{"id":143,"date":"2013-07-17T19:24:55","date_gmt":"2013-07-17T23:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dion.highpoint.edu\/physicianassistant\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2026-05-14T16:47:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T20:47:25","slug":"admission-requirements","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/physicianassistant\/admission-requirements\/","title":{"rendered":"Physician Assistant Admission Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3>Prerequisite Coursework<\/h3>\n<p>Official transcripts must show that all prerequisite coursework has been completed and meets the required attributes described below. Substitutions are not accepted.<\/p>\n<div id=\"footable_parent_4323\"\n         class=\" footable_parent ninja_table_wrapper loading_ninja_table wp_table_data_press_parent semantic_ui \">\n                <table data-ninja_table_instance=\"ninja_table_instance_0\" data-footable_id=\"4323\" data-filter-delay=\"1000\" aria-label=\"1-1-1-Prerequisite Coursework-2013-02-26.csv-2013-09-24.csv-2013-10-31.csv (Imported From Table Press)\"            id=\"footable_4323\"\n           data-unique_identifier=\"ninja_table_unique_id_767421339_4323\"\n           class=\" foo-table ninja_footable foo_table_4323 ninja_table_unique_id_767421339_4323 ui table  ninja_search_right nt_type_legacy_table selectable striped vertical_centered  footable-paging-right ninjatable_hide_header_row ninja_table_search_disabled ninja_table_pro\">\n                <colgroup>\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_0 \">\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_1 \">\n                            <col class=\"ninja_column_2 \">\n                    <\/colgroup>\n        <thead>\n<tr class=\"footable-header\">\n                                                        <th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_0 ninja_clmn_nm_ninja_column_1 \">Ninja Column 1<\/th><th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_1 ninja_clmn_nm_ninja_column_2 \">Ninja Column 2<\/th><th scope=\"col\"  class=\"ninja_column_2 ninja_clmn_nm_ninja_column_3 \">Ninja Column 3<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n\n        <tr data-row_id=\"1\" class=\"ninja_table_row_0 nt_row_id_1\">\n            <td>Required Courses<\/td><td>Semester Hours<\/td><td>Comments<\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"2\" class=\"ninja_table_row_1 nt_row_id_2\">\n            <td>Human or Vertebrate Anatomy<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>Includes one-credit laboratory\n<\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"3\" class=\"ninja_table_row_2 nt_row_id_3\">\n            <td>Human or Vertebrate Physiology<\/td><td>3<\/td><td><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"4\" class=\"ninja_table_row_3 nt_row_id_4\">\n            <td>Biological Science<\/td><td>8<\/td><td>Includes two one-credit laboratories\n<\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"5\" class=\"ninja_table_row_4 nt_row_id_5\">\n            <td><a href=\"http:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/physicianassistant\/admission-faqs#UpperLevelBiology\">Upper Level Human Biological Science <\/a><\/td><td>3<\/td><td><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"6\" class=\"ninja_table_row_5 nt_row_id_6\">\n            <td>Microbiology<\/td><td>3<\/td><td>Includes laboratory<\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"7\" class=\"ninja_table_row_6 nt_row_id_7\">\n            <td>General\/Inorganic Chemistry<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>Includes one-credit laboratory<\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"8\" class=\"ninja_table_row_7 nt_row_id_8\">\n            <td>Additional Chemistry<\/td><td>4<\/td><td>Includes one-credit laboratory<\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"9\" class=\"ninja_table_row_8 nt_row_id_9\">\n            <td>Statistics<\/td><td>3<\/td><td><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"10\" class=\"ninja_table_row_9 nt_row_id_10\">\n            <td>Psychology<\/td><td>3<\/td><td><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"11\" class=\"ninja_table_row_10 nt_row_id_11\">\n            <td>Humanities and Social Sciences<\/td><td>9<\/td><td><i>Must include one upper-level course that focuses on developing a deeper understanding of the human condition including, but not limited to: anthropology, economics, ethics, history, political science, psychology, public health, religion, or sociology. <\/i><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"12\" class=\"ninja_table_row_11 nt_row_id_12\">\n            <td><\/td><td><\/td><td><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"13\" class=\"ninja_table_row_12 nt_row_id_13\">\n            <td colspan=\"2\"><b>Post-Acceptance Required Course<\/b><\/td><td class=\"ninja_temp_cell\" data-colspan=\"#colspan#\"><\/td><td><\/td>        <\/tr>\n            <tr data-row_id=\"14\" class=\"ninja_table_row_13 nt_row_id_14\">\n            <td colspan=\"2\">Medical Terminology<\/td><td class=\"ninja_temp_cell\" data-colspan=\"#colspan#\"><\/td><td>Can be credit-derived or a certificate<\/td>        <\/tr>\n    <\/tbody><!--ninja_tobody_rendering_done-->\n    <\/table>\n    \n    \n    \n<\/div>\n\n<p><b>Required attributes of approved prerequisite courses:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of &#8220;C&#8221; or above.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Only one prerequisite course may be in progress during the Fall semester of the year in which you apply.<\/li>\n<li>All courses must be completed by the end of the Fall semester of the year in which you apply.<\/li>\n<li>For prerequisite courses with separate grades assigned for lecture and lab sections, a minimum grade of &#8220;C&#8221; is required in both sections.