Requirements
| CASPA and Supplemental Applications | The CASPA application opens in late April and closes on December 1 each year. The CASPA application and free CSUSB supplemental application (embedded within the Questions section of CASPA) must be submitted by 8:59PM PST/11:59PM EST on December 1. |
| Cal State Apply Application | Only required for accepted CSUSB MSPA program students who are matriculating into the program. |
| Bachelor’s Degree | A bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) must be completed no later than June 30 of the matriculation year. |
| Grade Point Average (GPA) |
The GPA (as calculated by CASPA) must meet the following requirements at the time of application:
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| Prerequisite Coursework |
Seven required courses must be completed:
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| Clinical Experience | A minimum of 1,000 clinical experience hours must be completed at the time of application. |
| Letters of Reference |
A minimum of three letters are required and must be received at the time of application submission:
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Standardized Entrance Exams |
No standardized entrance exams are required for admission into the MSPA program. International applicants may be required to complete an English Proficiency Exam. |
| Technical Standards | Applicants must meet the CSUSB MSPA Program Technical Standards to enroll in the program. |
CASPA and Supplemental Applications
The CSUSB MSPA program requires the completion of both the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application and a brief free CSUSB supplemental application (embedded within the Questions section of CASPA). The CASPA application opens in late April and closes on December 1 each year. Both applications must be submitted by 8:59PM PST/11:59PM EST on December 1. The CASPA application requires a fee (or fee waiver), but there is no additional fee for the CSUSB supplemental application.
Extensions to the deadline for any reason are not permitted, so early submissions are highly recommended. Invitations to interview will be offered beginning in September each year, and applicants will be admitted on a rolling basis.
Cal State Apply Application
The Cal State Apply application is only required for accepted CSUSB MSPA program students who are matriculating into the program. Fee waivers may be available.
Bachelor’s Degree
A bachelor’s degree (in any discipline) must be completed no later than June 30 of the matriculation year. The bachelor’s degree must either be from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or verified for equivalency by an international transcript evaluation agency. The International Admissions page contains more specific information for international applicants.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
To apply, applicants must meet at least one of the options in each category for GPA requirements outlined below.
- 3.0 Overall GPA or 3.2 GPA for last 60 credits
- 3.0 Science GPA or 3.2 Prerequisite GPA
The overall GPA and science GPA for all applicants will be used in the selection process. Please note: The GPA calculated by CASPA at the time of application is the only utilized GPA calculation. The CSUSB MSPA program is not able to recalculate GPA before or after the application deadline.
Prerequisite Coursework
All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a grade of C (2.0 on a 4.0 scale) or higher at a regionally accredited institution in the United States. These courses must also be completed within 10 years of the application deadline. Applicants are permitted to have up to two prerequisite courses in progress at the time of application submission. However, no more than one science prerequisite course can be in progress after December 31 of the application year. All prerequisites must be completed no later than June 30 of the matriculation year.
Students who complete introductory courses, accelerated courses (e.g., completed in six to eight weeks), and Pass/Fail courses (completed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) are strongly encouraged to take additional courses in the prerequisite content area. Online courses are accepted if they are 1) taken at a regionally accredited institution and 2) equivalent in depth and content to in-person courses.
- Lab not required but recommended.
- Examples of accepted courses include:
- General Microbiology
- Medical Microbiology
- Clinical Microbiology
- Option 1: Two sequential courses covering the full human body.
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
- Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
- Option 2: Two separate courses that individually cover the full human body.
- Human Anatomy with Lab
- Human Physiology
- Lab not required but recommended. General Biology does not meet this requirement.
- Examples of accepted courses include:
- Genetics
- Pathophysiology
- Pharmacology
- Cell Biology
- Molecular Biology
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Histology
- Lab required.
- Examples of accepted courses include:
- General Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Lab not required but highly recommended. General and Inorganic Chemistry courses are not accepted for this requirement.
- Examples of accepted courses include:
- Organic Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Medicinal Chemistry
Lab not required but recommended.
To view CSUSB courses that meet the program’s requirements, click here.
