Admissions
Admission Requirements
- Completion of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, prior to matriculation.
- Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, a minimum cumulative science GPA of 2.75, and a minimum prerequisite science GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.
- Successful completion of all prerequisite coursework prior to matriculation.
- Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). The GRE code for the South College Orlando Physician Assistant Program is 1942.
- Three Letters of Recommendation. One must be from a PA, MD/DO or NP. It is strongly encouraged that at least one letter be from a physician assistant.
- Each applicant is required to compose a personal statement in the application expressing his or her desire to become a Physician Assistant. Each personal statement will be reviewed based on the following: grammar, clarity of expression and creativity, understanding of the PA role and expressed interest in underserved populations.
- Each applicant must be able to successfully perform the Technical Standards of the Program.
- Complete and submit CASPA and South College supplemental application.
- Successfully complete background screening, health screening, and provide evidence of current required immunizations.
Once CASPA applications are verified and received by the program, no changes will be made to the cumulative or science GPAs. We regret we cannot honor individual requests for GPA recalculations.
Required Pre-Requisites Courses
- Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II with laboratory (minimum of 8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
- General Chemistry I and II with laboratory (minimum of 8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours)
- Biology I and II with laboratory (Mammalian, Cell, Molecular, or Human Biology). Upper Level Mammalian, Cell, Molecular, or Human Biology may be substituted for Biology II (minimum of 8 Semester or 12 quarter hours)
- Microbiology with laboratory (minimum of 3 Semester or 4.5 quarter hours)
- English (minimum of 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours)
- Statistics, Algebra, Calculus, Finite Math, or other equivalent advanced mathematics (minimum of 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hours) *A statistics course is recommended.
- Humanities and/or Social Science (minimum of 6 semester hours or 8 quarter hour). Psychology recommended.
The South College Orlando PA Program strongly suggests one or more of the following courses for candidates who seek to increase their competitiveness: genetics, immunology, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and other advanced biology/zoology courses that demonstrate rigorous academic preparation.
Please note, all prerequisite science courses listed above must have been completed no greater than 7 years prior to program matriculation. Advance Placement (AP) courses will not fulfill the requirements of the science prerequisite courses above however will be considered for other program prerequisites. For advanced placement to be granted for one or more admission requirements, the AP must show that college credit was awarded on their official transcript that includes the specific course, or an official advanced placement report sent by the high school or testing institution that shows the subject tested and that at 3.0 or above was earned for that tested event.
Important Information About Our 2026 Application Cycle
The application cycle for the Fall 2026 entering class is now open. The application deadline for this PA class is April 1, 2026. Interviews will begin in October 2025 and continue through April 2026.
Applicants from previous admissions cycles who were not accepted cannot roll their application forward. A new application must be submitted for each application cycle to be considered.
Applicants with incomplete applications or applications that are not completed by the published deadline will not be considered.
You will be contacted if you are selected for a personal interview.
Upcoming Information Sessions
The next virtual information session for prospective PA students will be held on Friday, January 16, 2026, at 11:00am EST via Zoom. Additional information sessions will be held on a quarterly basis.
Questions about the admissions process or information sessions should be directed to the Orlando PA Admissions team at ORLPAadmissions@south.edu.
Application Admission Policies
The South College Orlando Physician Assistant Program uses policies and procedures to ensure daily operations of the program happen with ease. The specific policies below are policies for prospective students or applicants to the Program. Please be advised that all program policies apply to all South College Orlando Physician Assistant Program students and will be consistently applied.
- Applications will not be evaluated until all materials are complete.
- Student cohorts are filled on a rolling admission basis.
- Applicants who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree at South College and who meet all published admission requirements will be guaranteed one interview with a South College PA program.
- Applicants to the program should be aware that all courses within the professional didactic and clinical curriculum are required. The Master of Health Science Physician Assistant Studies program at South College does not recognize international medical experience, or transfer credits from another Physician Assistant program or Medical School.
- For advanced placement to be granted for one or more admission requirements, the AP must show that college credit was awarded on their official transcript that includes the specific course, or an official advanced placement report sent by the high school or testing institution that shows the subject tested and that at 3.0 or above was earned for that tested event.
