Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics Admission Requirements:

Domestic Applicants:

Bryant University is committed to enrolling classes of students with strong credentials that show a high
promise of professional success. To be admitted to any Bryant graduate program, applicants must be (or about to become) a graduate of an accredited, four-year college or university.

Applicants must submit:

• Bryant University College of Business Graduate application.
  Applicants shall complete the online application for admission.
• Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended.
• One professional letter of recommendation. Recommenders may use the form available online or submit a written recommendation on letterhead.
• Statement of objectives (500 words maximum).
  The purpose of the statement is to explain why the applicant is applying to Bryant, the specific program, and how both will help the applicant achieve a future goal.
• A current resume.
• $80 application fee.
• Interview
  Admission interviews (optional) can be scheduled by the Department of Graduate and Professional Education Graduate Programs office or by the applicant. An admission interview may be part of the application process to aid the Admission Committee in making appropriate admission decisions.
• GMAT score submission is optional and not required for admission.

Students who are enrolled full-time are required to forward completed health forms to Health Services and to show proof of health insurance.

International Applicants:

Students from across the globe who enroll in the Bryant University graduate programs Graduate School bring valuable perspectives to the classroom. International students must secure the proper visa and enroll in the appropriate number of credits.

International Student Admission Requirements:

• Applicant must provide documentation from an academic evaluation agency which indicates that the applicant has earned a degree equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree.
• Bryant University College of Business Ggraduate application. Applications are available online or a copy of the application can be requested in writing, by phone, or by e-mail.
• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, translated into English and converted to a 4.1 scale.
• One professional letter of recommendation. Recommenders may use the available form online or submit a recommendation on letterhead.
• A current resume.
• Interview – An interview (either in person or by phone) is recommended for graduate program applicants.
• Statement of objective (500 words maximum).
• $80 application fee.
• Official TOEFL score for applicants whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not conducted in English.
• International Graduate Student Certification of Finances from international applicants seeking an I-20.

Deferred Admission

If an accepted student cannot begin classes in the semester for which he/she applied, the student may defer his/her admission until the next entry term. Requests for a deferral must be made in writing to the Department of Graduate and Professional Education Graduate Programs office and may be approved for up to one year. If an applicant matriculates into a program within a one-year period, the commitment fee is applicable toward tuition fees. The MPAC commitment fee is not applicable toward tuition fees and is non-refundable.

Re-Admit Policy

If a student withdraws from Bryant and later wishes to resume graduate work, he or she will be required to re-apply  and to the Graduate College of Business and will be responsible for the degree requirements that are in place at the time of re-admission. If the student’s file is available, the student will be required to submit a new application, statement of objectives, resume and an $80 application fee. If the file is not available, a complete application package must be submitted by the applicant. Permission to re-enroll will be granted only after a review of the student’s academic record by the Admission Committee.

• If the student’s course(s) were completed within the last three years, all courses, credits and grades previously taken will be applied to the student’s degree requirements.
• If the courses are between three and five years old, the courses will be reviewed by the appropriate department chairpersons. Those courses that are deemed to still be current by the department will be applied to the student’s transcript. Those that are not approved will be listed on the student’s transcript but not computed in the grade point average calculation.
• Courses that are older than five years old are not generally accepted toward the degree program but will appear on the student’s transcript. Neither the credits nor the grades previously earned will be calculated in the student’s grade point average.

Non-Matriculating Students

A non-matriculating student is defined as a student who is enrolled in a degree program at an institution other than Bryant University and who wishes to take one or more courses at Bryant to transfer to his/her home institution. A non-matriculating student must complete a Special Student Application form and submit a fee of $80 along with a letter from his/her dean or advisor indicating that he/she has been pre-approved to take a course(s) at Bryant. Non-matriculating students are eligible to select only from Bryant’s elective course offerings.

TUITION INFORMATION:

Master of Science in Healthcare Informatics:  $985 per credit

FEE: There is Non-refundable $250 commitment deposit

Method of Payment

Payment is due by August 9, 2023 for the fall, January 9, 2024 for the spring, the first day of class for the winter and May 9, 2024 for the summer term.  

