PAEA and CASPA recently announced an expansion to the fee waiver program.
A complete application includes the verfied CASPA application, Duke PA Program’s supplemental application, and official GRE score report. Remember to have your scores sent from ETS directly to CASPA at code 0422 and to follow up with CASPA to make certain the scores have been linked to your application.
CASPA will accept up to five references. Our program requires three, including at least one from a health care professional with whom the applicant has worked. Relatives and personal or family friends of the applicant should not complete evaluation forms.
Application Deadlines and Materials
Program applications may be accessed from the CASPA website between April 28 and September 1 for the class beginning August 2026.
CASPA applications for the Duke PA Program must be verified no later than September 1. We encourage applicants to apply well in advance of the submission deadline. After the verified CASPA application has been received by the Duke PA Admission Office, the candidate will be e-mailed instructions on how to complete the Duke supplemental application. This supplemental application is submitted by the candidate directly to Duke no later than midnight ET on September 15, 2025.
Applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received. To be considered for our earliest interview weeks, please submit your completed CASPA and supplemental applications and official GRE scores as soon as possible. We cannot review your application until all of the above have been received.
Applicants will only receive instructions on how to complete the Duke supplemental application after Duke has received the verified CASPA. CASPA verification time is often lengthy, upwards of 4 weeks following submission. You should expect to receive the Duke supplemental application information via e-mail AFTER the verification process is completed. The deadline for completing the Duke supplemental application is midnight ET on September 15, 2025. There is a $70.00 non-refundable supplemental application processing fee. This fee is waived for active military or veteran applicants. Your application cannot be submitted without payment (unless active military or veteran status). The Duke Physician Assistant Program will also waive the supplemental application fee for anyone who has received or was eligible for a CASPA fee waiver with proof of documentation e-mailed to us at paadmission@mc.duke.edu. *Note: Please do not request a fee waiver until you have received the Supplemental Application.
Three evaluation forms from references are required, including at least one from a health care professional with whom the applicant has worked. Recommendations may be provided from employers, supervisors, professors, or others who are able to comment on the applicant’s professional and educational goals and potential (no friends or family members). This information will be collected with the CASPA application.
E-mail notification will be sent to applicants upon receipt of the verified CASPA application, and later once the supplemental application has been processed.
Interview
Approximately 250 of the most qualified applicants will be invited for a personal interview. During the interview day, candidates can expect to participate in two individual interviews with a faculty, PA alumni, or other Duke health professional, as well as a group exercise with other applicants. From this interview group, a class of 90 will be selected.
Admissions Notifications
All candidates are notified in writing via email of the outcome of their application.
Candidates who have been interviewed are notified of the admission committee’s decision as early as 10 days following interview and no later than March 1. Candidates confirm their place in the class by submitting the $1,125 registration and deposit fee by the specified date on the acceptance letter. These fees are nonrefundable; however, $475 from this fee is deducted from the first semester’s tuition for candidates who matriculate, $475 is used for registration fees, $100 for a health screen fee, and $75 for a criminal background check prior to matriculation.
A ranked alternate list from those candidates who have been interviewed for a position in the class will be maintained. Should an accepted candidate withdraw from the program prior to the start of classes, the position is offered to the highest-ranked candidate on the alternate list.
Note: The PA program does not offer deferments. If an incoming student is unable to start with their cohort in August they will forfeit their seat and deposit and will need to reapply.
Contact
Questions regarding the admissions prerequisites and the application process may be directed to paadmission@mc.duke.edu or to the Admission Team at 919.681.3161 Option 1