This program gives preference to applicants who possess a higher cumulative and prerequisite science GPA, higher GRE scores, a higher number of patient care hours, and have successfully completed additional, non-required upper-level courses in biology, chemistry, and/or health (e.g., cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, organic chemistry, biochemistry).
Although direct patient care work experience and PA shadowing are not required, points are awarded for applicants who do obtain direct patient care hours. This program gives preference to applicants who possess a higher number of direct patient care hours and PA shadowing hours.
This program gives preference to applicants who possess a higher cumulative and prerequisite science GPA, higher GRE scores, a higher number of patient care hours, and have successfully completed additional, non-required upper-level courses in biology, chemistry, and/or health sciences (e.g., cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, genetics, organic chemistry, biochemistry). Additionally, the program gives preference to applicants who are:
1. Veterans
2. Veterans with military medical experience
3. Bilingual or multilingual
4. A graduate of a graduate/doctoral accredited degree program or will be prior to matriculation
Immunizations
All curricular components of the program will occur within the United States. No international travel is expected or required for any official component(s) of the program. Students must maintain up-to-date immunization records, tuberculosis (TB) screening, and physical health assessments in accordance with program and clinical site requirements. Upon acceptance, students are provided with a list of required immunizations. Proof of immunization, serologic immunity, or initiation of vaccination series is required prior to initial entry into the program and must be updated annually as necessary. All vaccination series must be completed and updated with boosters as necessary prior to initiation of supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs). Students are responsible for any costs associated with required vaccines or titers.
Current and prospective students can view the program’s immunization policy here.
The PA program requires all physician assistant students to maintain up-to-date immunizations and health screening based on current CDC health professionals’ recommendations and applicable state or county mandates. For more information, please refer to the following resources:
- CDC Vaccination Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/index.html
- CDC TB Screening Guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/tb-healthcare-settings/hcp/screening-testing/index.html
- State of Florida Immunization Information: https://www.floridahealth.gov/programs-and-services/immunization/index.html
Failure to demonstrate an up-to-date immunization status on request will result in removal from the SCPE until valid proof of current immunization status is presented. If a student is unable to meet the immunization or vaccination requirements mandated by the program or its clinical affiliates, and this prevents placement at clinical sites required for program completion, the student may be unable to fulfill the graduation requirements of the PA program.
Tuberculosis Screening
All students must be screened for Tuberculosis infection prior to starting the program via either PPD skin testing, QuantiFERON®–TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) or a chest x-ray if the student is known to be PPD positive or positive on blood testing. The screening tests (below) must be done no more than 3 months prior to starting the program. Students are responsible for the cost associated with testing. For students who have had tests for school or work and have established a history of negative tuberculosis infection, a single PPD skin test, or blood test no more than 3 months prior to starting the program is sufficient. Students must supply the record of previous negative PPD or blood test along with the current results. PPD results must indicate:
- Date of placement and date read.
- Diameter of induration (if any) and impression: positive or negative.
A history of BCG vaccination is NOT a contraindication to getting a PPD skin test. If a student has a documented history of being PPD positive, he/she must:
- Provide a clinician’s note regarding the date and diameter of the positive PPD.
- Provide results of chest x-ray and treatment (if any) rendered at the time.
- Be screened for and cleared of active disease on the physical exam required of all students no more than 3 months prior to starting the program.
- Provide results of a chest x-ray done no more than 3 months prior to starting the program. Students will need to update their TB screen at the one-year anniversary of the screen for program entry. If not updated, students are not cleared to continue clinical work.
Applying to the Program
The South College Orlando Physician Assistant Program uses CASPA for prospective student application. Our GRE code for CASPA is 1942. All invitations for personal interview will be extended by email from the Admissions Coordinator.
Technical Standards
The role of the physician assistant is highly complex with daily tasks that involve several spheres of ability often integrating seamlessly together to provide quality patient care. To better understand the needed qualities and abilities for the physician assistant profession, please refer to the Program Technical Standards which can be accessed at the link below.
All students must be able to meet the Program Technical Standards.
