Admissions Requirements

Welcome

The ATSU Central Coast PA Program seeks to recruit students whose personal goals and background are consistent with the Program’s mission. Students who are professional, culturally humble, and have a desire to serve diverse medically underserved populations are an optimal fit. Please read our admissions requirements, admissions process, and preferred experiences sections below.

The CCPA Program Admissions Requirements Explained

Applications are now closed for the April 2024-January 2025 application cycle.

The following requirements must be met for an application to be considered during the April-December 2025 application cycle.

Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents

Degree Requirements:

  • Applicants must have earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a University/College in the United States accredited by a US Department of Education institutional accreditor by September 1, 2026. The program does not accept degrees received from anywhere other than a college/university in the United States accredited by a US Department of Education institutional accreditor. GPA Requirements: Official transcripts must be sent through the CASPA portal to verify the following. Course and transcript evaluations of equivalency are not accepted.

GPA Requirements: Official transcripts must be sent through the CASPA portal to verify the following.

  • The minimum overall GPA for PA Program applicants is 3.0
  • The minimum overall science GPA for PA Program applicants is 3.0

Note: Our admissions committee conducts a thorough review of all transcripts as part of the evaluation process. Applicants with stronger academic records will have a higher likelihood of advancing to the next stage of admissions. Applicants with higher GPA scores and a lower amount of course withdrawals are more likely to be selected for an interview.

DACA Student Admission

  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (“DACA”) is a policy that allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the United States before their sixteenth (16th) birthday and who meet other restrictive criteria to receive renewable two-year work permits and exemption from deportation. ATSU-CCPA welcomes applicants with DACA status to apply to its physician assistant program. However, ATSU cannot guarantee licensure of DACA students by state licensing boards. Therefore, ATSU-CCPA encourages all applicants with DACA status to communicate with the licensing board for the state where they plan to practice, to determine if they will be eligible to receive a license issued by that agency.

Please note: DACA students are not eligible for Title IV federal financial aid but may be eligible for other types of financial assistance including private loans which may require a credit check to determine eligibility. To review types of aid available at ATSU click here.

International Student Admission

  • Students who are non-citizens or not permanent residents of the United States are not eligible to apply for the CCPA program at this time. ATSU is not authorized to offer F-1 Visas for this program.

Prerequisite course Requirements:

  • The following prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher at the time of application. The program will not accept any prerequisite coursework that is in progress or pending completion. If the application has any pending or missing prerequisites, it will be rejected and not be considered for this application cycle. It is required that all prerequisite courses have been completed within the last 7 years at the time of application to give students the greatest opportunity for success.
Subject/Course Semester Credits Quarter Credits
Human Anatomy with lab 4 6
Human Physiology with lab 4 6
Microbiology with lab 4 6
Chemistry with lab 8 12
Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry with or without lab 3 4
College Statistics 3 4
Medical Terminology 1 1
  • Human Anatomy with lab, minimum 4 semester credits/6 quarter credits.
  • Human Physiology with lab, minimum 4 semester credits/6 quarter credits.
    • Or a combined Anatomy & Physiology course, each with lab, over two or more semesters totaling 8 semester credits/12 quarter credits
  • Microbiology with lab – 4 semester credits/6 quarter credits or the equivalent
  • Chemistry with lab (General Chemistry I and II) – Applicants must complete a full sequence of General Chemistry I and II, including associated laboratory courses, totaling at least 8 semester credits or 12 quarter credits, or the equivalent
  • Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry I (with or without lab) - minimum 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits
  • College Statistics (biostatistics and psychology statistics accepted) - minimum 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits
  • Medical Terminology – minimum 1 semester credits/1 quarter credit

Student Transfers / Advanced Placement

  • CCPA does not offer advanced placement (AP), prior experiential learning credits, or transfer credits for advanced standing in the PA Program
  • CCPA has not entered into any articulation or transfer agreements with any other college or university.
Technical Standard Requirements
  • Applicants must be able to meet all of the program’s technical standards both upon matriculation and throughout the program.
CASPA Application Requirement (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants)
  • An electronic application must be submitted and verified via the CASPA portal on or before October 1, 2025
Secondary Application Requirement
  • A secondary application will be sent to applicants by ATSU once the initial application is verified and it is determined that all prerequisites are met. This must be completed via the ATSU portal on or before October 31, 2025.
Recommendation Letters Requirement
  • Three letters of recommendation. Letters should be from individuals who know your work ethic well and can attest to your potential for success and your desire to serve medically underserved populations. These letters can come from any of the following sources: employers, supervisors, medical providers, or academic instructors/professors. Recommendation letters cannot be submitted from family members or friends.

The CCPA Program Admission Process Explained

The Central Coast PA Program follows a rolling admissions cycle. Applications are reviewed in the order that they are received and will continue to be reviewed until all available seats in the upcoming cohort are filled. It is advantageous for applicants to complete the admissions process early to have the best chance of receiving an interview.

STEP 1 - Apply Through CASPA

The following items must be submitted through the CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants) Portal at CASPA before the ATSU CCPA Program application deadline of October 1, 2025.

  1. CASPA electronic application (sent through the CASPA portal)
  2. Three letters of recommendation (sent through the CASPA portal)
  3. Official transcripts (sent through the CASPA portal or directly to ATSU)

Only applications verified by CASPA are reviewed. A CASPA-verified application includes a complete application, including submission of transcripts, and two reference letters. The application, official transcripts, and letter of recommendation must be submitted to move to the next step of the CCPA Program applicant review process.

