Admission Requirements

Sacred Heart University (SHU) was founded on a mission for social justice and prepares students personally and professionally to make a difference in the global community. The SHU master of science in physician assistant studies (MSPAS) program aims to fulfill this mission by educating future PAs to provide compassionate and high-quality patient-centered healthcare to diverse populations, including vulnerable and medically underserved communities. The SHU MSPAS program is 27 months in length including a 12-month didactic phase, followed by a 15-month clinical phase, with an emphasis in primary care throughout the curriculum. The program is located in Stamford, CT, about 40 miles from New York City.

We respect and embrace diversity in all forms and aim to matriculate students that vary in cultural background, life experience, age, gender, and gender identity. We seek students who are mature, possess excellent communication skills, are team-oriented, and demonstrate intellectual capacity and integrity. We highly value community service as well as military service. Through a holistic admissions process, we identify well rounded applicants that are not only academically strong, but also align highly with our mission and valued attributes. We look forward to reviewing your application!

To apply, all applicants must use the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). CASPA opens on April 25, 2025. All prerequisite courses and requirements must be complete at the time of application submission to CASPA. Any additional information, clinical hours, or prerequisites will not be considered after application is submitted. The deadline to apply to the SHU MSPAS program is September 1, 2025.

All applicants, including graduates from foreign institutions, must hold either U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status at the time of application. Applicants with pending citizenship or temporary residency will not be considered.

Academic Standards for Enrollment

Degree Prerequisites 

An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or an equivalent institution as determined by Sacred Heart University, must be conferred at the time of application submission to CASPA.

Applicants educated outside the U.S. must utilize a transcript evaluation service to verify their degree and course work. The academic record must show credits and grades equivalent to those given by U.S. institutions of higher learning.

Test Scores

  • Scores from the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) are not required for admission to the SHU MSPAS program.
  • Applicants who have not earned a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited institution in the U.S. must also submit official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) regardless of the official language of the country in which the education took place, or the predominant language of the degree-granting institution.

Minimum TOEFL scores accepted are:

  • Reading 24/30
  • Listening 24/30
  • Speaking 28/30
  • Writing 26/30

Coursework Prerequisites

The following courses must be completed at a regionally accredited institution in the United States, with a grade of "C" or better. We do not accept pass/fail courses. There is no time expiration for these prerequisites. All courses must be already completed with grades at the time of application submission to CASPA.

Biological Science courses*, which must include:

  • Microbiology with lab (4 credits)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab (4 credits)
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab (4 credits)
  • Any upper-level human biological science course with or without lab (3-4 credits)
    • Examples of acceptable coursework include: Cell Biology, Human Genetics, Immunology, Molecular Biology, Neurobiology & Pathology
      • General Biology/Biology I or II is not an acceptable course for the upper division biological science requirement.

One course of each of the following:

  • Organic Chemistry I with lab (4 credits) and Organic Chemistry II with lab (4 credits); or Biochemistry with lab (4 credits) - Biochemistry preferred
  • Statistics (Biostatistics preferred)
  • General Psychology

Advanced Placement® (AP) credits will be accepted for Psychology and Statistics.

Highly recommended courses, but not required:

  • Human Genetics
  • Abnormal Psychology
  • Biostatistics
  • Biochemistry
  • Immunology
  • Medical Terminology

SHU MSPAS program is unable to accept transfer credits, and does not accept applications for challenge examinations. We do not accept previous experience or medical training for advanced placement in the SHU MSPAS program. All students are expected to complete all didactic and clinical elements of the SHU MSPAS program.

*SHU MSPAS program requires all prerequisite labs be in person.  An exception will be made for online labs that were completed between the spring 2020 and summer 2021 academic semesters only. 

Minimum Requirements:

  • Overall GPA of 3.0 (calculated by CASPA)
  • All prerequisite courses: Cumulative GPA of 3.0
  • A minimum of 1,000 hours of verifiable, paid, direct patient care experience in the U.S. healthcare system. Healthcare experience will be evaluated based on the type of work and level of patient interaction.

