Admissions Criteria

Admission Criteria for the Elon University Charlotte PA program

Overall:

  • Overall GPA: Recommended minimum 3.2
  • Science GPA: Recommended minimum 3.0
  • GRE: Not required
  • AP Courses: Not accepted

Prerequisite Courses:

All science prerequisite courses must have been completed within 10 years of enrolling in the program (2016 or later for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle). These courses must be from accredited US institutions.

  • Human Anatomy & Physiology (minimum 7 semester hours): One full academic year. One lab required (lab could be anatomy or physiology). This requirement may be met by taking either: one semester of Anatomy (with lab) and one semester of Physiology (lab preferred but not required), or two semesters of Anatomy and Physiology combined (with 1-2 labs)
  • Chemistry (8 credit hours): Two semesters of chemistry with lab. One semester must be either organic chemistry or biochemistry
  • Additional upper-level science (6 credit hours): Require 1 from: genetics, immunology or neurobiology/neuroscience; AND 1 additional upper-level science
  • Statistics (3 credit hours): Any 3 credit level course or higher will satisfy this requirement. Courses can include business statistics, biostatistics, statistical methods or any traditional mathematics statistics course.

*Note: Graduate level coursework may also satisfy prerequisites. 

Additional:

  • Health Care Experience: 1750 hours of “hands on” experience in a health care setting. Telehealth/virtual does not count toward hours. Preference: licensed or credentialed clinical professions with direct patient care responsibilities and candidates with leadership experience. 

Qualifying licensed or credentialed clinical professions may include but are not limited to:

  • Registered Nurse (RN)
  • Licensed  Practical Nurse (LPN)
  • Paramedic or Certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)
  • Physical Therapist (PT)
  • Occupational Therapist (OT)
  • Respiratory Therapist (RT)
  • Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP)
  • Registered Dietitian (RD)

Qualifying leadership experiences may include but are not limited to:

  • College-level team captain (not intramural)
  • Teaching Assistant or Resident Assistant
  • Caretaking
  • Management Experience

These roles involve clinical responsibilities such as assessing patients, administering treatments or therapies, performing procedures, documenting care, or working as part of a healthcare team in a patient-centered setting.

  • Community Engagement: 250 volunteer hours. Examples of strong community engagement experiences include but are not limited to: Habitat for Humanity, food pantries, Peace Corp, Special Olympics.
  • Letters of Recommendation: 3 recommendation letters are required. Include 1 academic/faculty reference and 2 health care providers (at least 1 being a medical clinician).
  • Interview: Invitations to interview will be extended via email to qualified candidates. An interview is required for admission and all interviews will be conducted virtually.

For questions about prerequisites or admissions criteria, please contact graduate admissions at gradadm@elon.edu.