»Admission

Check out our video!* How to Apply to the PA Studies Program

*Interviews for this program are no longer on campus. They are via Zoom. 

 

The CASPA application period for Spring 2026 is from April 24, 2025 – August 1, 2025.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit their applications and supporting documents as early as possible, as the Chapman PA Program has rolling admissions. Applicants are responsible for following up with CASPA to ensure all necessary documents are received. After CASPA confirms receipt of all necessary documents and completes the application, students must forward any updated transcripts for courses in progress at the time of application to the Office of Graduate Admission.

Once your application is verified by CASPA and received by Chapman University, no additional updates will be viewed in the admissions process except for transcripts showing completion of non-science requirements.

Admission to the Chapman University MMS PA Studies Program is competitive. Admissions decisions are based on the following:

• CASPA application
• Academic performance
• Letters of recommendation
• Direct patient contact and health-related hours
• Other experiential hours
• Personal statement 
• Performance during an interview

The supporting documents required for your CASPA application include the following:

• All official transcripts; must include degrees posted
• GRE scores
• TOEFL scores (if Bachelor’s Degree was completed at an institution where English is not the primary language of instruction)
• Three letters of recommendation – one must be from a PA, MD, or DO
• Personal statement of intent

Other experiences needed for your CASPA application include the following:

• Patient Contact Experience hours (minimum of 1,000 hours required at the time of application)
• Observational/Shadowing experience hours (optional)
• Community service experience hours (optional)
• Health related experience hours (optional)
• Research experience hours (optional) 

Deadline

The application deadline for classes beginning January 2026 is August 1, 2025. All applications must be e-submitted and verified, and all documents must be received by the August 1, 2025 deadline. 

Your application is considered complete when CASPA has received all of the following:

1. Electronic application
2. All official transcripts
3. Three letters of recommendation: one must be from a PA, MD, or DO
4. Official GRE scores
5. CASPA processing fee

Admission Process

For the 2025 Admissions Cycle (for classes beginning January 2026)

CASPA will open on April 24, 2025

• Step 1: Submit application and official transcripts via CASPA no later than August 1, 2025.
• Step 2: Beginning in May 2025, a select group of qualified applicants will be contacted by email and invited for an interview.
• Step 3: Complete the interview process.
• Step 4: Admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis until all class seats have been filled.
• Step 5: Once accepted, submit a non-refundable deposit of $1,000 and a new student acknowledgment form to the program to secure your seat in the upcoming class.
• Step 6: Complete a successful background check, provide a negative drug test, and meet all health and immunization requirements.

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Please Note: Persons who have been dismissed from any PA program are not eligible for admission to Chapman University's MMS PA Studies Program.

 

Are you a reapplicant? Check out these helpful tips for reapplicants from PAEA!

Prerequisite Coursework

Overview

• All prerequisite coursework must be obtained from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States with a letter grade of “C” or better, with the exception of Medical Terminology, which may be taken as a pass/fail course.
• Science lectures and labs, except for Genetics, may not be taken in an online or hybrid format. An exception due to COVID-19 allows for courses taken between January 2020 and December 2021 to be online/hybrid. All science prerequisite lectures and labs taken after December 2021 must be completed in person.
• General prerequisites can be completed online; however, in-person classes are preferred.
• All science prerequisites must be completed and the grade needs to be reflected on your transcript at the time of application submission; otherwise, your application will be flagged as “does not meet minimum requirements.”
• Non-science courses can be “in progress,” but they must be completed by the time of matriculation, and priority will be given to applicants with all prerequisites completed.
• AP Credit:
  • AP classes can be applied to prerequisite coursework if your undergraduate institution has awarded you credit for your AP exam scores. We accept AP credit for Pre-calculus or Calculus, Introduction to Statistics, General Psychology, English Composition, and Introduction to Sociology. 
  • For applicants who have received AP credit for general biology and/or general chemistry prerequisite courses, we will allow the substitution of upper-division courses with labs within the respective department(s). However, those courses cannot be used to meet other prerequisite requirements.
  • AP credit must be reflected on your undergraduate transcript showing the number of units assigned and the type of credit given. If your undergraduate institution does not include those details on the transcript, an official transfer credit evaluation from your institution's registrar's office is required. Please note that an AP score report through College Board or unofficial transcripts will not suffice. 
• There is no expiration date for prerequisite courses. 
• A single course or lab cannot fulfill multiple prerequisites.
• Applicants will be denied if they do not meet the minimum admission requirements.
• Please use this conversion chart to calculate quarter units to semester units. 

Courses

SCIENCE PREREQUISITES

General Biology I & II with labs - 8-semester units

• General Biology courses are typically named differently based on the college or university. Standard titles for General Biology include Foundations of Biology, Fundamentals of Biology, Introduction to Biology, etc. 
• Some institutions also name them based on the content. Typical general biology courses cover cell and molecular biology, organismal biology, evolution, and ecology. 
• We do not accept Botany or Marine Biology for General Biology. 

