About the program
The University of South Florida 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: "To provide a scholarly environment in which students from various backgrounds acquire requisite knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality, compassionate, culturally, and socially sensitive healthcare as part of an interprofessional healthcare team."
Students are part of an established metropolitan academic medical center offering an innovative curriculum incorporating regular small-group problem-based learning and interprofessional educational activities with a variety of medical and health education students. Students have access to a wealth of resources including state of the art cadaver and simulation labs and are exposed to diverse patient populations within a variety of clinical specialties all located in the Tampa Bay area.
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 not considered. Distance learning is not offered. Part-time enrollment is not available.
Prerequisite coursework
Recency: No Requirement
Program overview
The University of South Florida offers a 24-month MPAS program based in Tampa, Florida, carrying ARC-PA Continued accreditation. The program admits a single cohort of approximately 50 students each cycle, with the next cohort beginning in May 2027. Applications are reviewed after the September 1, 2026 deadline using a regular admissions process, meaning all materials are evaluated together once that date passes rather than on a rolling basis.
The minimum GPA thresholds - 3.00 overall and 3.00 in the sciences - are relatively accessible compared to more selective programs, but applicants should note that paid direct patient care experience is specifically required, not just encouraged. The minimum bar is 500 hours, and unpaid experience will not satisfy that requirement. Healthcare experience beyond direct patient care is also required. Three letters of reference are mandatory, and the GRE is the only accepted standardized test; the MCAT will not be substituted. International applicants are not considered, though students from outside Florida are welcome.
Prerequisite coursework carries some weight here. Human anatomy and human physiology each require 8 credits with laboratory components, microbiology requires 4 credits with a lab, and statistics requires 3 credits. There is no time limit on when these prerequisites must have been completed, which gives career-changers and applicants with older coursework some flexibility.
The curriculum is built around problem-based and case-based learning delivered in small groups, organ and systems-based content organization, and early clinical exposure - a structure that rewards students who are self-directed and comfortable working through clinical problems collaboratively rather than through passive lecture formats. The program sits within an established metropolitan academic medical center, giving students access to cadaver and simulation labs described as state of the art, as well as interprofessional educational activities alongside medical and other health professions students. Clinical training draws on diverse patient populations across multiple specialties in the Tampa Bay area.
The program's mission emphasizes cultural and social sensitivity alongside clinical competence, reflecting the demographic diversity of the region and the interprofessional team-based context in which graduates are expected to practice. Separate tuition rates exist for in-state and out-of-state students; a seat deposit of $200 is required upon acceptance. Interviews are conducted in a traditional format and are not required to be completed onsite. The program does not offer part-time enrollment or distance learning options.
An applicant weighing this program should honestly assess whether their paid patient care hours meet the requirement and whether their learning style aligns with a problem-based, small-group curriculum before applying.