About the program
The Northwest 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: "Northwest University School of PA Medicine is driven by a passion to integrate loving Christ, serving others, and practicing excellent medicine to effectively engage human need. We empower dedicated faculty and staff, incorporate innovative technology, and prepare students to care for diverse patient populations, lead clinically, and serve the Pacific Northwest while fostering national and global relationships."
Northwest University is a private Christian university located in the heart of Kirkland, WA. The School of PA Medicine offers a Christian based medical education experience that will equip students with the tools and knowledge to serve their communities well. We will offer advanced clinical anatomy training with Anatomage tables and cadaveric dissection. The curriculum will follow a system-based sequence clinical medicine topics that will support student learning in an organized manner.
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. DACA status applicants are considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: No Requirement · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
Northwest University's School of PA Medicine in Kirkland, Washington offers a 28-month program leading to a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies. The program currently holds Provisional ARC-PA accreditation and is scheduled to welcome its first cohort in August 2027, making it a newer program for applicants to weigh accordingly. Out-of-state and international applicants are both welcome, and the program does not offer distance learning or a part-time track.
The program's mission is explicitly faith-based, rooted in Christian values and oriented toward integrating clinical excellence with service to others. It is affiliated with Northwest University, a private Christian institution, and frames its educational purpose around loving Christ, serving others, and practicing medicine with competence across diverse patient populations, with particular emphasis on the Pacific Northwest alongside broader national and global engagement. Applicants who are drawn to a faith-integrated medical education environment will find this a distinguishing feature; those who are not should factor it into their assessment of fit.
Curriculum is delivered through a systems-based sequence and draws on case-based, problem-based, and team-based learning methodologies. A notable feature is access to Anatomage virtual dissection tables alongside traditional cadaveric dissection, offering layered resources for advanced anatomy training. The estimated incoming class size is 40 students.
The admissions bar is moderate. The minimum GPA required is 3.0 for both overall and science coursework, and matriculants have averaged a 3.5 overall and 3.44 science GPA, suggesting competitive applicants will land comfortably above the floor. Paid direct patient care experience is required, with a minimum of 1,000 hours, and healthcare experience broadly is also required. Prerequisite coursework includes human anatomy with lab at four credits, human physiology with lab at four credits, microbiology with lab at three credits, and statistics at three credits. There is no time limit on prerequisites, and applicants may have up to two outstanding at the time of application.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis with a deadline of January 15, 2027. Three letters of reference are required. Interviews are conducted in a Multiple Mini Interview format and are required to be completed onsite. Total tuition is $127,680, with a seat deposit of $1,000 upon acceptance.
An applicant should assess fit here primarily around two factors: genuine alignment with the program's Christian mission and comfort entering a provisionally accredited program that has not yet graduated its first cohort.