Prerequisites

We're excited that you're interested in the M.S. in Physician Assistant program at Bethel. If you have questions about any requirements, contact our admissions team. The following prerequisites are reflective of the 2023 application cycle for matriculation in summer 2024.

Application Requirements

• 500 hours of direct patient care. Please contact our enrollment counselor for clarification regarding eligible activities.
• Earned B.A. or B.S. degree from a regionally accredited or internationally recognized institution.
• Minimal GPA requirement of 3.25 overall and 3.25 overall science on a 4.0 scale as calculated by CASPA.
• Meet Program Technical Standards.
• Any candidate meeting all application requirements with a bachelor's degree or master's degree from Bethel University will be granted an interview.
• Any candidate meeting all application requirements with a U.S. Military Veteran status will be granted an interview.
• If an international applicant, please see additional international requirements.
• The GRE or any standardized entrance exam is NOT required for application or admission to the Bethel PA program.
• Personal statements and supplemental questions are scored by Bethel PA faculty members as part of the CASPA evaluation, and applicants must achieve a passing score as part of our application requirements.
• Any candidate meeting all application requirements with a bachelor's degree and an overall GPA of at least 3.5 from Dordt University will be granted an interview.

Required Prerequisites

Applicants must have successfully completed the following prerequisites from a regionally accredited institution with a grade of B- or higher. (Note: If you took any courses for Pass/Fail between January 2022 and May 2023, you are still invited to apply, but additional documentation may be required.) We cannot waive or alter any admission requirements, including our required minimum grades on prerequisite courses.

Course	Minimum Semester Credit Hours
Human Anatomy	3 (within last 5 years*)
Human Physiology	3 (within last 5 years*)
Organic Chemistry	3
Biochemistry	3
Microbiology	3 (within last 5 years*)
Genetics	3
Psychology	3
Statistics	3

Labs are not required for science prerequisites.

Five of the eight required prerequisites must be completed at time of application. Any outstanding prerequisites must be completed with transcripts received at Bethel by March 1 in the year of matriculation. 

Students must complete all required prerequisite courses by March 1 in the year of matriculation, earning a minimum grade of B- in each course.

Score of 4 or 5 on a high school advanced placement exam will be considered for a waiver of the non-science prerequisites only (psychology and statistics). All other required prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited two- or four-year college or university.

If Human Anatomy and Human Physiology are taken in combination through a two-course sequence, both courses must be taken at the same institution.

Students who have completed undergraduate work at Bethel may reference this chart to determine which Bethel courses satisfy the prerequisite.

*Waiver of the five-year rule may be granted for these three courses for candidates with documented academic excellence and appropriate clinical experience. Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, and Microbiology courses taken 10 years ago or more will not count toward these prerequisites.