Bryant University sends electronic bills in lieu of paper bills. When the eStatement is ready for viewing, students will receive an email notification at their Bryant University email address. The email will provide the website to gain access to their student account and eStatement.The Student Account Center offers the option to pay online with a WebCheck or credit card (AMEX, VISA, MC, Discover, Diner's Club, JCB, UnionPay, BCcard, and DinaCard), establish reoccurring payments, view current activity, view historical billing statements and much more.

Students may pay online via the Student Account Center using a credit or debit card. There will be a 2.85% service fee associated with all credit card payments, with a minimum charge of $3.00. Bryant University does not receive any portion of the service fee that is collected by TouchNet. The service fee is non-refundable even though the related payment to Bryant University may be refundable. When you choose the option on the web to pay with a credit card, you will be directed to TouchNet's secure network environment. You will be required to acknowledge the service fee charge prior to the payment being finalized.

A student also has the option to pay online with a WebCheck (ACH). There will be no fee associated with the Web Check payment option. A $40.00 fee will be assessed to the student’s account if a check or WebCheck payment is returned as uncollectable, and a $3.00 fee will be assessed for a WebCheck payment returned due to incorrectly entered account information.

Students also have the option to mail their payment. All checks and money orders should be made payable to Bryant University; envelopes should be addressed to:

Bryant University
Bursar's Office
1150 Douglas Pike
Smithfield, RI 02917-1284

Reimbursement of Graduate Tuition by Third Party

A graduate student enrolling in a course(s) must submit a written letter of authorization from the employer or scholarship foundation (third-party authorization) to the Bursar's Office prior to each registration period if that party plans to pay the tuition directly to Bryant University.

If the employer reimburses the student directly, the student must pay for his/her course by the term due dates. 

In addition, if the third party does not pay the tuition (e.g., when a student does not earn the required grade), the student is responsible for the tuition for that term. 

Late Payment Penalty

A late fee of $150 will be assessed to the student's account with an outstanding balance of $1,500 or more if payment is not made by the term due dates. A registration and transcript hold will also be placed on the account and students will not be allowed to register for the following term until their balance is resolved.

Further, in the event that a student does not pay his/her tuition fees and the University finds it necessary to send the unpaid fees to a collection agency for collection, the student will be responsible to pay any reasonable collection fees and/or legal fees associated with said collection of the amount owed to Bryant University.
 

Course Withdrawals and Refunds

When a student decides to drop or withdraw from one or more courses, there can be clear financial and academic implications to such a decision. Therefore, it is imperative that a student understands and carefully complies with the policies and procedures that follow.

Dropping a Course

A student may drop a course during the Add/Drop period, as posted on the University calendar, and thus the course will not appear on the student’s transcript.

Withdrawing from a Course

A student may withdraw from a course after the Add/Drop period and up until the end of regularly scheduled classes, as designated by the university calendar, by making a written request to the Office of the Registrar.

When appropriate, it is advisable that prior to withdrawal a student confer with the professor of the course to confirm the soundness of the decision to withdraw; however, such a conference is not mandatory. Professors will be notified of a student’s decision to withdraw when the Course Withdrawal Notice has been received.

Tuition Refunds

The complete refund schedule (for on campus programs) is as follows according to the date that written notice is received:

Fees

item	cost
Regular Term (Fall/Spring):
Refund Policy
Week/Day	Percentage
First Week:	80%
Second Week:	60%
Third Week:	40%
Fourth Week:	20%
After fourth week:	No refund

All tuition refunds and requests to drop a course or withdraw from a course must be made in writing and submitted to the Office of the Registrar. The amount of tuition reimbursement is based on the date written notice is received, not when the class was last attended. Telephone calls do not constitute notice. Students can provide documentation by fax (401) 232-6065 or by e-mail to registrar@bryant.edu. Students are encouraged to confirm that the Office of the Registrar received the notification by calling (401) 232-6080.

