Slippery Rock University is a four-year, public university located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1889 as Slippery Rock Normal School for teacher training and started awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees in 1960. It is a member of the Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university is fully accredited by the Middle State Commission on Higher Learning making it a popular choice for higher education in US. A total of 8,778 students are enrolled at the university including 7,440 undergraduates. International students from 41 states and 34 countries are a part of the student body.

Slippery Rock University offers nearly 190 programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels through its 4 colleges of Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Health, Engineering and Science. The School of Business at Slippery Rock was the 7th business school in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education to receive AACSB accreditation. The acceptance rate of the university was 71%. Slippery Rock University is ranked among the top 25 public universities in US the country in the U.S. News.

Master of Science in Physician Assistant

The South University Savannah Master of Science (MS) in Physician Assistant program offers fundamental medical concepts and theories, provides students with the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to function with physician supervision, as medical professionals who will serve as valued members of the health care team. Physician assistants perform medical functions that include, but are not limited to, evaluation, monitoring, diagnostics, therapeutics, counseling, and referral. The scope of the practice varies according to state laws, the medical setting, and the training of the physician assistant. In many states, physician assistants can prescribe and/or dispense medicine. The MS in Physician Assistant program at South University, Savannah is designed to provide students with effective learning opportunities that will prepare them to perform their expected competencies in an ethical, legal, safe and effective manner upon graduation.

PANCE Certification and Attrition

Graduates of an accredited Physician Assistant program must pass the national Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) in order to acquire state licensure to practice. This exam is developed jointly by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). The South University, Savannah Physician Assistant Studies program has a 96% aggregate pass rate from the inception of the program. Below are the percentage pass rates for the first time test takers of the PANCE for the past five South University Savannah, Physician Assistant Studies graduating classes.

• 

Click the link below to view the pass rates of South University, Savannah students

DMISSIONS

GRADUATE ADMISSIONS

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

The Slippery Rock University PA program participates with the Centralized Application System for Physician Assistants (CASPA). All applications to the Physician Assistant program must be made through CASPA. Please read and review the program admission requirements prior to starting the application process to ensure you meet the admission requirements of the program. Please contact Pa.Program@sru.edu for admission questions.

To complete your application to the program please use the CASPA website.

Applications are accepted from May 1 to December 1. The CASPA application must be e-submitted, completed, and verified by December 1. 

For questions on completing the CASPA application please refer to the CASPA website.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

REQUIREMENTS:
(May 1, 2021-December 1, 2021 Admissions Cycle)

Education Requirements

• A minimum of a baccalaureate degree or completion of the first three years of the Pre-Physician Assistant SRU 3+2.
  
• A minimum CASPA calculated GPA of at least 3.25 on a 4.0 scale at the time of application and (if admitted) to matriculate into the program for the following areas:
  
  • Cumulative GPA – 3.25
  • Prerequisite GPA – 3.25
  • Science GPA – 3.25 (biology & chemistry courses only)
• Official transcripts from any college/university where credits have been earned (at the time of application and (if admitted) prior to matriculation into the program.
  
• Successful completion of the following prerequisites (a grade of “C” or better is required for all prerequisite biology and chemistry courses – courses marked with + must have been taken within the last ten years): 
  • Biology
    • General Biology with lab (3-4 credits)
    • A&P I with lab (3-4 credits)+
    • A&P II with lab (3-4 credits)+
    • Medical Microbiology or Microbiology with lab (3-4 credits)
    • Genetics  (3-4 credits; lab recommended not required)
    • Highly Recommended: one upper-level biology or biochemistry course with or without lab in addition to the required biology courses listed above.
  • Chemistry
    • General Chemistry I with lab (3-4 credits)
    • General Chemistry II with lab (3-4 credits)
    • Organic Chemistry I (3-4 credits, lab recommended but not required)
  • Math
    • Inferential statistics course (3 credits, any statistics course with inferential statistics embedded)
  • Psychology
    • Psychology course (3 credits, introductory, developmental, or abnormal psychology)
  • English
    • College writing or composition course (3 credits)
    • College literature course (3 credits)
  • Medical Terminology (at least 1 credit)+
    • If you are a non-native English speaker, regardless of citizenship, the Medical Terminology course must have been taught in English.
• Educational Requirements – Additional Information
  • Online courses are not accepted (with the exception of Medical Terminology). The PA program will review pre-requisites that were scheduled to be face to face but were converted to online due to COVID-19 on a case by case basis.
  • AP/IB courses are only accepted for English pre-requisite.
  • All Anatomy and Physiology+ courses and Medical Terminology+ must be taken within the past 10 years. Courses are marked with a + to designate the 10-year requirement.
  • Students enrolled in the PA 3+2 or 4+2 programs are allowed to take courses at other universities, according to University policy. However, the view is that it is best based on course content and preparation that the students take the courses at SRU. 

