Barry University PA Program — Dismissal & Appeals

Written by Zachary Gaynor, attorney · The Florida Bar, admitted 2016 · court admissions. Reviewed 1 October 2026.

What gets a Barry PA student dismissed?

In Barry University’s physician assistant program, an F in any course other than a clinical rotation means dismissal regardless of GPA, and a second F in any rotation does too. Barry’s published 2025–2026 Graduate Catalog lists those dismissal rules. Neither the catalog nor the program’s public page describes an appeal from a dismissal: no appeal body, no deadline, and no grounds. That gap is the first thing to deal with when a Barry dismissal letter arrives.

The standards in the catalog

• Grades. A is 90–100, B is 80–89.9, C is 70–79.9, and anything below 70 percent is an F, in didactic courses and rotations alike.
• Good standing requires a semester and cumulative GPA of 3.00.
• Probation follows a semester GPA below 2.70, or an F on a clinical rotation, which must then be repeated.
• Dismissal follows any of these: a semester GPA below 2.50 (not counting a failed rotation), academic or professional probation for two consecutive semesters, an F in any non-rotation course regardless of GPA, or a second F in any rotation, consecutive or not.
• Graduation also requires a C or better on the Primary Care Review course exam and acceptable professional standards under the program’s Professional Conduct Code.

The program page adds that any assessment below 80 percent means meeting your advisor and completing a content remediation activity, and that a student found lacking at the pre-graduation review must remediate in the final didactic semester, which can delay graduation.

The 28-month clock

The program runs 28 months, and the catalog says an extension beyond that is not possible. The exceptions are a leave for pressing personal, military, or family reasons, or repeating a failed rotation. A leave needs documented extenuating circumstances, lasts at most one year, and may require remediation or an independent study before you return. Readmission after a semester withdrawal is possible but not guaranteed. After an academic suspension, the usual wait is one year, and the dean must approve readmission.

Professionalism

According to the program page, a professionalism lapse first sends the student to the advisor for “reorientation to expectations,” and repeated or egregious unprofessional behavior can lead to professional probation or dismissal. Two semesters of professional probation in a row is itself a dismissal ground. Barry does not publish a named progress committee for the PA program; the advisor, the Program Director, and the Dean are the decision-makers the program names. Because there is no published committee or rubric, the advisor’s notes and any written “reorientation” become the record.

Appeals: what is published, and what is not

• Grade appeals run from the Course Director to the Program Director, then to the college’s Grade Appeal Committee, filed within five days of the final course grade being posted. The committee recommends, and the Dean’s decision is final. Barry’s university-wide grade appeal process does not reach this college; the dean has the final word.
• Dismissal appeals do not appear in the current catalog or on the program page.
• Conduct cases under the University Student Handbook allow one advisor, who may not speak except privately to the student. Appeals are due within 48 hours (weekends and holidays excluded), only for suspension, expulsion, or loss of housing, and the decision is final.

Barry is a private university, so constitutional due process does not apply. What governs is what Barry has written and what it actually gives students. When a published process is missing, the first move is to ask the Program Director in writing, and quickly, for the procedure that applies to your dismissal and the version of the handbook you were issued. Barry’s last publicly posted PA manuals are from 2017–2018 and conflict with the current catalog, so do not rely on them. The current program handbook is typically issued to enrolled students, and the version you received is the one to work from.

Where the governing documents are

The Barry University Graduate Catalog 2025–2026, Physician Assistant Program (progression requirements, academic standing, probation, dismissal, and graduation), the PA program’s page in the College of Health Professions & Medical Sciences, and the University Student Handbook’s student conduct section.

Other Barry and Florida PA programs

These pages set out related procedures: the Florida physician assistant programs overview, the UF School of Physician Assistant Studies, the NSU physician assistant program, and Barry’s School of Podiatric Medicine.

Common questions

I got an F in a didactic course at Barry. Is that really dismissal?

The catalog says an F in any course other than a clinical rotation means dismissal regardless of GPA. A first F on a rotation means probation and a repeat; the second rotation F means dismissal.

How do I appeal a Barry PA dismissal?

Barry does not publish a PA dismissal appeal process. Ask the Program Director in writing right away for the procedure and deadline that apply to you, and get the handbook version you were issued. Do not wait for a deadline you have not been told about.

How long do I have to appeal a grade?

Five days from the posting of the final course grade, starting with the Course Director. The college’s dean has the final word on grade appeals.

Can I take longer than 28 months?

Only through an approved leave for pressing personal, military, or family reasons, or by repeating a failed rotation. Otherwise the catalog says an extension is not possible.