General Chemistry I & II with labs - 8-semester units

• Organic Chemistry on its own does not qualify for the General Chemistry prerequisite; if included as part of a combined General and Organic Chemistry course, we can accept it. If your institution only offers one General Chemistry course, then Organic Chemistry with lab can be used for General Chemistry II with lab.

Anatomy & Physiology I & II with labs - 8-semester units

• You may take two levels of a combined Anatomy & Physiology class, each level with a lab, or you may take a separate Anatomy class with lab and a Physiology class with lab.

Microbiology with lab - 3.33-semester units

• General Microbiology with lab or Medical Microbiology with lab are both acceptable. 

Genetics - 2-semester units

• Genetics is the only science prerequisite that can be taken online. No lab is required. 

NONSCIENCE PREREQUISITES

Medical Terminology - 1-semester unit

• We cannot accept certificate courses or workplace exams for Medical Terminology. 
• The course must be taken at a regionally accredited college or university in the U.S. and be worth at least one-semester unit. It is the only prerequisite that can be taken for either a letter grade or Pass/Fail.

English Composition - 2.66-semester units

• The course should be composition-based and housed in the English or Writing department. Content should cover academic writing techniques, rhetoric, research skills, and audience awareness. Poetry classes will not be accepted.  
• Writing intensive courses will be considered if they meet the undergraduate institution’s writing requirements. These courses must be verified by paadmit@chapman.edu. 

General Psychology - 2.66-semester units

• Specialty psychology courses, such as Social Psychology and Developmental Psychology, are not acceptable for the General Psychology prerequisite. It must be a general or introductory course. 

Sociology/Cultural Anthropology - 2.66-semester units

• An introductory Sociology course or a specialty Sociology course is acceptable.
• We will also accept Cultural Anthropology, Gender Studies, or Ethnic Studies.

Introduction to Statistics - 2.66-semester units

• A topic-specific statistics course, such as Biostatistics or Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences, is acceptable for the Statistics prerequisite. 

Pre-Calculus or Calculus - 2.66-semester units

• College Algebra is not an acceptable substitute for this prerequisite. 

• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university or college prior to matriculation into the Chapman University MMS PA Studies Program
• No specific major is required, but strong candidates have demonstrated ability in the sciences.
• Completion of all prerequisite coursework with a “C” or better
• Overall cumulative GPA minimum 3.2*
• Cumulative science GPA minimum 3.2*
  • *Please note that we utilize CASPA's GPA calculations
• All applicants must complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). No minimum GRE score is required, although your score will be taken into consideration in the overall assessment of your application. The GRE must have been taken within the last 5 years from our program's application deadline. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program will be accepting the At-Home GRE at this time. The official GRE score report must be received by CASPA no later than August 1, 2025 (the application deadline), for your application to be considered for admission. Chapman University’s institution code is 3681. A department code is not needed. You may take your exam after you submit your application, but we cannot move forward with application review until our program receives your official scores. 
• A TOEFL score is required if the bachelor’s degree was completed at an institution where English was not the primary language of instruction. TOEFL score must meet a minimum standard requirement of 94. Please send scores to Chapman University using the institution code 4047.
• Technical Standards: qualified applicants must have sufficient abilities and skills in the following areas: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, conceptual, integrative, qualitative, and behavior/social.
• Three letters of recommendation (one must be from a PA, MD, or DO);
• At least 1,000 hours of direct patient contact in a healthcare-related work experience, voluntary or paid; click here to view the approved patient contact list. Minimum hours must be completed at the time of application submission. The Chapman PA Program Experiences Form must be completed in addition to the CASPA application's "Experiences" section and uploaded into the "Documents" section of the application. 
• Personal statement/Narrative: Please describe your motivation towards becoming a PA. 5000 characters limit = approximately 625 words. 
• Personal interview: After initial assessment and screening of applications, selected candidates will be invited to an interview. 
• Shadowing experience with a licensed and practicing PA, MD, or DO is recommended; PA shadowing is preferred. Virtual shadowing hours are not considered. Shadowing hours will not count towards the 1000 required direct patient contact hours. Applicants must enter any shadowing hours in the "Experiences" section of the official CASPA application. Shadowing experiences are to be arranged by the student. The PA Studies program will not arrange nor recommend observational sites. Clinical work experience, as well as any formal health career training (EMT, CAN, LVN, RN, RT, PT, MT, etc.), cannot be counted as shadowing hours.  

Please see the FAQ page for additional information. 

