FAQ

All health care disciplines are certainly valuable to the practice of medicine. The most successful candidates have clinical health care experiences which are rich in high-level, direct patient care and decision-making responsibilities. Clinical health care experiences which lack similar skills do not fully prepare students for successful completion of the accelerated program or the professional board exam.

Detailed information regarding the UND Department of Physician Assistant Studies Technical Standards can be found HERE

No, you are not required to relocate to North Dakota; however, there is a total of 15 weeks of on-campus, in-person instruction during the 24-month program. For clinical rotations, students should expect to temporarily re-locate outside of their home area as learning may occur in any geographical area the program deems fit to meet program requirements and national accreditation standards. 

No, we do not use rolling admissions. Following the deadline, the UND Department of Physician Assistant Studies will evaluate verified CASPA applications and contact the most qualified applicants within 3-6 weeks to offer an interview.

No, we do not evaluate coursework or transcripts until after an application has been received. It is the applicant’s responsibility to evaluate coursework to see if it meets the published standards. If you need help clarifying a standard, please contact our department, but please be aware that we cannot recommend or endorse specific courses.

Upper level university science coursework is preferred. Upper level coursework is non-introductory, typically with course numbers indicating at least junior or senior status. Please make sure your courses are from a regionally-accredited institution within the U.S. (HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU, SACSCOC, WSCUC), meet the minimum semester credit requirements, and receive a grade of B or higher (3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale). Admission to the program is highly competitive. Therefore, students whose transcripts demonstrate proven academic success in upper level university coursework are preferred.

Prerequisite coursework does not have an expiration date. However, the most competitive candidates are those who demonstrate more recent success in completing challenging coursework. Preference is given to applicants who have completed upper level university science prerequisite courses within the past 7 years. The most competitive applicants are those who demonstrate recent proficiency in progressively rigorous prerequisite core science coursework.

Completion of more recent and rigorous upper level university courses with higher grades may demonstrate increased readiness for graduate level courses. However, please be aware that the graduate school requires an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, for non-provisional admittance.

Prerequisite coursework must be completed, posted on official transcripts, and included with your application materials before the application deadline in order to be considered for admission into the program. If you have courses in progress after the application deadline, please delay your application until the next cycle after your coursework is complete.

Applicants must have achieved at least a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution within the U.S. by December 31 of the year you apply. Once you have graduated, an official transcript showing the conferral of the degree must be sent and postmarked by February 1 to the UND School of Graduate Studies. Do not send transcripts directly to the UND PA Program. For questions regarding where to send your transcripts, contact the UND School of Graduate Studies.

Yes, we accept students from all over the United States. North Dakota residents are given highest preference, followed by those residing in bordering states (MN, MT, SD) and in the region (IA, NE, WI, WY). Additionally, preference is also given to applicants with prior clinical health care experience with rural populations and residence in rural geographic areas.

Yes. Courses can be taken online or at a community/technical college as long as they are from a regionally-accredited institution within the U.S. (HLC, MSCHE, NECHE, NWCCU, SACSCOC, WSCUC). Please make sure they meet the requirements listed (such as number of semester credit, grade of B or higher, completed by deadline, etc.). Please keep in mind that upper level university science coursework, with lab work, are preferred.

Your courses do not transfer into UND. You qualify to apply to the UND PA Program with requirements that meet the published standards. If your courses don’t exactly match a UND course, but they meet the requirements posted, then the course should be found sufficient.

No. A bachelor’s degree or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution within the U.S. is required for all applicants. All prerequisites must meet the same requirements. Degrees or coursework obtained outside of the United States would not be sufficient regardless of equivalency or outside evaluations.