About the program
The Widener 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: "Mission- The Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Widener University will graduate excellent health care professionals to meet the growing need for patients to have access to medicine both locally and globally. The program will educate highly effective healthcare professionals equipped to provide patient-centered medical care to diverse populations across the life span. Students will learn to be competent clinicians, culturally sensitive, socially conscious health care providers able to work in collaboration with other members of the healthcare team."
Widener's master's degree in physician assistant studies (MS) will strengthen your critical thinking, leadership, and collaboration skills in a uniquely interprofessional, patient- and community-focused program. As a student in our cohort-based program, you'll develop close connections with faculty mentors committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as fellow students as you move through the sequential curriculum together. You'll dive in strong-working directly with the community in yo
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: 5 Years · up to 3 outstanding at application
Program overview
Widener University's physician assistant program in Pennsylvania is a 27-month, full-time, cohort-based program awarding a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree. It currently holds Provisional ARC-PA accreditation and is scheduled to begin its inaugural cohort in August 2027. The program accepts both out-of-state and international applicants but does not offer part-time enrollment or distance learning options, so candidates must be prepared to commit fully on-site for the duration.
The program's mission centers on producing culturally sensitive, socially conscious clinicians capable of delivering patient-centered care to diverse populations across the lifespan, with an explicit emphasis on both local and global healthcare access. A distinguishing curricular feature is early clinical exposure, meaning students engage directly with community and patients from the start rather than spending the full didactic phase in a purely classroom-based environment. The program also emphasizes interprofessional collaboration, critical thinking, and leadership development within a sequential curriculum where the cohort moves through coursework together, building close ties with faculty mentors committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
On the admissions side, the GPA floor is straightforward: a 3.00 is required across overall, science, and prerequisite GPAs. The patient-care bar is relatively accessible at 500 hours, though those hours must be paid direct patient care - volunteer or observational hours alone will not satisfy this requirement. Separate healthcare experience is not required beyond the paid patient-care component. The incoming class is planned at 48 students. Prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the past five years, and applicants may enter with up to three outstanding prerequisites still in progress. Required science prerequisites include general chemistry with lab, general biology with lab, human anatomy with lab, human physiology with lab, microbiology, and statistics. The application deadline is October 1, 2026, and the program uses a rolling admissions process, making early submission a practical advantage. Interviews are conducted in a traditional format and are not required to be completed onsite. A $500 seat deposit is required upon acceptance. Total tuition for the program is $129,600 with no differentiated rate for in-state versus out-of-state students.
Applicants who carry a solid but not exceptional GPA, have accumulated paid hands-on patient-care experience, and are drawn to an interprofessional, community-engaged training environment should evaluate whether Widener's mission and early-exposure model align with how they learn and where they intend to practice.