Enrollment Information
1-800-422-4LLU (1-800-422-4558)
Physician Assistant Program Prerequisite Requirements 
| Downloadable check-off list (PDF) of prerequisite requirements for the Physician Assistant Program |
The following elements are required when applying:
- Completed application through CASPA.
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
In order to be eligible for admission, your bachelor's degree must be completed by December 31 for the school year starting the following September. - Documented hands-on patient care experience. (2000 hours)
- All diplomas and transcripts must be from accredited institutions.
- An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above and a science GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- C- grades or lower are not transferable for credit.
Science Courses:
- A complete course of human anatomy and physiology with laboratory covering all organ systems.
- One year of general chemistry with laboratory or its equivalent (inorganic, organic, and biochemistry).
- Microbiology with laboratory
General Education Courses:
- General Psychology
- General Sociology OR Cultural Anthropology
- College-level algebra
- One year of English
Recommended Courses:
- Statistics
- Medical terminology
- Computer literacy
Further Requirements for Admissions
- Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a practicing physician (MD or DO) or a physician assistant (PA). (Part of the CASPA application process)
- A minimum of one year of patient care experience prior to entering the program. This is interpreted as 2,000 hours of patient care in healthcare-related disciplines. Hands-on patient care is required.
- All prerequisite courses and degrees must be from accredited educational institutions for admission to the Department of Physician Assistant Sciences.
As a matter of policy, advanced placement for experiential learning is not granted to applicants to the department. Also Loma Linda University does not award advance standing for courses completed prior to program entry, or for prior clinical clerkship.
Preferences
We grant preferences to SDA, graduates of LLU, applicants of under
represented populations and applicants with documented community service.
International Student Information
International applicants (non-US citizens and non-US permanent residents) must meet all admission requirements for the chosen program, provide suitable recommendations, meet minimum pre-entrance examination requirements, furnish English evaluations of all official foreign transcripts and credentials, and give evidence of their ability to meet estimated living expenses and all financial obligations to the University during their program.
English competency requirements: Prior to admission and regardless of nationality or citizenship, an applicant whose native language is not English is required to pass either the Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency (MTELP) or the three ETS exams: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Test of Spoken English (TSE), and Test of Written English (TWE). If satisfactory results are not achieved on the tests, remedial coursework should be taken and the appropriate test repeated until a satisfactory score is achieved. A personal interview is also encouraged to verify acceptable verbal and written skills.
The minimum MTELP requirements are as follows: undergraduate, a score at the 90th percentile; graduate humanities and social sciences, 90th percentile; graduate science, 85th percentile; professional graduate, 90th percentile.
Minimum TOEFL requirements for clinical programs: a minimum score of 550 on the paper-based examination or 213 on the computer-based examination.
Foreign transcripts must be sent to an approved evaluation centers. See admissions info for more information.
Foreign transcripts must be sent to an approved evaluation centers. See admissions info for more information.
Applicants must file complete records of all studies taken on the college level with CASPA, see "How to apply" section. The University reserves the right to require of an applicant satisfactory completion of written or practical examinations in any course for which transfer credit is requested. Remedial and high school level courses (except college algebra and calculus) are not accepted for transfer.
More detailed University information is available on our Admissions and International Student web pages.