About the program
The Hawai`i Pacific 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: "Educate the next generation of physician assistants by engaging students who are dedicated to advancing health equity and delivering an innovative educational model that reduces barriers for PA learners. We are committed to preparing students to deliver high quality patient-centered care to the Hawaiian island communities and medically underserved populations across the nation."
Prepares PAs to care for communities in Hawaiʻi and underserved populations; the HPU PA program is a full-time 24-month program of study culminating in the Master of Medical Science degree. The didactic phase is low residency hybrid format, with a combination of remote and in-person learning. Remote instruction includes daily synchronous and asynchronous engagement. In-person sessions involve periodic on-campus requirements for 1-2 week-long immersions on HPU’s downtown Honolulu campus.
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 available. Part-time enrollment is not available.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 10 Years · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
Hawai'i Pacific University offers a 24-month Master of Medical Science program based in downtown Honolulu, currently holding provisional ARC-PA accreditation, with a January 2027 start date. The program is structured around a low-residency hybrid model that sets it apart from conventional PA programs: most instruction is delivered remotely through a combination of daily synchronous sessions and asynchronous coursework, with periodic on-campus immersions of one to two weeks held at HPU's Honolulu campus. This format makes the program genuinely accessible to applicants who cannot relocate full-time to Hawaii, and the program confirms it accepts out-of-state and international applicants, though international candidates should review specific eligibility conditions on the program's website.
The mission is direct and specific: prepare physician assistants to serve Hawaiian island communities and medically underserved populations nationwide, with health equity as an organizing principle. Applicants who can speak authentically to experience in underserved or underrepresented healthcare settings will align most naturally with what the program is trying to build. The curriculum draws on multiple pedagogical approaches - problem-based, case-based, systems-based, and team-based learning - consistent with a program that wants graduates to think adaptively in complex clinical environments.
The academic floor is a 3.0 overall and science GPA, and matriculants have averaged a 3.6 overall and 3.5 science GPA, so competitive applicants should aim well above the minimum. The patient-care threshold is 500 direct patient care hours, one of the lower bars in the field, which makes the program more accessible to career changers or recent graduates still building their clinical résumé. Paid experience is recommended but not required. All prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past ten years, and applicants may enter with no more than two prerequisites still outstanding. Required courses include general chemistry and biology with labs (eight credits each), human anatomy and physiology with labs (four credits each), microbiology with lab (four credits), and statistics (three credits).
Total tuition is $118,000 with an $800 seat deposit; there are no separate tuition rates for in-state versus out-of-state students. The incoming class is capped at approximately 30 students. The application deadline is August 1, 2026, reviewed on a post-deadline batch basis rather than on a rolling schedule, so early submission does not accelerate review. Applicants must submit at least two letters of reference. Interviews are conducted in a Multiple Mini Interview format and do not require on-site attendance, which is consistent with the program's remote-accessible design.
An applicant should carefully assess whether the hybrid low-residency format genuinely suits their learning style and whether their background reflects a meaningful commitment to underserved communities, since those two factors will most directly determine both admissibility and success in this program.