immunity or prior vaccination), get 2 doses of MMR (1 dose now and the 2nd dose at least 28 days later).
If you were born in 1957 or later and have not had the MMR vaccine, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to rubella, only 1 dose of MMR is recommended. However, you may end up receiving 2 doses, because the rubella component is in the combination vaccine with measles and mumps. For HCWs born before 1957, see the MMR ACIP vaccine recommendations.
About Chickenpox Vaccination | CDC
If you have not had chickenpox (varicella), if you haven’t had varicella vaccine, or if you don’t have a blood test that shows you are immune to varicella (i.e., no serologic evidence of immunity or prior vaccination) get 2 doses of varicella vaccine, 4 weeks apart.
About Pertussis Vaccination | CDC
Get a one-time dose of Tdap as soon as possible if you have not received Tdap previously (regardless of when previous dose of Td was received).
Get either a Td or Tdap booster shot every 10 years thereafter.
Pregnant HCWs need to get a dose of Tdap during each pregnancy.
All U.S. health care personnel should be screened for TB upon hire (i.e., preplacement). TB screening is a process that includes:
• A baseline individual TB risk assessment.
• TB symptom evaluation
• A TB test (e.g., TB blood test or a TB skin test)
• Additional evaluation for TB disease as needed
For More Information:
Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers | CDC
Testing & Diagnosis | TB | CDC
Health information is maintained by CastleBranch, the PA program only has access to confirmation of completion.
Procedure
