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To apply to the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences, here’s what you need to know:
Academic Prerequisites
Bachelor’s Degree
To be considered for admission to the MSPAS program, applicants must have a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university within the United States prior to the start of orientation.
Grade Point Average
A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale or higher is required in order to be considered. All prerequisite courses must be taken at a regionally accredited college or university. No grade lower than a C will be accepted for prerequisite coursework. CLEP credits, AP credits and P/F credits will not be considered for prerequisites.
Required Courses
The courses below are required for admissions; you may apply while this coursework is in progress. Coursework completion is required before matriculation and pending coursework during the application cycle is acceptable.
Note: We do not allow for advanced standing, regardless of previous graduate work in health care. All incoming students must complete the entire PA curriculum.
- Biology* — 16 Semester Hours
- A semester each of human anatomy, physiology, microbiology and genetics
- Physical education and exercise science courses are not acceptable
- Labs are required when available
- Chemistry* — 15 Semester Hours
- A semester each of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and biochemistry.
- Labs are required when available
- Psychology — 6 Semester Hours
- Including one course of abnormal psychology
- Abnormal psychology (psychopathology) explores a range of psychological disorders and examines how biological, developmental and sociocultural factors interact in the development of atypical behavior and functioning. Key concepts include terminology, classification, etiology, assessment and management of various disorders. No course substitutions will be accepted for the abnormal psychology requirement.
- Including one course of abnormal psychology
- Statistics or Biostatistics — 1 Course
- Medical Terminology — 1 Course
*Completion of chemistry and biology prerequisites within five years of matriculation is highly recommended.
Practical Experience Requirements
As an applicant, you must have completed at least 750 hours of direct patient care experience as an employee or volunteer in a medical office, hospital or extended-care facility. Shadowing a physician assistant is required. Your experiences may be combined, but all acceptable clinical experiences must involve hands-on care of patients. Patient care experiences obtained through the military (combat medic, field medical tech, etc.) are especially competitive. You may apply to the PA program prior to completing the patient care experience hours but must indicate a plan for completion on your application. Please note, completion of PA shadowing hours prior to application is typically expected for favorable consideration.
Entering Class Averages
DMU’s admitted MSPAS classes average about 65 students from more than 13 states.
Successful applicants typically present cumulative GPAs around 3.8 and science GPAs near 3.7, along with greater than 750 hours of hands on, direct-patient care at time of application.
These figures represent overall trends, not minimum requirements.
Other Important Requirements
Technical Standards
A candidate who is seeking a DO, DPM, MSPAS, DPT or OTD degree at Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences must be capable of completing core educational requirements and achieving the competencies in the basic and clinical sciences. DMU seeks to develop candidates who have a deep and robust health science or medical knowledge base and outstanding clinical skills, with the ability to appropriately apply them, effectively interpret information and contribute to decisions across a broad spectrum of medical situations and settings.
The critical skills required to be successful are outlined in the academic catalog and include the ability to observe, communicate and perform motor functions, as well as to understand, integrate core knowledge and skills and to behave appropriately in varied educational and professional situations.
We encourage you to review the MSPAS program’s comprehensive technical standards. For information about accommodations, refer to the Accommodations in Education Policy.
Background Checks
Complete a criminal background check, which may include a drug screen, as well as Iowa Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Registry checks through the DMU preferred vendor and process. Results must be released to DMU prior to matriculation. The cost of this process will be paid by the student. Students are required to disclose all past or present charges, convictions, dismissals, deferred judgments and expunged records related to a misdemeanor or felony. They are also obligated to disclose any additional charges and convictions that occur following completion of the initial criminal background check. Admission to the program may be revoked if misrepresentations or omissions from the application are noted in the background check. DMU students are required to complete annual criminal background checks, which may include drug screening, while enrolled at DMU.
Residency Status
At DMU, all students enrolled in on-campus programs must be either U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Permanent resident applicants must provide a notarized copy of their permanent resident card (green card) prior to matriculation. Please be aware of the potential impact if your permanent resident card (green card) expires and is not renewed, or you do not obtain U.S. citizenship, during your enrollment at DMU. In such a case, you would no longer be eligible for federal financial aid, and because you would no longer meet the enrollment requirements, you could be dropped from enrollment in your coursework.
Note: Applicants with a permanent residency status of “pending” are not eligible for admission.