Application Requirements

Requirements for applying

CASPA Application

The Charleston Southern University PA Program utilizes the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) for application processing.

• All applications and supporting documents must be submitted directly to CASPA. 
• Only verified CASPA applications are considered and reviewed. 
• Applicants are solely responsible for confirming that all application materials have been submitted to and received by CASPA. The CSU PA Program and University are not responsible for notifying applicants of incomplete applications.
• All required materials must be received by the specified deadlines. No exceptions will be made. Applicants are encouraged to ensure their application is submitted and verified before the September 1 deadline.
• Applicants may apply with two (2) remaining prerequisites, provided each is completed with a B (3.0) or higher before September 1. Official transcripts reflecting the grades and completion of outstanding prerequisites must be received at the University by October 1, or a selected candidate will relinquish their seat.

CSU’s CASPA Application Opens: April 30

CSU’s CASPA Application Submission/Verification Deadline: September 1*
*CASPA applications must be submitted and verified

CSU PA Supplemental Application & Fee

The CSU PA Program requires a supplemental application. Once the verified CASPA application is visible to PA Admissions, applicants will receive an email with instructions for completing the supplemental application and submitting the non-refundable $75 supplemental application fee.

CSU PA Supplemental Application + Fee Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST on September 5, 2026

Baccalaureate Degree with Official Transcripts

Applicants must obtain a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent from a foreign institution. 

• The degree must be conferred by September 1, 2026.
• The degree earned can be from any field of study, provided all CSU PA Program prerequisite coursework requirements are met. 
• NOTE:  All prerequisite courses must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution. No foreign equivalent courses will be accepted for prerequisites.
• CASPA must receive all official transcripts (or equivalency reports, when applicable) for the application to be considered complete. 
• Transcripts sent directly to the University will not be accepted.
• Transcripts submitted without reflecting degree conferral may delay the review process.

Minimum Grade Point Averages (GPA)

• The minimum requirement for the cumulative GPA and science GPA is 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) at the time of application. NOTE: While 3.0 is the minimum requirement, accepted students typically have a higher GPA to be competitive.
• The Program relies solely on the CASPA-calculated GPAs for admissions scoring and ranking. 
• Please see the CASPA website for detailed information on course grade reporting and GPA calculations.
• NOTE:  GPAs will not be recalculated at any point after submission of CASPA, even for outstanding prerequisite coursework.

Prerequisite Courses

• All prerequisite coursework must be awarded a grade of B (3.0) or higher on a 4.0 scale.
  • Classes taken between January 1, 2020, and September 1, 2022, and awarded satisfactory completion (P) will be accepted for the prerequisite requirements. 
• All prerequisite coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution.
• Applicants may have up to two (2) prerequisite courses in progress at the time of application, provided they are completed with a grade of B (3.0) or higher by September 1. Official transcripts for these courses must be submitted to the university by October 1, or the selected candidate will forfeit their seat.
• Prerequisite coursework has no expiration date, except for Human Anatomy and Physiology, which must be completed within the past seven (7) years.  
• All prerequisite course hour requirements are in semester hours. 
• Online courses and lab work are accepted.  
• The following will not be accepted to satisfy prerequisite requirements:
  • Survey Courses 
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Credit 
  • CLEP Credit 
  • Exam Credits 
  • Competency Training  
  • Work Experience 
  • Prerequisite coursework completed at foreign institutions 
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) credit

Required Coursework	Minimum Hours
Human Anatomy Lecture with Lab* AND Human Physiology with Lab*	8 semester credit hours
Microbiology Lecture with Lab	3 semester credit hours
Biology or Genetics	3 semester credit hours
General Chemistry**	8 semester credit hours
Organic Chemistry with Lab	4  semester credit hours
Statistics	3 semester credit hours

Total Prerequisite Semester Credit Hours: 29

*Human Anatomy/Physiology: Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2 sequences with Lab are also acceptable for a total of 8 semester credit hours. Animal, mammalian, or specific body system (e.g., vertebral) anatomy will not satisfy the prerequisite of Human Anatomy and Physiology.

**General Chemistry may consist of any chemistry course.

NOTE: A course may not be used more than once to fulfill a prerequisite. 

If you are interested in taking prerequisite courses at CSU, please contact our Enrollment Services Office at 843-863-7050. 

Patient Care Experience (PCE)

Direct patient care experience (PCE) involves actively providing health care services to patients. While this experience is often “hands-on,” not all hands-on work qualifies—what matters is the direct provision of medical care or treatment. Health-related experience refers to the healthcare environment, patients, and healthcare professionals without direct participation in patient care.  While this experience provides valuable insight into several aspects of healthcare, it does not involve providing medical care or treatment for patients. Commonly included in this category are shadowing clinicians, transporting patients, providing patient education, assisting with clinical research or trials (not involving direct patient care), working in a laboratory, managing medical records or electronic medical systems, or performing administrative and clerical duties in healthcare settings.  Internships and other forms of academic or educational training are also considered health-related experiences.     

