PA Transfer Admission Pathway

The Transfer Admission Pathway is for applicants who are currently or recently enrolled within the past two CASPA application cycles in an ARC-PA-accredited program. Applicants whose programs are shutting down may apply through this pathway.

Applicants submit their application through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).

Transfer Admission Application Requirements

A Transfer application will only be reviewed after all the following requirements are met:

• A CASPA-verified status must be obtained by September 1st.
• An overall CASPA-defined GPA of 3.0 or higher is required.
  • Applicants with a GPA between 2.95 and 2.99 may be considered if enrolled in additional coursework that could raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0.
• Two letters of recommendation received by CASPA by September 1st. Letters from a provider (MD, DO, or PA) and an instructor are recommended.
• Answer the question “Why do you wish to transfer into the UC PA Program?” in the UC PA Supplemental CASPA section.
• An official GRE score sent to CASPA code 8830 by September 15th. While GRE scores contribute to the overall strength of an application, there is no minimum GRE score requirement.
• An official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score (if applicable) in CASPA for applicants whose primary language is not English, unless waived by the program. Minimum accepted TOEFL scores:
  • Paper-Based Test (PBT): 550
  • Internet-Based Test (IBT): 80
  • The TOEFL can be waived if the applicant earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or university. Should the Admissions Committee deem that the applicant has not demonstrated English proficiency, the applicant will be asked to take and submit an official TOEFL score to be further considered for a seat in the program.
  • If the minimum TOEFL scores are met and an applicant demonstrates a deficiency in written or verbal communication, the Admissions Committee reserves the right to no longer consider them for a seat in the program.
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities must be included in the CASPA application.
• International transcript evaluations (if applicable) for applicants with coursework and degrees completed outside of the U.S.
  • International transcripts must be evaluated by an approved member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) and submitted to CASPA by September 1st.
  • Transcripts from U.S. Territories do not need to be evaluated if the transcripts are in English.
  • Transcripts from Canadian institutions need to be evaluated by a NACES member.
• By September 1st, the applicant needs to email paprogram@ucwv.edu with all completed and in-progress PA course descriptions, PA course syllabi, clinical rotation logs (if applicable), and End Of Rotation™ exam scores (if applicable).

• By September 1st, the applicant’s PA program needs to email paprogram@ucwv.edu with a letter detailing if any claims were filed against or paid on behalf of the student, accompanied by a copy of the certificate of insurance (COI) confirming liability coverage while enrolled in that PA program.

• By September 1st, the applicant’s PA Program Director needs to email paprogram@ucwv.edu with a letter stating that they were not dismissed from or withdrew from the program for failing to meet academic requirements for progression or for professionalism reasons.

 

Once all of the required materials listed above have been received and the CASPA application requirements have been met, applications will be reviewed in accordance with the program’s Admission Policy. Interview invitations will be extended to the strongest candidates. Conditional seat offers may be extended if the following are documented in CASPA as completed, in progress, or supported by a feasible plan for completion by the date of matriculation.

Bachelor’s Degree:

• A U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or an equivalent international degree per NACES evaluation.
• If the bachelor’s degree is not yet earned, include a feasible plan to complete it by matriculation in the UC PA Supplemental CASPA section.
• Admission offers are contingent upon completion of a bachelor’s degree.
• Failure to complete the bachelor’s degree before the matriculation date will result in the rescission of the admission offer.

Prerequisites:

• Indicate prerequisites in the Program Materials section of CASPA.
• If prerequisites are not yet completed, include a feasible plan to complete them by matriculation in the UC PA Supplemental CASPA section.
• Prerequisites must be completed at a regionally accredited college or university.
• Admission offers are contingent upon completion of all prerequisites.
• Prerequisite coursework must be completed prior to matriculation.
• Failure to complete required coursework before the matriculation date will result in the rescission of the admission offer.
• A minimum grade of “C” or higher is required for all Transfer Admission prerequisite courses. C-minus grades are not accepted.
• The program will verify whether selected courses meet prerequisite requirements.
• Applicants may be asked to submit course syllabi for review.
• Quarter-hour credits will be converted to semester credit hours using CASPA’s conversion ratio: 1.0 quarter hour = 0.667 semester hours.
• All prerequisites must meet the minimum semester credit hour requirements.
• AP and CLEP credits may fulfill prerequisite requirements; however, they will not contribute to the prerequisite GPA.
• Online courses and laboratory components are accepted.
• Community college credits are accepted.
• The program only waives lab requirements for prerequisite courses taken during the Spring 2020 to Summer 2021 semesters and only if the associated lecture was taken during that time frame as well.
• The program only accepts pass/fail grades for prerequisite courses completed during the Spring 2020 to Summer 2021 semesters.
• The UC PA Program does not accept prerequisite coursework completed through StraighterLine, Portage Learning, or Sophia Online Learning.

