The LMU-Tampa PA Program seeks to recruit students whose personal goals are consistent with Lincoln Memorial University's and LMU-Tampa PA Program's mission. Students who are professional, compassionate, enjoy the study of medicine and have the desire to serve diverse medically underserved populations are an optimal fit for the LMU Tampa PA Program.
The application can be accessed through Lincoln Memorial University Online Application - Lincoln Memorial University. The deadline for applications to be submitted is August 1, 2025 for the class that will begin in January 2026.
Applicants must have earned a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited University or College prior to matriculation.
The minimum required GPA applicants is 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 2.80 science GPA or greater on a 4.0 scale at the time of application submission. Any repeated course grades (original and repeated) will be included in the GPA calculations and used accordingly during the application and evaluation process.
*Combined Anatomy and Physiology courses are acceptable provided the total credits received are a minimum of 7 credit hours and include a lab.
All prerequisite courses must be completed prior to matriculation. At the time of application, a maximum of two outstanding required prerequisites are permitted. Candidates accepted for admission with incomplete prerequisite coursework will receive provisional conditional acceptance. They must provide proof of successful completion of the outstanding prerequisite coursework before August 31st of the year prior to intended matriculation. Prerequisite course grades below “C” will not be accepted.
Prerequisite course grades of Pass (P), Satisfactory (S), or equivalent for prerequisite courses completed during the Spring and Summer 2020 semesters that were converted from a letter grade to Pass/Fail or Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory due to COVID adjustments are acceptable. Any other courses taken as Pass/Fail will not be considered as a prerequisite course fulfillment.
Due to the intense nature of the program, prerequisite courses completed more than seven (7) years from the date of application will not be accepted.
Applicants must report all (completed and planned) course information for prerequisite courses on their admissions application prior to submission.
Please note one course cannot be used to satisfy multiple prerequisites.
All courses are subject to approval by the Admissions Committee.
A minimum of 29 credit hours of coursework from the provided list is required. A maximum of two (2) remaining prerequisite courses can be in progress or planned during the application process. However, all prerequisite coursework must be successfully completed by August 31st of the year before intended matriculation.
Applicants must report course information for prerequisite courses on their application prior to submission.
Advanced Placement (AP) and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of equivalent courses are considered in the fulfillment of the Program’s course prerequisite requirements.
For applicants who have earned degrees or taken courses outside the United States, the following must be completed, in addition to the above admission requirements, prior to applying:
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with minimum scores of 550 (paper-based), 173 (computer-based), or 61 (internet-based) if the applicant’s native language is not English.
The LMU-Tampa PA Program prerequisite coursework must be completed at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States, even if these courses were previously taken in the applicant’s native country. International coursework will not be accepted for prerequisite requirements.
Student applicants who completed coursework and/or degree outside of the United States must submit a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (www.wes.org), Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org/ECE), or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. (www.jsilny.com) to the program. The agency must find that the coursework is equivalent to U.S. coursework for the applicant to be considered for admission to the LMU Tampa PA Program.
Applicants must be able to meet all of the program’s technical standards.
The Tampa program will accept applications for the 2025-2026 admission cycle through Lincoln Memorial University Online Application - Lincoln Memorial University
The applicant must include three (3) names for letters of recommendation in the application. The program will email those listed.
*The program will only evaluate the first three letters that meet criteria submitted if more than three letters are received. Letters of Recommendation from family members or friends will not be accepted.
Official transcripts must be sent to the Tampa Admissions Office at patampa@lmunet.edu via Parchment or National Student Clearinghouse (NSC).
To order transcripts through Parchment, visit Secure & Reliable End-To-End Credentials Support | Parchment
To order transcripts through the NSC, visit National Student Clearinghouse Transcript Services
Hours must be direct patient care hours, such as obtaining manual vital signs, collecting detailed patient histories, assisting with minor procedures or treatments, administering medications, etc. It is recommended that applicants obtain direct patient care hours in different medical settings, e.g., hospice, assisted living facility, hospital, underserved areas/countries, etc.
To obtain strong direct patient care experience, students are encouraged to obtain certification credentials, e.g., paramedic, certified nursing assistant, phlebotomist, medical assistant, radiologic technologist, EKG tech, EMT (I or Basic), LPN, dental hygienist, or clinical laboratorians/scientists (the applicant MUST be performing phlebotomy, assisting with bone marrow aspirations/biopsy and must have direct patient interaction, not just with their specimens), and behavioral health technician.
