About the program
The 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: "Our program is committed to cultivating equity in healthcare by fostering diversity within our cohorts, including underrepresented students in medicine. Through enhanced training opportunities, our students gain skills needed to better serve diverse and underserved populations. Our graduates emerge from the program well prepared to deliver compassionate, culturally responsive, and clinically-competent patient care."
Group testing, simulation lab, international rotations, rural and underserved service track, systems based curriculum
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 10 outstanding at application
Program overview
Pacific University in Oregon offers a 27-month MSPAS program that accepts its next cohort starting May 2027, with an application deadline of September 1, 2026. The program holds continued ARC-PA accreditation, accepts out-of-state and international applicants, and runs on a traditional admissions cycle in which all applications are reviewed together after the deadline passes rather than on a rolling basis - a detail worth noting when planning submission timing.
The program's mission centers explicitly on health equity, diversity, and preparing graduates to serve underserved and rural populations. That commitment carries through to tangible curriculum features: a rural and underserved service track, international rotation opportunities, and a systems-based curriculum delivered through collaborative and team-based learning, including group testing. A simulation lab rounds out the clinical preparation environment. Applicants drawn to community health, global health, or medically underserved settings will find the program's stated priorities align with those interests.
The incoming class averages around 60 students, and recent matriculants have carried an overall GPA of 3.62 and a science GPA of 3.61, with a stated minimum science GPA of 3.00. Competitive applicants will want to be honest about where they fall relative to those averages. The program requires at least 1,000 direct patient care hours, and while paid experience is recommended, it is not mandatory. Healthcare experience of some kind is required. Prerequisite coursework includes general chemistry with lab (8 credits), human anatomy with lab (4 credits), human physiology with lab (4 credits), microbiology (4 credits), and statistics (4 credits), with no time limit on when those courses were completed and up to 10 prerequisites still outstanding at the time of application.
Two letters of reference are required at minimum. Interviews follow a traditional format and are not required to be completed on-site, which reduces logistical burden for out-of-state applicants. There is no part-time option and no distance learning component, so candidates must be prepared to commit to full-time, in-person study. Total tuition runs approximately $135,000 with a $1,000 seat deposit upon acceptance.
Applicants should honestly assess whether their patient-care background reflects experience with underserved communities and whether the program's equity-focused mission genuinely matches their professional goals, as that alignment will likely matter both in the application and across 27 months of training.