Given the selective basis by which students are admitted to Bryant’s various graduate programs, it is essential to understand that when a student accepts an enrollment in one of Bryant’s programs, another applicant who otherwise may have been accepted, has potentially been denied a “seat” in the program. Hence, the rationale of Bryant’s formal refund policy is based on costs that are incurred by the institution despite an individual student’s decision, for whatever reason, to withdraw. Thus, when and how a student acts on a decision to withdraw from a course may have substantial financial implications as well as academic ones.

Withdrawal from the University

Students retain the right to withdraw from their program of study in which they are enrolled, and thus the university, based on the personal preferences and necessities of the individual. When a student makes a decision to formally withdraw from graduate study at Bryant, a student must submit a University Withdrawal online form to the Office of the Registrar. Such notice serves to notify the University of a student’s intent not to register for future courses.

At such a time in the future as a student desires to resume graduate coursework at Bryant, a re-application and formal admission process is required; thus, it is recommended that a student apply for a leave of absence from graduate studies when in doubt as to the certainty of continued graduate studies at Bryant.

Physician Assistant Program Class of 2026 Requirements:

CASPA

The Bryant University Physician Assistant Program participates in the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).  Students applying to the Bryant PA Program must follow the application instructions on the CASPA Website www.caspaonline.org.

Supplemental Application

The Bryant University PA Program requires a supplemental application in addition to the CASPA application. The supplemental questions can be found within the CASPA portal. In addition to completing the application students will need to submit a supplemental application fee of $50 online.

Admissions Requirements

CASPA applications must be verified by October 1, 2023, for consideration in the class entering January 2024.

• Applicants must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution by October 1, 2023.
• All coursework must be completed prior to October 1, 2023.
• Applicants must have maintained an overall undergraduate minimum 3.0 GPA.
• Applicant must have maintained a prerequisite GPA of 3.0
• Preference if given to applicants with a BCP GPA of 3.0 or greater.

Applicants have the option to complete the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

• No minimum is required on the GRE, but performance will be used to determine eligibility and competitiveness.
• Testing must have been from within the last 5 years.

The applicant must document at least 2,000 hours of direct patient care experience.

• Documentation must be submitted on the supplemental application.
• Direct patient care involves the actual one-on-one care of a patient.
• Patient care experience of 2,000 hours must be complete and verified by October 1, 2023
• The following is a partial list of examples of areas of direct healthcare.
  • Military medics, corpsmen, health services technicians, and medical technicians
  • Nurses
  • Emergency Medical Technician and Paramedics
  • Emergency room technicians
  • Medical Scribes
  • Physical and Occupational Therapists
  • Respiratory Therapists
  • Medical Assistant

The applicant must complete the following minimum prerequisite classes*:

Course List

Biology with lab		8
Chemistry with lab		8
Human Anatomy & Physiology (maybe taken separately)		8
Microbiology		3
Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry with Lab		3/4
Psychology		3
Statistics		3

*

Note: summary, AP and survey courses are not permitted. All courses must have letter grades; Pass/Fail courses are not accepted.

**

 Students applying under the academic provisions as outlined in the Bryant University and Western New England University should make the appropriate annotation in the Supplemental Application area for consideration in accordance with the agreement.

Background Investigation

All successfully admitted students must undergo a criminal background investigation.  The PA Program will provide the accepted student access to the necessary criminal background investigation process.  A felony conviction may prevent the student from completing clinical rotations at our affiliated healthcare organizations; therefore, may prevent admission to the PA Program.  Some additional non-felony convictions may prevent students from gaining certification, licensure or credentialing as a healthcare provider.  In the event of such a conviction, the Program will contact the applicant to discuss the matter prior to matriculation.  Neither the program, nor its personnel are responsible for ensuring that an applicant will be eligible for NCCPA certification, state licensure or credentialing at any healthcare facility.  Applicants with a criminal history should investigate the laws, regulations, and statutes applicable to the state and facility in which they intend to practice.

