Admissions

Application

2025-2026 Application Cycle

The University of New England Master of Science, Physician Assistant program participates in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). All applicants are required to apply online through this service.

Degree Requirement

• Completion of a Bachelor’s Degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution, or international equivalent, before matriculation.
• All applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Official transcripts should be sent directly to CASPA. Please refer to the CASPA application for additional information and instructions.

GPA Requirements

• Prerequisite GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Last sixty (60) credit hours GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• All applicants must meet or exceed minimum GPA requirements to be considered for admission.

Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Highly Recommended Courses

Additional consideration will be given to applicants who have successfully completed one (1) or more of the courses listed below:

• Pathophysiology
• Advanced Physiology
• Immunology
• Medical Terminology
• Cell Biology
• Organic Chemistry w/lab

Other Important Prerequisite Coursework Considerations

• All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed with a grade of C or better (C- grades are not acceptable).
• Applicants with questions about the equivalency of specific prerequisite course(s) are encouraged to submit the UNE PA Prerequisite Equivalency form.
• All prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. college or university, or an international equivalent.
• Prerequisite courses may be in progress or planned at the time of application, although all courses must be completed with official transcripts submitted to CASPA no later than December 31, 2025.
• All planned or in-progress coursework should be listed on the CASPA application at the time of application submission.
• Online courses offered through UNE’s Online Science Prerequisites as well as some online courses from other regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities are acceptable.
• Advanced Placement (AP) test credit is accepted towards prerequisite requirements for Behavioral Science (3 cr), English (3 cr), and Statistics (3 cr). To apply AP credits towards prerequisite requirements, the credits must be detailed by subject on the undergraduate transcript. An official letter from the University Registrar with a detailed subject breakdown is also acceptable.

Letters of Evaluation

Three (3) letters of evaluation are required, submitted via CASPA.

• One (1) letter must come from a practicing PA (or PA-C).
• Two (2) letters should come from other healthcare providers, professors, supervisors, or co-workers.
• Letters should be requested from those who can speak directly to the applicant’s academic abilities and/or professional experiences.
• Letters from friends or family members are not acceptable.

Standardized Test

UNE PA encourages all applicants to complete and upload a copy of the Casper Assessment score report alongside the CASPA application. While it is not required, it is highly recommended and will help the admissions committee gain valuable insight as part of our holistic application review process. Applicants who submit a Casper Assessment score report may receive additional consideration during application review.

Patient Care Experience Hours

UNE PA applicants should complete a minimum of five hundred (500) hours of direct patient care experience before application submission:

• Patient care experience (PCE) is direct and hands-on, and generally takes place in an allopathic or osteopathic medical setting.
• Hours can be completed through paid employment or volunteer work.
• Hours completed for academic credit, e.g. internship hours to complete a bachelor’s degree, are acceptable.
• All hours must be documented within the CASPA application, specifically within the Patient Care Experiences section.
• Please note: While the minimum requirement is 500 hours, the average for highly competitive applicants is typically around 2,500+ hours.

Shadowing Hours

All applicants are required to complete at least twenty (20) unpaid hours of Physician Assistant (PA) shadowing before application submission:

• Shadowing hours must be completed with a licensed PA or PA-C.
• Shadowing in more than one (1) practice facility and practice area is recommended in order to gain a clear understanding of the PA role within a medical team.
• Shadowing hours do not count toward direct patient care experience hours.

Personal Statement

Please refer to the CASPA application for writing prompts and additional information.

Interviews

Interviews are a required part of the application process.

Highly qualified applicants will be contacted and invited to interview by the Office of Graduate Admissions & Recruitment.

International Applicants

International applicants and those with foreign degrees and coursework are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:

• Official credential evaluation by World Education Service (WES), confirming degree and grade equivalency to that of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. The completed credential evaluation should be submitted directly to CASPA. Please refer to the International Admissions section of the UNE website for more information on the type of credential evaluation required for admission review.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate written and spoken fluency through the successful completion of an English language proficiency test. Applicants should refer to the English Language Proficiency page on the UNE website for specific information, minimum score requirements, and test score submission instructions.

Other Requirements

Before matriculation, accepted and deposited students will be required to complete the following compliance requirements:

• Completion of physical examination with proof of up-to-date immunization status. Please refer to UNE’s Student Health Services for detailed information.
• Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen prior to matriculation, as well as periodically throughout the program (as required by clinical affiliations).
• All students must have a current American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) certification at the time of matriculation. BLS certification status must remain current throughout the duration of the program.
• All students must be able to meet the Academic and Technical Standards of the Physician Assistant profession.

All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of UNE and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

Policy Exceptions

Exceptions to existing admission policies are rare and made on a case-by-case basis, only when it is deemed necessary and appropriate to maintain fair and consistent practice for all candidates.

All academic (coursework and degree), health, and experience requirements presented in this summary are subject to change per accreditation mandates or clinical affiliation requirements.

Transfer credit is not accepted or awarded.