Service, Clinical Shadowing, & Health/Patient Care Experience
These must be completed prior to matriculation into the program, however, it is strongly recommended that hours are completed prior to an on-campus interview.

• Completion of 100 hours or more of community service and/or service-learning satisfied through any type of purposeful VOLUNTEER activity or event that benefits the community (within the last 5 years).
• Completion of 50 hours or more of clinical shadowing. Of these hours, at least 25 MUST be with more than one PA and in more than one area of medicine.  The remaining clinical hours can be with an NP, MD, DO, or PA. 
• Completion of 100 hours or more of health care experience or patient care experience hours within the last 5 years. Please refer to the CASPA website for the complete definition of what is included in these experiences.

Additional Information

Offers of Admission & Required Deposit – Applicants who are offered and accept admission will be required to submit a deposit of $500 within 2 weeks of notification of their acceptance to the program to hold a seat in the upcoming class.

Enrolled Students Immunization & Health Insurance – Students who matriculate into the program will be required to provide serologic immunity verification (titers) in accordance with CDC guidelines and maintain health insurance throughout the entirety of the program.

• 

**A COVID-19 vaccine is strongly recommended by the program. Clinical sites may require a COVID-19 vaccination in order for students to participate in educational opportunities at the site. Students will not be permitted to participate in clinical rotations if health paperwork, immunization records (including updates and specific clinical site requirements), and proof of health insurance are not completed for clinical experiences. This will result in delayed graduation.

Enrolled Students Criminal Background Checks & Screening – Criminal background checks including fingerprinting, child abuse clearance, and drug screening are required to matriculate into the program, participate at clinical sites, and progress through the program. Students are financially responsible for this process and this will be repeated annually or more frequently as required by clinical sites. Adverse results at any time can prevent a student from matriculating into the program, progressing through the program, or placement at clinical sites. Results including felony and misdemeanor convictions can limit the ability for clinical training experience, national certification, or licensure.

FIRST-YEAR STUDENT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Slippery Rock University has a strong commitment to student success, and we thoroughly research the academic background of the students who tend to succeed at SRU. We use this information to establish admission guidelines for first-year students (new freshmen).

The following credentials are required before an admission decision can be made:

• Submission of the first-year admission application
• $30 application fee or fee waiver documentation uploaded through your SRU application portal
• Official High School transcripts (including a 12th grade class schedule if available) sent from your high school counselor electronically or your counselor can email your official transcripts to asktherock@sru.edu

Students who have a 3.25 or higher cumulative GPA will automatically be admitted to SRU.

• 

Slippery Rock University is now test optional. This means we no longer require test scores to be submitted with your application. Students are welcome to submit their ACT or SAT scores but it is not required for admission.*

*Students who apply to SRU for a pre-professional advising area with LECOM, you are required to submit SAT or ACT scores to LECOM.

*Students who apply to SRU for the Pre-Pharmacy track with Duquesne University, you are required to submit SAT or ACT scores to SRU.

Other important notes:

• Applicants who do not meet the admission guidelines listed above are still encouraged to apply. Such applicants will have their applications reviewed individually by a member of the admissions staff.  Applicants may be asked to submit additional academic credentials and placed on a wait list for future consideration.
  
• Students who are placed on a wait list should understand it is not the same as being denied admission. Wait list status simply means that an applicant’s credentials may require a closer review beyond just the quantitative numbers.  Offers of admission will be made to wait listed applicants on a regular basis.
  
• Wait listed applicants should strive to improve their grades and re-submit them to the Office of Admissions after the next marking period. Periodic review of the wait list will likely begin in November and offers of admission are made on a rolling basis. Our goal is to have most of the wait list decisions made in March or April. A final round of wait list offers may be made in mid-May on a space available basis. We encourage students to submit additional information if it improves the academic record.