Dalhousie university

🎓 Degree Requirements

1. Undergraduate Degree

• You must have a four-year undergraduate degree from a recognized, accredited university.

• Accreditation can be verified using the World Higher Education Database (WHED).

• Your transcript must show 90–120 earned credit hours.

2. Graduate Degree (if applicable)

• Graduate degrees (e.g., Master’s) from accredited universities are accepted.

• You must still provide unofficial transcripts for:
  • Your undergraduate degree, and
  • Your graduate degree (if you have one).

3. Conditional Offers for Students Still Studying

• If you’re still completing your undergraduate or graduate studies, you may apply.

• Any offer you receive will be conditional upon completing your degree by August 31 of the application year.

• Completion includes:
  • All coursework and clinical practice,
  • Thesis defense (if applicable), and
  • Submission of the final thesis to your Faculty of Graduate Studies.

• You’re expected to apply during your final year of study.

• Deferrals (delaying admission to the next year) are rarely granted.

• If your graduate degree is not conferred by August 31, the Admissions Committee will review your case individually.

🌍 For International Degrees or Study Abroad Experience

1. International Degrees

• If your degree is from a non-Canadian university, you must submit a World Education Services (WES) course-by-course evaluation by the Section 2 deadline.

• This ensures your international education is assessed for Canadian equivalency.

2. Study Abroad or Exchange Programs

• If you completed an exchange program or took courses abroad that you want included in your most recent 60 credit hours (for GPA calculation):
  • You must provide numerical or alphabetical grades for those courses.
  • If those grades do not appear on your home university transcript, you must obtain a WES course-by-course evaluation for those exchange courses as well.

📊 GPA Requirements

1. Minimum GPA

• You must have at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (B average).

2. Calculation

• GPA is calculated using the most recent 60 credit hours of study.

• If you have a graduate degree, you may include up to 15 credit hours from it in this calculation.

• Pass/Fail grades are not included in GPA calculation.

• All prerequisite course grades (numeric or letter/alpha) must be included in the GPA calculation.

3. Competitiveness

• Based on previous admission cycles, a 3.7 GPA is considered competitive for acceptance.

📚 Prerequisite Course Requirements

1. Required Courses

• Human Anatomy

• Biochemistry

• Human Physiology

2. Level & Accreditation

• All prerequisite courses must be undergraduate-level.

• They must be completed at a recognized, accredited university (verify using the WHED).

• Courses from colleges or non-accredited post-secondary institutions will not be accepted.

3. GPA Inclusion

• All prerequisite course grades (numeric or letter/alpha) must be included in your GPA calculation.

• These grades must appear on your transcript at the time of application.

🌎 Residency Requirements

1. Maritime Applicants

Starting with the 2026 cycle (for January 2027 entry):

• 4 seats are allocated specifically for Maritime applicants:
  • 3 seats for New Brunswick
  • 1 seat for Prince Edward Island

• 20 of 24 total seats are prioritized for Nova Scotia residents.

• If these 20 seats are not filled, other Maritime applicants (NB or PEI) may be considered.

2. Outside the Maritimes

• Applicants not from the Maritime Provinces are not eligible.

• Applicants who are not permanent residents are also not eligible.

3. Further Details

• For complete details on eligibility, refer to the program’s Place of Residence page.

🧠 CASPer Requirement

1. Purpose

• CASPer evaluates non-cognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics important for success in the program and as a Physician Assistant.

• It complements other screening tools and promotes fairness and objectivity in selection.

2. Mandatory Completion

• All applicants must successfully complete CASPer to remain eligible for admission.

• CASPer scores are valid for only one application cycle.
  • Previous results cannot be reused in future cycles.

• The test must be taken during the same cycle in which you apply.

3. Test Format

• Computer-based, approximately 90 minutes in duration.

📅 CASPer Test Dates for 2026 Application Cycle

(for January 2027 entry; all times in Atlantic Daylight/Standard Time)