Admission Requirements

ADMISSION APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS & PREFERENCES {A3.12, A3.13}

The LMU-Tampa PA Program will admit qualified candidates to matriculate through the MMS curriculum of study. The LMU-Tampa PA Program Admissions Committee selects students for admission based on the minimum criteria outlined in the Admissions Requirements section.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We welcome applications regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, or age. Our commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation.

Application Submissions

LMU–SMS Tampa PA Program is a participant of CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) (https://portal.caspaonline.org/). The CASPA application deadline is November 1, 2026, for the class beginning in January 2027. Applications will not be processed until the program has received the CASPA application. Applicants should apply early.

Mission-Match Admissions

The LMU-Tampa PA Program's mission and values are reflected in the following preferences. Meeting any or all of these preferences does not guarantee an interview invitation or program acceptance.

• Applicants who have graduated from a Florida high school,
• Applicants from a Federally Designated Primary Care Health Personnel Shortage Area (HPSA) or Medically Underserved Area/Population (MUA/P). Please go to the following web address to verify shortage designation by address:  https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/shortage-area
• Applicants who are members of groups and/or racial/ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the physician assistant profession.
• Permanent residence in the Appalachian region of the United States: TN, KY, VA, NC, GA, AL, WV

Minimum Degree Requirements

Applicants must have earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university prior to matriculation.

Minimum GPA Requirements

The minimum required GPA for admission into the LMU-Tampa PA Program is an overall cumulative GPA of at least 2.80 and an overall Biology-Chemistry-Physics (BCP) Science GPA of 2.80 or greater on a 4.0 scale at the time of application submission. Grades for any repeated course (original and repeats) will be included in the GPA calculations and used accordingly during the application and evaluation process. The program gives preference to candidates with a higher GPA.

International Applicants

For applicants who have earned degrees outside the United States, the following must be completed, in addition to the above admission requirements, prior to applying:

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with minimum scores of 550 (paper-based), 173 (computer-based), or 61 (internet-based), if the applicant’s native language is not English.
• Completion of the LMU-Tampa PA Program prerequisite coursework at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States, even if these courses were previously taken in the applicant’s native country. International coursework will not be acceptable for prerequisite requirements.
• Evaluation of foreign transcripts by World Education Services, www.wes.org or a similar service to ascertain equivalencies to United States educational standards. The agency must find that the coursework is equivalent to at least a bachelor’s degree. If the credentialing agency does not determine the education to be equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, the applicant must complete a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited United States school.

Screening Requirements

• Applicants must have no history of drug abuse or conviction of a felony and must be able to pass a background and drug test. Background and drug tests must be performed prior to admission to the LMU-Tampa PA Program and prior to the start of the clinical phase of the program.
• Applicants must have no history of dismissal from another PA program or any other medical program for academic or disciplinary reasons.

Student Transfers / Advanced Placement

Due to the nature of the program and its curriculum, the LMU-Tampa PA Program will not accept transfers from other PA programs, nor will advanced placement be considered in the program. Prerequisite courses will NOT be considered as a substitution for any content within the LMU-Tampa PA Program. LMU-Tampa PA program does not accept credit from prior learning or by examination.