About the program
The College of St. Scholastica 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: "In accordance with our Benedictine values, The College of St. Scholastica’s PA Medicine program’s mission is to educate PA students within a comprehensive, interprofessional, and innovative curriculum to meet the diverse healthcare needs of our region, specifically rural and underserved communities."
Interprofessional education with Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, and Nursing programs. Rural healthcare focus Clinical placements through the Midwest and with populations where jobs are abundant – primary care and rural settings.
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: yes, with exceptions. please visit the program's website. DACA status applicants are considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available. On-campus housing is available. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 10 Years
Program overview
The College of St. Scholastica in Minnesota offers a 28-month Master of Science in PA Medicine with ARC-PA Continued accreditation, admitting a cohort of approximately 30 students beginning each September, with the next entering class starting in September 2027. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis after the August 1, 2026 deadline, so submitting early is worthwhile.
The program's Benedictine mission grounds it firmly in service to rural and underserved communities across the region. This is not an abstract curricular theme - clinical placements are deliberately structured throughout the Midwest, with emphasis on primary care and rural settings where PA employment tends to be strong. Applicants drawn to working in underserved or non-urban environments will find the mission genuinely reflected in how the program is built. Coursework follows an organ-based and systems-based learning model, and a notable structural feature is interprofessional education alongside Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, and Nursing students, giving PA students practice collaborating across disciplines before entering clinical settings.
On the numbers side, the program requires a minimum 3.00 overall GPA and a minimum 3.00 prerequisite GPA, though matriculants typically arrive with a 3.68 overall and a 3.57 science GPA - competitive but not unusually stratospheric. Prerequisites include Human Anatomy (3 credits), Human Physiology (3 credits), Microbiology (3 credits), and Statistics (3 credits), all completed within the past 10 years. Paid direct patient care experience is recommended but not required, and the same applies to healthcare experience more broadly, making this a somewhat accessible program for candidates still building their clinical hours. No onsite interview is required in the application process.
Total tuition runs $109,113 with a $500 seat deposit, and a single tuition rate applies regardless of residency - both out-of-state and international applicants are accepted, though international applicants should check the program's website for specific conditions. The program does not offer part-time enrollment or distance learning options. Applicants need to submit a minimum of two reference letters.
An applicant should consider this program a strong fit if they can articulate a genuine commitment to rural or underserved primary care practice and can demonstrate that their academic record - even if closer to the minimum - reflects realistic preparation for a systems-based, interprofessional curriculum.