About the program
The Hardin-Simmons 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 Hardin-Simmons University Physician Assistant program is dedicated to academic excellence in medical education. Our mission is to develop and prepare compassionate, professional PA providers who are committed to life-long leadership, learning, and community service. Our graduates will work as part of the healthcare team to deliver exceptional healthcare to rural West Texas and under-served communities worldwide."
Human cadaver lab taught by General Surgeon; international mission trips; dedicated PA building; rural/underserved clinical rotations; free parking!!
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.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: No Requirement
Program overview
Hardin-Simmons University offers a 27-month Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree in Texas, carrying ARC-PA Continued accreditation. The program admits its next cohort in August 2027, with a rolling admissions process and an application deadline of September 1, 2026 - meaning earlier submission genuinely improves an applicant's odds of review.
The mission is direct: train compassionate, professionally grounded PAs oriented toward rural West Texas and underserved communities globally. This is not a program designed for applicants eyeing urban academic medical centers as a first choice. It explicitly builds toward life-long learning, leadership, and community service, and the curriculum reflects that through early clinical exposure, rural and underserved clinical rotations, and international mission trips. The human cadaver lab, taught by a general surgeon rather than a teaching assistant, is a notable structural choice that signals hands-on anatomical rigor early in training. The program also operates out of a dedicated PA building, which is a practical detail suggesting dedicated infrastructure rather than shared or borrowed space.
The GPA bar is set at a minimum of 3.00 for both overall and science coursework, and matriculants typically arrive with a 3.77 overall and 3.71 science GPA - a meaningful gap that tells applicants where the competitive range actually sits. Paid direct patient care is recommended but not required, and healthcare experience broadly follows the same pattern. Applicants without formal patient care hours are not automatically disqualified, though those with relevant experience will likely be more competitive given the mission emphasis on clinical preparedness and community service.
Prerequisites include general chemistry with lab, eight credits of general biology with lab, human anatomy with lab, human physiology with lab, microbiology with lab, and statistics. There is no time limit on how old these prerequisites can be, which gives applicants with older coursework some flexibility. Three letters of reference are required. Interviews are required and conducted onsite, using both traditional and group formats.
Total tuition runs $116,117 with no differentiated rate for out-of-state students, who are accepted along with international applicants under certain conditions the program outlines on its website. A seat deposit of $1,200 is required upon acceptance. The class size is approximately 30 students, making this a small, cohort-focused environment. No distance learning or part-time options exist.
Applicants should ask themselves honestly whether a rural and global service mission genuinely aligns with where they want to practice - because at a program this intentional about community orientation, that alignment matters for both admission and long-term satisfaction.