About the program
The Touro University California, Los Angeles 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 TUC-LA Physician Assistant Program is to educate capable students from diverse backgrounds to meet the challenges of practicing medicine in collaboration with physicians and other members of the health care team. The curricula are formulated to sensitize the students to the complexities of healthcare delivery that influence patients and their families. Students engage in community service to foster effective communication, compassion, and dedication to the healthcare community. We encourage research and create life-long learners trained to utilize evidence to deliver safe, effective patient-centered care to patients and their communities."
A distinctive feature of our program is the culminating semester, during which students are systematically prepared for entry into clinical practice. This semester occurs at the end of the clinical year, following the successful completion of nine clinical rotations. During this period, students are guided to meet established program standards in both knowledge and technical competency. They also devote focused effort to their Master’s Capstone Project and community service initiatives.
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. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 10 Years
Program overview
Touro University California, Los Angeles is a provisionally accredited MSPAS program that also offers a dual MSPAS/MPH track for students interested in combining clinical training with public health preparation. The program runs 28 months, with its first cohort beginning January 2027, and accepts applications on a rolling, first-come-first-served basis through December 1, 2026, meaning early submission is a concrete strategic advantage.
The program's mission centers on training clinicians from diverse backgrounds to practice collaboratively within healthcare teams, with particular attention to the social and systemic complexities affecting patients and families. Community service and evidence-based, patient-centered care are woven into that mission, and the curriculum reflects those commitments through asynchronous, case-based, problem-based, and team-based learning formats. A notable structural feature is a dedicated culminating semester at the end of the clinical year, after students have completed nine rotations, during which they consolidate clinical knowledge, demonstrate technical competency to program standards, complete a Master's Capstone Project, and engage in community service. This final semester functions as a deliberate bridge between training and independent practice rather than simply a final rotation slot.
The incoming class size is 45 students. Matriculants have posted a mean overall GPA of 3.78 and a mean science GPA of 3.72, so while the program's stated minimums are 3.00 across overall, science, and prerequisite GPAs, competitive applicants should expect the realistic bar to sit considerably higher. All prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past ten years and includes general chemistry with lab, general biology with lab, human anatomy with lab, human physiology, microbiology, and statistics. The science hour requirements are substantive, particularly the eight-credit lab-based sequences in chemistry and biology.
The patient-care requirement is 1,000 hours of direct patient care, and paid experience is specifically required rather than merely preferred. Healthcare experience beyond direct patient care is recommended but not required. This distinction matters: applicants who have only volunteered or shadowed should ensure their paid direct-care hours are clearly documented and meet the threshold. Out-of-state applicants are welcome; international applicants are not accepted. There is no part-time option and no distance learning component.
Total tuition is $145,940 with a $1,000 seat deposit. Three letters of reference are required. Interviews may be conducted in traditional or panel format and do not require an onsite visit, which reduces logistical burden for applicants located outside Southern California.
An applicant should assess fit here primarily by asking whether their paid direct patient-care experience is genuinely strong, whether their science coursework is recent and rigorous enough to handle a problem-based curriculum, and whether the program's community service and public health orientation aligns with how they picture their own practice.