Admission Requirements

Domestic Applicants

Applicants to the HWCOM MPAS program must meet all of the admission requirements to be considered. The program requires full-time attendance and does not accept transfer credits or grant advanced placement.

Foreign Applicants

International applicants and foreign medical graduates interested in applying to the HWCOM MPAS must complete all the requirements listed for domestic applicants as well as the requirements listed below:

  • Completion of all science prerequisite requirements within seven years at a college or university in the United States.
  • Applicants must have their transcripts translated in accordance with CASPA guidelines. Visit CASPA - Foreign and French Canadian Transcripts
  • Applicants from non-English speaking countries and those whose studies were completed outside of the US must present minimum scores on an English Language proficiency exam.

For a list of English proficiency exempt countries and English proficiency exam options, visit the international admissions website.

Requirements

  • Baccalaureate degree

    A baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university.

  • Overall GPA and Science GPA of 3.0

    Applicants must have the required 3.0 to be considered.

  • Graduate Record Examination (GRE) standardized test

    Official scores must be sent directly by ETS to CASPA code 0554 and valid within the past five years.

  • Three letters of recommendation

    Letters should be from Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, Professors or any individual who has worked with the applicant in a healthcare environment.

  • Prerequisite courses

    Complete all prerequisite courses within 7 years of the application deadline with a grade of “C” or higher. These courses can be completed at any accredited college or university but must meet the course level and description as detailed in the requirements and must be completed by the application deadline i.e. no prerequisite courses completed in spring will be acknowledged.

  • Direct patient care experience and shadowing experience

    Direct patient care experience (DPCE) or “hands-on” patient contact is required for your application. Selected applicants often have more than 1000 DPCS hours (minimum of 500 hours DPCE). A minimum of 500 hours of shadowing experience is recommended.

    Acceptable DPCE:

    Nurse (RN or LPN), EMT or Paramedic, Physical Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Respiratory Therapist, Surgical Technologist, Medical Assistant, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medic (Army), Chiropractor, Pharmacist, Optician, EKG Tech, Phlebotomist, Respiratory Therapist,  Ultrasound Tech, Patient Care Tech, Medical Tech, Radiologic Tech, Midwife, Cardiovascular Perfusionist, Imaging Tech, Home Health Aide, Dietician/Nutritionist, Exercise Physiologist, Physical Therapist Aid, Athletic Trainer, Scribe, Speech Therapy, Research Assistant, Pharmacy Tech, Certified Athletic Trainer, Mental Health Tech, Dental Hygienist, Research Coordinator, Patient Care Tech.

    Note: Only DPCE and shadowing hours submitted with CASPA application will be applicable. 

  • Completion of the online assessment CASPer

    CASPer is an online test, which assesses non-cognitive skills, and interpersonal characteristics that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of our program. By implementing CASPer, we are trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process. Please go to the CASPer website to sign up for the CSP-10101 U.S. Professional Health Sciences test. The last date to take the CASPer test is December 8, 2023.

    Note: CASPer scores must be received for your application to be considered.

Prerequisite Requirements

All prerequisite courses must be completed by the fall semester before the application deadline, i.e., applications for fall 2023 must have prerequisite courses completed by December 2022.

Complete all prerequisite courses within 7 years of the application deadline.

FIU course codes and descriptions are listed below, students can apply with courses from other colleges or universities of similar course level or description. For more information on FIU courses visit the FIU Course Catalog.

Check your prerequisite equivalencies with those at FIU by visiting FIU’s Transfer Equivalency Database.

  • FIU course codes and descriptions

    Important Note:  Transfer course prerequisites must equate to the credit count as listed below and must be at the undergraduate level as listed below (i.e., 1000, 2000, 3000, or 4000 levels). 

    COURSE

    COURSE NUMBER

    COURSE DESCRIPTION

    Statistics (any  ONE of the following courses)(3 semester hours)                     

    STA 2023

    Statistics for Business and Economics: Starting with an introduction to probability, the course provides an introduction to statistical techniques used in management science. It includes descriptive statistics, probability distributions, estimation and testing of hypotheses.

