FAQ about the PA Program
Do I have to submit a supplemental application?
No; applicants are only required to submit a CASPA application for admission consideration.
Why can't I find EMU in CASPA?
Our application cycle is open annually from late-April through December 1 for a fall semester start date. You may apply to EMU via CASPA during this timeframe.
Do I have to request a calculation of my last 60 credit hour GPA or is it done automatically?
This is done automatically by CASPA. Once your completed application is screened and found to have met or have an appropriate plan to meet all of the minimum admission requirements (including a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0), the last 60 credit hour undergraduate GPA is considered.
Do you offer rolling admissions?
We do not offer rolling admissions. Each applicant that meets the minimum requirements is considered for admission.
What bachelor’s degrees are recommended for applicants?
No specific program of study is required for the bachelor’s degree; however, many applicants have a degree in a health care or science-related field. Health care or science-related programs of study oftentimes include our pre-admission courses so they do not have to be taken in addition to the degree requirements. In addition, points are awarded for many health care and science-related courses completed beyond the pre-admission courses.
Can you look over my transcripts to determine which pre-admission courses I've satisfied?
This is your responsibility as an applicant. Please refer to the extensive lists of accepted pre-admission courses on our website. If you have questions about a specific course, email the program with the course specifications (see below) to see if it meets our criteria.
I've taken a course that doesn't appear in the pre-admission course checklists on the website. How can I determine whether or not it will be accepted?
Send the following information to [email protected]:
- College or university name
- Course number and title
- Course credit hours (must designate: summer hour, quarter hour, etc.)
- Date completed or anticipated completion date
- Grade on transcript (if completed)
- Active link to the specific course in the course catalog or a copy of the course syllabus
Can I make an appointment with an admissions advisor?
The EMU PA program does not set up individual advising/counseling appointments; however, you are welcome to call or email us with specific questions.
What's a "complete" CASPA application? When is the deadline date?
Applicants must have a "complete" application status on or before the deadline date of December 1. Per CASPA: "An application is complete when:
- All official transcripts have been received and posted to your application.
- At least 2 of your evaluations have been completed and submitted to CASPA.
- If you used the Professional Transcript Entry (PTE) service, you have approved the work completed.
- Your application fee payment was submitted and marked as received.
- You submitted your application and received an email confirming it was successfully submitted.
- Your application Program Status is "Complete"."
In addition, an official GRE score report must also be attached to the application and the questions on the Questions tab must be complete.
Documents should be sent several weeks prior to the application deadline date to ensure items arrive on time.
How are applications scored?
Applications are objectively ranked based on the following criteria:
- Cumulative undergraduate or last 60 cumulative undergraduate semester credit hour GPA
- Science GPA
- Number of health care and science-related courses
- GRE score
- Graduate degree (additional points are awarded for having a master's degree or PhD)
- Clinical experience/health care hours
- Life experiences
- Research experience
What are the GRE score requirements?
There is no minimum GRE score requirement. A multiplier is used with your total GRE score, so the higher your total GRE score, the more points you will receive on your application.
Do I need a GRE score before submitting my CASPA application?
Official GRE scores can be received by CASPA at any point during the application cycle (see "How do I update my application after it has been submitted?" for more information). Your official scores must be posted to your CASPA application and your application marked complete by the deadline date, December 1. Official scores must be sent to the EMU PA program's CASPA GRE Code: 3646.
How do I update my application after it has been submitted?
The PA program will not accept any revisions once your application has been submitted to CASPA. The only exception to this is if you have one or two planned or in-progress pre-admission courses that are specifically designated as such on your CASPA application. We will accept grades for these courses up until the deadline of June 1 of the year you are applying for entry into the program. Be sure to send updated official transcripts to CASPA. GPAs will not be recalculated based on grades from courses completed after application submission.
Clinical hours logged must be completed prior to application. Clinical experience/health care hours obtained after submitting the CASPA application may not be used.
Once the CASPA application is verified with an official GRE score report attached, the application is screened and scored. Updated GRE score reports are not considered after that time.
I have a master's/doctorate degree. Do I have to take the GRE?
Each applicant must take the GRE within five years of applying. No other standardized test score will be accepted (e.g., MCAT, PA-CAT, CASPer, etc.).
I applied previously and wasn't accepted into the program. How can I improve my chances of being accepted in a future application cycle?
The best ways to strengthen an application are to take more science and health care courses, earn a higher score on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), increase the overall science and undergraduate GPA by taking additional courses and gain more clinical/health care experience hours.
Which evaluation services are accepted for international transcript evaluation?
EMU accepts course-by-course reports from the following evaluation services:
- Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
- Educational Perspectives (EP)
- SpanTran
- World Education Services (WES)
Refer to the international graduate admissions webpage for more information.