Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the Accreditation Status section for more information.

The CASPA application opens May 1 and closes on October 1 at 8:59PM PST/11:59pm EST.

The application is due October 1 each year for enrollment the following Fall. Please note that the application closes at 8:59PM PST/11:59pm EST. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances, so applicants are recommended to submit their applications in advance.

No, there is no supplemental application nor additional fees for the CSUSB custom questions. These custom questions are embedded within the Questions section of the CASPA application. The custom questions must be completed at the same time as the general CASPA application. 

Please notify CASPA as soon as possible of any errors. Since all required application materials are within CASPA, CSUSB will not be able to make any updates to your application or accept any changes not listed within CASPA.

The Cal State Apply application is only required for accepted CSUSB MSPA program students who are matriculating into the program. Fee waivers may be available.

No standardized entrance exams are required for admission into the CSUSB MSPA program, including the GRE® (Graduate Record Examinations), Physician Assistant College Admissions Test (PA-CAT), MCAT® (Medical College Admission Test), and CASPer® (Computer-based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics).

In some circumstances, international applicants may be required to complete an English Proficiency Exam. Please review the International Applicants section for more information.

All GPA calculations are performed by CASPA. The CSUSB MSPA program will not perform any calculations or recalculations of GPA. To learn more about CASPA’s process for calculating GPA, please visit the CASPA website. Consideration of GPA is integrated into admissions decisions.

Please visit the CASPA Course Subjects page for information on courses taken into account in the Science GPA.

The type of institution does not have an impact on admissions decisions. Therefore, prerequisite courses can be taken at either a four-year institution or a community college. In both instances, the institution must be regionally accredited.

Students who complete introductory courses are strongly encouraged to take additional courses in the prerequisite content area. These courses typically provide only a brief introduction to topics, which may not be sufficient in depth to prepare applicants successfully for the program.

Up to two prerequisite courses can be in progress at the time of application. Applicants invited to interview with the program will have to show verification that the outstanding prerequisite coursework will be completed by December 31 of the application year.

Applicants must complete all prerequisite courses no later than December 31 of the application year.

Yes, online courses are accepted if they are 1) taken at a regionally accredited institution and 2) equivalent in depth and content to in-person courses. Accelerated online courses (e.g., completed in six to eight weeks) are accepted but strongly discouraged. The prerequisite courses are intended to prepare applicants successfully for the program. The program is fast-paced and intensive in nature, and the first semester challenges students to build upon knowledge already gained in the prerequisite courses.

No, these courses will not fulfill the “Additional Biological Science” requirement. Accepted courses include Genetics, Pathophysiology, Pharmacology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Endocrinology, and Histology. Please note that courses listed as “introductory” will not be accepted for this science prerequisite.

All applicants are required to submit a Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application and answer a few CSUSB custom questions (embedded within the Questions section of CASPA). The CASPA application requires a fee (or fee waiver), but there is no supplemental application nor additional fees for the CSUSB custom questions. The Cal State Apply application is only required for accepted CSUSB MSPA program students who are matriculating into the program. Fee waivers may be available.

Information about tuition, fees, and expected expenses for the program can be found in the Cost of Attendance section.

There are currently no established scholarships through CSUSB. However, applicants are encouraged to evaluate various national scholarships and loan repayment programs (e.g., National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program) that are available. More information is available through the student page of the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) website.

Although federal financial aid is not offered to undocumented students, opportunities for financial support may be available. For more information, please visit the Undocumented Student Success Center page, which includes information on financial aid, scholarships, and free legal services.

Due to the intensive, full-time nature of the MSPA program, students are strongly discouraged from maintaining any employment. If students are employed, employment obligations will not be considered an acceptable reason for absences or poor performance. In addition, students are not permitted to work directly for the MSPA program.