International Prerequisites (if applicable):

• Upload English-written syllabi for international prerequisite courses to the CASPA Document section.
• The program will determine if these courses meet requirements.
• The program reserves the right not to accept international prerequisites.

Note: The UC PA Program may consider additional coursework to satisfy prerequisite requirements on a case-by-case basis and may request additional documentation.

 

Transfer Admission Advanced Placement

Advanced Placement

Only students admitted through the Transfer Pathway may have PA coursework taken from an ARC-PA-accredited program eligible for consideration for advanced placement. Medical school, health science courses, or other types of medical education, training, or experiences will not be considered.

Should a transfer applicant be offered a seat, notification regarding advanced placement, if any, will be detailed in the seat offer letter. Advanced placement will be considered on a case-by-case basis if the following conditions are met:

Didactic Courses

Advanced Placement

• A grade of a “B” or better was earned at the prior PA program for the course being considered for advanced placement, and
• The number of credits earned at the prior PA program is equal to or higher than the number of credits of the UC PA Program course being considered for advanced placement, and
• The course taken at the prior PA program is determined to be equivalent to the course being considered for advanced placement (determined by the UC PA Program Director).

Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit by Examination

The UC PA Program Director may offer a transfer student to sit for a Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit by Examination for clinical science courses. The applicant must pass the Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit by Examination before advanced placement can be granted. If the transfer student elects not to take the exams or does not successfully pass the exams, the student will be required to take the clinical science course(s) for credit.

 

To sit for a Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit by Examination, the exams must be taken in the semester immediately preceding the semester in which the course is being offered. For example, if the course is offered during summer one, the transfer student needs to take the exams during the preceding spring semester. The transfer student must notify the program of their intent to take the exams on the first day of the semester for which the exams will be administered. All Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit by Examination will take place on campus and must be completed by the last week of the semester in which they are testing.

 

Students have one attempt to prove competency. To successfully demonstrate competency, transfer students need to obtain at least a 75% on all course exams while obtaining an overall 80% cumulative exam score for the course. If competency is met, the course will be approved for advanced placement, and tuition will be adjusted accordingly. The program will require a transfer student to complete additional course content if they are unable to meet all course outcomes via the Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit by Examinations.

 

The cost to sit for a Confirmation of Transfer Equivalency Credit Exam is equal to $50 per credit hour for the course being assessed. The exam fee is non-refundable and due before the exams are administered.

 

Transfer Admission Course Auditing

If a transfer student is granted advanced placement for a didactic course, the student may choose to audit the course for which advanced placement was granted. The fee to audit a course will be charged at $100 per credit hour for advanced placement courses. Auditing includes attending all classes, completing all assigned coursework, and taking all assessments. Feedback on all assessments will be provided.

Clinical Rotation Courses

Advanced Placement

The minimum UC PA clinical-year requirements must have been met (e.g., grades, setting types, patient populations, EOR™ exam scores, and elective presentation) to reflect competency for advanced placement.

Transfer Admission Additional Information

Transfer Student Start Date

The UC PA Program has a January start date. Transfer students who are accepted into the program are offered a seat for the next January start date.

Length of Enrollment

The UC PA Program is a 28-month program that spans over 7 contiguous semesters. Transfer students must complete at a minimum the equivalent of 4 semesters of coursework while in residence at the University of Charleston. Transfer students will be enrolled for the entirety of the program. Transfer students will not be accepted to start in the clinical phase.

Program Costs

Visit our Program Costs Webpage to find the most recent tuition, fees, and related costs for students attending the UC PA Program.

Transfer students will be presented with estimated costs if offered a seat in the program. The university will determine if discounts are available based on tuition paid to the student’s prior program. Fees will be the same for all students for all semesters. PA Program tuition and fees per semester for a transfer student will not be higher than the tuition and fees paid by other UC PA Program students.

Financial Aid

A student must be enrolled part-time (6 credit hours) to be considered eligible for federal aid for any semester. A student cannot receive federal aid assistance for auditing courses. There is a financial aid cap set by the Department of Education. The UC PA Program encourages accepted transfer students to reach out to the UC Financial Aid Office to speak about their financial aid history and what aid may be available to them as a student.

Seat Availability

Seat availability is limited by the accrediting body for PA programs. Thirty-three seats are available for each matriculating class for the UC PA Program, unless the program receives permission from the accrediting body to increase its cohort size.

The UC PA Program may request a temporary one-time cohort size increase to accommodate incoming students from another PA program that is shutting down. If approved by ARC-PA, incoming students from all pathways will be notified prior to the program start date. If a cohort size increase is approved, the university will supply the program with the fiscal, human, and physical resources needed to offer the same educational experience afforded to a smaller-sized cohort.

You can find answers to frequently asked questions in the Frequently Asked Questions section.