<\/li>\n<li>No prerequisite course may be taken on a \u201cpass\/fail\u201d, \u201ccredit\/non-credit\u201d basis.\n<ul>\n<li>For the 2026-27 Admissions Cycle, the program will review and consider Pass\/Fail courses due to curricular changes required by the COVID-19 Pandemic.\n<ul>\n<li>If an applicant has the option to take a course for letter grade versus Pass\/Fail, the HPU PA Program strongly encourages students to take the letter grade option (especially for all prerequisite courses).<\/li>\n<li>If an applicant does not have the option to take a course for letter grade and the institution has moved Pass\/Fail due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the HPU PA Program will review these on an individual basis.<br \/>\n* The applicants should state this on their application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>One course cannot be used to satisfy multiple prerequisites.<\/li>\n<li>Prerequisite science courses must be completed within 10 years prior to June enrollment.<\/li>\n<li>All prerequisite courses must be taken at a U.S. college or university that is regionally accredited:\n<ul>\n<li>The HPU PA Program will accept credits completed at community colleges<\/li>\n<li>The HPU PA Program will accept non-laboratory course credits completed online.<\/li>\n<li>The HPU PA Program will <strong>not<\/strong><strong>\u00a0<\/strong>accept laboratory course credits completed online.\n<ul>\n<li>If an applicant has the option to take a laboratory course in-person, the HPU PA Program strongly encourages students to take the in-person option (especially for all prerequisite courses).<\/li>\n<li>If the institution moved laboratory courses online due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the HPU PA Program will review these on an individual basis.<br \/>\n* The applicants should state this on their application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>AP &amp; IB coursework will be accepted as long as the class appears on a college transcript with assigned credits based on AP Exam score of 4 or higher. For IB coursework, the minimum score is 5 or higher.<\/li>\n<li>The Anatomy and Physiology requirements may be met by taking either one semester of Anatomy and one semester of Physiology, or two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology combined.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Additional Requirements<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Grade Point Averages<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Minimum Cumulative Undergraduate Science GPA of 3.2<\/li>\n<li>Minimum Cumulative Undergraduate Overall GPA of 3.2<\/li>\n<li>No changes for the 2026-27 Admissions Cycle.\n<ul>\n<li>If an applicant has the option to take a course for letter grade versus Pass\/Fail, the HPU PA Program strongly encourages students to take the letter grade option (especially for all prerequisite courses).<\/li>\n<li>If an applicant does not have the option to take a course for letter grade and the institution has moved courses to Pass\/Fail due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the HPU PA Program will review these on an individual basis.<br \/>\n* The applicants should state this on their application.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Official GRE scores are required. We do not use a cutoff of minimum GRE score, however we do consider strength of GRE scores relative to other applicants as part of our admission process.<\/li>\n<li>Applicants must take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test within five years of the application deadline.<\/li>\n<li>High Point University\u2019s CASPA GRE Designated Institution Code, 7291, should be used to report scores.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Health Care Experience<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Minimum of 200 hours volunteer or work experience in a health care setting. The minimum health care experience hours must be attained prior to an application being reviewed by the admissions committee for interview consideration.<\/li>\n<li>Preference will be given to applicants having significantly greater than 200 hours of volunteer or work experience and to those applicants having experience that requires a period of training and results in direct (hands-on) patient care.<\/li>\n<li>PA Observation: It is recommended that applicants have a minimum of 15 hours of direct observation (i.e. shadowing) of PAs or attain an equivalent number of hours observing a Physician Assistant through providing direct patient care (e.g., Medical Assistant for a PA).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>References<\/strong><br \/>\nA total of 3 references submitted on the official CASPA reference form are required. It is recommended that students request references from the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Professor: A person who can attest to the applicant\u2019s academic preparedness for the program based on direct experience in a teacher-student relationship.<\/li>\n<li>Supervisor: A person who can attest to the applicant\u2019s intrapersonal attributes and interpersonal communication abilities based on direct observation as supervisor of the applicant\u2019s volunteer or work experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Bachelor\u2019s Degree Requirement <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The HPU PA Program is a post-baccalaureate health professions program. Applicants must provide evidence of an earned bachelor\u2019s degree from a U.S. college or university that is regionally accredited prior to enrollment.<\/p>\n<h3><a id=\"technicalstandards\"><\/a>Technical Standards<\/h3>\n<p>A candidate for the MPAS degree must have abilities and skills in five general areas:<\/p>\n<p><strong>a.