ADMISSIONS - The Application Process
Admission to any physician assistant program is a highly competitive process. Augsburg College’s graduate program in Physician Assistant Studies receives hundreds of applications every year for each entering class of 30 students. 
Note: The Augsburg College Department of PA studies does not offer advanced placement to admitted students. All students admitted to the PA Program of study must complete the entire curriculum.
The Augsburg Physician Assistant Studies program has a two-step application process – applying through CASPA and to Augsburg’s PA Studies program.
The Augsburg PA Program participates in the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA), which is sponsored by the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA). All applications to the PA Program for the entering class must be processed through CASPA, following all guidelines and regulations set forth by CASPA.
Your CASPA application is due SEPTEMBER 1 and your Augsburg PA Studies Supplemental Application is due SEPTEMBER 1. You will be an eligible applicant if: you have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (as officially calculated by CASPA), you have a minimum science GPA of 3.0 (as officially calculated by CASPA), you have completed or will complete your undergraduate degree prior to the start date of the program, and you have completed or will complete your prerequisite courses within the timeline specific to your undergraduate degree status.
The Supplemental Application becomes available the first week of May each year with the opening of the new application cycle. It is important for the applicant to determine whether he or she is in fact eligible to apply to the PA Studies Program, as the $40 Supplemental Application fee is non-refundable. You are an eligible applicant if you meet the criteria detailed above. You will be required to print and sign the Supplemental Application and mail it to the program so that is received in the Program office by the application deadline of September 1 (the Supplemental Application must be In our office by the deadline date).
Additional Application Details:
- Provide letters of recommendation (via CASPA) from a variety of individuals, but note that at least one letter must be from an employer and at least one letter must be from a professor or advisor. The third letter can be your choice such as someone you’ve worked with on underserved projects, volunteer experiences, in a health care setting, etc. Be sure that the persons you ask know you well so that they can tell us about you. You should not have a family member write any of your letters of recommendation. In addition, note that we strongly recommend that your letters be submitted to CASPA as confidential.
- Your Supplemental Application must be received in the PA Program office by September 1 in order to be considered.
- We use the CASPA “File Complete Date” to determine if you have met the application deadline of September 1. The “File Complete Date” on your application must be September 1 or prior in order to be considered meeting the deadline. CASPA assigns a “File Complete Date’ when they have received your electronic application, transcripts from all schools attended, 2 of your 3 letters of reference, and payment. Until those criteria are met, your application will not be given a “File Complete Date.”
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Direct Patient Care Experience: We recommend 1000 hours. Direct patient care would include roles in which you are responsible for things like taking vital signs, administering medication, charting, drawing blood, tending to personal cares, dressing wounds, etc. Some positions which may allow you to accumulate these hours would be CNA, PCA, Phlebotomist, and EMT as examples. (average direct patient care of accepted student is 1500 hours)
- Service to Underserved: We are looking for consistent service to those populations who are disadvantaged, under represented populations. Your service can be a paid position or a volunteer position. Examples would be civic or church mission trips either in the U.S. or International where the goal is to provide a service to help a specific population. Organizations such as the Red Cross, Big Brothers Big Sisters, homeless shelters, etc. can provide opportunities for service work. Tutoring English as a second language or tutoring students in a disadvantaged neighborhood school would be considered underserved work. Working with the elderly or disabled would also be serving and underserved population. Service to underserved does not have to be medically related, however, if it is, it could also count toward direct patient care experience.
- Shadowing or Meeting with a PA: We encourage you to learn more about the profession by formally shadowing a PA for a day (you don’t need any more than a day) or if you are unable to secure a true “shadowing” experience, meeting with a PA to learn more about his/her experience as a PA. You will note this experience on your CASPA application.
- Additional Course Work: If time allows, additional course work such as anatomy, genetics, immunology, or other upper-division biology courses will strengthen your application.
REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICANTS WITH DEGREES FROM OUTSIDE THE U.S.
Proof of English Competency
The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is required for all students for whom English is a secondary language, except those who have a four-year degree from a U.S. institution with a minimum of two years of successful academic course work in the U.S. (seven or more courses). To fulfill this requirement Augsburg graduate programs require international applicants to submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 100 (iBT), 250 (CBT) or 600 (PBT). The TOEFL is waived for applicants who have a four-year degree from a U.S. institution with a minimum of two years of successful academic work completed in the U.S. (seven or more courses). Your TOEFL results must be submitted to CASPA or directly to the Program on or before the application deadline of September 1.
For more information, visit the TOEFL website: www.toefl.org.
Foreign Credential Evaluation
Augsburg requires foreign credential evaluation for any transcripts) from an institution outside of the United States. This evaluation should include the following:
- Analysis of credentials—to determine if your degree is equivalent to an accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree.
- Course-by-course evaluation—to show your complete course listing with credit values and grades received for each course.
- Calculation of grade point average—to demonstrate your cumulative grade point average using the standard U.S. grading system, i.e., A=4.0, B=3.0, C=2.0, D=1.0, F=0.0.
- Translation to English (if applicable).
Refer to World Education Services at www.wes.org for further information about transcript evaluation.
Your official evaluation document must be submitted to CASPA on or before the application deadline of September 1. Just like an official transcript from a school, this document must be sent directly from the evaluation service to CASPA, it cannot come from the applicant.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
Between January and June, the PA program hosts information sessions for potential applicants to the Program. The sessions run approximately one hour and provide an overview of the program, a summary of the application process, and a review of the prerequisite course requirements. Each session is limited to ten attendees so that discussion can be facilitated in an effective manner.
Information Sessions are held in the PA Program, Classroom 20, which is located in the lower level of Anderson Hall. The building entrance is located at 720 21st Avenue South. Parking is monitored on campus.
