Academic Catalog

College of Health Professions - Graduate Admission Requirements

Admission requirements varies by program. See the programs below for the exact admission requirements. 

Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) Program

Prospective students should complete an application through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA1). Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and ranked according to the number of admission points awarded during the selection screening process. A campus visit and interview with the MPAS Admission Committee will be offered to selected applicants.

Determining conditional acceptance is the role of the Chamberlain MPAS Admission Committee. The Committee reviews all CASPA verified applicants based on educational experience, CGPA, GRE scores, healthcare experience and letter writers’ assessments of the applicant's ability to be a future physician assistant. Applicants may submit materials for consideration by the Admission Committee that are above or below the thresholds. Students whose CGPA for the bachelor's degree is between 2.75 and 2.99 may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Additional factors important to student success in a physician assistant program may also be considered by the Admission Committee such as an applicant's most recent educational experience. Acceptance is not guaranteed.

Minimum criteria for admission to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program are as follows:

  • A degree in any major at the bachelor’s level from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education.2
  • A minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the bachelor’s degree or higher as listed on the transcript from the degree conferring school.
  • Prerequisite science courses completed within the previous 10 years (see prerequisite requirements section).
  • Completion of prerequisite courses with a grade of C or better (see "Prerequisite Requirements" below) and a minimum CASPA-calculated Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 for science courses at the time of CASPA verification.
  • Submission of scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken within the last 10 years.
  • Three recommendation letters including one from a professor and one from an employer, preferably a healthcare experience supervisor.
  • Completion of an on-campus interview with the MPAS degree program Admission Committee. Interviews are by invitation only, and completion of an interview does not guarantee admission.
  • Cleared background and fingerprint checks within 120 days before the first session of enrollment start date.
1

CASPA website: https://caspa.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login. 

2

Chamberlain reserves the right to admit candidates with equivalent educational qualifications from accreditors that are not recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education, as determined by an independent transcript evaluation.

Admission preference consideration will be given to applicants who meet the following criteria:

  • A minimum of 300 hours of clinical healthcare experience (direct-patient-care experience that includes hands-on contact with patients in a medical setting, such as but not limited to certified nursing assistant, emergency medical technician, medical assistant, military medic, paramedic, registered nurse or respiratory therapist); while there is no requirement for healthcare experience, it is strongly recommended
  • Physician assistant shadowing experience of at least 16 hours (shadowing a physician or nurse practitioner does not satisfy this criterion)
  • Military or veterans
  • Chamberlain University students or alumni
  • Reside in an area designated medically underserved area

Prerequisite Requirements

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program requires several course prerequisites for admission consideration. Prerequisite courses must have been completed at an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education1.

1

Chamberlain reserves the right to admit candidates with equivalent educational qualifications from accreditors that are not recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education, as determined by an independent transcript evaluation.

All science prerequisite courses must have been completed within 10 years of the first session of enrollment start date. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of a C or better; grades of C- are not acceptable for any prerequisite courses. College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit and Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores of 4 or 5 may be accepted for prerequisite courses that do not require a lab component if testing occurred within the previous 10 years.

Prerequisite courses are:

  • Biology – choose one of the following options:
    • General biology with lab – 3 semester credits
    • Genetics with lab – 3 semester credits
    • Cell Biology with lab – 3 semester credits
    • Molecular Biology with lab – 3 semester credits
    • Immunology with lab – 3 semester credits
  • Anatomy and Physiology – choose one of the following:
    • Human Anatomy with lab – 4 semester credits and Human Physiology (lab optional) – 4 semester credits
    • Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab – 8 semester credits
  • Microbiology with lab – 3 semester credits
  • Chemistry – choose one of the following:
    • Biochemistry (lab preferred) – 3 semester credits
    • Organic Chemistry I with lab – 4 semester credits
  • Statistics or Biostatistics – 3 semester credits
  • General or Developmental Psychology – 3 semester credits

MPAS Program Conditional Acceptance

To be eligible for acceptance, all admission requirements must be satisfied. If requirements are pending receipt of official documentation, a student may be granted conditional acceptance. MPAS applicants pending degree program conferral or pending final grades at the time of application may be conditionally accepted into the program.

In addition, cleared background and fingerprint checks are required. If an applicant has not initiated a background and fingerprint check, an extension may be granted, and the student will be conditionally accepted to the program and placed on a clinical compliance hold. All conditionally accepted students must satisfactorily clear all background and fingerprint checks by the Friday of Week 3 of their first session of enrollment as a condition of matriculation into the MPAS degree program. Conditionally accepted students are not considered a regular student and enrollment will not be final until all screening categories are satisfied. Conditionally accepted students may not enroll in a clinical course.