Background Check & Drug Screening

• Inability to demonstrate a clear background check and negative drug screen may result in failure to matriculate into the program, and/or may negatively affect your ability to participate in clinical rotations or become a licensed PA in any State. Inability to complete all components of the curriculum, including all required clinical rotations, will result in administrative withdrawal from the program and inability to graduate.

Health Clearance

• Our program requires all students to comply with tuberculosis testing requirements and the CDC vaccinations for healthcare workers. Students must submit a completed and signed AAMC Standardized Immunization Form prior to matriculation. The form is available here: AAMC Standardized Immunization Form.
• The program will send specific deadline requirements to accepted students. If there are any problems or questions with uploading information, please contact Complio. Students are notified if there are any deficiencies in the required documentation, at which time the student is responsible for correcting any deficiencies.
• For those who do not have certain immunizations, it may take up to 6 months to receive the full series and have titers drawn. Accordingly, please make sure you allow yourself enough time to complete this requirement.
• If you are a documented nonresponder to the Hepatitis B vaccine (i.e. your titers remain low despite supplemental doses), please contact your medical provider for CDC recommendations.

CLINICAL ROTATION REQUIREMENTS

• It is important to be aware that clinical, education, and other fieldwork placement sites may require a variety of documents for rotation approval. This may include but is not limited to: Social Security Card, Driver’s License, immunization records, vaccine-induced immunity titer results, negative tuberculosis test result, clear background check, and negative drug screening result. Failure to comply with placement site requirements may result in delays or the inability to complete clinical programs or licensure requirements. 

Program Tuition

• FALL 2025- $22,560.00
• *SPRING 2026- $23,237.00
• *SUMMER 2026- $23,237.00

*Rate change in Spring for Physician Assistant only

Tuition Refund Schedule for Rinker Health Science Students

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Program tuition is subject to change and typically updated annually. For more information on Tuition, Student Health Insurance, Financial Aid, Refunds, and other student charges, visit the Student Business Services website. For Cost of Attendance information, visit the Graduate Student Cost of Attendance website. 

Students are responsible for health insurance, transportation, parking, room and board, textbooks, laptops, medical equipment, and supplies. There are no out-of-state resident fees.

Fees 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Littman Classic III or the Littman Cardiology IV Diagnostic stethoscope is recommended by the program

**PA students are required to have Health Insurance; therefore, the University bills health insurance as a part of the registration. The cost listed is annual. For more information on the waiver or how to enroll in the health insurance plan please visit the Student Health Insurance webpage.

***A certified background check, drug screening, and medical insurance are required of all accepted applicants prior to matriculation into the program. Additional certified background checks and drug screenings may be required by clinical sites or preceptors.

Fee Refund Policy

Graduate student fees for the Physician Assistant Studies Program are non-refundable.

Accreditation standards require that admission criteria into a PA program are established by the program faculty but must include Technical Standards for Admission developed by the accrediting agency, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Completion of the program signifies that the graduate is prepared for entry into the practice of medicine. Graduates must have the skills and knowledge to function in a broad variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of patient care. It is essential for good patient care to require minimum standards for the education of the physician assistant.

In the admission process, the University must judge not only the scholastic accomplishments and potential of the applicant, but also the applicant's current physical and emotional status, cumulative and progressive disability, and drug-induced impairments that may pose obstacles to the safe application of the student's knowledge and skill or prevent effective interaction with patients and co-workers.

In accordance with University policy and as delineated by federal and California law, the University does not discriminate in admission, educational programs or employment against any individual on the basis of that individual's handicap or disability and will make good faith efforts at providing reasonable accommodation as required.

Candidates for the program must possess the intellectual ability to learn, integrate, analyze and synthesize data. They must have functional use of the senses of vision, hearing, equilibrium, and taste. Their exteroceptor (touch, pain, and temperature) and proprioceptor (position, pressure, movement, stereognosis, and vibratory) senses must be sufficiently intact to enable them to carry out all the activities required to complete the activities described below. Candidates must have sufficient motor function capabilities to meet the demands of the PA program and the demands of total patient care. They must be able to complete the didactic and clinical curriculum in its entirety.

The candidate for the PA program must possess ability, aptitude and skills in five areas: observation, communication, motor, intellectual, behavioral and social.