If an applicant has received a Hometown Scholar endorsement or an ATSU MOU Partnership endorsement, it is recommended that the endorsement letter be submitted before applying to CASPA or anytime before October 31, 2025. If the letter of endorsement is received at a later time, the applicant will NOT be eligible for Hometown Scholar or ATSU MOU Affiliate referral for this application cycle.

STEP 2 - Complete and Submit (1) Secondary Application and (2) Endorsement Documents, if applicable

Upon receipt of a verified CASPA application, the University admissions department will send a secondary application via email to applicants who have met the Program’s mission and minimum admissions requirements. The secondary application must be completed and submitted to the program on or before October 1, 2025, to move to the next part of the CCPA Program applicant review process.

STEP 3 - The CCPA Program Reviews Applicant Materials and Selects Interview Candidates

The CCPA Program reviews all applicants who submitted documents prior to October 31, 2025. Applicants are placed in one of three categories:

  1. Invite for Interview: Those who have demonstrated that they will be most successful in fulfilling the program’s mission are invited by the CCPA to participate in an interview early in the cycle.
  2. Hold for further review: Those who demonstrate moderate capability in fulfilling the program’s mission are held for continued review. These applicants may be invited for an interview later in the cycle or may not be invited for an interview. This determination will be made prior to the end of April 2026 as additional applicants are reviewed and ranked.
  3. Not receive an interview Those who do not demonstrate that their personal goals and background are a good fit with the program’s mission are not invited to an interview.

Step 4: Attend an Interview on Zoom

The CCPA interview day is designed as a three-part MMI series. The interview day will consist of a program information and question session with members of program leadership, two short one-on-one interviews with two different faculty members or program affiliates, and a structured group activity. During the structured group activity, multiple applicants will be placed in the same Zoom room and given a task to complete as a team. Applicants will need a computer with a webcam and microphone for this part of the interview but do not need a Zoom account to attend.

Step 5: Receive an Admissions Decision

The Admissions Committee meets after applicant interviews to combine scores and make one of four decisions: (1) offer admission, (2) hold the applicant for further review, or (3) decline the offer of admission. Applicants are notified of the Admission Committee’s decision in writing as soon as possible (usually within 4 weeks) following their interview. At the end of the Program’s applicant review cycle, April 2026, those who were placed on the hold list will either be offered admission, placed on a waitlist, or be declined admission

The CCPA Program Preferred Admissions Criteria Explained

The Central Coast PA Program strives to select candidates who desire to practice culturally humble, primary care in medically underserved communities. Qualities that demonstrate that applicants are likely to be successful in fulfilling the program’s mission are considered and scored as part of our holistic admissions process. While none of these factors alone guarantees acceptance, applicants with the following backgrounds are given preference points in the application review:

  1. First-generation college student:
    • Being a first-generation college student is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, applicants who are first-generation college students will be given specific points in the Program’s holistic applicant review process.
  2. Patient Care Experience:
    • Medical experience is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, medical experience is preferred and points will be awarded in the holistic applicant review process. Following the Program’s mission, candidates with experiences in medically underserved areas will be given special consideration by specific points in the Program’s holistic applicant review process.
    • This category applies to experiences in which you are directly responsible for a patient's care. For example: distributing medication, assisting with treatment or procedures, actively working with patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc. (Medical assistant roles can fall under this category if you had responsibility for patient care and/or engaged in decision-making.)
  3. Volunteer and/or Community Service:
    • Providing social services to underserved or disadvantaged communities and/or persons is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, applicants who demonstrate outstanding and altruistic commitment to service and volunteerism will be given points in the Program’s holistic applicant review process.
  4. Evidence that an applicant is from an economically disadvantaged background.
    • Having an economically disadvantaged background is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, applicants who are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds will be given points in the Program’s holistic applicant review process.
  5. ATSU Hometown Scholar:
    • Being a community center endorsed Hometown Scholar is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, applicants who have met all of the Program’s admissions requirements and have received an endorsement from the local community health center where they live. These applicants will demonstrate a commitment to returning to their hometown Community Health Center to practice one day. Applicants who receive this endorsement will be given points in the Program’s holistic applicant review process and will be automatically offered a remote (via Zoom) interview.
    • It is recommended that the endorsement letter be submitted before or during the CASPA application or any time before October 31, 2025. If the letter of endorsement is received at a later time, the applicant will NOT be eligible for Hometown Scholar for this application cycle. Please contact Nelida Acosta Hometown Scholars Coordinator by emailing nacosta@atsu.edu.
  6. Affiliate Referral
    • Being referred to our Program by an institution for whom the ATSU College for Healthy Communities has a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, applicants who have met all of the Program’s admissions requirements and have received an endorsement from an ATSU MOU Affiliate will be offered an interview. ATSU MOUs offer a limited number of interviews for qualified applicants who are students or workers of our affiliate partners.
    • The endorsement letter must be submitted by the MOU affiliate to CCPA admissions on or before October 31, 2025. If the endorsement letter is received at a later time, the applicant(s) will not be eligible for ATSU MOU affiliate referral for this application cycle.
    • Current MOU affiliates include: Community Health Centers of the Central Coast, Lompoc Valley Medical Center, California State University - Channel Islands and Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics.
  7. Residents of the Central Coast Region:
    • Being a resident of the Central Coast region of CA is not required for admission to the Central Coast PA Program, however, those who have verified addresses in the Central Coast region (Monterrey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties) will be given points in the Program’s holistic applicant review process.

* While none of these above factors alone guarantee automatic acceptance, they are all considered as part of the holistic application review process.