\u00a0Observation\u00a0<\/strong>&#8211; A candidate must be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>observe demonstrations and visual presentations in lectures and laboratories.<\/li>\n<li>observe patients accurately and completely both at a distance and closely.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This standard requires functional vision, hearing, and somatic sensation.<\/p>\n<p><strong>b.\u00a0Communication\u00a0<\/strong>&#8211; A candidate must be able to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>perceive nonverbal communication, speak intelligibly, hear sufficiently, and observe patients in order to elicit information.<\/li>\n<li>elicit and transmit patient information in oral and written English to members of the health care team.<br \/>\ncommunicate effectively and sensitively with patients.<\/li>\n<li>demonstrate reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements and provide clinical care for patients.<\/li>\n<li>be capable of completing appropriate medical records and documents in written and electronic form in a thorough and timely manner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>c.\u00a0Sensory and Motor Coordination and Function<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; A candidate must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>possess motor skills sufficient to directly perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures.<\/li>\n<li>be able to execute motor movements required to provide basic medical care. Examples of basic medical care include, but are not limited to: airway management, placement of catheters, suturing, phlebotomy, application of sufficient pressure to control bleeding, simple obstetrical maneuvers, etc.\u00a0<i>(Such actions require coordination of gross and fine muscular movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision).<\/i><\/li>\n<li>be able to manipulate equipment and instruments to perform basic laboratory tests and procedures.<\/li>\n<li>be able to transport themselves from one location to another in a timely fashion in order to facilitate patient care responsibilities and necessary to receive educational training.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>d.\u00a0Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Problem solving is the critical skill demanded of Physician Assistants. \u00a0This requires that students have the ability to measure, calculate, reason, analyze, and synthesize. \u2013 A candidate must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>be able to incorporate new information from peers, teachers, and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans.<\/li>\n<li>be able to independently access and interpret medical histories or files.<\/li>\n<li>identify significant findings from history, physical examination, and laboratory data.<\/li>\n<li>provide reasoned explanations for likely diagnoses and prescribed medications and therapy.<\/li>\n<li>recall and retain information in an efficient and timely manner.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>e.\u00a0Behavioral and Social Attributes<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; A candidate must:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>possess the ability to use their intellectual capacity, exercise good judgment, and promptly complete all responsibilities attendant to the diagnosis under potentially stressful and\/or emergency circumstances.<\/li>\n<li>be able to accept criticism and respond by appropriate modification of behavior.<\/li>\n<li>be able to develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and colleagues.<\/li>\n<li>have a high level of compassion for others with sufficient interpersonal skills to interact positively with people from all levels of society, all ethnic backgrounds, and all belief systems.<\/li>\n<li>be able to adapt to changing environments and to learn in the face of uncertainties inherent in the practice of medicine.<\/li>\n<li>be able to use supervision appropriately and act independently, when indicated.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><i>Technological compensation can be made for some disabilities in certain areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3>Transfer Credit or Credit for Experiential Learning (Advanced Placement)<\/h3>\n<p>All courses within the curriculum are required. No transfer credit is accepted. No credit is granted for pre-admission experiential learning, prior coursework, degrees, certifications, or advanced training.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prerequisite Coursework Official transcripts must show that all prerequisite coursework has been completed and meets the required attributes described below. Substitutions are not accepted. Required attributes of approved prerequisite courses: Prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of &#8220;C&#8221; or above. Only one prerequisite course may be in progress during the Fall semester of&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":184,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_hpuaeo_plugin_post_data":"","_hpuaeo_plugin_meta_tags":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-143","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Physician Assistant Admission Requirements - Physician Assistant<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.highpoint.edu\/physicianassistant\/admission-requirements\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Physician Assistant Admission Requirements\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Prerequisite Coursework Official transcripts must show that all prerequisite coursework has been completed and meets the required attributes described below. 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