PA Program FAQs

General 

 How long is the program? How many credits is the program? 

The length of the program is 29 months (12 month Didactic Phase, 17 month Clinical/Advanced Clinical Phases). The total credits for entire program is 132 credits. 

Do you allow part-time status? 

No. Due to the sequential construction of the PA curriculum, PA students are required to attend all courses and rotations in the didactic and clinical phases and therefore, part-time status is not an option. 

Is preference given to residents of New Jersey? 

No. There are no admission or enrollment practices that favor specified individuals or groups. 

How many students will be admitted? 

For each entering class the cohort is limited to no more than forty (40) students. 

What is the cost of the program? 

Please visit Graduate Tuition and Fees for PA program tuition and fees.  

What are the technical standards for the program? 

For more information, please visit the PA Program Technical Standards section of our website. 

What is the schedule like? 

The first year of the program begins in early January and ends in December. Classes typically take place between Monday through Friday. The schedules for the clinical phases of the program are dependent upon the clinical experiences and vary widely. Students should expect to be at a clinical site at least 40 hours a week. Some clinical experiences may have a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, while others may require a 12-hour day, and others may require overnights and weekend calls. 

Do you offer information sessions? 

Yes. Open house events are scheduled and will be posted on the program website. 

Admissions Requirements/Application Process 

What are the admission requirements? 

For more information regarding admission requirements, please visit the FDU PA Program Admissions section of our website. 

Are community college credits acceptable? 

Yes. We accept prerequisites courses from any regionally accredited university or college, including community colleges. 

Can I take an online course to meet a prerequisite requirement? 

Yes. We accept online courses from any regionally accredited university or college. 

Are Advanced Placement (AP) credits accepted to fulfill prerequisite requirements? 

Yes. Advanced Placement (AP) credits are accepted to fulfill prerequisites, if accepted as credit by your undergraduate institution.  

Is there a minimum requirement for patient care or healthcare related experiences? 

Yes. The FDU PA Program requires a minimum of 400 hours of patient care, healthcare related experiences, or PA shadowing obtained through work or volunteer commitments. We strongly recommend that a minimum of 25 hours include PA shadowing to better familiarize oneself with the profession. The program accepts a wide range of patient care or healthcare related experiences including, but not limited to, certified athletic trainer, certified nursing assistant, ECG technician, emergency medicine technician/paramedic, medical assistant, medical scribe, patient care technician/assistant, pharmacy technician, phlebotomist, physical therapy aide, registered nurse, respiratory therapist, and ultrasound sonographer. These experiences do not have to be paid to count as patient care or healthcare related experiences but the greater the level of involvement, the better. We also encourage PA shadowing to better familiarize oneself with the profession. 

Is documentation required for patient care or healthcare related experiences? 

Yes. A completed Patient Care Experience Form must be included in the CASPA application for each category of patient care, healthcare-related experience, and PA shadowing.  Patient Care Experience Form  

I have taken a course twice because my first grade was a “C.” When calculating the GPA do you use the first grade or the second grade? 

The grade point average includes all courses and therefore, both grades will be taken into account and calculated. 

Does the program participate in CASPA? 

Yes. The FDU PA Program participates in CASPA. The FDU PA Program application deadline is August 1^st. Applications must be completed and verified through CASPA by August 1.  

Do you require a supplementary application? 

No, the FDU PA Program requires custom questions included within the CASPA application.  

Are GRE scores required, and will it help to submit them? 

No. GRE scores are not required and are not factored into the admissions process. 

Are interviews required? 

Yes. Interviews are required and may take place in-person or through video conference. The most qualified applicants will be invited for a personal interview and from this group, a cohort of 40 students will be selected. The selection process will reflect on academic background and potential; healthcare, work, and volunteer experiences; leadership skills; and motivation, understanding of the PA profession and professional responsibilities, professional demeanor, and interpersonal/verbal skills. 

Is there a deposit required if accepted? 

The FDU PA program will require a $500.00 non-refundable acceptance fee within 10 days of notification of acceptance. An additional $1000.00 non-refundable tuition deposit will be due on October 1. If accepted after October 1 the full $1500.00 non-refundable acceptance fee and tuition deposit will be due within 10 days of notification. The acceptance fee and deposit will be applied to the first semester tuition.  

Does FDU maintain an admission wait list? 

Yes. All candidates will be notified of the admission committee’s decision which may include acceptance to the program or placement on a wait list. A ranked wait list from candidates who have been interviewed will be maintained. Placement on a wait list does not guarantee admission into the program. Should an accepted candidate withdraw from the program prior to the start of classes, the position will be offered to candidates on the wait list. 

Advanced Placement 

Can I transfer into the program or be admitted with advanced placement? 

No. The PA Program does not grant prospective or enrolled PA students a waiver of required coursework or advanced placement. Due to the sequential construction of the PA curriculum, PA students are required to attend all courses and rotations in the didactic and clinical phases and cannot advance in the curriculum without completing all curricular components. While the program requires prerequisite courses (such as anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and genetics) prior to enrollment, those prerequisites do not substitute for more advanced medical science courses offered within the curriculum of the PA Program. 

Health Records/Background Check/Drug Screening 

Will I need to be medically cleared prior to enrollment? 

Yes. Upon acceptance, a health forms will be sent to be completed by your health care provider. These forms are required to be completed and submitted prior to enrollment. 

Will I need a background check and drug screen as a component of my application? 

Yes, you will be asked to complete a background check and drug screen prior to enrollment. The Office of Admissions will send out information regarding this process prior to matriculation.  

Program Information 

Can I work while enrolled in the program? 

The PA Program does not maintain a policy that limits or prevents students from working, but does discourage students from working due to the time constraints of the intense curriculum and the requirements of the supervised clinical practice experiences. 

Are students required to find their own clinical sites? 

No. The PA Program coordinates all clinical practice sites and preceptors for all program required and elective rotations. Students expressing an interest in a new clinical site and/or preceptor not included in the program’s preceptor database must complete a request form and the site is reviewed and evaluated, in compliance with the site development policy for program approval. 

What distance are the required clinical rotation sites from the FDU PA Program? 

All required clinical rotation sites are within a 60-mile radius of the FDU PA Program. As part of the PA Program, PA students regularly travel off campus to clinical affiliate sites for supervised clinical practice experiences throughout the northern New Jersey and metropolitan New York areas. For this reason, it is essential that students have regular, on-demand access to transportation to complete the supervised clinical practice experiences, which are integral components of the curriculum of the PA Program. 

What are your NCCPA board pass rates? 

For more information, please visit the PA Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes section of our website. 

What is the rate of attrition of the FDU PA Program? 

For more information, please visit the PA Program Mission, Goals, and Outcomes section of our website. 

What is the program’s accreditation status? 

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Fairleigh Dickinson University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Fairleigh Dickinson University. 

Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation- Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. 

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. 

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-fairleigh-dickinson-university/.