How to Apply

PA students

1. Review the admissions requirements: Please review the admissions requirements to confirm your eligibility.

2. Choose your program of study: Applicants may apply to either the two-year PA (MSHS) program or the three-year PA-MPH (MSHS/MPH) program. Applicants may not switch from the three-year to the two-year program or vice-versa after application submission. 

2. Create a CASPA account and submit the application: All applicants must apply through the online application system CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants). In addition to CASPA prompted questions, applicants must submit short answers to a series of questions tied to the GW PA program mission.

The application requires information about previous academic and employment experiences, so it is a good idea to have a copy of your CV and transcripts handy.  Official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions and TOEFL scores (if applicable) must be sent to CASPA. Indicate GW as one of the schools to receive TOEFL scores using the code is 5246. No other program or department codes are needed.

Please note that misrepresentation of any part of your application may result in revocation of the offer of admission or dismissal from the program. Applicants who indicate "Intermediate", "Advanced", or "Native" levels of language proficiency on the CASPA application will likely be required to complete clinical rotations at sites which require the use of that language during patient care.

3. Submit the correct Supplemental Application: In addition to completing the application through the CASPA portal, all applicants must complete the GW PA Program supplemental application. Admission decisions will be communicated via the supplemental application portal. There is a supplemental $60 application fee.

PA (MSHS) Degree Supplemental Application

The GW supplemental application portal is accessed here: https://gw.force.com/gwapp. You will need to provide your CASPA ID on the application. Click the "Sign Up" link to create an account. Initiate your supplemental application by making the following selections:

  • Application Type: "I am a Health Sciences Student"
  • Specify Campus: Main Campus
  • Program Type: Graduate School: School of Medicine and Health Sciences
  • Field of Study: Physician Assistant
  • Degree: M.S.H.S.
  • Concentration: Not Applicable
  • Term: Summer 2024

If you have any questions regarding the applications or process, please contact us at paadm@gwu.edu or 202-994-7644.

PA/MPH (MSHS, MPH) Degree Supplemental Application

The GW supplemental application portal can be accessed here: https://gw.force.com/gwapp. Click the "Sign Up" link to create an account. You will need to provide your CASPA ID on the application. Initiate your supplemental application by making the following selections:

  • Application Type: "I am a Health Sciences Student"
  • Specify Campus: Main Campus
  • Program Type: Graduate School: School of Medicine and Health Sciences
  • Field of Study: Physician Assistant (Specify the joint degree option on the supplemental application)
  • Degree: M.S.H.S. (Specify the joint degree option on the supplemental application)
  • Concentration: Not Applicable
  • Term: Summer 2024

If you have any questions regarding the applications or process, please contact us at paadm@gwu.edu or 202-994-7644.

Application Fees

The fee associated with the CASPA application is based on the number of submitted applications the applicant chooses. There is an additional non-refundable GW supplemental application fee of $60 for the MSHS two-year program or the joint MSHS/MPH three-year program. If you wish to request a fee waiver for the GW supplemental application, please check the appropriate box on the supplemental application. Individuals eligible to request a fee waiver include:

Application Timeline

Both the CASPA and supplemental applications will become available on April 25th.

CASPA applications must be "verified" by October 1. We strongly recommend submitting the completed application at least 4 weeks in advance of the deadline, to ensure the application is verified by the deadline of October 1. The GW supplemental application is due on October 1.

Next Steps

Interview Invitation

Once the CASPA and supplemental applications have been verified, the file will be read by the Admissions Committee. Select applicants will be invited for a virtual interview sometime between September and December. Invitations will be sent via email.

The Interview Day

The interview day includes a program introduction, curriculum overview, and Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) interviews, as well as meetings with current students, and faculty.

Applicants are interviewed using the Multiple Mini Interview format. In a series of 5 mini-interview stations, applicants will respond to the prompted situations or scenarios. There is no simple way to prepare for this type of interview except to understand the structure, time limit and number of stations. Reviewing a list of interview "practice questions" is not useful because the MMI format differs from the traditional interview and the scenarios change annually. 

Matriculation Invitation

After the interview day, a select number of applicants will be invited to join the GW PA program. Applicants who have not been chosen initially may be placed on the waiting list or rejected.  Once notified, applicants have 2 weeks to consider the offer of admission. A non-refundable tuition deposit of $1000 is required to confirm a seat. Out of courtesy for fellow applicants, it would be useful to notify the GW PA program as soon as possible, if you do not plan to attend the program. This will ensure we are able to extend the invitation to other candidates who have been placed on the waiting list.  

Once the deposit has secured a slot, we recommend you review the Matriculating Student Checklist in the Student Resources section.