About the program
The Mount St. Joseph 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 specific mission of the Physician Assistant program is to educate outstanding, compassionate clinicians, fully prepared to deliver high quality, accessible health care, demonstrating commitment to life-long learning and ethical practice."
As a top Physician Assistant program in Cincinnati, MSJ emphasizes critical thinking and lifelong learning through its use of hands-on patient care and state-of-the-art technology. MSJ has a 27-month graduate program with 12 months of classroom training including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, genetics, diagnostic lab, EKG, physical exam and clinical skills. Students complete 11 clinical rotations, including 3 electives.
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 · up to 3 outstanding at application
Program overview
Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio offers a 27-month Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree with ARC-PA Continued accreditation, accepting its next cohort beginning January 2027. The program enrolls approximately 32 students per class and accepts applicants from out of state as well as international applicants with certain exceptions, though no distance learning or part-time pathways are available.
The admissions bar is moderate but firm. A minimum 3.00 GPA is required across overall, science, and prerequisite coursework, and matriculants have typically come in with an overall GPA around 3.52 and a science GPA near 3.63, so competitive applicants should sit comfortably above the floor. Healthcare experience is required, though paid direct patient care is recommended rather than mandated - applicants with varied clinical exposure can still be competitive, but the stronger the hands-on patient contact history, the better the positioning. Prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past ten years, and applicants may enter with up to three outstanding prerequisites still in progress. Required coursework includes general chemistry with lab, general biology with lab, human anatomy with lab, human physiology with lab, microbiology, and statistics.
The 27-month curriculum divides into roughly 12 months of didactic training followed by clinical rotations. Didactic content covers anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, clinical medicine, genetics, diagnostic lab interpretation, EKG, physical examination, and clinical skills. The program uses a hybrid approach blending traditional instruction with case-based and organ or systems-based learning, with an emphasis on collaborative and team-based work throughout. Students complete 11 clinical rotations total, including three electives that allow some tailoring toward specialty interests. The program's mission centers on producing compassionate, ethically grounded clinicians who are prepared to deliver high-quality and accessible care while sustaining a commitment to lifelong learning - themes that also shape the curriculum's emphasis on critical thinking and integration of current technology.
Total tuition is $108,500 with no differentiated rates for in-state versus out-of-state students, and a $1,000 seat deposit is required upon acceptance. The application deadline is September 1, 2026, and admissions are rolling on a first-come, first-served basis, which means submitting early carries real practical weight. Three letters of reference are required. Interviews are conducted onsite and may include traditional one-on-one, panel, or group formats depending on the cycle.
Applicants should assess fit by honestly evaluating whether their GPA sits meaningfully above 3.00, whether their healthcare experience - even if unpaid - is substantive, and whether they are prepared to commit to the early application timeline that rolling admissions demands.