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CSP PA Program Admissions

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Admissions Overview

The CSP PA Program admits one cohort of PA students each year utilizing the web-based, Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA), to facilitate the application process for prospective PA students. The program accepts CASPA applications beginning at the start of each annual CASPA cycle (late April). Within the cycle, the CSP PA Program accepts CASPA applications until the program’s published CASPA deadline. To be considered for the cohort matriculating in January, an applicant’s Verified CASPA application must be available for review on or before the published CASPA deadline.

Admission to the CSP PA Program is determined through a two-phase process. In Phase One, each CASPA application is reviewed by a member of the CSP PA Program Admissions Committee against the program’s defined admissions criteria. In Phase Two, selected applicants are invited to an in-person interview, on campus. Both phases must be completed for an applicant to be eligible for an offer of admission. The admissions process is highly competitive, and completion of both phases does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Once interviews are complete, using a rolling admissions model, the full Admissions Committee meets to discuss each applicant’s CASPA application review and interview performance. All applicants with a Verified CASPA application by the program’s deadline are notified of their status before the close of the same CASPA application cycle.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

  • All students matriculating into the CSP PA Program must have a minimum of a bachelor degree (in any area of study), from an accredited college or university, or an appropriately certified foreign institution.

    Applicants may apply in the year prior to their bachelor degree is awarded and receive a conditional acceptance before the degree is conferred. The degree must be awarded before starting the PA program, demonstrated by submission of an official transcript (unofficial may serve as temporary placeholder, if the awarded degree is reported on the document, until an official transcript is available).

    Unless a bachelor degree is in process, official transcripts, from an accredited college or university stating the conferral of a bachelor degree, are required and must be submitted through CASPA. Additionally, submit all official transcripts from institutions where required prerequisite coursework was completed (if different from bachelor degree college or university) through CASPA.

  • Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, at the time of application, as calculated by CASPA.

    • Human or Animal Anatomy – One semester, associated lab encouraged
    • Human or Animal Physiology – One semester, associated lab encouraged
      • Cannot use a single semester of a combined Anatomy and Physiology course to fulfill both prerequisites.
      • Combined Anatomy and Physiology courses, within a sequenced course series, may be used to fulfill both prerequisites, but each course is then required (one will count for Anatomy and the other for Physiology).
    • Microbiology – One semester, associated lab course optional
    • Biochemistry – One semester, associated lab course optional
    • Statistics – One semester (any course level that fulfills the requirement for a STEM-related degree)

    All prerequisite courses must be of the upper divisional offering (200-level or greater), except for statistics, at the college or university where they are completed. Applicants may apply with no more than two remaining prerequisite courses in-progress or yet to be completed and receive a conditional acceptance before these prerequisite courses are completed. The courses must be completed before starting the PA program, demonstrated by submission of an official transcript (unofficial may serve as temporary placeholder, if the course completion or final grade are reported on the document, until an official transcript is available).

    The CSP PA Program does not award advanced placement into the PA Program. Post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) or advanced placement courses cannot be used toward prerequisite course completion. No prerequisite courses, additional relevant education, or past work experience will substitute for content within the professional component of the program.

  • Applicants must record a minimum of 500 hours of direct patient contact experience, at the time of application.

    Direct patient contact experience hours can be obtained through volunteer and/or compensated opportunities and must be verifiable. Shadowing hours do not count toward direct patient contact experience hours. Examples of roles or jobs that demonstrate acceptable direct patient contact experience hours includes: nursing roles, EMT-P, EMT-B, sonography, radiology tech, emergency department tech, personal care assistant, phlebotomist, laboratory tech, dietitian, physical therapy roles, chiropractor, dental roles (dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant), and medical scribes. Additional sources of direct patient contact experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  • Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation through CASPA. Letters of recommendation can be professional, academic, or personal. Letters of recommendation cannot be submitted from an immediate family member.

  • Applicants are required to provide a response to the CASPA Personal Statement and the CASPA Life Experience Statement. Each is evaluated for the applicant’s ability to provide a clear and cohesive response.

Admissions Process

Phase One: CASPA Application Review

Applicants meeting all Minimum Admissions Requirements, as described above, at the time of CASPA verification, are then reviewed by a member of the CSP PA Admissions Committee.

Applicants exceeding one or more of the Minimum Admissions Requirements increase their likelihood of being selected for the in-person interview. During the CASPA application review, the CSP Admissions Committee favors applicants who:

  • Obtained a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or greater, as calculated by CASPA.
  • Documented patient care experience of 1000 hours or greater, in a role with a high level of responsibility, at the time of CASPA submission.
  • Submitted two letters of recommendation that include positive character references with specific supporting examples.
  • Documented a clear, concise, thoughtful, and well-written response to each of the CASPA writing prompts.
  • Completed their prerequisite coursework prior to CASPA submission.

Phase Two: In-Person Interview

The in-person interview is held on campus at Concordia University in St. Paul, MN. Applicants selected for an in-person interview will receive an email invitation from the CSP PA Program Admissions Committee, including the scheduled date and time. All applicants are interviewed in a team format, with two interviewers and one or two other applicants. The interviewers evaluate each applicant on their ability to provide a thoughtful, clear, and concise answer to each question, assessing interpersonal communication, professionalism, resiliency, and integrity. Interviewers also evaluate whether applicants demonstrate the ability to clearly articulate their motivation to become a PA and a strong sense of purpose to be a patient-centered, empathetic PA committed to serving their community and improving the health and wellness of their patients.