Transfer Credits and Exemptions
Advanced Placement (AP), College Level Examination Program (CLEP), and International Baccalaureate (IB) credits cannot be used towards the prerequisite course requirements.
Applicants who earned an advanced degree in clinical or health sciences within 10 years of the application deadline may be eligible for an exemption from prerequisite courses. All applicable coursework must be completed with a grade of B or higher (3.0 on 4.0 scale) at a regionally accredited institution in the United States. Applicants must submit all required documentation (i.e., transcripts, course descriptions) to the Admissions Chair for consideration. The Admissions Chair will review to determine if courses completed through the advanced degree will fulfill the program’s prerequisite course requirements. All decisions are final.
Pre-matriculation Course Requirement
The following course is a pre-matriculation course requirement (not prerequisite), which can be completed before or after application to the program.
- Medical Terminology
- Option 1: Medical Terminology course (minimum of 1 semester or quarter hour) from a regionally accredited institution
- Option 2: Medical Terminology certificate from a regionally accredited institution
Recommended Coursework
Courses listed as “recommended” will not be reviewed as part of the admissions process. Therefore, completion of these courses will not increase or decrease an applicant’s likelihood of admission. These courses are recommended to prepare applicants and enhance the learning experience of future CSUSB MSPA program students.
- Recommended courses include:
- General Psychology
- Introduction to Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Recommended courses include:
- Spanish – all levels
- Medical Spanish
Clinical Experience
The CSUSB MSPA program requires a minimum of 1,000 hours of clinical experience (paid or volunteer). Applicants will be able to list these positions and their descriptions within the Patient Care Experience and Healthcare Experience sections of the CASPA application. Only non-administrative positions that involve direct, hands-on interactions with patients will be accepted. Examples of acceptable positions include paramedic, medical scribe, certified nursing assistant, respiratory therapist, and radiologic technician.
Applicants will be given preference based on the number of hours and level of clinical decision-making. Use of only volunteer or shadowing hours is accepted but not preferred. Clinical experience completed for academic credit (e.g., externships) will not be considered, but clinical experience hours obtained through post-graduate residency or fellowships will be accepted.
Letters of Reference
A minimum of three letters are required and must be received within CASPA at the time of application submission. The application must include:
- Letter 1:
- Practicing clinician or member of the healthcare team, such as a physician assistant, physician (M.D. or D.O.), nurse practitioner, or nurse midwife.
- Letters 2 and 3:
- Practicing clinician,
- Member of the healthcare team,
- Professor (academic or research), or
- Professional reference.
Recommendations from a friend or family member are not accepted. Only letters of reference submitted through CASPA will be reviewed.
Standardized Entrance Exams
No standardized entrance exams are required for admission into the CSUSB MSPA program, including the GRE® (Graduate Record Examinations), Physician Assistant College Admissions Test (PA-CAT), MCAT® (Medical College Admission Test), and CASPer® (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics).
In some circumstances, international applicants may be required to complete an English Proficiency Exam. Please review the International Applicants section for more information.
International Applicants
International applicants must provide specific supporting documentation as part of the application process, including:
- Academic Records, Certificates, and Diplomas
- English Language Proficiency Requirement
- Affidavit of Support
More detailed information on this process can be found on the International Admissions page. (Please note: International applicants requiring immigration support are eligible to apply beginning in the 2025-2026 CASPA cycle.)
Undocumented Applicants
At CSUSB, we welcome, support, and empower undocumented students and students from mixed immigration status families. CSUSB’s Undocumented Student Success Center offers support and resources to help undocumented applicants navigate the admissions process. For more information, please visit the Undocumented Student Success Center page, which includes information on financial aid, scholarships, and free legal services.
Advanced Standing
Credits from any prior course work cannot be used to provide advanced standing within the MSPA program. All admitted students must complete the full didactic and clinical phases of the CSUSB MSPA program to graduate.
Technical Standards
A candidate for the Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant program must meet the MSPA program’s Technical Standards, which are the expectations for certain knowledge, skills, abilities, and professional behaviors. Students must attest that they meet the Technical Standards prior to matriculation and throughout the entirety of the Program.