1. Observation: The candidate must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, visual presentations in lectures and laboratories, laboratory evidence and microbiologic cultures, microscopic studies of microorganisms, diagnostic studies like electrocardiograms and radiographic imaging, and tissues in normal and pathologic states. A candidate should be able to observe a patient accurately and completely at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation and is enhanced by a sense of smell.
2. Communication: A candidate should be able to speak, to hear, and to observe patients in order to elicit information, perceive non-verbal communication, describe changes in mood, activity and posture. A candidate should be able to communicate effectively and sensitively with patients. Communication includes not only speech but reading and writing. Communication in oral and written form with the health care team must be effective and efficient.
3. Motor: Candidates should have sufficient motor function to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion and other diagnostic maneuvers. A candidate should be able to carry out basic laboratory tests (urinalysis, CBC, wet mount, gram stain, etc.) and carry out diagnostic and therapeutic procedures (phlebotomy, venipuncture, placement of catheters and tubes). A candidate should have motor function sufficient to execute motor movements reasonably required to provide general care and emergency treatment for patients. Examples of emergency treatment reasonably required of a physician assistant are cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the administration of intravenous medications, the application of pressure to arrest bleeding, the opening of obstructed airways, the suturing of simple wounds and the performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers. Such skills require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.
4. Intellectual: Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem-solving, the critical skill demanded of PA's requires all these abilities. The candidate must also be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and to understand the spatial relationships of structures.
5. Behavioral and Social Attributes: A candidate should possess the emotional health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment, the prompt completion of all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis and care of patients, and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients. Candidates should be able to tolerate physically taxing workloads, and to function effectively under stress. They should be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility and to learn to function in the face of uncertainty inherent in the clinical problems of many patients. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest and motivation are all personal qualities that are assessed during the Admission and education processes.

The Program Learning Outcomes can be found here.

This is a guide for courses at Chapman University that can be used to satisfy the Masters of Medical Science PA Studies Program prerequisites.

 

Foreign Coursework

All Foreign Academic records must be translated to English and certified by University Language Services and submitted to CASPA. If foreign transcripts are in English applicants still need to submit the foreign transcript to CASPA and also have them evaluated by one of the following services: World Education Services (WES), International Education Research Foundation (IERF), and Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE).

All foreign coursework and degrees must be evaluated for North American equivalencies with calculated GPAs on a 4.0 scale by one of these services and submitted to CASPA. We will only recognize the degree, course credentials, and GPA that they have evaluated.

Depending on the circumstances, the applicant might have to begin with the language services because WES, IERF, and ECE will not evaluate the credential or coursework or calculate GPA without an English translation. All of these services are the responsibility of the applicant.

Upon completion of the MMS PA Studies Program, graduates must pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). Licensure eligibility varies by state. Students and prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the State’s licensure entity where they intend to practice and review all licensure and certification requirements imposed by the State(s) of their choice.  

• California licensure information
• State-specific licensure information

Matriculant Student Data

• Matriculant Data Averages - Last Five Years

Graduating Student Data

• NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report - Last Five Years
• NCCPA PANCE First Time Taker Summary Report - Last Five Years

*Attrition rate calculation:  Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.

**Graduation rate:  Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Chapman University PA Studies Program is pleased to award several merit-based scholarships to incoming and second year students each year.

Departmental Merit Fellowships

After the admission process is completed and our incoming cohort has been filled, we award partial tuition fellowships to incoming students based on excellence across the various domains of the CASPA application. There is no separate application; these scholarships are awarded based on materials submitted through CASPA only.

John P. Dyer and Keith R. Dyer Fellowships

One student is awarded each of these partial-tuition fellowships based on outstanding performance in the first year of the program in the areas of scholarship, leadership, and clinical skills. There is no separate application; the recipients are selected based on faculty nomination and voting.

Gabriela Belinsky Fellowship

One student is awarded this partial-tuition fellowship based on outstanding performance in the first year of the program in the areas of service to the PA profession, empowerment of classmates, teamwork, and communication. There is no separate application; the recipient is selected based on faculty nomination and voting.

Norma Sue Jones Endowment

One student is awarded this partial-tuition fellowship based on outstanding performance in the first year of the program in the areas of academic achievement, professionalism, and clinical skills. There is no separate application; the recipient is selected based on faculty nomination and voting.

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Full-tuition scholarship opportunities are also available for Chapman University PA Program students through two outside programs: The Simon Scholar PA Scholarship Program and The CalOptima Scholarship. Each of these scholarships requires a separate application processed by their administration.

Click here for information about the Simon Scholar PA Scholarship Program.

Click here for information about the CalOptima Scholarships.

FINANCIAL AID

The Graduate Financial Aid Office supports Chapman University’s mission and vision of being a student-oriented institution that provides personalized education to all students. To learn more about financial aid or to apply, please visit the Graduate Financial Aid Office website.

 

MMS-PA/BS Bridge

Highly qualified Health Science majors at Chapman University who satisfy all Bridge Program criteria are offered an interview. This does not guarantee admission to the program. Interviewed applicants who have satisfied the Bridge Program requirements are carefully considered alongside other qualified applicants, and offers of acceptance are extended to selected candidates. View the Bridge Program criteria here.

The program hosts information sessions and tours each spring to provide information about the program and the application process. 

To register for a program event, please visit our PA Program Events Page. 

View the Current Student Handbook for the Chapman University MMS PA Studies Program.