About the program
The South College – Nashville 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 the South College, Nashville Campus, Masters of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is to educate highly qualified physician assistants, preparing them to become competent, compassionate, and comprehensive healthcare providers for clinical practice in rural and urban areas, who will mature into leaders within the medical community."
on-campus simulation lab, low student to faculty ratio, nationwide clinical rotation, mentorship program, updated facilites
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. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 7 Years · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
South College's Nashville campus offers a 27-month Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies with ARC-PA Continued accreditation, accepting its next cohort beginning October 2027. The program accepts out-of-state and international applicants (with some exceptions), making it geographically accessible to a broad pool of candidates, and its rolling admissions process with a March 1, 2027 deadline means applying early carries a meaningful strategic advantage.
The minimum GPA threshold of 2.75 across overall, science, and prerequisite coursework is among the more accessible entry points in PA education, though applicants should note that matriculants typically arrive with a 3.8 overall and 3.7 science GPA - a significant gap that signals genuine competition despite the low floor. Paid direct patient care is recommended but not required, and healthcare experience follows the same guidance, so career-changers or applicants still building clinical hours are not automatically disqualified. That said, the distance between what is required and what admitted students actually bring suggests applicants with stronger profiles will be more competitive.
Prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past seven years, and applicants may carry no more than two outstanding prerequisites at the time of application. Required courses include general chemistry with lab (8 credits), general biology with lab (8 credits), human anatomy with lab (4 credits), human physiology (4 credits), and microbiology (3 credits). Prerequisites beyond the seven-year window will need to be retaken.
The curriculum integrates case-based, problem-based, systems-based, and team-based learning alongside early clinical exposure - an approach that prioritizes active problem-solving over passive instruction from the beginning of training. The program features an on-campus simulation lab, updated facilities, a mentorship program, a low student-to-faculty ratio, and nationwide clinical rotation placement, which matters for applicants without established ties to the Nashville area or who may need placement flexibility. The mission explicitly names preparation for both rural and urban practice and frames graduates as future leaders in medicine, signaling that community-minded and professionally engaged candidates may align particularly well.
The program requires three letters of recommendation and both a GRE and a PA-CAT score; the MCAT is not accepted. Interviews are conducted in panel and group formats and do not require an onsite visit. Estimated incoming class size is 60 students. Total tuition runs $110,250 with no differentiated in-state or out-of-state rate, and a seat deposit of $1,500 is required upon acceptance. The program does not offer part-time enrollment or distance learning options.
An applicant deciding whether this program fits should honestly assess whether their GPA, test scores, and clinical profile are competitive against the actual matriculant averages rather than the posted minimums, and weigh the value of early clinical exposure, simulation resources, and flexible clinical placement against the total cost of attendance.