Requirements

2024 Application Requirements (2025 entering class)

See the "Application" page for information on the CASPA Application and the CASPer Test. 

Information related to COVID 19:

  • The Utah PA Program has always accepted online coursework from regionally accredited institutions and community colleges. Transition to online learning for courses in response to the virus has no impact on applications.
  • For applicants whose institutions had adopted a short-notice pass/fail grading system for the spring/summer 2020 due to the pandemic, we accept "pass" or "credit" marked on transcripts to meet prerequisites during this temporary emergency period. 

1. Bachelor's Degree

BA, BS, or BAS (four-year, any major) from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning in the US or Canada is required. Applicants who are applying this year for the 2025 entering class who have yet to complete a bachelor’s degree must graduate no later than Friday, May 2, 2025, order to be eligible to matriculate into the next PA class that will start orientation on Monday, May 5, 2025. Foreign degrees can be accepted, but must be evaluated and meet US equivalency. Additionally, candidates with foreign degrees must complete a minimum of 30 semester credits of coursework (approximately one year full time equivalent) in the United States, including our mininum of 20 credits of prerequisite courses.

2. Prerequisite Coursework

All prerequisite coursework must be complete at the time you submit your application by the August 1 submission deadline. Coursework must be completed for a letter grade that is published on your official transcript and verified by CASPA. Community college coursework is accepted. Online coursework and online labs are accepted. 

Prerequisite grades and timeframe: We do not accept AP, CLEP, or audited coursework. Pass/Fail prerequisites accepted only from regionally accredited institutions whose pass minimum is B or higher. 

Prerequisite courses must be completed from a regionally accredited institutions of higher learning, including community colleges, in the United States or Canada for a letter grade. Foreign prerequisite coursework is not accepted. All courses must be entered on the CASPA application. Letter grades of less than C (such as C-) are not accepted for prerequisites, no exceptions. Online courses and online labs are accepted.

Expiration for Anatomy and Physiology: earlier than Fall 2017

Anatomy and Physiology courses taken before the start of the 2017 academic year (fall 2017) and earlier must be repeated no later than fall semester of 2024. There is no need for repeated coursework to be verified by CASPA, or to be completed before applying. Labs are not required for repeated coursework. If invited to interview with us, coursework completion (spring or summer), or verification of enrollment (fall 2024) will be requested. Online coursework is accepted. 

Prerequisites other than Anatomy and Physiology do not expire. 

Required Courses:

  • Human Anatomy, four semester credits - Must be human and with a lab; animal or comparative anatomy courses are not accepted. UPAP will accept a three-semester credit human anatomy class in lieu of the four-semester credit requirement (such as that offered by BYU Provo), but only if a lab was taken as a part of the class, and the class is accepted for science majors.
  • Human Physiology, four semester credits - Must be human; no other physiology courses are accepted,

           - or -

  • Anatomy and Physiology I and II, totaling eight semester credits - As a combined full year series is accepted in lieu of separate anatomy and physiology courses.

Institutions on the quarter system: one-year series of anatomy and physiology is accepted, if meeting a minimum of 10 quarter credits total, and includes labs. 

A mixed combination of the above courses will not be accepted. Applicants must take AP I & II or human anatomy and human physiology separately to meet the requirement. (Example: AP I [four credits] + Physiology [four credits] = a mixed combination. The candidate would be considered short on anatomy credit)

Human anatomy and human physiology courses taken from exercise science, sports science, or kinesiology departments are not accepted.

  • Biology, four semester credits, lab credit can be included All biology coursework with a relationship to the human body is accepted. Microbiology is most strongly recommended. General biology, cell, genetics and some intro classes are other examples of acceptable biology courses. Quarter system equivalent: 6 units.
  • Chemistry, eight semester credits, lab credit can be included All chemistry coursework is accepted, including intro, general, inorganic, organic and biochemistry. Quarter system equivalent: 12 units. 

Additional Coursework Recommendation Physician assistants care for patients from a broad range of backgrounds. Therefore, UPAP recommends that applicants have some coursework that supports understanding of diverse backgrounds and contributes to a sense of cultural competency. We also recommend courses in writing, statistics, microbiology, and genetics. However, no extra credit is given for having taken the aforementioned courses.

Coursework Completed at Non-US Schools
We do not accept foreign prerequisite coursework. All prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. For candidates holding foreign degrees (minimum 4 years of study), a total of 30 semester credits (approximately one year) at a regionally accredited US college or university must be completed as well, prerequisite credit included. No exceptions. 

3. Grade Point Average (GPA)

We require total and science GPAs calculated by CASPA to reach a minimum 3.0 threshold, as calculated by CASPA. Exception to this policy will be granted only to those who possess a science GPA equivalent to the matriculated class average of 3.50 or higher for their most recent 30-semester credits of coursework. Science GPA is emphasized and competitive applicants will tend to fall within higher GPA ranges of cumulative and science GPAs. All coursework is considered in your GPA calculation, including old coursework that has been repeated for a better grade.

4. Health Care Experience

A minimum of 2,000 hours of health care experience, acquired as of the August 1st application deadline, is required for an applicant to be considered. Note that the national average for healthcare experience is in the 4000 to 5000 hour range. We will project hours to the deadline for early applicants, and we do encourage applicants to apply early. 

All forms of health care experience* are accepted and considered toward the minimum requirement, with direct hands-on patient care experience being most preferred. Student practicum experience is not accepted (undergraduate or certification training), however, medically-related graduate practicum experience is accepted on a case-by-case basis. 

Health care hours are subject to verification: the program may contact supervisors to confirm reported hours. Paid experience is weighted more heavily than volunteer.

*Does not include administrative work from healthcare settings or caring for family members. 

5. Entrance Exam

UPAP does not require the GRE, or other standardized test. Please do not send your scores, they will not be considered. However, UPAP does require the CASPer test, a situational judgement test. See information on the Application web page. 

6. If English Is Not Your Native Language

All non-native speakers must produce a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. Exceptions are made only to candidates who have fully completed high school in the U.S. and who also have a U.S. bachelor's degree. High school transcripts may be requested.

Applicants for whom English is not their native language will not be considered without a TOEFL score of 550 (written), 230 (computer) or 80 (internet). Test scores should be submitted with the CASPA application or sent directly to UPAP by October 2024. Register to take the TOEFL at www.toefl.org.