Screening for drugs of abuse

Students may be required to submit to a drug screen at any time during the program.  Our affiliated Healthcare Facilities require negative drug screening prior to starting clinical rotations. 

A positive drug screen for any substance not legally prescribed to the student will result in dismissal from the PA Program.  Students who refuse to submit a drug screen will likewise be dismissed.  Students who screen positive for drug use during clinical rotations may be subject to criminal action as required by the state or institution.

Technical Standards

Matriculated Students must meet all technical standards required for program completion with or without reasonable accommodations for documented disability.

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree is a broad degree attesting to general knowledge in all fields of medicine and the basic skills required for PA practice. Essential characteristics and abilities required for completion of the MPAS degree consist of certain minimum physical and cognitive abilities, and sufficient mental stability to provide reasonable assurance that candidates can complete the entire course of study and participate fully in all aspects of medical training. Bryant University expects its graduates to become fully competent Physician Assistants and will provide reasonable accommodation to prepare its students to reach this goal.

The program has an ethical responsibility for the safety of patients with whom the candidates will encounter both before and after completion of the MPAS degree. Patient safety is a major factor in establishing program core technical standards required for admission to the program, promotion within the program and graduation.

All Bryant PA students must possess those intellectual, ethical, physical, and emotional capabilities necessary to undertake and achieve levels of competence in the full curriculum required by the faculty. All students must meet technical standards in order to graduate from the program and ultimately enter into clinical practice. Inability to meet these technical standards is grounds for dismissal.

The technical standards are housed within broader categories as listed below. Detailed descriptions of the technical standards follow.

1.  Observation
2.  Participation
3.  Communication
4.  Motor Skills
5.  Intellectual-Conceptual, Integrative & Quantitative Abilities
6.  Behavioral & Social Attributes

1. Observation

The student must be able to observe demonstrations and experiments in the basic sciences, including but not limited to physiologic and pharmacologic demonstrations, microscopic studies of microorganisms and tissues in normal and pathologic states. Students must be able to observe all classroom demonstrations of clinical skills. Students must also be able to inspect or observe a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand. Students should have the ability to visualize written documents, images, telemetry monitors, EKGs and interpret diagnostic studies. Students should be sufficiently capable of using observations to draw appropriate conclusions about patient care. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision. It is enhanced by the functional use of the sense of smell.

2. Participation

The student must participate in all components of the program to include, but not limited to, classroom activities, lab sessions, peer-to-peer clinical skills practice and clinical rotations.

3. Communication

Students should be able to speak to, listen to and observe non-verbal communication in patients in order to elicit accurate information. Communication includes speech, reading and writing. The student must be able to communicate respectfully, professionally, sensitively and efficiently in oral and written form with the patient, the patient’s family, and all members of the healthcare team.

Students must be able to communicate respectfully and professionally with peers, instructors and mentors in both oral and written formats at all times.

4. Motor Skills

Students should have sufficient motor function, skill and dexterity to carry out basic laboratory experiments and anatomical dissections. Students must be able to use clinical examination skills to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation, percussion, and other diagnostic maneuvers. Students should have the motor skills to accurately perform all elements of the physical examination and use instruments and tools appropriately to gather clinical information. Motor skills include the ability to obtain laboratory, radiologic and other diagnostic testing, as well as perform diagnostic procedures. Students should possess sufficient motor skills to be able to provide general and emergency care to patients as well as surgical care. Motor skills must be accurate and able to be performed safely. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscle movements, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

5. Intellectual-conceptual, Integrative & Quantitative Abilities

Physician Assistant students must possess intellectual ability that includes visual-spatial understanding, measuring, calculating, reasoning, analysis and synthesis. Each of these skills is required for critical thinking and problem solving. Students must combine these skills with evidence-based medicine and sound judgment to patient care to formulate a reasonable diagnosis and treatment plan.

