Program Overview

BA/MS Physician Assistant Program

The BA/MS Physician Assistant Program is a 3+3 program designed for undergraduates to enter the PA Program prior to their college graduation. The program is offered by the Rutgers School of Health Professions.

Program Overview

The program allows students to spend the first three years as an undergraduate at a partner school and the last three years in graduate school in the PA Program. Students will have a conditional, early-acceptance to the School of Health Professions (SHP) and will pay for three years of tuition at Rutgers and three years of tuition at SHP, thus saving one year of undergraduate tuition and fees.

Benefits

• Students will have a conditional, early-acceptance to the School of Health Professions (SHP).
• Students will pay for three years of tuition at Rutgers and three years of tuition at SHP, thus saving one year of undergraduate tuition and fees.
• Credits for some classes taken during the first year at the graduate school will count toward both the graduate school and the BA degree.

Admission Criteria

To apply to the SHP 3+3 PA Program, students must:

• Be in the spring semester of their sophomore year at the School of Arts and Science (SAS) at the time of application.
• Have completed at least one year at RU-NB, earning 30 credits.
• Have a minimum overall and science (including math) GPA requirement of 3.2.
• Have completed two semesters of General Biology with lab, two semesters of General Chemistry with lab, one semester of Organic Chemistry, one semester of Statistics, one semester of Psychology, and one semester of English Composition by the time of application.
• Meet additional requirements by the end of their junior year, including Human Anatomy, Physiology, General Microbiology, Biochemistry, and 6 credits of approved life science elective coursework at the 300-400 level.

Experiences Required

• Patient Contact Experience: Patient contact experience is required, with no minimum number of hours established.
• PA Shadowing: PA shadowing is required to ensure a sufficient understanding of the PA role in the delivery of healthcare.
• Volunteerism: Service to the community is one of the program’s core values, and applicants should demonstrate an ongoing commitment to their community through volunteering.

Application Process

Effective in the upcoming admissions cycle for Fall 2026 entry, 3+3 applicants will apply to the Rutgers PA program using the national Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). The deadline for complete and verified applications is August 1st, 2025. 3+3 applicants will follow the same instructions as traditional applicants, with some exceptions, including submitting a signed Degree Tracking Sheet and official score reports to the Documents section in CASPA.

Additional Requirements

• Three letters of recommendation are required, with one recommended to come from a PA.
• A personal statement is required, and a supplemental application will be submitted through CASPA, which contains the same questions as the previous 3+3 application.