Have questions about the MPAS program at Indiana University? Browse the FAQs to find answers to common questions.
Get the answers you’re looking for about the IU MPAS program
General
Yes. We offer individual tours of the program facilities. Contact hprofadv@iu.edu to arrange a building tour.
We enroll 44 new students per year.
Students begin in the summer term. Typically, the first day is the second or third Monday in May.
The PA program is 27 months. Students begin in May and graduate two years later in August.
Due to the intensity and academic rigor of the program, the IU MPAS department strongly recommends that students do not work while in the program. Students are required to be available for class meetings from 8 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Additional individual and group study time outside of class are also required.
No, PA students are not required to solicit clinical sites or preceptors. The program is responsible for securing clinical sites and preceptors sufficient for students to complete required supervised clinical practice experiences. Students may request consideration of a student-initiated rotation, but this process is optional. Student-initiated rotation requests must be reviewed by the Clinical Education Director, and the site and preceptor must meet program expectations. The university must also approve an affiliation agreement before the rotation may occur. Students are not required to identify, provide, or solicit clinical sites or preceptors as a condition of admission, enrollment, progression, or graduation.
Application Process
No. The MPAS admissions committee does not give preference to any applicant type.
The IU MPAS admissions committee does not give preference to any undergraduate major and accepts an undergraduate degree in any major from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants are not eligible for admission if they do not meet our minimum requirements, which include a 3.2 cumulative GPA and a 3.2 overall science GPA. We do not give special consideration to the last 60 credit hours. All college coursework is factored into the cumulative GPA.
The most competitive applicants will likely be those who surpass the minimum academic requirements, have a clear understanding of the PA profession, demonstrate professionalism, leadership, community service, and are a good match to the IU MPAS mission, values, and goals. Additional descriptions of competitive applicants within these areas are provided on the IU MPAS Admissions page.
Though there are no minimum hour requirements, the most competitive applicants will participate in experiences offering direct patient care. These hours may be paid or volunteer. The purpose of accruing patient contact hours is to ensure the applicant has adequate exposure to the health-care system, patients, and the role of a PA. Although shadowing hours are not calculated in the cumulative number of patient care hours, they can be a good opportunity to observe and understand the physician assistant's role in the healthcare system. Competitive applicants will have at least 1000 hours of direct hands-on patient care experience or work directly with patients. This may include, but is not limited to, employment as a Medical Assistant, Patient Care Tech, Registered Nurse, Combat Medic, Paramedic, or Emergency Medical Technician.
Prerequisite Coursework
Yes. The MPAS admissions committee accepts coursework from any regionally accredited institution.
Admission Interviews
The number of students invited to interview changes each cycle but commonly falls between 150–200 applicants. Interviews are in-person only and consist of multiple activities over the course of a half day including individual and group interviews, panels with current and former students, and an optional campus tour. Due to the volume of applicants, the admissions committee is unable to provide personalized feedback to each applicant based on their interview performance.
Financial Aid and Tuition
At this time, we have an admission-based scholarship for incoming students. The recipient and dollar amount are determined by the admissions committee and awarded to an incoming student. There is no application for this scholarship. For students looking for financial aid, we encourage you to fill out the FAFSA. Most students utilize federal student loans.
No graduate assistantships are available for the IU MPAS program.