Michigan State University Physician Assistant Program
East Lansing, Michigan · Masters
Tuition + fees $83,403 / $94,013 nonresident
Published full-program estimate
A closer look
A Michigan State PA program combining osteopathic medical education resources, clinical training, and community-focused care.
Mission & approach
To provide a team-based educational program that produces "Day 1" ready PAs and enhances access to medical care for Michigan citizens. The program integrates PA medicine students into a primary-care focused, holistic, evidence-based, student-centered curriculum while nurturing osteopathic principles and collaborative experiences with medical students.
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Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Communication, leadership/grit, community service, academic preparedness, healthcare exposure/PA shadowing, disadvantaged status (first-gen, HPSA/MUA).
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions information2026 PAEA Virtual Admissions Fair
The admissions team reframed shadowing as something bigger than an hours line. Shadowing is reviewed when screening for interviews, but their point was that it is how you learn to describe the PA role in your own words, which then shows up in how you interview. An applicant who genuinely works alongside PAs may need less of it, but the team still encouraged everyone to have some. On service, volunteering is preferred over research, and direct contact with underserved populations was singled out. There is no separate veterans' track, but military medical experience is read as community service within the holistic review. A single prerequisite still in progress is usually not fatal if it is marked properly as in progress, though the file may be held after interview until the grade arrives. Students get one-to-one faculty advising throughout, plus mentorship from the cohort ahead of them.
Shared at the fair on Aug 22, 2026; paraphrased program-level notes. This is a past event, not an upcoming session. Confirm current guidance with the program.
About these fair notes
PAEA Virtual PA Admissions Fair (CareerEco), August 22 2026 - program-level, paraphrased; qualitative only
How this program interviews
Interviews are one-on-one and held virtually over Zoom rather than on campus; candidates are notified of the committee's decision on a rolling basis after interviewing.
Source checked Aug 1, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Program interview informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Prerequisite coursework
Course requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits totalReview 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.
- Chemistry selection: General Chemistry OR Organic Chemistry
- Human anatomy and physiology route: Human Anatomy + Human Physiology OR Combined Anatomy and Physiology coursework
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy Individual credit minimum not stated. More than 50% human anatomy content required if course includes other anatomy content. Combined A&P accepted for both anatomy and physiology if total is at least 6 credits. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
| Human Physiology Individual credit minimum not stated. More than 50% human physiology content required for mixed-content courses. Combined A&P route is at least 6 credits total for both. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
| Combined Anatomy and Physiology coursework Combined A&P courses may fulfill both anatomy and physiology with at least 6 total credits; if combined course credits are below 6, additional human anatomy and/or physiology credits may be added to reach 6. | 6Course requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
Microbiology with labCourse notes & alternativesLab may be a separate course or combined with lecture. Minimum credit amount not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Required | B |
| General Chemistry Alternative: Organic Chemistry; one or the other is required. Credit minimum and lab requirement not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
| Organic Chemistry Alternative to General Chemistry; one or the other is required. Credit minimum and lab requirement not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
BiochemistryCourse notes & alternativesSeparate requirement. Combined Organic/Biochemistry course may qualify if at least 50% of course content is Biochemistry-focused. Credit minimum and lab requirement not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
Developmental PsychologyCourse notes & alternativesIntroductory or Abnormal Psychology does not fulfill this requirement. Course must focus on social, cognitive, and behavioral development across all or part of the lifespan. Credit minimum not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
English Composition or approved writing courseCourse notes & alternativesAP English Composition accepted with proof. Designated writing courses accepted if more than 50% of course is writing. Credit minimum not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternativesStatistics may be taken in any department; AP Statistics accepted with proof. Credit minimum not stated. | Not publishedCourse requirements; individual credit minimums not published, except combined A&P at least 6 credits total | Not specified | B |
Policies that can change your plan
- Credits are not published. Check with the program.
- Confirm prerequisite details for the current cycle with the program.
- Confirm prerequisite details with the program.
- Confirm prerequisite details for the current cycle with the program.
No recency limit is stated for prerequisites. The microbiology lab may be taken separately. AP credit is accepted only for English Composition and Statistics (with proof). You may have outstanding prerequisites when you apply, but all must be complete by December 31 of the application year. A combined organic/biochemistry course may count toward Biochemistry only if at least 50% of it is biochemistry-focused.
Dates & application steps
Multiple cohorts: for the May start, apply by November 1, 2026; for the September start, apply by December 1, 2026.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Published full-program estimatePublished nonresident full-program tuition
Tuition and required fees for the full program are shown separately. Living, travel, insurance, and personal expenses may be additional.
Curriculum & clinical training
Preclinical instruction
Four primarily in-person semesters cover anatomy, pathophysiology, medicine, physical examination, procedures and diagnostics, with interprofessional learning alongside osteopathic medical students.
Clinical education
Seven required core rotations and four elective rotations in medical and surgical areas, followed by competency assessment.
27-month, 108-credit PA Medicine curriculum. Occasional preclinical sessions may be online or asynchronous. The 33-month maximum completion period is not the standard program length.
The admitted class
Published class statistics describe the named cohort or population. They are not admission minimums or acceptance probabilities.
The program’s track record
Graduate outcomes
PANCE pass rates
See first-time program performance with clearly dated national context.
- First-time PANCE pass rate: No graduates yet
First-time program results are not yet available; no graduates have been reported.
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: No graduates yet
Five-year first-time results are not yet available.
Accreditation history
ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- Michigan State University curriculum/program page
- Michigan State University curriculum/program page
- Michigan State University program page
- PA Medicine Admissions FAQ
- Michigan State University program page
- Michigan State University program page
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
About the U.S. News rank
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.”
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