Examples of paid, direct patient experience includes, but is not limited to:

  • Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) or Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
  • Emergency Department Technician
  • Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN/LVN)
  • Medical Assistant (MA) – Does not include administrative/clerical work
  • Medical/ER Scribe
  • Military medic or corpsman
  • Ophthalmic technician
  • Paramedic
  • Patient Care Assistant (PCA)
  • Physical Therapy Aide
  • Radiology Technician
  • Registered nurse (RN)
  • Respiratory Therapist

Highly competitive applicants will also possess the following:

  • Participation in community service or volunteer work
  • Shows a commitment to community service, social justice, diversity and inclusion
  • Average overall total GPA: 3.51
  • Average prerequisite GPA: 3.6
  • Completed 80 hours or more of college-level science course credit hours

Additional consideration will be given to applicants with current Connecticut resident status, or applicants with verifiable military service. SHU participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Applicants with an earned bachelor’s or master’s degree from Sacred Heart University, or a current employee of Stamford Hospital or Stamford Health Medical Group, who meet all minimum requirements and technical standards will be granted an interview.

Additional Requirements:

  • Application through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)
  • Three letters of reference, including at least one letter from a work supervisor and professor
  • Personal statement (on CASPA)
  • Official college transcripts (sent to CASPA)
  • Supplemental SHU essay questions completion (on CASPA)
  • Successful interview, by invitation only
  • Must meet all SHU MSPAS program technical standards
  • Completion of criminal background check is required prior to starting the program
  • Completion of required SHU MSPAS health and immunization clearance
  • If selected to join SHU's MSPAS program, a candidate is required to provide proof of paid patient care hours

Interview & Acceptance Process

We review each application individually on its own merit. Admission decisions are based on the evaluation of an applicant's academic record, personal statements, previous health care/direct patient care experience, service, attributes and a formal interview. Only verified applications are reviewed by the admissions committee and only applicants formally interviewed will be considered for admission. Highly qualified candidates will be contacted through CASPA and invited for an interview. Interviews will be conducted during the fall following the start of each admissions cycle. For the 2025 admissions cycle, interviews will be virtual. We begin offering admission to qualifying candidates through the fall interview process and complete all admissions decisions by December.

Enrollment Fee

Upon acceptance to the program, the candidate is required to remit $1,000 to secure their place in the incoming class. This fee is non-refundable. However, this fee is applied to the student’s tuition and is not in addition to the tuition due.

Background Check

Successful completion of the MSPAS program includes satisfactory completion of the clinical education component of the curriculum. The majority of clinical sites now require students to complete a criminal background check prior to participating in clinical education placements. Some facilities may also require fingerprinting and/or drug screening. State licensure laws may also restrict or prohibit those with criminal convictions from obtaining a professional license to practice following graduation. Thus, students with criminal convictions or backgrounds may not be able to obtain required clinical education experience(s) thereby failing to meet the academic standards of the program. 

It is therefore the policy of the MSPAS program that all admitted students planning to enroll must consent, submit to, and satisfactorily complete a criminal background check before registration for courses as a condition of matriculation. Matriculation will not be final until the completion of the criminal background check with results deemed acceptable to the program director or MSPAS director of Clinical Education. 

All expenses associated with the criminal background check are the responsibility of the student. Students who do not consent to the required background check, refuse to provide information necessary to conduct the background check, or provide false or misleading information in regard to the background check will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including refusal of matriculation or dismissal from the program. 

Criminal background information is strictly confidential, for use only by authorized MSPAS program faculty and/or administrative staff, and shall be retained only until the student graduates or is dismissed from the program.

Vaccination Requirements

The SHU PA program requires COVID-19 vaccination, including the latest booster. Proof of vaccination must be uploaded to the SHU health portal by July of the student's matriculation year. If you've never been vaccinated, a current single-dose vaccine is required for program entry.

Students must also provide proof of vaccination for the annual influenza vaccine, hepatitis B, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), Tdap, TB screening and varicella.

BLS-CPR Certification

All students are required to be current with their BLS certification.

Technical Standards for Enrollment

A Physician Assistant (PA) must have the knowledge and skill to practice in a variety of clinical situations and to render a wide spectrum of care based on the patient’s needs. In addition to academic achievements, exam results, and recommendations, physician assistant students must possess the physical, emotional, and behavioral capabilities requisite for the practice of medicine as a PA. In order to successfully complete the PA clinical training program, candidates and students must demonstrate proficiency in academic and clinical activities with regard to the competencies described below.

