About the program
The University of Dayton 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: "Our mission is to produce physician assistants who are committed to the service of the human person through the skillful, compassionate, and ethical provision of health care within the context of the Catholic Marianist tradition. We emphasize excellent generalist care for the whole person, particularly upholding dignity for society's most vulnerable, in a learning environment which emphasizes leadership, life-long learning, and service."
Systems-based modular curriculum, regular simulation and hands-on application as part of didactic curriculum, focus on service and collaboration in a Catholic Marianist tradition, international rotations
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. On-campus housing is available. Veteran support programs are available; consult the program directly for details.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: 10 Years · up to 4 outstanding at application
Program overview
The University of Dayton offers a 27-month Master of Physician Assistant Practice (MPAP) degree with ARC-PA Continued accreditation, admitting an incoming class of approximately 40 students beginning in August 2027. The program is grounded in the Catholic Marianist tradition and explicitly centers its mission on compassionate, ethical care for the whole person, with particular emphasis on serving society's most vulnerable populations. Applicants who are drawn to faith-informed, service-oriented medicine and who value working within a collaborative, leadership-focused learning community will find this environment a natural fit.
The curriculum is systems-based and modular, blending case-based, problem-based, team-based, and organ-systems approaches to give students multiple frameworks for clinical reasoning. Simulation and hands-on application are integrated throughout the didactic phase rather than reserved for clinical year, and the program offers international rotation opportunities for students seeking global health exposure. The overall structure reflects the mission's emphasis on generalist excellence and lifelong learning.
Matriculants typically carry a 3.8 overall GPA and a 3.7 science GPA, though the stated minimums are 3.0 across overall, science, and prerequisite categories. Required prerequisites include Human Anatomy with lab (4 credits), Human Physiology with lab (4 credits), Microbiology with lab (3 credits), and Statistics (3 credits), all completed within the past ten years, with no more than four prerequisites outstanding at the time of application. The patient-care bar is comparatively accessible at 250 hours, but those hours must be paid and in a direct patient care role - volunteer or shadowing hours will not satisfy this requirement. Healthcare experience beyond patient care is also required.
Total program tuition is $105,000 with a $1,000 seat deposit. The program accepts both out-of-state and international applicants and operates entirely on-site with no distance-learning or part-time options. Applications are reviewed on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis with a deadline of October 1, 2026, for the August 2027 cohort, so early submission is practically important. Three letters of reference are required. Finalists complete an onsite interview that includes both a group interview and a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, which rewards candidates who can demonstrate interpersonal skills, ethical reasoning, and collaborative instincts in real time.
An applicant should seriously evaluate whether the Marianist mission and its emphasis on service, dignity, and collaborative care genuinely reflect their own professional values before applying, as that alignment will be evident - or absent - throughout the MMI and group interview process.