    STA 2122

    Statistics for Behavioral and Social Science: probability distribution of discrete and continuous random variables. Sampling distributions. Large sample estimation and hypothesis testing for means and proportions.

    STA 3111

    Statistics I: Descriptive statistics. Basic probability rules. Discrete and continuous probability distributions. Point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing based on a single sample. Comparison of two proportions using independent and large samples.

    General Chemistry I and Lab (4 semester hours)

    CHM 1045 & CHM 1045L

    General Chemistry I: Fundamental principles of general chemistry: states of matter, atomic structure, stoichiometry, chemical bonding, acid-base reactions, and gas laws.

    General Chemistry II and Lab (4 semester hours)

    CHM 1046 & CHM 1046L

    General Chemistry II: Fundamental principles of chemistry: thermodynamics, solutions, kinetics, equilibrium and electrochemistry.

    General Biology and Lab  OR  Zoology and Lab (4 semester hours)

    BSC 2010, BSC 2010L, BSC 2011, BSC 2011L

    General Biology I: Biomolecules, cells, energy flow, genetics, and physiology. Science background or Biology major recommended. OR General Biology II: A survey of organismal biology with emphasis on botany and zoology.

    ZOO 3021 & ZOO 3021L

    Zoology: Characteristics, evolutionary relationships and physiological adaptations of metazoan animal groups from porifera through the chordates.

    General Microbiology and Lab (4 semester hours)  OR  Introductory Microbiology and Lab (4 semester hours)

    MCB 3020 & MCB 3020L

    General Microbiology: Introduction to the principles and techniques of microbiology, genetics, taxonomy, biochemistry and ecology of microorganisms.

    MCB 2000 & MCB 2000L

    Introductory Microbiology: Basic concepts of microbes as pathogens, food spoilage, and fermentative organisms. Microbial relationships to immunology, sanitation, pollution, and geochemical cycling.

    Human Anatomy and Lab (4 semester hours)

    ZOO 3731 & ZOO 3731L

    Human Anatomy: Survey of organ systems of the human body with major emphasis on the skeletal, muscular, and peripheral nervous system. Guided examination of prosected human cadavers.

    Intermediate Human Physiology and Lab (4 semester hours)

    PCB 3702 & PCB 3702L

    Intermediate Human Physiology: Functions of the human body and the physio-chemical mechanisms responsible for each organ’s function.

    **If taking Human Anatomy and Physiology combined course both Human Anatomy/Physiology I (BSC 2085 and BSC 2085L) and Human Anatomy/Physiology II (BSC 2086 and BSC 2086L) must be taken.

    Organic Chemistry I and Lab (4 semester hours)

    CHM 2210 & CHM 2210L

    Organic Chemistry I:  An introduction to chemical bonding and atomic structure theory as it pertains to the chemistry of carbon compounds. Correlation between structure and reactivity of organic molecules followed by a systematic look at the various reaction types using reaction mechanisms as a tool for study.

    Organic Chemistry II and Lab (4 semester hours)  OR Biochemistry and Lab (4 semester hours)   

    CHM 2211 & CHM 2211L  

    Organic Chemistry II: Continuation of CHM 2210, 2210L. Concurrent registration in lecture and laboratory is required.

    BCH 3033 & BCH 3033L

    Biochemistry: Chemistry of proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids; principles of enzymology, metabolism, and bioenergetics.

    Genetics (3 semester hours)

    PCB 3063

    Genetics: Mendelian inheritance and introduction to molecular genetics.

    Medical Terminology

    (Recommended)

    HSC 3537

    Medical Terminology: Online courses accepted

     

Recommendations

  • The MPAS program encourages applicants to select FIU if taking the PA-CAT for other programs. The PA-CAT scores do not replace the GRE scores which are required for application to the FIU MPAS program.
  • Applicants are encouraged to register for an information session by sending an email to paschool@fiu.edu.