PA Program Tuition 2027-2028

$995/credit hour for 105-credit program

View 2027-2028 Program Tuition, Program Fees, and Estimated Additional Student Cost Information

PA Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

  • Anatomy – Human or animal, one semester, associated lab encouraged

    Physiology – Human or animal, one semester, associated lab encouraged
    CSP offerings: BIO315 & BIO316 Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II

    Microbiology – One semester, associated lab course optional
    CSP offerings: BIO300 Microbiology

    Biochemistry – One semester, associated lab course optional
    CSP offerings: CHE328 Biochemistry I

    Statistics – One semester
    CSP offerings: MAT110: Introduction to Probability and Statistics; MAT340: Advanced Statistics; or PSY380: Research Methods with Statistical Applications

  • Yes, accepted students to the CSP PA Program must complete a criminal background check through Certiphi. Results must be released to the CSP PA Program prior to matriculation, and the cost of this process will be borne by the accepted student. Accepted students are required to disclose all past or present charges, convictions, dismissals, deferred judgments, and expunged records related to a misdemeanor or felony. They are also obligated to disclose any additional charges and convictions that occur following completion of the initial criminal background check. Admission to the program may be revoked if misrepresentations or omissions from the application are discovered in the background check.

    Prior to the clinical phase, CSP PA Program students are required to complete a drug screening through LabCorps and a criminal background check through Certiphi (as described above). Results of both screenings must be released to the CSP PA Program by the deadline provided and progression into the clinical phase will be determined based on the results. The cost of this process will be borne by the student.

  • The CSP PA Program has no supplemental essays and no supplemental application. There is no additional cost or supplemental application fee to apply to the CSP PA Program.

    All applicants to the CSP PA Program must complete and submit all components of the CASPA application per their guidelines and instructions.

    For the most updated information, regarding CASPA costs, please refer to their website. As of December 2025, CASPA charges applicants $184 for the first program applied to and an additional $61 for every subsequent program applied to.

    CASPA offers a limited number of fee-waivers for applicants. Please refer to CASPA’s website for more information.

  • No, the CSP PA Program does not give priority to any identified groups, or any specific prospective students, during the admissions process.

  • National data shows that matriculated PA students have an average undergraduate GPA of 3.6 and approximately 3,200 hours of patient care experience.* Competitive applicants are able to clearly express their motivation to become a PA, highlighting a strong sense of purpose or calling to be a patient-centered, empathetic medical provider committed to serving their community and improving the health and wellness of their patients.

    *PA Education Association, By the Numbers: Program Report 36: Data from the 2021 Program Survey, Washington, DC: PAEA; 2023 DOI: 10.17538/PR36.2021.

  • A non-refundable, $1,000, deposit is required from each applicant within one week of being offered admission. Submitting this deposit confirms acceptance into the CSP PA Program and secures a seat in the cohort. The deposit will be applied toward the first-semester tuition.

    In the event the CSP PA Program is denied Provisional Accreditation from the ARC-PA and newly accepted students have paid the $1,000 deposit, this WILL be refunded.

  • The Concordia University – St. Paul (CSP) Physician Assistant (PA) Program is designed to prepare students for licensure as a Physician Assistant (PA). Our curriculum is structured, upon graduation, to meet the requirements framed by the Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates from the PA Educational Association and set forth by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA), the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), and the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice. The CSP PA Program is currently seeking Provisional Accreditation status from the ARC-PA.

    All graduates of the CSP PA Program will be eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Successful completion of the PANCE is a requirement for PA licensure in most states.

    The CSP PA Program curriculum, and successfully obtaining national certification through the NCCPA, meets the updated educational requirements for professional licensure as a Physician Assistant in all 50 states (AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MS, MO, MN, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY). Licensure requirements for Physician Assistants may vary from state to state, and it is important for students to be aware of the specific requirements of the state in which they intend to practice.

    Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review the licensure requirements of the state in which they plan to practice and contact the respective state medical board or licensing authority for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

    The CSP PA Program is committed to supporting our students throughout their educational journey, including guidance on licensure preparation. Our faculty and staff are available to assist students in understanding licensure requirements and navigating the application process. It is important to note that obtaining a license to practice as a Physician Assistant is separate from completing an educational PA program. Licensure decisions are made by the individual state medical boards or licensing authorities based on their individual criteria. If you have any questions or require additional information regarding licensure, please feel free to contact our Program Director, Dr. Eric Van Hecke at [email protected].

  • In limited circumstances, the program may offer an admission deferral to the next cohort. Deferral decisions are made by the PA Program Admissions Committee. Students approved for deferral must meet all updated admissions and enrollment requirements prior to matriculation (if applicable). Matriculation remains contingent upon the program achieving provisional accreditation by the ARC-PA.

  • The CSP PA Program does NOT require graduate standardized admissions test scores for admission to the program, including but not limited to, the GRE, GMAT, MCAT, PA-CAT, or CASPER assessment.

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