Application Requirements

Requirements for applying

Centralized Application Service for PAs (CASPA)

The Charleston Southern University Physician Assistant 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. 
• 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 24

CSU’s CASPA Application Deadline: September 1*
*Applications must be verified by this date

CSU Supplemental Application & Fee

The Charleston Southern University Physician Assistant 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.

Note: Admissions requirements, including the CASPA application and the CSU Supplemental Application, must be met by September 1, 2025, for consideration in the January 2026 cohort.

Baccalaureate Degree with Official Transcripts

• A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution must be completed at the time of application. 
• The degree can be from any field of study, provided all prerequisite coursework requirements are met.
• Transcripts sent directly to the University will not be accepted.
• All official transcripts must be received by CASPA for the application to be considered complete. 

Minimum Grade Point Averages (GPA)

• The minimum requirement for both cumulative GPA and science GPA is 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale). 
• There is no minimum requirement for the prerequisite GPA, but it is considered in the application review process.
• CSU follows CASPA GPA calculation and coursework reporting policies.
• Please see the CASPA website for detailed information on course grade reporting and GPA calculations. 

Prerequisite Courses

• 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 1st. Official transcripts for these courses must be submitted to the University by October 1st, or the selected candidate will forfeit their seat.
• Prerequisite coursework has no expiration date, except for Anatomy and Physiology, which must be completed within the past seven (7) years at a two-year or four-year regionally accredited institution.  
• All prerequisite coursework must be awarded a letter or numeric grade and completed with a minimum grade of “B”or 3.0 on the 4.0 GPA scale.  
  • Classes taken between January 1, 2020, and September 1, 2022, and awarded satisfactory completion (P) will be accepted for prerequisite requirements. 
• All prerequisite course hour requirements are in semester hours. 
• Online courses and lab work are accepted.  
• We will not accept the following to satisfy prerequisite requirements:  
  • Survey Courses 
  • Advanced Placement (AP) Credit 
  • CLEP Credit 
  • Exam Credits 
  • Competency Testing  
  • Work Experience  

Required Coursework	Minimum Hours	Course Information
Human Anatomy Lecture with Lab**	4 semester hours
Physiology Lecture with Lab**	4 semester hours
Microbiology Lecture with Lab	4 semester hours
General Chemistry	8 semester hours
Organic Chemistry with Lab OR Biochemistry Lecture with Lab	4 semester hours
Upper-Level Biology, Chemistry, or Physics Courses*	3 semester hours	Upper-level courses are considered 300- or 400-level courses and may be designated by the university as “UL” or “U.” Suggested courses include:  -Genetics -Embryology -Immunology -Histology  -Molecular or Cellular Biology -Epidemiology -Hematology -Neuroscience -Pharmacology -Pathophysiology -Biomechanics -Exercise Physiology -Biochemistry (This can only be used once) -Kinesiology
Statistics	3 semester hours

Total Prerequisite Hours: 30

*Upper-level courses are typically 300- or 400-level and may be designated by the university as “U” or “UL”. If the course is not numbered 300 or 400 level, you must provide documentation proving it is an upper-level course as determined by your university or college.

**Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 sequences with lab are also acceptable.

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

Health Care Experience

• A minimum of 500 hours of direct patient care experience (PCE) is required at the time of application submission.
• Applicants may continue adding hours to their application on June 1, July 1, August 1, and September 1 by completing the PCE Hours Addition form and emailing it to the Admissions Coordinator at PAProgram@csuniv.edu. Additional hours will only be accepted and added to the application on these specific dates.    
• Acceptable forms of patient care experience:
  • Acupuncturist
  • Athletic Trainer
  • Chiropractor
  • Clinical Medical Research Assistant (direct patient care required)
  • Dental Hygienist/Assisting
  • Dietician
  • 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
  • Shadowing of a PA, NP, MD, or DO (for a maximum of 50 direct PCE hours)
  • Surgical Technician

• Unacceptable forms of patient care experience (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

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 website for a list of suggested evaluation services and detailed instructions on submitting study abroad, US overseas, and foreign transcripts.
• The program requires international applicants or those who have foreign transcripts to complete the 30 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. 

English Language Proficiency Policy

• The Charleston Southern University 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.

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

The Test of English Language as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL-iBT) is required of all CSU PA applicants whose primary language is not English.

TOEFL iBT Score Minimums – Applicants must achieve the following minimum scores:

Reading	22
Listening	22
Speaking	26
Writing	24
TOTAL	94

Questions?

If you have specific questions about applying to the PA Program as an international student, please contact CSU’s International Student Enrollment Counselor for more information at international@csuniv.edu.

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 (PA, MD, DO, NP).
• Letters cannot 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 admissions.
• While considering interview options, it is important to note that the CSU PA admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.
• Applicants invited for the interview portion of the selection process must participate in the interview to be considered for a seat in the program.
• The program primarily conducts in-person interviews but will provide at least one (1) virtual interview day for applicants who prefer this option. 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 1st application deadline. 
  

Updated on 2025