Conditionally accepted students are not eligible for Title IV Federal Student Aid. If conditionally accepted students using third party benefits (company reimbursement, military or veteran benefits, etc.) are not accepted to the program, they will be responsible for repaying any benefits paid to them based on enrollment certifications while conditionally accepted. During the conditional period, the student is permitted to enroll in non-clinical courses without incurring program charges. If requirements that are pending receipt of official documentation are received by the first day in August and clearance of required screenings are received by Friday of Week 3, the student will be granted admission to the program, and the student may be eligible for Federal Aid, retroactive to the start of the session. If a student obtains a loan to pay for an educational program, the student will have the responsibility to repay the full amount of the loan plus interest, less the amount of any refund. If the student violates any Chamberlain academic policies, does not provide official documentation by the first day in August, or is not cleared by Friday of Week 3 of their first session of enrollment, they will be dropped from the course(s) and tuition will be reversed. Any equipment fees or charges will not be reversed.

Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree Program & Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program

  • A degree at the bachelor’s level or higher from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education1. Degrees earned from non-U.S. schools will be considered based on evaluation of transcripts by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) approved evaluating agency or Chamberlain's internal Global Transcript Evaluation Services.
  • A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale based on nine or more semester hours of graduate coursework.
1

Chamberlain reserves the right to admit candidates with equivalent educational qualifications from accreditors that are not recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education, as determined by an independent transcript evaluation.

Master of Public Health (MPH) & MPH Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Provisional Acceptance

Applicants who meet all general admission requirements to the Master of Public Health degree program and the MPH Post-Baccalaureate Certificate, but who have a CGPA for the bachelor’s degree between 2.5 to 2.99, may be granted provisional acceptance and placed on academic warning. Provisionally accepted students will need to complete an additional Professional Writing course to meet graduation requirements. See the Academic Warning sections for additional information.

Master Of Social Work (MSW) Degree Program

Prospective MSW degree program students must complete an application for admission and interview with a Chamberlain admission representative. Admission requirements differ for Advanced Standing and Traditional Options. Admission to the MSW degree program is dependent on the enrollment status of the student. All applicants are considered based on an analysis of their application. There is no GRE required for admission to the MSW degree program. Requirements for admission to Chamberlain and the MSW degree program include the following:

Master of Social Work – Traditional Option Admission Requirements

  • A degree at the bachelor’s level or higher with a minimum CGPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education. Degrees earned from non-U.S. schools will be considered based on evaluation of transcripts by a National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. (NACES) approved evaluating agency or Chamberlain's internal Global Transcript Evaluation Services. 

Master of Social Work – Advanced Standing Option Admission Requirements

Degrees earned within the past 5 years:

  • A degree in social work at the bachelor's level or higher with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education and accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Applicants with foreign transcripts must have graduated from an accredited international program in social work where the accrediting body has a memorandum of understanding with CSWE or whose degree has been evaluated and approved by the CSWE International Social Work Degree Recognition Service.

or

Degrees earned in excess of 5 years:

  • A degree in social work at the bachelor's level or higher with a minimum CGPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from an institution accredited by an organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education and accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Applicants with foreign transcripts must have graduated from an accredited international program in social work where the accrediting body has a memorandum of understanding with CSWE or whose degree has been evaluated and approved by the CSWE International Social Work Degree Recognition Service.
  • An active social work license in good standing with a state board in the U.S1.
1

Chamberlain reserves the right to admit candidates with social work licensure from countries outside the U.S. where equivalent standards can be demonstrated. These decisions are made on a case-by-case basis according to the general academic principles of integrity outlined by the Academic Standards committee in the view of the policies regulated by the Council of Social Work Education.

Master of Social Work (MSW) Provisional Acceptance

Provisional admission will be applied to applicants who meet all general admission requirements to enter the Master of Social Work degree program, but who have a CGPA for the bachelor’s degree between 2.0 to 2.49. These applicants may be granted provisional acceptance and placed on academic warning. See the Academic Warning sections for additional information. Provisional Acceptance is only available to students applying to the MSW Traditional Option.

Life Experience or Previous Work Experience

The MSW degree program does not grant or accept course credit, nor grant field practicum hours, for previous work and/or life experience.