CMSV 329 Graduation Requirements
Policy Name: Graduation Requirements
General Requirements
The College of Mount Saint Vincent Master of Science Physician Assistant Program will review all pertinent student academic and clinical files prior to graduation. Students within the program must fulfill all program and College of Mount Saint Vincent academic and clinical requirements, including, but not limited to, compliance with all academic integrity and disciplinary policies set forth in the program’s student and graduate handbooks, prior to being awarded a diploma, and to be eligible for the physician assistant national certifying examination.
Specific Requirements
a. Any outstanding financial balance must be reconciled with the College of Mount Saint Vincent Office of Student Accounts (Bursar). Learn more about payment responsibilities.
b. Satisfactory completion of all CMSV-required courses and courses for the Master of Science Physician Assistant Program.
c. Satisfactory completion of all courses in the professional curriculum with a minimum grade of a C- (70%) in all designated courses at the College, as well as a ‘P’ in all of the College’s pass/fail courses.
- Please note: Passing all course work with a minimum grade of C- (70%); 80% for physical diagnosis does not by itself satisfy the requirement for graduation. A student must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater. Failure to achieve this benchmark GPA of 3.00 will hinder any graduation.
d. Satisfactory completion of all clinical clerkships and clinical evaluations.
e. Satisfactory completion of all assignments.
f. Satisfactory completion of a summative written examination given at the end of the didactic year.
g. Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive physical exam and didactic OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Evaluation ) or simulation given at the end of the didactic year.
h. Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive written summative examination given at the end of the clinical year.
i. Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive clinical OSCE given in the last three (3) months of the clinical phase.
j. Satisfactory completion of a comprehensive Professional Development Assessment Tool (PDAT)—see CMSV 327 for a complete outline of PDAT requirements—administered within the last four (4) months of the clinical phase.
k. Completion of the PACKRAT-I examination at the end of the didactic phase and PACKRAT-II administered in the last four (4) months of the clinical phase.
l. Compliance with standards of conduct and guidelines for ethical conduct and professional performance standards as listed in the student handbook and outlined by the NCCPA and AAPA.
m. Candidates for degrees must declare their candidacy by filing out a graduation application with the Office of the Registrar in accordance with the following schedule:
- January degree conferral—file on or before November 1 (previous year).
- May degree conferral—file on or before October 1 (previous year).
- August degree conferral—file on or before February 1 (same year).
- Graduation applications may be obtained at the Office of the Registrar. Candidates should meet with their advisors to make sure that there is a reasonable certainty that all degree requirements will be satisfied prior to the graduation date.
- Applications received after the deadline may not be processed.