Pathologists' Assistant Admission
Candidates must have completed all undergraduate degree requirements and have been issued a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculating as a student. If the bachelor’s degree was issued by a U.S. college or university, as a general rule it should be from a regionally accredited institution. Official transcripts from the awarding institution must specify the date upon which the degree was issued.
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a weighted undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or higher (on a 4-point scale) and must have completed the following:
- Required science courses
- 2 semesters of General Biology with lab or equivalent
- 2 semesters of General Chemistry with lab
- 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab or 1 semester of Organic Chemistry with lab and 1 semester of Biochemistry
- 1 semester of Mathematics
- 1 semester of Physics
- Recommended science courses (if a deficiency is apparent with low GPA on prerequisite course work)
- 1 semester of Microbiology
- 1 semester of combined Anatomy & Physiology
- Neuroanatomy and Histology courses
- Required Shadowing Experience
- The Pathologists’ Assistant program requires applicants to have shadowing experience. In many instances, 30 to 40 hours of shadowing can be sufficient to fulfill this requirement. The shadowing experience should include observing the dissection and dictation of a variety of complex specimens, exposure to the frozen section technique, and, if feasible, autopsy cases (medical or forensic). We encourage candidates to obtain as much shadowing experience as is possible prior to the interview process.
- Official transcripts must be sent in an unopened envelope directly to GradCAS
- Submit three letters of recommendation from faculty (in the prerequisite courses) who are familiar with the student's ability to be successful in a graduate program. Letters from employers may be submitted and will be considered as supplemental letters but will not serve in lieu of the three required from faculty.
- Letter of intent/personal essay outlining the applicant’s academic and professional goals and their particular interest in the Pathologists’ Assistant career.
- Resume/CV with health-related experience listed (including shadowing experience)
- GRE GMAT or MCAT scores will be relevant for five (5) years. Older scores will need to be retaken.
- An interview with Pathologists' Assistant Admissions Committee
- Complete and submit online application (including $125 nonrefundable application fee). Application will not be deemed complete until the application fee has been paid.EV
Regular admission:
The regular admission process requires that students complete their baccalaureate degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 and have achieved acceptable performance (i.e., successfully completed) all of the required prerequisite coursework. Every student must provide three letters of recommendation from faculty in the prerequisite courses. Employer letters are accepted and regarded as supplemental letters of reference. Student candidates that meet the above minimum requirements, as evaluated by the Admission Review Committee, may be extended the opportunity to be interviewed by the Committee. A minimum of a 60% favorable vote consensus by the Committee is required to render an offer letter to the candidate. Oppositional minority views are expressed.
The decisions by the Committee can culminate in one of three outcomes:
A) An electronic offer letter of a “conditional acceptance” is sent to the applicant. Applicants that receive an offer letter have 10 days in which to accept the offer and submit their $300 deposit;
B) an email rejection notice is sent to those applicants who were interviewed but were not accepted;
C) If an applicant is not initially placed for the incoming class, they may receive notice that they have been placed on a waiting list for future consideration. Being placed on a waiting list does not imply an increased probability of acceptance in subsequent application(s) to the program, since applications are evaluated from a new pool of applicants each year. Applicants will be granted only a conditional acceptance which means that all required documentation must be completed prior to the first day of classes or the application will be deemed incomplete and the acceptance to the program will be rescinded.
International applicants
- English Proficiency Exams
- In addition to official transcripts, provide both a transcript evaluation and translation (course-by-course evaluation with an overall GPA calculation) through one of these services:
