Applicants are required to meet the following admission and prerequisite requirements:
Admission Requirements
- BA or BS degree in a science or health-related discipline from an accredited university/college.
- Cumulative GPA 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
- Science GPA 3.0
- Shadowing experiences are recommended
Prerequisite Requirements
The prerequisites for the Cardiovascular Perfusion Science Program include seven (7) physical science and math courses completed within 7 years of the application. An additional course in medical terminology is required if the applicant does not have a healthcare background. These courses may be at an undergraduate or graduate level. Some community colleges/universities offer a level of course that will not be appropriate for this program. Approval may be requested for a course an applicant is considering taking or for a course the applicant has completed. Refer to the process for Requesting a Prerequisite Course Evaluation in the Nursing Catalog.
Students may submit an application for admission with the courses in progress, but all prerequisite courses must be complete with a grade of B- or higher by orientation into the program. A mark of pass-fail is not an option for Prerequisite courses. All official transcripts must be submitted before classes begin. Students who do not have verification of course completion and an official transcript on file by orientation will be unenrolled from the program. The student may be required to reapply at a future date.
Physical Sciences
- General Biology with lab
- Anatomy & Physiology I & II with labs (8 semester hours minimum)
- Chemistry 2 courses – Organic and Inorganic with lab (8 semester hours minimum)
- Microbiology with lab (4 semester hours)
- Physics with lab
Math
- Introductory Statistics (3 semester hours)
- College mathematics course – College Algebra, Calculus
Medical terminology*
*Students may request an exemption for this course if they have a degree in a healthcare field or have clinical practice experience. This course may be taken at a community college.
Preferred Candidates
Preferred candidates have at least one (1) year of full-time experience as a: nurse/critical care nurse ICU, CCU, ED, OR; physician assistants; respiratory therapist; ECMO technologist; cardiac rehabilitation physiologist; cardiac diagnostic laboratory technologist; or perfusion assistant.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis once a completed application packet is submitted. Applicants who meet the minimum admissions criteria may be invited for an interview. The interview team may include the program director, clinical coordinator, medical advisor and/or faculty from the School of Medicine, perfusionists, and others. The admission decision will be based on the interview and the student completing all prerequisite courses and program requirements.
Admission into the Cardiovascular Perfusion Science Program is granted on a competitive basis and students meeting minimum requirements may be denied admission based on such factors as program capacity or academic discretion. Students may be considered for admission as an exception if stated admissions criteria are not met.