Master of Science in Physician Assistant

Admitted Student Data

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Application Deadlines

Winter 2026 Admission Cycle: April 24 – August 1, 2025

The UM-Flint PA program students begin in the winter semester, January 2026. Applicants must have a completed Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants on or before the deadline date of August 1. A complete date is given when an application is e-submitted and at least two letters of reference, all official transcripts, and payments received by CASPA and attached to the application. Documents should be sent six weeks prior to the deadline date to ensure items arrive on time.

Deadlines

• CASPA application due: August 1, 2025
• CASPA verified date – August 15, 2025
• Waivers requested by – June 28, 2025
  • Seven Year Prerequisite Science waiver
  • Last 60 Undergraduate Credit Hours waiver

The program does not utilize the rolling admissions process.

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How to Apply to UM-Flint’s PA Program?

The UM-Flint PA program holistically evaluates candidates for admission across a range of attributes necessary for successful development into skilled, compassionate PAs who are aligned with the mission of the PA program.

The University of Michigan-Flint’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant program requires applicants to submit the following documents to the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants and UM-Flint by August 1, 2025.

Submit the following to CASPA:

• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended in the United States
• Signed UM-Flint Technical Standards Attestation Form
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution completed prior to the January start date with a minimum CASPA-calculated overall cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.0. The undergraduate degree may be in any field of study.
• All prerequisite coursework must be completed before a student submits the CASPA application. 
• If the bachelor’s degree was completed at a non-US institution, applicants must obtain a course-by-course evaluation of their transcripts by World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators. The evaluation must be completed and uploaded to the CASPA application by the CASPA submission deadline date and must include at least the cumulative grade point average and degree earned.
• Applicants may request that their last 60 undergraduate credit hours be used to calculate the cumulative GPA. To request a waiver complete the Physician Assistant Admissions Waiver Request Form by Friday, June 28, and include the rationale for the request. Only undergraduate coursework will be used in the calculation. No graduate coursework will be used to calculate the cumulative GPA. If undergraduate courses were taken after graduation, these courses may be included in the last 60 credit total. If a last 60 credit hour waiver is granted, it is applicable to one application cycle only, as waivers do not roll over from one cycle to another. 
• Three letters of recommendation
  • Letters of recommendation should be from persons who can attest to your potential as a PA, preferably from health professionals and/or college professors.
  • Recommendation letters from family members or friends will not be accepted.
  • One letter of recommendation should be from a supervisor who confirms the health care experience hours submitted.
• Personal statement
• Health Care Experience: 500 hours of hands-on direct patient care.
  • Examples of accepted experience.
  • Paid health care experience is preferred due to the level of responsibility and duties afforded in these positions. Volunteer health care experience may be considered, but paid, supervised health care experience is strongly encouraged.
  • One letter of recommendation from a health care experience supervisor to confirm hours submitted.
  • Hours must be completed before submission to CASPA and should occur within two years prior to application submission.
  • Due to the competitive nature of PA admissions, earning additional health-related hours is advised. When evaluating hands-on health care hours, we consider the use of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiologic concepts in the work experience.
  • Health clinician shadowing and hours gained through student clinical experiences are not accepted toward the Health Care Experience hour requirement.

Submit the following directly to UM-Flint:

• CASPer Test – Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics
  • Visit Take Casper and complete the American Professional Health Sciences (CSP10101).
  • The test is only valid for one admission cycle.
  • Please direct any inquiries on the test to [email protected].
  • Email [email protected] to have scores sent directly to UM-Flint.
  • UM-Flint does not require the Snapshot or Duet assessments.
• If English is not your native language: Applicants can meet English proficiency either by taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language or earning a baccalaureate degree from the United States, Canada, or Great Britain.
  • Official and valid TOEFL scores are required of all applicants whose first language is not English and/or do not have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited United States institution, or a baccalaureate degree from Canada or Great Britain. This is required regardless of the official language of the country of origin or the predominant language of attended educational institutions. 
  • A minimum total TOEFL internet-based testing score of 94, with a speaking score of 26 is required. TOEFL scores are only valid for two years from the test date. Scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to the University of Michigan-Flint. Official TOEFL score reports must be submitted and received by the MSPA application deadline. You should allow at least four weeks for scores to be received from the date of the test. Any scores received after the application deadline will not be validated for the current admission cycle.
  • UM-Flint TOEFL institution code 1853
• Students from abroad must submit additional documentation.

This program is an on-campus program with in-person courses. Admitted students can apply for a student (F-1) visa. Students living abroad are unable to complete this program online in their home country. Other nonimmigrant visa holders currently in the United States please contact the Center for Global Engagement at [email protected].

The application process includes an on-campus personal interview; qualifying applicants will receive an invitation to interview.

Automatic invitation for an interview: In keeping with the UM-Flint PA program emphasis on public health, applicants who meet the admission minimum requirements and are enrolled or graduated from the UM-Flint Public Health & Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences Pre-PA track, and the Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy will be offered an interview. Students who graduate from the College of Innovation and Technology’s Human Biology program in the Pre-PA track and meet the minimum requirements will also receive an interview.

Physician Assistant Technical Standards

All applicants must meet the Physician Assistant Technical Standards in order to be admitted to and retained in the UM-Flint PA program. The Technical Standards are required for admission and must be maintained throughout student progression through the PA program. The Technical Standards are essential and necessary to practice and function as a PA and go beyond academic requirements for admission. These include physical, behavioral, and cognitive abilities needed to complete the PA education curriculum and competently perform as a PA upon graduation.

The Technical Standards for the UM-Flint PA program ensure that enrolled students have the ability to demonstrate academic mastery, competency when performing clinical skills, and ability to communicate clinical information with sound physical and mental capacities.

Pre-PA Preparation Course for Accepted Students

All accepted students will be required to take an online Pre-PA preparation course that will refresh skills in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, critical thinking and study skills. There are videos, quizzes and a final exam. More information will be provided after admission.