Admission Questions

There are TWO (2) applications that must be completed and submitted. One (1): the UAPC Transfer application which is completed and submitted ONLINE ONLY and TWO (2): the Physician Assistant Program application which can be downloaded and printed from the website.  Send this application, along with the required documents to the PA Program office as indicated in the instructions accompanying the application. Please refer to the application checklist for guidance. Both applications can be completed simultaneously. Please make sure you’ve completed all prerequisites BEFORE applying.

Yes. At least three (3) letters of reference/recommendation are required for your application to be considered complete.  To be competitive, these letters of recommendation should include at least one (1) from a Physician or Physician Assistant who can attest, from first hand experience, any abilities the applicant will bring to the profession.  The letters must be included in your initial application.  If the initial applicant profile does not include the above items, the file will not be reviewed for consideration by the Admission Committee.

No, the program does not participate in the centralized application process known as CASPA. 

The program does not offer advanced standing for required coursework of the PA Program curriculum.  The City College will review all coursework submitted by applicants for transfer credit towards satisfying the graduation requirements of the City College of New York, College of Liberal Arts and Science.

The PA Program receives on average several hundred applications each cycle.  There are approximately 7 – 10 applicants for each seat the program offers.  Currently applications average 250 – 300 per year.  Each year the admissions committee accepts at least 35 applicants to fill 35 available seats.  We require accepted applicants to send a letter of intent to attend as well as send a non-refundable deposit to hold the offered seat.

Once you have applied to the Physician Assistant program and your application has been received, you will receive a letter of acknowledgment. If anything is missing from your application packet, you will be notified in writing only at that time. You may call the office if you want to verify receipt of your completed application. The University Application Processing Center (UAPC) is responsible for information regarding your transfer application.  UAPC can be contacted at 212-997-CUNY.

All requirements listed under the prerequisites & requirements page must be completed before you apply to the program. If you already hold a degree, please refer to the listed prerequisites for eligibility. You may complete any missing coursework at a college of your choice. Please contact the Recruitment Director 212 650-7746 for information regarding transferability of courses.  ALL MINIMUM requirements must be met in order to be considered an eligible applicant to the program.

Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States and possess a valid social security number in order to apply to the PA Program.

Yes.  FMGs and graduates from foreign institutions may apply through the same online UAPC application process as US graduates.  However, if the applicant has not attended college in the US, he/she must complete 6 credits in English (non-remedial) and 3 credits in Math (Pre-Cal) before the process can begin.  Transcripts MUST be evaluated and a US equivalency must be determined.  This evaluation is performed by an on staff translator at UAPC.  This evaluation of the foreign transcript and completed of the required 9 credits must be completed before applying to the program.  Applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be considered for admission to the PA Program.

While major sciences may have been completed several years ago, we strongly recommend that some of the prerequisite coursework be completed at a US college or university to cover new material which may not have been offered more than 7 years ago.

Please contact the UAPC for any technical support, not the Physician Assistant Program. You can contact them at 212-997-CUNY or you can visit The City College admissions office and ask for guidance in filling out the UAPC transfer application, i.e. “walk-in admissions”.

If you are completing one or more of the required prerequisites for the PA Program, you are not considered ELIGIBLE unless all coursework is completed before the application deadline. 

NOTE: You must have already reached the minimum of 60 transferable credits BEFORE the spring semester.

Exception: If you have ALREADY completed all necessary prerequisites before the spring semester AND are completing a degree during that time, you are eligible to apply.

All pre-requisite coursework should have been completed within the past ten years and have a minimum passing grade of “C”.

ALL courses completed and repeated from ALL accredited colleges attended are reviewed and used in calculating applicants’ grade point average for eligibility. Plus (+) and Minuses (-) are not counted, i.e. A+, B-, etc.