Early Acceptance Programs (EAP)
Prior to applying for these Early Acceptance Programs, students must be admitted to South Alabama.
College of Medicine Early Acceptance Program (CoM EAP)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Monday, Dec 1, 2025 at 5pm
The CoM EAP is jointly offered by the University’s Honors College and the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine. The CoM EAP offers a small number of qualified high school seniors a conditional acceptance to the University of South Alabama Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine contingent upon satisfactory completion of the Undergraduate program.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
- Be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident
- Be a High School Senior
- Admitted to the University of South Alabama as an Undergraduate student
- Complete the hybrid CoM EAP/Honors College Application
Alabama Residents: 27 ACT composite (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests), or 1260 SAT (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table) score and a 3.5 GPA as computed by USA Admissions
Out of State Residents: 30 ACT composite (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests), or 1360 SAT score (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table) and a 3.5 GPA as computed by USA Admissions
Preference is given to Alabama residents and students residing in the service areas of Mississippi (George, Greene, Harrison, Jackson, Perry and Stone counties) and Florida (Escambia and Santa Rosa counties). Highly competitive applicants from outside these areas may be considered under special circumstances.
Quick Steps for the CoM EAP Application Process:
- Send your most up to date high school transcript and ACT/SAT test scores to the USA Admissions Office
- Submit an application and be admitted as an undergraduate student to the University of South Alabama
- Meet the minimum requirements to apply for the CoM EAP
- Complete and submit your hybrid CoM EAP/Honors College application
Students are encouraged to submit their undergraduate application by Monday, November 17, 2025 to allow enough time for a decision and to complete and submit their CoM EAP/Honors College Application.
Please do not submit a separate Honors College application, as students who are not considered for the CoM EAP can still be considered for the USA Honors College.
Selection Process:
Applications will be reviewed by the CoM Early Assurance Subcommittee and students will typically be notified of their status from late January to early February. Students who are selected for an interview are encouraged to attend our on campus interview day in February. Applicants will be simultaneously interviewed for acceptance into the USA Honors College, a requirement for matriculation in the CoM EAP.
The most highly ranked of those interviewed will be invited to participate in the program.
The Program:
Students in the CoM EAP must enroll at USA, attend on a full-time basis, and commit to the completion of their baccalaureate degree and medical school prerequisites at USA. They also must enroll in and meet all graduation requirements for the University of South Alabama Honors College before starting medical school.
Students in the CoM EAP must simultaneously enter the Pre-Health Program at USA in which their curriculum includes the core requirements for the selected baccalaureate program and prerequisites for medical school. All BCPM (Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics) prerequisite courses are strongly encouraged to be taken in person at USA unless taken through AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment in high school or otherwise approved in advance by the Pre-Health Advisor.
Students in the CoM EAP must maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, with a minimum grade point average of 3.5 in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics). Students are required to take the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) and must receive a minimum score of 504. Requirements also include two semesters of clinical observation and one semester of team-based learning exercises.
Students in the CoM EAP meet with the Pre-Health Adviser each semester and meet annually with the CoM EAP Evaluation Committee of the College of Medicine. At the beginning of the junior year, students will be formally evaluated by members of the College of Medicine Admissions Committee.
Students in the CoM EAP are invited to attend various CoM EAP events throughout the academic year to enrich their experiences, support their journey, and build their community. Past events have included meet and greets, a cooking class with the Integrative Health and Wellness Program at USA, an MCAT preparation session, and the annual Spring semester student panel led by current USA medical school students who were graduates of the CoM EAP.
After completing their application to medical school through AMCAS, students who have fulfilled the academic requirements of the CoM EAP, demonstrated exemplary behavior representative of the ideals of the medical profession and have completed their formal evaluation by the Admissions Committee are offered a position in the upcoming USA Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine class.
If you have questions regarding the application process for the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine Early Acceptance Program, please see the contact information below.
Adam Lindsey - Senior Admissions Counselor
Office of Admissions
adamlindsey@southalabama.edu
(251) 461-1913
College of Nursing Early Acceptance Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: No application required. Priority given to students who are admitted to USA by February 15, 2025.
The College of Nursing has an early acceptance program for highly qualified high school seniors. Students selected for the early acceptance program and fulfilling all program requirements are guaranteed admission to the upper division professional component of the nursing curriculum. Students are admitted to the College of Nursing and must complete all Pre-Professional Nursing courses at USA; their curriculum includes core requirements and prerequisites for the upper division nursing program. Students participating in the College of Nursing's Early Acceptance Program must maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 on all required prerequisite courses and must be continuously enrolled a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester (does not include summer terms) and making acceptable progress toward completing the pre-professional component of the curriculum to be admitted to the professional component of the program.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
- Official ACT composite score of at least 22 or 1100 SAT score (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table)
- GPA requirement of 3.5 as computed by USA Admissions.
For consideration to this program, student MUST:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a high school senior
- Have declared pre-nursing as your intended major
Students who meet the above qualifications for this program will automatically be considered. No separate application is necessary.