Qualifying examples of direct PCE activities include taking vital signs, assisting patients with bathing, mobility, or transfers, collecting specimens or drawing blood, performing diagnostic tests, administering prescribed treatments or therapies, and providing patient education or counseling. Licensed or certified health professionals (e.g., nurses, paramedics, respiratory therapists) applying may use their professional practice experience to fulfill this requirement. Entry-level clinical roles, such as medical assistant, nursing assistant, or patient care aide, often provide appropriate direct PCE exposure. Note that medical scribe experience is an acceptable exception to direct patient care provision due to its unique and meaningful demand for medical terminology application,  documentation, and clinical reasoning. Medical scribes working in a virtual environment (e.g., telemedicine/telehealth) may count for up to 200 hours of direct PCE hours. 

Valuable direct PCE can be gained in physician offices, community clinics, and various therapy settings, while hospitals and hospital-affiliated clinics offer broad exposure to patient populations and opportunities for interprofessional collaboration. Applicants must maintain a detailed record of their clinical duties, procedures, and the types of patients they serve to support accurate documentation of direct PCE hours.  

• A minimum of 1000 hours of direct patient care experience (PCE) is required at the time of application submission.
• Acceptable means of direct PCE that involve providing healthcare or treatment include:
  • Acupuncturist
  • Athletic Trainer
  • Behavioral Therapist (ABT)
  • Chiropractor
  • Clinical Medical Research Assistant (direct patient care required)
  • Dental Hygienist/Assisting
  • Dietician
  • Doula
  • Emergency Medical Technician
  • Emergency Room Technician
  • Exercise Physiologist
  • Home Health Aide
  • Laboratory Technician/Technologist
  • Medical Assistant
  • Medical Scribe
  • Military Corpsman / Combat Medic
  • Nursing (CNA, LPN, RN, MSN)
  • Occupational Therapist / Occupational Therapy Assistant
  • Paramedic
  • Patient Care Technician
  • Pharmacy Technician
  • Phlebotomist
  • Physical Therapist / Physical Therapy Assistant
  • Radiology Technician
  • Respiratory Therapist
  • Surgical Technician
• Unacceptable Health-Related Experience or Forms of PCE include:
  • Administrator or Business Manager for a Medical Office
  • Aesthetician
  • CPR/BLS/ACLS Instructor
  • Hospital Patient Transport or Orderly
  • Lifeguard
  • Medical Interpreter
  • Medical Secretary/Receptionist
  • Medical Transcriptionist
  • Nanny or Babysitter
  • Personal/Group Fitness Trainer
  • Pharmaceutical Representative
  • Non-Clinical Research Assistant
  • Veterinarian Assistant

Shadowing a PA, NP, MD, or DO and/or telehealth experience will count for a maximum of 200 direct PCE hours.

The acceptability or lack thereof of potential patient care experience hours is at the sole discretion of the CSU PA program. 

Foreign Applications

• A bachelor’s degree must be completed from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent from a foreign institution.
• CSU requires that all official transcripts be submitted, including foreign, study abroad, and overseas U.S. transcripts. 
• All foreign transcripts must be submitted to a U.S.-based evaluation service for a U.S. equivalency report. The equivalency report must then be submitted directly to CASPA from the evaluation service. Please refer to the CASPA Applicant Help Center website for a list of suggested evaluation services and detailed instructions on submitting study abroad, US overseas, and foreign transcripts.
• CSU PA program requires international applicants or those who have foreign transcripts to complete the 29-semester prerequisite credit hours at a regionally accredited U.S. institution before applying to the CSU PA program.
• Transcripts sent directly to the university will not be accepted. 
• All financial burdens incurred in the foregoing processes are the sole responsibility of the applicant.

English Language Proficiency Policy

The CSU PA Program defines primary language as the language predominantly spoken and used in your home and educational environment before college admission. To ensure that all students have the English language proficiency required for academic success in our program, applicants whose primary language is not English must demonstrate proficiency through the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) internet-based test (iBT).  This policy applies to all non-primary English-speaking applicants, regardless of citizenship or residence.

The financial burdens encumbered by the foregoing processes are the applicant’s sole responsibility.

Compliance with this policy is mandatory for all applicants for whom English is not their primary language. Exceptions or accommodations to this policy are granted only in rare circumstances and at the discretion of the admissions committee. The program reserves the right to require an objective assessment of English proficiency at any time during the admissions process.

Recommendation Letters

• Two (2) letters of recommendation are required for an application to be considered complete. 
• One letter of recommendation must be from a medical provider (MD, DO, PA, NP) or an individual in a healthcare supervisory role who has observed the applicant interacting with patients. 
• Letters may not be from a family member or friend.
• It is strongly recommended that selected references have known the applicant professionally for at least six (6) months.   

Interview

• Interview invitations are extended to the most competitive applicants for admission.
• While considering interview invitation options, applicants should note that CSU PA uses a rolling admissions process. With this approach, the program can fill all available seats before the September 1 application deadline.
• Applicants invited for the interview portion of the selection process must participate in the interview to be considered for a seat in the program.
• Interviews are primarily conducted in person. 
• At least one (1) virtual interview day is offered for applicants who prefer this option, and the virtual interview slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis for all invited applicants. Once the virtual interview slots are filled, the remaining applicants will be offered in-person interviews only. 
• Interviewees will be notified of their post-interview status within one (1) month of the interview. The decision will be one of the following: accepted to the program, placed on the waitlist, or declined. 
• The program uses a rolling admissions process, and with this approach, it is possible for the program to fill all available seats before the September 1 application deadline. 

Updated in 2025