Observation

Candidates and PA students must have sufficient sensory capacity to observe in the classroom, the laboratory, the outpatient setting, and at the patient’s bedside. The sensory skills required to perform an adequate physical examination include functional vision, hearing, smell, and tactile sensation. All of these senses must be adequate to observe a patient’s condition and to accurately elicit information through procedures regularly required in a physical examination, such as inspection, auscultation, percussion and palpation.

Communication

Candidates and PA students must be able to:

  • Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and others in both academic and healthcare settings
  • Speak clearly
  • Communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English with faculty, staff, patients, and all members of the health care team. Communication includes not only clear speech, but also reading and writing skills
  • Demonstrate reading skills at a level sufficient to accomplish curricular requirements, provide clinical care for patients, and complete appropriate medical records, documents, and plans according to protocol in a thorough and timely manner.
  • Perceive and describe changes in mood, posture, activity and interpret non-verbal communication signs

Motor Coordination & Function

Candidates and PA students are required to possess motor skills sufficient to directly perform palpation, percussion, auscultation, and other basic diagnostic procedures. Additionally, they must possess the ability to execute the motor movements reasonably required to provide basic medical care and emergency care to patients, including but not limited to:

  • cardiopulmonary resuscitation
  • administration of intravenous medication
  • application of pressure to stop hemorrhage
  • opening of obstructed airways
  • suturing of simple wounds
  • performance of simple obstetrical maneuvers
  • negotiate patient care environments and must be able to move between settings, such as clinic, classroom, laboratory and hospital
  • maintain sufficient physical stamina to complete the rigorous course of didactic and clinical study which include long periods of sitting, standing, or moving in classroom, laboratory and clinical settings.

Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative & Quantitative Abilities

These abilities include measurement, calculation, reasoning, analysis, and synthesis. Problem solving, the critical skill demanded of physician assistants, requires all of these intellectual abilities. Candidates and PA students must be able to:

  • Measure, calculate, reason, analyze and synthesize
  • interpret dimensional relationships, and understand the spatial relationships of anatomical structures
  • search, read and interpret medical literature

The ability to incorporate new information from peers, faculty and the medical literature in formulating diagnoses and plans is essential. To complete the Physician Assistant program, candidates must be able to demonstrate proficiency of these skills and the ability to use them together in a timely fashion in medical problem-solving and patient care.

Behavioral & Social Attributes

Compassion, integrity, ethical standards, concern for others, interpersonal skills and motivation are all personal qualities important to providing compassionate and quality patient care.

Candidates and PA students must:

  • possess the emotional health required for full utilization of their intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the completion of all academic and patient care responsibilities.
  • develop mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients, faculty and other members of the health care team.
  • function in the face of uncertainties inherent in clinical practice and adapt to changing environments
  • possess flexibility, compassion, integrity, motivation, interpersonal skills and concern for others

Individuals with disabilities (as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act) may be qualified for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) program with the use of reasonable accommodations. Upon enrollment, a student requesting accommodations will be required to provide documentation in the form of testing and/or medical opinions to the University Jandrisevits Learning Center Office of Student Accessibility (OSA). If a student submits documentation that is incomplete or the submitted documentation does not adequately determine if a student has a disability or qualifies for the accommodations being requested, the Office of Student Accessibility (OSA) reserves the right to request additional documentation. All information shared with the Office of Student Accessibility is confidential. To be qualified for enrollment in the SHU MSPAS program, candidates must be able to meet both our Academic Standards and Technical Standards, with or without reasonable accommodation. Accommodation is viewed as a means of assisting students with disabilities to meet essential standards by providing them with an equal opportunity to participate in all aspects of each course or clinical experience. Reasonable accommodation is not intended to guarantee that students will be successful in meeting the requirements of any one course or clinical education.

The Use of Auxiliary Aids & Intermediaries

Qualified students with documented disabilities, who are provided with reasonable accommodations, may use an intermediary or an auxiliary aid. Such reasonable accommodations should be designed to help the student meet learning outcomes without eliminating essential program elements or fundamentally altering the MSPAS curriculum. No disability can be reasonably accommodated with an intermediary that provides cognitive support or substitutes for essential clinical skills, or supplements clinical and ethical judgment. Thus, accommodations cannot eliminate essential program elements or fundamentally alter the MSPAS curriculum.