Commonwealth University Physician Assistant Program 432 Railroad Street Lock Haven, Pennsylvania 17745
41.138635, -77.456902
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania · Masters
Current, source-bound PA admissions requirements and program facts.
The mission of the MHS program is to educate and train highly-skilled Physician Assistants who: are capable of providing quality health care, have expertise in the health care needs of the medically underserved, are prepared to critically evaluate, and become leaders in bringing, about improvement in the medical and social systems that affect the health of underserved populations, seek and retain employment as primary care Physician Assistants in medically underserved areas of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
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Holistic review (faculty-read). Mission: primary care in medically underserved PA; goal >=50% PA residents/class (actual 65-83%). Min 3.0 cum & sci GPA, prereqs B+. Values: PA residency, HPSA/MUA exposure, service, HCE (rec >=400 DPC + 40 PA hrs, not required), mission-aligned research. 3 LORs (PA preferred).
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationReview each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.
Courses shown as alternatives in the table are not all required. Confirm the accepted route with the program.
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade | Your coursework |
|---|---|---|---|---|
General Chemistry courses (2)2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo courses; science labs are preferred, but labs are not explicitly stated as required. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
Organic Chemistry1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesOne course; minimum 3 credits. Science labs are preferred, but lab is not explicitly required. | 3Course count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
Biology or Zoology courses2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo courses; examples include cell biology, general/principles of biology, molecular biology, ecology, zoology, and biodiversity. Labs are preferred, not stated as mandatory. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
| Human Anatomy1 course(s) One course; within 5 years of matriculation. May instead use a complete two-semester A&P I+II sequence. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
| Human Physiology1 course(s) One course; within 5 years of matriculation. May instead use a complete two-semester A&P I+II sequence. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
| Anatomy & Physiology I and II sequence2 course(s) Two-semester alternative to separate Human Anatomy and Human Physiology; science labs preferred. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
Human Genetics1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesOne course; science labs preferred, not stated as required. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
Microbiology1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesOne course; within 5 years of matriculation. Science labs preferred, not stated as mandatory. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Preferred | B | Sign in to plan |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternativesOne course; credit minimum not published. | Not publishedCourse count; credit minimums not published except Organic Chemistry (3 credits minimum) | Not specified | B | Sign in to plan |
Overall and science GPA minimums are 3.0. Up to three prerequisites may be outstanding for interview consideration; all must be completed before matriculation. Application deadline November 1. Patient-care hours are not required; program recommends 400 direct patient-contact hours and 40 hours observing/working with a PA. TOEFL 90 overall (20 each section) or IELTS 7.0 overall (6.0 each) is required if all prior degrees were completed where English is not the primary language.
When courses must be complete: All requirements completed before matriculation; application deadline November 1.
Verified by deadline
Confirm current entering cohort
$52,636 TOTAL TUITION to completion (tuition only). COHORT YEAR: 2026-2027 published rates; 24-month program, cohort seated in May. Verified 2026-08-04 by two independent agents. CONFIRMED, and I was able to reconcile it exactly against the school's own numbers. TOTAL not a rate: $557 x 94.5 = $52,636.50; $836 x 94.5 = $79,002.00. Both per-credit tuition figures are verbatim from Commonwealth's own Graduate Tuition and Fees page, In-State and Out-of-State 'Physician Associate' accordions. The 94.5 credit count is Source: https://www.commonwealthu.edu/cost-and-aid/graduate-tuition-and-fees (per-credit tuition) and https://www.commonwealthu.edu/academ
Classroom and laboratory instruction follows a modular, systems-based curriculum focused on primary care.
Five-week rotation blocks include core specialties, combined pediatric and women’s health experiences, and two electives.
The 24-month program comprises 51.5 didactic and 43 clinical credits (94.5 total). Current application locations are Lock Haven and Harrisburg; the final Clearfield cohort entered in May 2025 and that location closes in May 2027.
Cohort year and experience averages need verification.
Published class statistics describe the named cohort or population. They are not admission minimums or acceptance probabilities.
Graduate outcomes
See first-time program performance with clearly dated national context.
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A complete dated action history has not been added to this record.
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The U.S. News PA rank uses the 2025 PA edition, matched to the listed program and campus. It reflects peer-assessed reputation, not admissions odds or a personal fit score. Programs without a separate entry are labeled “Unranked.”
Unpublished policies and unverified cohort statistics are left open for confirmation.
