About the program
The Colorado Mesa University 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 mission of the CMU Physician Assistant (PA) Program is to provide a learner-centered environment that educates competent and compassionate PAs, committed to leading through service in their career and communities."
Smaller class size, On Campus Cadaver Lab
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.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: No Requirement · up to 3 outstanding at application
Program overview
Colorado Mesa University offers a 29-month program awarding the Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree, held on campus in Colorado with no distance learning or part-time options. The program carries continued ARC-PA accreditation and admits an incoming class of approximately 28 students, making it a notably small cohort that likely translates to closer faculty interaction and more individualized attention during training. The next cohort starts in January 2027, with a rolling admissions process reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis and an application deadline of September 1, 2026 - meaning earlier submission carries a meaningful practical advantage.
The program's mission centers on producing competent, compassionate PAs who lead through service in both career and community settings, with a learner-centered educational philosophy. That philosophy is reflected in a curriculum that draws on case-based, problem-based, collaborative, and systems-based learning approaches, giving students multiple frameworks for clinical reasoning. An on-campus cadaver lab supports hands-on anatomical training from the start.
The competitive profile of admitted students sits around a 3.67 overall GPA and a 3.63 science GPA, though the program sets its minimum thresholds at 3.00 across overall, science, and prerequisite GPAs. Applicants should view the typical matriculant numbers as the realistic target rather than the floor. Patient care requirements are on the more accessible end of the spectrum - 500 hours of direct patient care are required, and those hours must be paid, meaning volunteer clinical work will not satisfy this component. General healthcare experience is also required separately. Prerequisite coursework includes general chemistry and general biology at six credits each, human anatomy with lab, human physiology, and statistics, with no time limit on when those courses were completed and up to three outstanding prerequisites permitted at the time of application.
The application requires a minimum of three reference letters and completion of the CASPer standardized exam. Interviews are conducted on-site and include both a traditional interview format and a scenario room component, so applicants should prepare for situational or behavioral assessment beyond a standard conversational interview. Out-of-state applicants are accepted, international applicants may be considered with exceptions, and separate tuition rates apply for in-state versus out-of-state students. The seat deposit is $1,000 upon acceptance.
Applicants with solid but not exceptional GPAs, 500 or more paid patient care hours, and a genuine interest in service-oriented practice in a smaller, tightly integrated learning environment will want to evaluate whether CMU's mission and cohort structure align with how they learn and where they intend to practice.