All required direct patient care hours must be completed by the application deadline.
Applicants must have no history of drug abuse or conviction of a felony and must be able to pass a background check and drug test. Background checks and drug tests must be performed prior to admission to the LMU PA Program, and prior to the start of the clinical phase of the program.
Applicants must have no history of dismissal from another Physician Assistant (Associate) program for academic or disciplinary reasons.
The following four (4) items must be received by the LMU Tampa Admissions Office before an application is reviewed:
The LMU-Tampa PA Program follows a rolling admissions cycle. Applications are reviewed as soon as they are received by the Program and will continue to be reviewed until all available seats in the upcoming cohort are filled. Complete applications, official transcripts, three (3) letters of recommendation that meet criteria, and documentation of at least 500 hours of paid direct patient care experience must be submitted before applicants are reviewed and considered for an interview. Applicants with stronger academic profiles and those who have backgrounds demonstrating that they will be most successful in fulfilling the program’s mission are more likely to be selected for an interview. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by email to schedule the interview. The Admissions Committee meets after applicant interview sessions and makes one of three decisions: (1) offer admission, (2) place the applicant on the waitlist, or (3) decline the offer of admission. Applicants are notified of the Admission Committee’s decision in writing as soon as possible (usually within 4-6 weeks) following their interview.
Applications are reviewed based on several factors, including undergraduate cumulative and prerequisite course GPAs, length and quality of paid direct patient care experience, personal statements, letters of recommendation, and extracurricular activities. Additional consideration is given to applicants who meet the following criteria:
Using criteria developed by the LMU-Tampa PA Program Admissions Team, qualified applicants will be invited for an in-person interview. Due to a limited number of interview slots, not all qualified applicants will be invited for an interview. Final admissions decisions will be based on information within each interviewee's application and the result of candidate interviews. An interview with the program does not guarantee acceptance to matriculate into the program.
Upon receipt of the verified applications, the program will conduct an initial application review to ensure minimum requirements have been met. After which, members of the LMU-Tampa PA Program Admissions Team will complete a full application review. Using criteria developed by the LMU Tampa PA Program Admissions Team, qualified applicants will be invited to interview. Invitations to interview will be given to those who best meet the admission requirements and align with the program’s mission. Please note that not all qualified applicants will be invited for an interview. The program will communicate admissions decisions, including interview invitations, via e-mail once the review process is complete. Final admissions decisions will be based on information within the admissions application and the result of candidate interviews. It should be noted that the application process is very competitive and that completion of all requirements does not guarantee an interview for or acceptance to the program.
We welcome applications regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, or age. Our commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Your education is one of the most important investments you will ever make. The University's financial aid office's goal is to provide a comprehensive system of financial services and help the student become informed borrower and student.
For more information about financial services, visit Graduate & Professional Student Financial Services (lmunet.edu)
Visit Current & Prospective Students: Tampa, FL (lmunet.edu) for a quick view of the estimated program fees, University's refund policy, and health insurance requirements.
Due to the nature of the program and its curriculum, the LMU Tampa PA Program will not accept transfers from other PA programs, nor will advanced placement be considered in the program. Prerequisite courses will NOT be considered substitutes for any content within the LMU Tampa PA Program.
Deanne Wright, Director of Admissions & Recruiting, SMS
Phone: 800.325.0900 (ext. 6248) Toll Free
Phone: 423.869.6248 (Direct)
Fax: 423.869.7425 (Fax)
Email: patampa@lmunet.edu
Campus Address: 636 Grand Regency Blvd. | Brandon, FL 33510
The Lincoln Memorial University Tampa PA Program has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The Lincoln Memorial University Tampa PA Program anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2026, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the September 2025 ARC-PA meeting.
* Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation – Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. Accreditation-provisional remains in effect until the program achieves accreditation-continued after its third review, closes or withdraws from the accreditation process, or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.
In the event the Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) Physician Assistant Program – Tampa is not granted Accreditation-Provisional status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), the Program will not commence and will not matriculate a student cohort in January 2026 as planned. If the Program is not granted Accreditation-Provisional status, applicants will be notified in writing and receive a full refund for any tuition and fees paid to the Program within 30 days of the Program receiving notification of the ARC-PA decision. Fees paid by applicants to the program will be reimbursed. Other expenses associated with the admissions process, such as interview travel, are not included in the LMU refund policy.
