About the program
The Southern Illinois 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 the Southern Illinois University Physician Assistant Program is to prepare healthcare professionals to provide primary health care to underserved populations in rural and health professional shortage areas. We will enhance this healthcare by preparing graduates who are interdependent medical providers, dedicated to both community and profession. The academic setting, utilizing Problem-Based Learning, will foster creative thinking and communication skills in our pursuit of excellence."
Problem Based Learning curriculum utilizing Electronic Problem Based Learning Modules (ePBLM) based on real patients, One half day of SCPE with a clinical mentor in the first year, State-of-the-art learning facility, Simulated Patient Lab with 7 real exam rooms, Anatomy lab with 3 plastinated cadavers and 2 syndavers, 4 to 1 student-faculty ratio, 100% Board Pass Rate, Online, asynchronous Doctor of Medical Science program
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 not considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: No Requirement · up to 2 outstanding at application
Program overview
Southern Illinois University offers a 26-month program awarding a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, currently holding Continued accreditation status from ARC-PA, with the next cohort beginning June 2027. The program's mission is explicitly focused on preparing graduates to serve underserved populations in rural and health professional shortage areas, so applicants who are drawn to primary care in under-resourced communities will find the clearest alignment here.
The curriculum is built around Problem-Based Learning, delivered through electronic modules grounded in real patient cases. Rather than traditional lecture-heavy instruction, students work through clinical problems collaboratively, an approach designed to build both diagnostic reasoning and communication skills. A notable early clinical exposure component places students with a clinical mentor for a half-day per week during the first year, which gives didactic students earlier real-world grounding than many programs offer. The simulation infrastructure is substantial, including a lab with seven functional exam rooms, an anatomy lab with plastinated cadavers and syndavers, and a reported 4-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio - a figure that suggests close mentorship for a class of approximately 46 students. The program also reports a 100% board pass rate.
On the academic side, the program sets a 3.40 minimum across overall, science, and prerequisite GPAs, though matriculants tend to arrive with a 3.84 overall and 3.79 science GPA, indicating meaningful competition above the stated floor. Prerequisites include general chemistry with lab, general biology, human anatomy with lab, human physiology with lab, microbiology with lab, and statistics, with no time limit on when those courses were completed and up to two outstanding prerequisites permitted at the time of application. Paid direct patient care is recommended but not required; healthcare experience, however, is required.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis with a deadline of November 1, 2026, making early submission a practical advantage. Three letters of reference are required. Interviews are conducted in multiple formats - traditional, panel, group, and a scenario room - and can be completed without traveling on-site. The program accepts out-of-state and international applicants, though separate tuition rates apply depending on residency status. There is no part-time or distance learning option. A $1,000 seat deposit is required upon acceptance.
Applicants should honestly assess whether a primary care and rural/underserved service orientation genuinely reflects their professional goals, since the program's curriculum, mission, and clinical placement emphasis are built around that specific trajectory.