About the program
The Quinnipiac 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 mission of Quinnipiac's physician assistant program is to increase access to quality health care through the education and development of caring, knowledgeable and competent physician assistants who are dedicated to: Clinical Competence , Professionalism, Interprofessional, Leadership, Community Outreach, Cultural Humility, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion."
Commitment to a first-class educational experience including small class size, cadaver anatomy labs, pre-clinical clerkship experience in first year, clinical simulation lab, interprofessional education, high-quality clinical sites, and state-of-the-art facilities.
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: no. DACA status applicants are considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 10 Years · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
Quinnipiac University offers a 27-month Master of Health Science (MHS) degree in physician assistant studies, held in Connecticut and carrying continued ARC-PA accreditation. The program accepts out-of-state applicants but does not admit international students, and there is no part-time or distance learning option. The May 2027 cohort has an application deadline of September 1, 2026, with rolling admissions, meaning earlier applications receive earlier review - a practical reason not to wait until the deadline approaches.
The program's mission centers on expanding access to quality care by graduating PAs who demonstrate clinical competence, professionalism, cultural humility, and a commitment to community outreach, diversity, equity, and inclusion. These values are woven into a curriculum that blends case-based, problem-based, systems-based, and team-based learning with early clinical exposure in the first year, giving students patient contact before the formal clinical phase begins. Interprofessional education is a deliberate component, reflecting the mission's emphasis on collaborative practice. Facilities include cadaver anatomy labs and a clinical simulation lab, and the program keeps its incoming class to approximately 28 students, which supports the small-group learning environment the faculty prioritizes.
Academically, successful matriculants arrive with a mean overall GPA of 3.6 and a science GPA of 3.5, though the program's stated minimums sit at 3.20 across overall, science, and prerequisite coursework. Required prerequisites include general chemistry (6 credits), general biology with lab (4 credits), human anatomy with lab (4 credits), human physiology with lab (4 credits), microbiology with lab (4 credits), and statistics (3 credits). All prerequisites must have been completed within the past ten years, and applicants may enter with no more than two courses still outstanding at the time of application. Prerequisite GPA is evaluated separately, so candidates with stronger foundational coursework relative to their overall record should make that distinction visible in their application.
The patient-care bar is meaningful: 2,000 hours of direct patient care are required, and that experience must be paid - volunteer hours in a clinical role do not satisfy this requirement. Healthcare experience beyond direct patient care is not separately required. Three letters of reference are needed, and the interview process is notably multifaceted, involving a panel interview, group interview, and multiple mini interviews (MMI), all conducted onsite.
Total tuition is $110,450 with a $1,000 seat deposit upon acceptance; there are no separate tuition rates for in-state versus out-of-state students.
A candidate best suited to Quinnipiac brings a GPA solidly at or above 3.5, has accumulated at least 2,000 paid clinical hours, is comfortable in collaborative and discussion-driven learning formats, and values a mission explicitly grounded in community service and health equity - applicants who cannot genuinely speak to those commitments in an MMI format should consider whether the program's culture aligns with their own.