About the program
The Samford 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: "Anchored in Christian understanding, the mission of the Samford University’s Department of Physician Assistant Studies is to nurture and develop students both spiritually and academically to provide empathetic, compassionate patient care and service to the community."
Our fully integrated curriculum provides comprehensive medical knowledge and skills that will prepare you to be practice-ready for a variety of clinical settings, and with small class sizes, our faculty will know you by name.
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
Samford University in Alabama offers a 27-month MSPAS program with ARC-PA Continued accreditation, admitting its next cohort in August 2027. The program's mission is explicitly grounded in Christian values, aiming to develop students spiritually alongside their clinical and academic preparation, with an emphasis on empathetic, compassionate care and community service. Applicants who share or are comfortable with a faith-integrated educational environment will find the program's identity a meaningful fit consideration.
The program accepts 36 students per cohort, which is a genuinely small class size that, as the program notes, allows faculty to know students individually. The curriculum is described as fully integrated and designed to prepare graduates for a broad range of clinical settings rather than any specific specialty focus. There is no distance learning or part-time option, so students should expect a full-time, on-campus commitment for the entire 27 months.
The academic bar here is high in practice, even though the stated minimums are 3.0 for both overall and science GPA. Matriculant averages sit at 3.87 overall and 3.84 science GPA, meaning competitive applicants will need a strong academic record to realistically contend. Direct patient care experience is recommended but not required, which gives some flexibility to applicants still building clinical hours, though having meaningful experience will likely strengthen any application. The GRE is required; the MCAT is not accepted.
Prerequisites include eight credits each of general chemistry and general biology with labs, four credits each of human anatomy, human physiology, and microbiology with labs, and three credits of statistics. No time limit applies to prerequisites, and up to two outstanding prerequisites are permitted at the time of application. Three letters of reference are required, and all applicants must complete a traditional, required on-site interview. The application deadline is August 1, 2026, and all applications are reviewed after that deadline passes under a regular admissions model rather than rolling review.
Total tuition runs $101,966 with a $1,000 seat deposit. There is no separate tuition rate for in-state versus out-of-state students, and both out-of-state and international applicants are accepted, making this a nationally accessible program. Applicants should weigh the program's faith-based mission, the competitive academic profile of recent matriculants, and the on-site interview requirement when assessing whether Samford is a realistic and personally compatible choice.