Physician Assistant Program Frequently Asked Questions - Admissions Timeline, Requirements, and Application Materials -

Oct 3, 2026

Physician Assistant Program admissions FAQ detailing the application cycle for the January 2026 class. It specifies deadlines, required undergraduate credentials, minimum cumulative and science GPAs, prerequisite completion rules, and limits on outstanding prerequisites, along with a CASPA plan for finishing remaining coursework. It lists required prerequisite courses, timing and grade constraints, patient care experience minimum hours, interview eligibility criteria, technical standards, and application components including CASPA submission, Mercer supplemental application and fee, optional GRE, CASPer completion, clinical experience documentation, and reference letters, plus international credential evaluation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

Admissions Timeline

Application deadlines

Admissions Requirements

Education, GPA, and prerequisites

Patient care experience and technical standards

Application Materials

Primary and supplemental applications

Fees, GRE, and CASPer

Clinical experience and reference letters

Physician Assistant Program Frequently Asked Questions Admissions Timeline of application submission for the January 2026 Class: November 1, 2024 –April 1,2025 Admissions Requirements • Undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s) must be received from a regionally-accredited college/university prior to matriculation into the program. • Required cumulative overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. • Required Science Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.9 on a 4.0 scale. • Completion of all prerequisites prior to matriculation. Applicants with more than four (4) outstanding prerequisites in the spring, three (3) outstanding prerequisites in the summer and two (2) outstanding prerequisites in the fall cannot be considered for admission. The CASPA application must include a plan for completing the remaining prerequisites prior to enrollment. The prerequisites for Mercer’s PA Program are: o two course General Chemistry series with labs o one course of Organic Chemistry (lab optional) o one course of Biochemistry (lab optional) o two course General Biology series with labs o two course series of Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab (orA&P 1 andA&P2) o one course of Microbiology with lab o two course English Composition or intensive Writing course series o one course of Statistics or Biostatistics o one course of General or Introductory Psychology Notes about prerequisites: o Anatomy, Physiology, and Microbiology must have been taken within the last 10 years. o Survey courses are not acceptable towards the prerequisite coursework. o Online coursework will not satisfy laboratory course requirements. o Only grades of C or better are acceptable for prerequisite coursework. Specific questions regarding these prerequisites can be sent [to paprogram@mercer.edu](to paprogram@mercer.edu). • Required Patient Care Experience Hours: Applicants are required to complete a minimum of 1,000 hours of direct, hands-on patient care experience. • Qualified applicants with complete files and who meet or exceed the admissions criteria listed above may be invited to campus for a personal interview. • Applicants must also meet the PA Program's Technical Standards in order to be considered for admission into the program What materials are required to apply to the Physician Assistant Program? PLEASE NOTE: It is highly recommended to submit your application early in the cycle and ensure that all required documents are in progress or submitted no later than 2-3 weeks prior to the final deadline of April 1st. The CASPA verification process and the distribution of Casper scores necessitate 2-3 weeks for completion. Only applications that have been deemed complete and verified by CASPA will be reviewed after April 1st. • [Primary application must be submitted online through](Primary application must be submitted online through CASPA: www.caspaonline.org. All official)[ CASPA](Primary application must be submitted online through CASPA: www.caspaonline.org. All official)[: www.caspaonline.org. All official](Primary application must be submitted online through CASPA: www.caspaonline.org. All official)[ ](Primary application must be submitted online through CASPA: www.caspaonline.org. All official)[transcripts must be submitted to CASPA.](transcripts must be submitted to CASPA.) • Supplemental application must be submitted online via the Mercer website: [http://chp.mercer.edu/admissions/admissions-requirements/physician-assistant/](http://chp.mercer.edu/admissions/admissions-requirements/physician-assistant/) • Supplemental Application fee ($25) must be submitted to our office prior to the deadline. Please use the following link: [https://mercer.nbsstore.net/college-of-health-professions-supplemental](https://mercer.nbsstore.net/college-of-health-professions-supplemental)application-physician-assistant-program • Supplemental Application fee ($25) must be submitted to our office prior to the deadline. P

FAQs

What is the application deadline for the January 2026 Physician Assistant Program class?

The application timeline runs from November 1, 2024 to April 1, 2025. Applications verified as complete by CASPA are reviewed after April 1st.

What minimum academic requirements and prerequisite rules must applicants meet?

Applicants must have a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree before matriculation, a cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0, and a science GPA of 2.9/4.0. Prerequisites must be completed before matriculation, and applicants with more than four outstanding prerequisites in spring, three in summer, and two in fall are not considered.

What application materials and assessments are required (including patient experience and references)?

Applicants must submit the primary application to CASPA with official transcripts, and complete the CASPer assessment, which sends results to Mercer PA Admissions. They must complete at least 1,000 hours of direct hands-on patient care experience documented in CASPA, and submit three letters of reference, including at least one from a practicing PA/physician and one from a college professor or instructor.

Oct 3, 2026

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