Current-cycle decision support
Turn confirmed information into a first practice
Why the physician assistant profession?
Practise explaining why the PA role fits your experiences and goals. Review whether you distinguish the profession clearly, use specific evidence, and connect your motivation to patient care; then record again with a sharper answer.
Quick facts
- Degree: Master of Science in Physician Assistant
- Format: 27 months in person; 15-month didactic phase and 12-month clinical phase
- Location: Radford University Carilion in Roanoke, Virginia
- Cohort: 42 students, usually selected from roughly 900–1,800 applicants
- Admissions: rolling CASPA review, in-person interviews, annual fall start
- Accreditation: ARC-PA Accreditation-Continued; ARC-PA lists the next review for March 2033
- Cycle precision: the current admissions page gives an annual November 1 deadline but does not name the entry year
Radford program · Radford FAQ · ARC-PA history
Admission requirements
Applicants apply through CASPA and need a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and at least three references. Radford prefers references spanning an instructor, a clinical setting and a clinician, with at least one person who knows the applicant professionally. The GRE is not required.
Successful candidates must complete 1,000 hours of healthcare experience before enrollment. The work should involve direct patient or client contact and may be paid, volunteer or completed as a student. Shadowing does not count as patient care.
Prerequisites require a C or higher and include anatomy and physiology with labs, two general chemistry courses with labs, microbiology with lab, biochemistry, genetics or immunology, introductory psychology, statistics and transcripted medical terminology. At least 12 prerequisite credits must be within the previous five years. Pass/fail prerequisites are not accepted; unfinished courses must be complete before matriculation. Official admission requirements
Important dates
CASPA begins accepting applications each spring. Radford publishes an annual November 1 submission deadline and reviews verified applications on a rolling basis, encouraging early completion because verification normally takes several weeks. Interviews begin in September.
Interviewed candidates normally receive an Accept, Waitlist or Deny decision within two weeks, often in less than one week. Accepted applicants generally have two weeks to pay a $500 deposit, with shorter deadlines possible near matriculation. The program begins in mid-August, but the current admissions and FAQ pages do not label these dates with a specific entry year. Confirm the target fall in CASPA before relying on them. Radford admissions · Radford FAQ
How selection works
Radford reviews applications holistically as they are verified. The committee considers overall and science GPA, prerequisite preparation, references, writing, healthcare experience, understanding of the PA role, communication, problem-solving, patient interaction, healthcare-system knowledge, leadership and teamwork. Strong applicants exceed the 3.0 minimum, but meeting the minimum does not secure an interview.
About 160 qualified applicants are invited to interview in person at Radford University Carilion. The interview includes individual and group components. Interviewed applicants receive an Accept, Waitlist or Deny result, usually within two weeks. Radford does not publish a scoring rubric, quantitative weights or the final ordering rule. Official admission requirements · Official FAQ
Interview details
Confirmed
Interviews take place in person at Radford University Carilion in Roanoke. The session includes a program overview from PA faculty, a student-led facilities tour, an individual interview with PA faculty, college faculty, alumni or admissions staff, a group interview with other candidates and time to ask questions. Radford looks for self-direction, maturity, stress tolerance, knowledge of healthcare and the PA role, confidence without arrogance, care for others, teamwork and reliable follow-through. Official FAQ
Not published
Radford does not publish exact interview dates, total session length, individual or group question count, file-access policy, scoring weights, interviewer assignment or whether candidates complete any written test. Do not assume an MMI or closed-file format.
Who this program may suit
Radford may suit applicants who want a 42-student, in-person cohort and have a clear record of direct healthcare involvement. Its mission emphasizes ethical, competent and compassionate practice within interprofessional teams, while its selection process looks for maturity, problem-solving, patient insight, leadership and the ability to share responsibility.
Applicants should be ready for a 27-month full-time curriculum in Roanoke and should verify that their healthcare role satisfies the program’s patient/client-contact expectation. The individual-plus-group interview makes both personal motivation and observable collaboration important. Radford program overview · Radford FAQ
Practice and next step
Record: Answer the featured “Why the physician assistant profession?” prompt aloud. Use one healthcare experience to show what you learned about the PA role, why the profession fits your strengths and how you would contribute to a care team.
Review: Check whether the example is specific, your knowledge of the PA role is accurate and your answer shows maturity without sounding rehearsed. Mark one weakness in evidence, structure or delivery.
Second attempt: Record the answer again with one deliberate adjustment, then compare both versions. Continue with the Physician Assistant Interview Essentials path to practise teamwork, ethical judgment, patient communication and group-interview readiness.
Frequently asked questions
What is Radford’s application deadline?
The current page publishes an annual November 1 CASPA deadline and rolling review. It does not label that deadline with a specific entry year, so confirm the target fall in CASPA. Official requirements
Does Radford require the GRE?
No. The GRE is not required. Official requirements
How much healthcare experience is required?
Radford requires 1,000 hours before enrollment. The work should involve patient or client contact; shadowing does not count as direct patient care. Official FAQ
What happens during the interview?
The in-person session includes a program overview, facilities tour, individual interview, group interview and candidate questions. Official FAQ
How quickly are interview decisions made?
Radford says interviewed applicants normally receive a decision within two weeks, often in less than one week. Official FAQ
Sources
- Radford PA Admission Requirements — rolling review, CASPA deadline, references, degree, GPA, healthcare hours, GRE and prerequisites; reviewed 2026-08-22.
- Radford PA FAQ — application timing, selection factors, interview components, decisions, deposit and cohort size; reviewed 2026-08-22.
- Radford Physician Assistant Program — degree, location, format, mission and program structure; reviewed 2026-08-22.
- ARC-PA Radford University Accreditation History — continued status, first accreditation, class-size maximum and next review; reviewed 2026-08-22.
Recommended preparation
Physician Assistant Interview Essentials
Build a credible PA interview foundation through four focused spoken responses: profession-specific motivation, interprofessional teamwork, fair clinical decision-making, and reflective use of feedback.
Page history
- Published