The Physician Assistant Program at Mississippi College admits one cohort each year for sessions commencing in the summer semester. Applicants must have completed all prerequisites before matriculating to the PA program. The program uses a rolling admissions process, which means your application will be reconsidered by the Admissions Committee throughout the admission cycle. To enter the Physician Assistant Program, one must be eligible for admission to Mississippi College. Applicants must submit their completed applications and be verified through Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) to the Physician Assistant Program no later than January 15th of the matriculation year. Applications submitted after this date will need to reapply to CASPA to be considered for the following year.
Admission to the Physician Assistant Program is highly competitive. The admissions committee considers a number of factors when selecting applicants for interviews and for matriculation into the program. Applicants must have a bachelor degree and completed all prerequisites at a "U.S.-accredited" institution of higher learning before matriculation into the PA program. Applicants may have no more than two outstanding prerequisite courses (not including labs) at the time of application to the program. No transfer credit will be allowed from other PA programs and advanced placement is not permitted. The PA program admissions committee makes the final selection of applicants into the program. When selecting applicants for interview, the Committee may take into account any and all aspects of the student’s prior educational record.
These factors include but are not limited to:
- Grade point averages.
- Quality points earned in biology, chemistry, and physics courses.
- Quality and quantity of direct and indirect patient care experience.
- GRE test scores.
- Letters of recommendation. (References from personal acquaintances, personal health care providers, or friends are generally not looked upon as being beneficial to an applicant’s credentials.)
- Personal essay and expressed goals congruent to the mission of the PA program.
- Honors, awards, and community service.
- Prior work experience.
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) scores.
Any provisions to the published prerequisite requirements are considered by the Admissions Committee on a case-by-case basis. Applicants have until January 15 to submit a CASPA verified application with all necessary admissions materials to the Physician Assistant Program through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).
Information Sessions
The MCPA Admissions Team will be holding 3 information sessions for the Spring 2023 semester. These sessions will include a detailed overview of the program, admissions criteria, and helpful tips on how to be a competitive applicant. These sessions will be held virtually, via zoom. To RSVP, use the link below.
https://form.jotform.com/MCPAadmissions/mcpa-information-session-rsvp
