About the program
The A.T. Still University of Health Sciences (Central Coast) PA program is described in PAEA's published program data; full curriculum details, faculty, and admissions cycle specifics are maintained on the program's own website.
From the program's mission statement: "The Central Coast Physician Assistant (CCPA) program educates culturally competent Physician Assistants (PAs) from diverse backgrounds to serve the primary care needs of medically underserved communities."
The Central Coast PA (CCPA) Program is committed to health equity and training primary care providers to serve vulnerable populations. Its curriculum emphasizes whole-person care, clinical reasoning, and critical thinking while addressing socioeconomic barriers and health disparities. Clinical training is reinforced through partnerships with Community Health Centers, preparing graduates to be culturally competent, compassionate advocates for underserved communities.
Matriculant data
Actual stats for students who enrolled in the most recently reported cohort, sourced from PAEA's published program data.
Admission policies
Out-of-state applicants are accepted. International applicants: no. DACA status applicants are considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 7 Years · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
This A.T. Still University of Health Sciences program, based on California's Central Coast, awards a Master of Science degree and runs 24 months, with the next cohort beginning October 2027. It holds Continued accreditation from ARC-PA, accepts out-of-state applicants, and does not offer part-time or distance learning options.
The program's mission centers explicitly on health equity - it is training primary care providers to work with medically underserved and vulnerable populations. Applicants who share that professional orientation will find the curriculum aligned with their goals. Clinical partnerships with Community Health Centers are built directly into the training model, meaning students gain hands-on exposure to the socioeconomic realities of underserved care rather than encountering them only after graduation. The curriculum blends traditional and case-based learning with an organ/systems-based structure, and faculty emphasize whole-person care, clinical reasoning, and addressing health disparities.
The GPA floor is 3.00 for both overall and science coursework, and matriculants have typically come in around 3.4 overall and 3.2 science - modest by national standards, which reflects the program's interest in building a diverse applicant pool rather than selecting purely on academic metrics. Notably, paid direct patient care is recommended but not required, and healthcare experience carries the same advisory language. Applicants without extensive hands-on hours are not automatically disqualified, though competitive candidates should still demonstrate some exposure to clinical environments.
Prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past seven years, and applicants may enter with up to two prerequisites still outstanding. Required courses include general chemistry with lab (8 credits), human anatomy with lab (4 credits), human physiology with lab (4 credits), microbiology with lab (4 credits), and statistics (3 credits).
The program accepts applications on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis with a deadline of October 1, 2026 - submitting early meaningfully improves an applicant's chances of review. The estimated incoming class size is 90 seats, which is relatively large and suggests broader access than many programs. Total tuition is $120,200 with a $250 seat deposit; there are no separate tuition rates for in-state versus out-of-state students. At least two letters of reference are required. Interviews may take the form of a traditional interview, a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), or both, and the interview is not required to be completed onsite. International applicants are not eligible.
An applicant should choose this program if they have a genuine professional commitment to primary care in underserved communities and want a curriculum that trains them specifically for that environment rather than treating it as an elective interest.