The priority deadline for this program is February 15th, but applications will be reviewed until August 1st.
Therefore, all students who have been admitted to USA by August 1, 2025 and meet these requirements will be considered for admission to the Nursing EAP program.
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
AU Harrison College of Pharmacy Early Acceptance Program
Department of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance Program (DPTEAP)
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 1, 2025
The Department of Physical Therapy Early Acceptance Program offers a selected number of talented high school seniors a position in the University of South Alabama Department of Physical Therapy first year class after completion of the pre-requisite requirements of the program and their USA undergraduate degree.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
28 ACT Composite (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests), or 1300 SAT score (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table) and a 3.5 GPA as computed by USA Admissions.
Deadline for Application: February 1, 2025
Procedures to Apply for the Early Acceptance Program:
For consideration to this program, student MUST:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Be a high school senior
- Submit the following items by the February 1, 2025 deadline:
- Completed application for the Early Acceptance Program
NOTE: Letters of recommendation are not required for the PTEAP program and will not be included in the applicant’s profile.
Selection Process:
All application materials must be received by February 1 of the student's senior year
of high school to be considered.
The Selection Committee will meet shortly after the stated deadline. The Committee
will select up to 25 students to invite for initial interview.
Interviews will take place in March. Selected students will receive information regarding
the interview specifics.
The five most highly ranked of those interviewed will be selected to participate in
the program.
The Program:
Candidates selected for the DPTEAP program will receive an acceptance letter from the University of South Alabama and a conditional acceptance to the Department of Physical Therapy. The curriculum will include core requirements for the selected baccalaureate program and prerequisites for matriculation in the physical therapy program.
Students in the DPTEAP must:
- Sign and adhere to the departmental Early Acceptance Program contract, including withdrawal of the acceptance if the student is involved in any academic misconduct.
- Take all prerequisite courses at USA, unless otherwise approved in advance by the Chair of the Admissions Committee of the Department of Physical Therapy.
- Maintain a minimum overall grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale during undergraduate studies at USA.
- Submit an application to PTCAS and the supplemental application to the USA PT Department in the fall of the senior year at USA.
- Complete required science coursework with only 8 credits of required science coursework remaining to complete after application to the physical therapy program
- Take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and receive a minimum total score of 290.
DPTEAP students will be required to:
- Participate in observation of 50 hours of physical therapy clinical practice by December 1 of the senior year at USA
- Participate in community and campus service project and/or attend cultural and scholarly events
- Be an active participant in the USA Pre-PT club by attending meetings/activities each year during undergraduate studies at USA
- At the end of each spring semester, all DPTEAP students will be reviewed by the Pre-PT Advisor to determine if academic requirements have been met.
Students participating in the program must enter the University of South Alabama Physical Therapy professional program in the fall following completion of the baccalaureate degree. Students not completing the baccalaureate degree within 4 years can appeal, in writing, to the department faculty for permission to delay their admission by up to 2 years.
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
Psychology Early Acceptance Program
APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 15, 2025
The Department of Psychology offers highly qualified high school students a position in the Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) upon successful completion of pre-requisite requirements and their USA undergraduate degree.
Minimum Qualifications for Initial Consideration:
Official ACT Composite of 27 (results of one administration; scores are not mixed from multiple tests) or SAT of 1260 (based on 2018 ACT/SAT Concordance Table), and a 3.5 high school GPA as computed by USA Admissions.
Procedure to Apply for the Early Acceptance Program: For consideration to this program, students must:
- Be admitted to the University of South Alabama
- Be a high school senior
- Complete the application for the Early Acceptance Program
The Program:
Candidates selected for the program will receive a conditional acceptance to the Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) contingent upon successful completion of the program.
Students in the Psychology Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) EAP - Non-thesis track must (1) maintain a 3.5 GPA, including no grades lower than B in PSY core courses, (2) be continuously enrolled for at least 12 hours/semester (does not include Maymester or Summer Terms), and (3) remain in good standing.
Students in the Psychology Master's Program in Experimental Psychology (Behavior and Brain Sciences) EAP - Thesis track must (1) also meet the conditions for the non-thesis track and (2) interview after completing 90 undergraduate hours and be successfully matched with a mentor based on research interests and activities (students who do not match may continue in the non-thesis track).
Contact:
New Student Recruitment
(251) 460-7834
recruitment@southalabama.edu
Only students who are admitted to USA and are graduating from high school in the same year they will attend USA will be considered for the Early Acceptance Programs. No letters of recommendation will be considered for any of the programs.
The EAP applications will open on September 1, 2025
Please use the link below to complete and submit your EAP application. Please note the deadline dates for each application.
COM/Honors Application: Deadline December 15, 2025
https://explore.southalabama.edu/apply/form?id=1ebb8fe8-761b-462d-be34-dd0e41d43a44
Psychology: Deadline February 15, 2025/Physical Therapy: Deadline February 1, 2025/Pharmacy: Deadline February 15, 2025
https://explore.southalabama.edu/apply/form?id=c7ae3290-24cf-4303-851c-929e20d944e9