Frequently Asked Questions

A. West Liberty University is a four-year state-assisted institution.

A. Yes. – WLU residence life.

A. The estimated total cost of the program including tuition, books, fees, etc.

A. Assistance with tuition funding may be obtained through the Financial Aid Office.

A. Yes. We recommend that if you have not completed a FASFA, that you do this right away, FASFA application.  Once you complete the FASFA, please contact the Tuition Assistance Office .

A.  At this time, no grants or scholarships are provided by the program.

A. One class will be admitted each July.

A. The following are preferences and not prerequisites:

• A background in a health-related field
• Community service
• West Virginia residency
• West Liberty University graduate

A. Your chances of getting into the program are influenced by the characteristics of the applicant pool and include factors such as GPA, references, interview performance and number of applicants.

A.  Our program begins the first week of July each year.

A. The physician assistant program is a 24-month long program and consists of 12 months of didactic course work and 12 months of clinical experience.

A. For the class beginning in July, 2012, early interview sessions will begin September, 2019.

A. Students are only permitted to have 2 prerequisite courses in progress at the time of application.  All prerequisite requirements must be completed and verified before matriculation by submission of an official transcript.  Prerequisites may NOT be waived.

A. The prerequisites for applying to the program.

A.  If a student enters their undergraduate University receiving AP credit for any prerequisite courses, these will not meet the prerequisite for the PA program.  A student may meet the prerequisites by either:  taking the same number of credits of advanced classes in the subject area at the major’s level (preferred) or alternately, by retaking the prerequisite courses at the collegiate level.

A.  No.

A. No.

A. No, however, it is preferable for the “science specific” course prerequisites to have been completed within the past 10 years.

A. The applicant must have a total overall GPA of 3.0, as well as a total overall Science GPA of 3.0.  Applications received with either GPA’s falling below a 3.0 will NOT meet the GPA prerequisites and therefore, will not be reviewed by our faculty review committee.

A.   Yes, all students must take and report their scores for the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) to CASPA using our PA “PROGRAM SPECIFIC” GRE CODE.  The MCAT is not required to apply to the program.

A.  No.  We will consider on-line courses for some of the course requirements however, on-line courses will not be accepted for any “science specific”  prerequisite courses.

A. All candidates must be able to pass a background check and a drug test before being admitted to the program. Students must also pass subsequent background checks and drug tests once admitted to the program. Students must also meet the Technical Requirements.

A. Applications will be gathered through CASPA, a central applications agency for physician assistant programs.   Application procedures are found on the Admissions page.

A. There is a $25.00 application fee which should be submitted on-line or by check or money-order.

A.  It is mandatory for any applicant who would like to be considered for an invitation to participate in an EARLY interview session to have all following items into our program and complete:

1.  CAPSA application with a “verified” status
2.  WLU supplemental application with $25.00 application fee
3.  Graduate Records Examination (GRE)
4.  CASPer examination

Once again, all items must be received and completed by our program on or before the early interview deadline of August 1, 2018 in order to be considered for an early interview.

To be considered for a seat in any one of our interview sessions, it is mandatory that the following items be completed and received by our program on or before the cycle’s deadline date of October 1, 2018, otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete:

1.  CAPSA application with a “verified” status
2.  WLU supplemental application with $25.00 application fee
3.  General GRE examination
4.  CASPer examination

There will be no exceptions.   Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed by our faculty review committee.

A. Whether you are invited for an interview depends on the make-up of the applicant pool. The most qualified candidates will be invited for an interview. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview.

A.  For 2019’s cohort, interviewees will be accepted into the program on a rolling basis.  All applicants will be notified of their statuses no later than mid-June 2019.

A. Upon successful completion of the program, candidates will be awarded the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) degree.

A. Yes, WLU has a Career Services Office, Mrs. Bridgette Dawson is the Director. Services include interviewing strategies, resume preparation, networking, and job leads.