The Office Of Admissions Works With And Processes First-Year Applicants Who Have Qualified To Be Considered
For The Early Assurance Pathway To The SU Graduate Health Professions.
Please contact your Admissions Counselor or the Office of Admissions with any questions you may have about pathways to our graduate health professions. We look forward to working with you!
The Early Assurance (EA) Pathway is available to incoming first-year applicants who meet rigorous high school GPA and exam score requirements, and is highly competitive. This pathway guarantees an admission interview with a Shenandoah graduate program as long as criteria are maintained during the undergraduate years. The graduate schools reserve placements within their programs for all EA students passing their graduate school interview. Some graduate programs offer an EA pathway that accelerates a student’s transition into the graduate program by overlapping the first year of graduate school with the fourth year of undergraduate study.
This Pathway is Available to Incoming First-Year Applicants Only.
Students who do not qualify for consideration for the Early Assurance Pathway are welcome to pursue to the Articulation Agreement Pathway or the Traditional Pathway to the graduate health professions.
Transfer students are eligible for the Articulated Pathway and Traditional Pathway.
Process for Consideration for the Early Assurance Pathway
- An incoming first-year applicant submits the first-year application for admission to Shenandoah.
- The Office of Admissions reviews the applicant’s eligibility for the EA Pathway based on GPA, and course grades for each program described below.
- Student academically eligible for the EA Pathway consideration will be emailed information and deadlines regarding submission of additional required supplemental materials including:
- Required observation hours
- Campus visit for an in-person interview with the graduate program on select dates
- All information regarding EA consideration will be provided via the student’s email address listed in the application.
After successful submission and completion of all required supplemental materials, and graduate faculty consideration, applicants may be offered a reserved seat — the Early Assurance Pathway — in the graduate program.
Early Assurance Pathway Programs at Shenandoah
- 3+2 Early Assurance for the Master of Science in Athletic Training Program (EA-MSAT)
- 3+3 Early Assurance for the Occupational Therapy Doctorate Program (EA-OTD)
- 3+2.5 Early Assurance for the Master of Science in Occupational Therapy Program (EA-MSOT)
- 2+4 Early Assurance for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program (EA-PharmD)
- 3+4 Early Assurance for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program (EA-PharmD)
- 3+3 Early Assurance for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (EA-DPT)
- 4+2.5 Early Assurance for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program (EA-MSPAS)
- 3+2 Early Assurance for the Master of Public Health Program (EA-MPH)
Application & Material Submission Deadlines For Early Assurance
Pathway Consideration
If a student qualifies to be considered for the Early Assurance Pathway, they will be notified via email how to register for the required interview and how to submit the required supplemental documentation.
Students are strongly encouraged to apply and submit their application materials prior to completing any supplemental requirements.
The Final Firm Deadline for ALL Early Assurance application materials is January 20, 2023.
Application materials DEADLINE: *Interview Registration & Supplemental Materials |
Accompanying On-Campus or |
Monday, October 31, 2022 | Friday, November 11, 2022 |
Monday, November 21, 2022 | Friday, December 2, 2022 |
Monday, December 19, 2022 | Friday, January 6, 2023 (virtual only) |
Monday, January 16, 2023 | Friday, January 27, 2023 |
Monday, February 6, 2023 | Friday, February 17, 2023 |
Benefits Of This Pathway
Students offered the Early Assurance Pathway are guaranteed a graduate admission interview with their graduate program, as long as required criteria for the program have been maintained during their undergraduate years of study at Shenandoah.
Undergraduate Academic Criteria
The criteria each student must maintain during their undergraduate years of study for each EA Pathway are provided to the student in the form of an EA contract. If a student fails to maintain the criteria for their EA Pathway during their undergraduate studies and they are removed from the EA Pathway, they are eligible for the Articulation Agreement Pathway or the Traditional Pathway.