Admissions and aid – Master of Health Services — Physician Assistant Studies Program
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Applications for Summer 2028 enrollment open Spring 2027
Online applications for summer incoming classes in the Master of Health Services — Physician Assistant Studies Degree Program are available through Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applications open each year in April and close on Aug. 1 at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time).
Students applying for the physician assistant studies program must complete an application at Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) and meet selection criteria. Following that process, a select pool of qualified applicants will receive an invitation to apply through the UC Davis Graduate Studies application. All invited applicants must meet UC Davis graduate admissions requirements.
An application and materials must have a ”complete” (all materials received and pending verification) or ”verified” application status by the deadline. For those who purchased CASPA’s Professional Transcript Entry Service (PTE), coursework entry must also be completed by CASPA and approved by the applicant prior to the deadline. It is the applicants' responsibility to monitor the status of their applications and application materials on a regular basis. CASPA does NOT notify applicants if applications are incomplete or documents are missing.
Non-refundable deposit: As of Fall 2025, students offered admission pay a non-refundable tuition deposit of $1,500 to secure their seat in the class. This deposit will go towards the first quarter of tuition beginning Summer 2026. The deposit is non-refundable. More information will be provided at the time of admission offer.
Thinking of applying? Watch these how-to videos on getting ready to apply
For additional application information, visit our PA FAQ page and the CASPA Applicant Help Center.
Online applications for summer incoming classes in the PA Program are available through Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Applications open each year in late April and close at 11:59 p.m. (Eastern time) Aug. 1.
- GRE is not required
- A completed bachelor's degree
- A minimum bachelor's-degree GPA of 3.0
- A minimum 3.0 GPA in all science prerequisite coursework is required
- A minimum of 1,000 hours of paid or volunteer experience in a clinical environment with direct patient exposure
- Statement of purpose submitted through CASPA
- Three letters of recommendation - refer to CASPA website - for more information
- Official transcripts from each institution attended (submitted online through CASPA website)
- International graduate requirements
- FAQs
Admitted students will be required to complete a background check and drug screen during new student onboarding and throughout the program for clinical purposes. Depending on the results, a student’s ability to complete the program may be affected. Please reach out to Admissions team before applying if you have questions.
- GPAs above the minimum required cumulative and prerequisite science GPA thresholds.
- More than the required 1,000 hours of direct clinical experience.
- Experience in clinical roles involving hands-on, paid clinical patient care responsibilities. Applicants increase competitiveness with higher levels of direct patient care.
- The program considers the nature of an applicant’s clinical responsibilities, including the extent to which the role involves patient assessment, treatment or clinical decision-making. Experiences involving greater clinical responsibility and professional preparation are more competitive than primarily supportive, technical or observational experiences. For additional details, including examples of positions, please visit PA Applicant Clinical Experience information page.
- Experiences and attributes that align with the school’s mission to prepare physician assistants who can serve California's diverse populations. Examples may include:
- being the first in their family to attend college
- having multilingual skills
- serving in the military (including veterans, active duty or reserve)
- experiencing living in rural or medically underserved communities
- receiving childhood federal or state assistance
- demonstrating a commitment to serving underserved populations
- A lived commitment to the overall mission and vision of the school.
The committee is dedicated to a comprehensive admissions process that considers the experiences, attributes and academic metrics of each applicant and recognizes their unique potential as a future clinician and leader. Please review our admissions statement for more details.
Please visit our essential abilities and technical standards page to review requirements for entering this program.
The PA program does not offer advanced placement for any kind of coursework including previous PA or Physician coursework.
Completing the PA program does not guarantee licensure. Please reach out to the state board if you have questions about licensure.
All prerequisites are required at the college level from an accredited school and must be included on the submitted transcript as part of the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) application process. Prerequisites may not be in progress at the time of application submission. Each prerequisite is expected to be one full course, either a quarter or a semester, and a minimum of three units. Completion of prerequisite coursework from an accredited, online academic institution is acceptable. Advanced Placement scores awarded in high school do NOT fulfill prerequisites. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C or better:
- One course in human anatomy with lab*
- One course in human physiology with lab*
- Or human anatomy and physiology series: Part I and Part II with lab**
(NOTE: Mammalian, vertebrate or animal anatomy or physiology do not fulfill this requirement.) - One semester or quarter in organic chemistry with lab or biochemistry with lab
(NOTE: Introduction to Organic Chemistry does not fulfill this requirement) - One course in microbiology or bacteriology with lab
- One course in English composition
- Two courses in social sciences. Ideal courses provide exposure to human or organizational behavior — such as psychology, sociology, ethnic studies, women's studies or cultural anthropology.
(NOTE: Social science courses may be completed in two different subject areas or within the same subject area.)
*It is required that human anatomy and physiology are completed within five years of submitting an application.
**Physician assistant program applicants may complete a combined Human Anatomy and Human Physiology series course: Part I and Part II with labs. Series courses are offered in two parts and are completed over the course of two quarters or two semesters. Series courses must be completed in full and must include a lab component. If an applicant only completes one part of the series course, the student must additionally complete a course in either Human Anatomy or Human Physiology to fulfill the requirement. Mammalian or animal does not fulfill this requirement.
Visit the PA FAQ page for additional details about the physician assistant program requirements and prerequisites.
Information about financial support and aid for this program can be found on our central Financial Support page
