ADMISSIONS CRITERIA | Master of Physician Assistant Studies

Application: Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA)
CASPA 2025-2026 Open Date: April 24, 2025
Deadline for verified CASPA applications: August 1, 2025
Classes begin: May 18, 2026

Residency

Preference will be given to Louisiana residents. Information regarding establishing LA residency may be obtained by the Office of the Registrar or on their Registrar's website. 

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS (2025-2026)

The following are the minimum admission requirements for application to the Physician Assistant Program for the 2025-2026 cycle.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Baccalaureate degree must be received from a regionally accredited United States college or university by the first day of class in the PA program. 

Minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by CASPA) on a 4.0 scale before application deadline. 

Minimum science GPA of 3.0 (as calculated by CASPA) on a 4.0 scale before application deadline.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores from within the last five years must be sent to GRE DI code 0423 before application deadline. The GRE is required. There is no minimum score; however, the GRE score is heavily weighted in the evaluation and ranking of applicants. The average GRE scores for the Class of 2027 are: 

• Quantitative - 152
• Verbal - 152

• Analytical Writing - 4.1

For applicants who have taken the exam multiple times, the program will count the set of scores with the highest overall score. The program will not take the highest scores from each section (no super-scoring).

Grade of "C" or better in the following required prerequisite courses completed at a regionally accredited United States college or university by the day the student begins the PA program. If you earned a C in a prerequisite course, it is strongly recommended that you repeat the course.

Note : A&P I with lab + A&P II with lab (8 hours) will meet the anatomy and physiology requirements if all four components are completed. If courses are not completed at the same institution, it is up to the applicant to show that the combined courses covered all required material (by uploading course catalog descriptions document into CASPA)

• Anatomy (4 hours) – Human or Comparative with a lab 
• Physiology (3 hours) – General or Human
• Microbiology (4 hours) – Sophomore level or higher (200/2000 level) with a lab
• Chemistry (8 hours) – General, Inorganic, or Organic with labs
• Statistics (3 hours) – BIO, PSYCH, MATH, or STAT course number
• Medical Terminology (2 hours accepted, 3 hours recommended)
• Biology electives (8 hours) – Junior level or higher (300/400 or 3000/4000 level):
  • Course must have a BIO course name and number or clearly be biology related. For example, biochemistry may have a CHEM course name/number, but is acceptable as a biology course; however, organic chemistry will not count towards this requirement. Other acceptable prefixes may include Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Molecular Biology.
  • Number must begin with a 3 or 4 (300/400 or 3000/4000 level). If your university uses a nonstandard numbering system, a letter from the registrar is required stating the courses are junior or senior level courses.
  • Highly suggested, but not required, courses: Advanced anatomy, advanced physiology, cell biology, genetics, immunology, parasitology, virology, and other similar courses.
  • The following courses will not be counted towards this requirement: Seminar, selected topics, special topics, research courses, and other similar courses.

  • Courses from other professional programs or disciplines (nursing, medical technology, biomechanics, kinesiology) usually will not be accepted in lieu of traditional college courses.

  • Introductory courses, such as Biology I and Biology II, will not meet this requirement

Additional Notes on Prerequisite Requirements: 

All science courses must be for science majors. 

Each course can only count toward one prerequisite criterion. For example, an upper level physiology course can count towards the physiology requirement or the upper level biology requirement, but not both. 

The majority of prerequisite coursework should be completed or in progress before the application deadline. 

It is recommended that prerequisite coursework has been completed within the past 10 years. 

Due to the wide variety of experiential learning that can occur prior to admission, the LSU Health Shreveport Physician Assistant program does not waive prerequisite coursework.

For the same reason, the LSU Health Shreveport Physician Assistant program does not award credit or advanced placement for previous coursework or experiential learning; all course work must be completed within the PA curriculum without exception.

Pass/fail grades are not accepted.*
THE ONLY EXCEPTION:  *In response to COVID-19, pass/fail coursework will be accepted for prerequisite coursework if the following conditions are met:
Spring 2020 or Summer 2020 only;
Must receive a Pass grade;
Cannot be for more than 50% of prerequisite courses

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum 80 hours of experience (see below categories) documented in CASPA before the application deadline. Hours may be paid or unpaid. It is recommended that hours have been completed within the past 10 years. 

• Patient Care Experience - Experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc.
• Healthcare Experience - Work in a health or health-related field where you are not directly responsible for a patient's care, but may still have patient interaction; for example, filling prescriptions, performing clerical work, delivering patient food, cleaning patients and/or their rooms, administering food or medication, taking vitals or other record keeping information, working as a scribe, CNA (depending on job description), medical assistant, etc.
• Shadowing Experience - Time spent officially following and observing a health care professional at work, while they provide patient care, preferably in the physician assistant field.

Other factors considered in the selection process:

Life experience, which consists of:

• Leadership – Official leadership position in an organization or a company 
• Work Experience – Working at least half-time (20 hours/week) while a full-time student or working full-time after graduation
• Participation in LSU Health Shreveport activities such as AHEAD, AHEC, HBCU days, PA Program Information sessions, Junior Achievement activities on campus, etc. 
• Participation in a sanctioned collegiate sport at the varsity level
• Military service 
• We recognize that overcoming adversity fosters resilience, empathy, and personal growth—qualities essential in healthcare. Special consideration is given to applicants who have faced significant challenges, as these experiences demonstrate perseverance and the ability to navigate difficult circumstances.

Other considerations:

• Postgraduate degree—completion of a master’s or doctoral degree
• Any healthcare-associated certificates that are obtained and are current at the time of application—for example, medical assistant, BLS, ACLS, CNA, EMT/Paramedic, etc
• Applicants should be aware that an excessive number of 'W' (withdrawal) grades on a transcript may raise concerns about academic readiness, commitment, and ability to handle the rigors of a physician assistant program. While we understand that extenuating circumstances can arise, a pattern of withdrawals may require further explanation during the admissions process.
• Letters of Recommendation are reviewed (3 required)
• One spot in the program is reserved for a qualified student who is either currently enrolled in or has graduated within the past two years from the LSU Health Shreveport Cardiopulmonary Science Program and is recommended by the Cardiopulmonary Science Faculty.
• Prior applicant or designated as an alternate the prior year
• Last 60 hours GPA

THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS

Applicants will submit applications to the program through the CASPA system. After evaluation of the application, selected applicants will be contacted to arrange an interview. 

It is encouraged prior to applying that a prospective student completes the PA Program Self-Assessment to determine if you are a competitive applicant (This is for informative purposes only, to allow applicants to identify strengths and areas of improvement for their application).

Accepted students must certify that they meet the technical standards established by the program with or without reasonable accommodation. 

Prior to matriculation, accepted students are required to:

• Pay a non-refundable seat deposit of $500 which will be credited to your first semester’s tuition. 
• Purchase a ~$145 subscription to PA Prep Academy and complete the online course before matriculation. 
• The seat deposit and paid subscription to PA Prep Academy are in addition to other expenses associated with enrolling at LSU Health Shreveport (immunizations, background check, etc.).

Please note : Students granted provisional admission must fulfill the conditions outlined in their acceptance letter and complete pre-matriculation requirements set by the Office of the Registrar. These requirements include passing a drug screening and a criminal background check before matriculation. Admission is contingent upon successfully meeting both criteria.