THI Cardiovascular Perfusion Program at Baylor Admissions

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.  

• The degree must be awarded and visible on an applicant’s transcript at the time of application. An applicant must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale.  
• To calculate a cumulative GPA, all hours attempted and points awarded are used with the exception of pass/fail courses and those courses from which a student has officially withdrawn. Some universities exclude the points and or hours from courses that have been repeated.  
• In order to make a fair comparison of applicants, calculations must be standardized and therefore these courses are re-included when calculating cumulative GPA. The total number of points awarded is divided by the total number of hours.

Applicants for The Texas Heart Institute School of Perfusion must be United States citizens or permanent residents who can provide acceptable documentation with their application. Proof of Citizenship can be in the form of a color copy of a birth certificate or a color copy of a valid US Passport. Permanent Residents must provide a color copy of their Permanent Resident Card (I-551).

Students must have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status at the time of application. If an applicant attended a school in a foreign country, evaluations of original transcripts from World Education Services must be provided. 

It is required that all applicants observe a minimum of one open-heart surgery procedure in person. Download the applicant observation log.

Completion of the following courses are required and must be completed with a letter grade of C or better.  

The prerequisite course credits do not expire for application to our program.  

All courses must be complete, and a bachelor’s degree must be awarded at the time of application. If your courses or degree will not be completed by the application deadline, you will need to wait until the following application cycle to apply.

• 8 hours (or 2 classes) – Chemistry (with lab)
• 8 hours (or 2 classes) – Biology (with lab)
• 6 hours (or 2 classes) – Human Anatomy and Physiology
• Human Anatomy 1 and 2 and Human Physiology 1 and 2 OR
• Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2
• 3 hours (or 1 class) – Physics
• 3 hours (or 1 class) – College Algebra (or higher-level math)
• 3 hours (or 1 class) – Statistics 

The State of Texas requires students in health care related professions to have been immunized against certain diseases. The specific immunization requirements are based on Texas Department of State Health Services, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Centers for Disease Control recommendations. See the requirements on the Occupational Health Program site. 

We require both traditional and secure official electronic transcripts. Traditional transcripts must be sent directly from the college/university to us in an official sealed envelope.

• Unofficial transcript(s) from all colleges, universities and training programs/schools attended must be uploaded through the application portal.
• Official transcript(s) are also required. Please have your institution(s) send your electronic official transcript(s) directly to perfusion@texasheart.org

We accept both traditional and secure official electronic transcripts. Traditional transcripts must be sent directly from the college/university to us in an official sealed envelope.

We require evaluations from three (3) academic or professional letters of references who can attest to your qualifications and clinical readiness.  

• Letters of reference must be sent via email (only) as PDF attachments directly from the referrer to our school. 
• Letters of reference sent via email must include the Reference Request Form included on the Application Portal (downloadable from the application platform)
• Please have your institution(s) send your electronic official transcript(s) directly to perfusion@texasheart.org

We require a passport-sized photo (2 inches by 2 inches) for identification purposes. This must be sent in via postal mail. These photos can be easily obtained at locations that offer photo printing.

Upload a detailed CV or resume highlighting your academic achievements, research experience, clinical exposure, and any relevant professional activities through the Application Portal.

Not required.

Up to 10 students to be accepted for the Spring 2027 cohort.

Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. The degree must be awarded and visible on an applicant’s transcript at the time of application. An applicant must have achieved a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.00 on a 4.0 scale. To calculate a cumulative GPA, all hours attempted and points awarded are used with the exception of pass/fail courses and those courses from which a student has officially withdrawn. Some universities exclude the points and or hours from courses that have been repeated. In order to make a fair comparison of applicants, calculations must be standardized and therefore these courses are re-included when calculating cumulative GPA. The total number of points awarded is divided by the total number of hours.

The prerequisite course credits do not expire for application to our program.

The following courses are required and must be completed with a letter grade of C or better:

• 8 hours (or 2 classes) – Chemistry (with lab)
• 8 hours (or 2 classes) – Biology (with lab)
• 6 hours (or 2 classes) – Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • Human Anatomy 1 and 2 and Human Physiology 1 and 2 OR
  • Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2
• 3 hours (or 1 class) – Physics
• 3 hours (or 1 class) – College Algebra (or higher-level math)
• 3 hours (or 1 class) – Statistics

The GRE is not required. If applicants have GRE scores they are encouraged to submit these with their application.

The program is designed to be completed over 18 months  full-time study. 

The Texas Heart Institute (THI) and Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor) have entered a new affiliation agreement and are undergoing a strategic integration that will bolster education efforts and included the integration of THI’s legacy School of Perfusion Technology. The integration will not affect admissions, enrollment or curriculum and the program continues to serve students and the healthcare community as strongly as ever as The Texas Heart Institute Cardiovascular Perfusion Program at Baylor College of Medicine. The program completed its transfer of sponsorship with CAAHEP at the recommendation of AC-PE on March 20, 2026. 

No, as we are a non-degree/non-credit bearing post-baccalaureate certificate program, federal financial aid is not available. This includes most student loans, grants, scholarships, funds, and any other kind of assistance that would typically be available.

We are unable to accommodate observational or shadowing opportunities as we have three overlapping classes totaling 24 students at a time. We recommend contacting local Perfusionists in your area via social media sites like Linked-In and inquiring about possible opportunities.

All courses must be complete and a Bachelor’s degree must be awarded at the time of application. If your courses or degree will not be completed by the application deadline, you would need to wait until the following application cycle to apply.

We suggest students live within 15 minutes of the hospital because of emergency call responsibilities and long clinical days which limit study time. 

Hospitals require staff for night, weekend, and holiday emergencies and we must respond in a timely manner.

This is a working clinical program and students are approved to have 10 days off during the 18-month period. We recommend these days be reserved for employment interviews.

We do not guarantee jobs, but available jobs are posted as they become available during the year. Perfusion students must be willing to relocate after graduation.

New graduates are given a provisional license for a limited time until they pass the Basic Science and Clinical Application parts of the American Board of Cardiovascular Perfusion exams. Some states do require a license.

Salaries vary depending upon your educational background, work experience, location of the country, and job responsibilities. Positions can be in hospitals, physician groups, or contract perfusion organizations.

Students must have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency status at the time of application. If an applicant attended a school in a foreign country, evaluations of original transcripts from World Education Services must be provided.

There are typically approximately 75 new applicants per application cycle and we are able to accept approximately 8 students for each class.

Transportation costs are the responsibility of the student. There are parking garages nearby, and outlying parking lots with shuttle bus access to the Medical Center. Metro buses and MetroRail provide access to Medical Center locations. 

All application fees are non-refundable, and there are no application fee waivers.