6. Behavioral & Social Attributes

Students should have the physical and emotional well-being required for full application of their intellectual abilities, exercise of sound judgment, prompt completion of all responsibilities relative to patient care, and fostering of mature, sensitive and effective relationships with patients and all members of the healthcare team. Students must display compassion, integrity, altruism in the face of patient care. Students should be flexible, adaptable and able to learn in a multitude of environments.

Professionalism and respect are inherent to core qualities of a physician assistant. All students must treat faculty, staff, peers, preceptors, colleagues, and patients and their families with utmost respect and 

Americans with Disabilities Act

Bryant University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The ADA prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of that individual's disability.  Not only does Bryant comply with the ADA, but Bryant also considers this compliance to be a reaffirmation of the University's long-standing nondiscrimination policy.  To this end, Bryant bases all of its admissions decisions on an applicant’s qualifications to perform the essential functions of the physician assistant student role, with or without reasonable accommodations that do not impose an undue hardship on the University.

Bryant University does not discriminate unlawfully against the disabled and is in full compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

Inquiries/complaints with regard to disabled student issues should be addressed to the Director of Health Services, Bryant University, Smithfield, RI 02917 (401-232-6220), who has been designated by Bryant University to coordinate the institution’s efforts to comply with the regulations implementing Section 504.

Persons may also contact the Director, US Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, Region One, Boston, MA 02109, regarding the University’s compliance with regulations.

Attend an on-site interview

Applicants who are deemed as likely successful candidates by the PA Program Admissions Committee will be invited to Bryant University for a one day interview and campus tour.  This is the ideal chance for potential students to not only impress upon the faculty their strong interest in becoming a physician assistant, but also why they are a good fit for the Bryant University PA Program.  Students should thoroughly prepare for this interview.

The Selection Process and Program Preference

The Bryant University Physician Assistant Program developed its Mission and Goals to reflect our commitment to help decrease health care disparities and increase access to health care for currently underserved populations.  Our strategy to accomplish this goal is to support the admission and enrollment of future clinicians who have demonstrated a similar commitment to these philosophies. While the Program does not extend preference to any particular individual or group, application materials are scored during the file review and interview process using a scoring system that awards points to any applicant demonstrating evidence of a commitment to the philosophies embodied by the Program’s Mission and Goals. 

Applicants are screened and competitively ranked based on GPA, CASPA narrative, patient care experience, letters of reference and GRE scores. Preference for interview is for those applicants who have higher GPA scores, greater number of patient care hours, strong letters of recommendation, well-written narratives, and experiences that goals that embody the Bryant PA Program mission. 

International Applicants

For applicants who have earned degrees outside of the United States, in addition to the general application requirements, the following prerequisites must be completed prior to applying:

• TOEFL score within the previous 2 years of at least 100 (internet-based) to demonstrate proficiency in English
• A certified degree and course-by-course evaluation of foreign transcripts to ascertain equivalences to United States educational standards. www.wes.org

Deferred Admission

The Bryant University PA Program does not offer deferred admission. 

Transfer Policy to the Bryant University PA Program

The Bryant University PA Program does not accept student requests to transfer from other PA programs.

Withdrawal

Students retain the right to withdraw from their program of study in which they are enrolled, and thus the University, based on the personal preferences and necessities of the individual. When a student makes a decision to formally withdraw from graduate study at Bryant, a student must submit a University Withdrawal form to the Registrar’s Office. This action serves to notify the University of a student’s intention not to register for future courses. The student should also notify the Program Director in writing of their intent to withdraw from the program.   At such a time in the future as a student desires to resume graduate coursework at Bryant, a re-application and formal admission process is required.

Re-admit Policy

If a student withdraws from the Bryant University PA Program and later wishes to resume coursework, he or she will be required to re- apply to the PA Program via CASPA and will be responsible for the degree requirements that are in place at the time of re-application.

• Any previously completed coursework from the Bryant University PA Program must be repeated upon re-admission

Course Waivers

Transfer credits may not be applied towards Physician Assistant Program coursework and the Program does not award advanced standing/placement based on prior coursework.