Address & Contact

Our Address

One University Place Chester, Pennsylvania 19013

GPS

39.86153, -75.35527

Telephone
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PROGRAM PROFILE

Widener University Physician Assistant Program

Chester, Pennsylvania · Masters

Application deadline Oct 1, 2026Passed · Must be CASPA-verified by this date — submit weeks earlier
Tuition $125,280Same for residents and nonresidents
Tuition + fees $135,531
Published full-program estimate
Class size 56 students
Program length 27 monthsFull program
GRE requirement Not requiredThis is the program's current GRE policy for the 2026–2027 admissions cycle.
Patient-care minimum 500 hoursAt least 500 hours of direct patient or client care are required; at least 40 hours shadowing a PA is recommended.
Overall GPA minimum 3.00Minimum overall GPA 3.0 at application; applications below the cutoff are not reviewed.
Science GPA minimum 3.00Minimum overall science GPA 3.0 at application; applications below the cutoff are not reviewed.
PANCE pass rate No graduates yetFirst-time pass rateFive-year first-time: No graduates yet
U.S. News PA rank Unranked2025 PA edition · Peer-assessed reputationNo published rank for this program in this edition.
THE PROGRAM

A closer look

A Pennsylvania PA program combining medical-science coursework, simulation, and supervised clinical education in the greater Philadelphia region.

On campus27 months56 students

Mission & approach

The MS program 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 MS program will educate highly effective health care 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 health care team.

Academic Center North, home of Widener University graduate health sciences and the Physician Assistant program
Academic Center North, home of Widener University’s Physician Assistant and other graduate health-science programs.
YOUR PROFILE & THIS PROGRAM

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BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Admissions insights

What this program looks for in applicants

Program-developed rubric scoring prerequisite GPA, cumulative undergraduate GPA, undergraduate science GPA, and total PCE hours; applicants placed in three score tiers (Tier 1 95-100, Tier 2 85-94, Tier 3 70-84) and a percentage randomly selected from each tier for interviews. Special consideration for U.S. Armed Services status and affiliated institutions (Widener, Penn State, University of…

Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.

Program admissions information

How this program interviews

Widener's PA program page states that Graduate Admissions randomly selects a portion of applicants from each review tier for interview invitations, which program faculty then conduct, but the page does not specify whether interviews are held virtually or on-campus.

Source checked Aug 1, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.

Program interview information
YOUR STARTING POINT

Admissions & prerequisites

Admission requirements

GRENot RequiredThis is the program's current GRE policy for the 2026–2027 admissions cycle.
Patient care500 hoursAt least 500 hours of direct patient or client care are required; at least 40 hours shadowing a PA is recommended.
Overall GPAMinimum overall GPA 3.0 at application; applications below the cutoff are not reviewed.
Science GPAMinimum overall science GPA 3.0 at application; applications below the cutoff are not reviewed.
Recommendations3 letters · one PAThree recommendations are required, including one from a physician assistant.
International applicantsCheck with the programCASPA must receive official transcripts from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a foreign equivalent. The program does not say whether international applicants are eligible, so check with the program.
English proficiencyConfirm with programThe program does not publish an English-proficiency rule. Check with the program.

Prerequisite coursework

Semester credits unless noted

Review each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.

Choose one complete option in each group

Courses shown as alternatives in the table are not all required. Confirm the accepted route with the program.

  • Medical Terminology: one-credit course or certificate of completion: Medical Terminology credit course OR Medical Terminology certificate of completion
CourseCreditsLabMin grade
General Biology or Zoology with lab3Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
Microbiology3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Anatomy and Physiology with lab
Course notes & alternatives

Completed within five years of attending the MS program.

8Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
General Chemistry with lab4Semester credits unless notedRequiredC
Organic Chemistry4Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
General or Behavioral Psychology3Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Statistics
Course notes & alternatives

1–2 credits.

1Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Medical Terminology credit course

Online accepted.

1Semester credits unless notedNot specifiedC
Medical Terminology certificate of completion

Alternative to a one-credit course.

Not publishedSemester credits unless notedNot specifiedC

Policies that can change your plan

Additional Biology (Genetics, Cell/Molecular Biology, Embryology, Histology, or Immunology) is recommended, not required. Only Anatomy/Physiology has an explicit five-year recency rule. Labs are not specified for Microbiology or Organic Chemistry.

When courses must be complete: Up to three outstanding prerequisites allowed at application; all successfully completed before matriculation.

BUILD YOUR TIMELINE

Dates & application steps

Application deadlineOct 1, 2026 · Passed

Check with the program on whether CASPA must have processed your application by this date.

2026–2027
THE FINANCIAL PICTURE

Know what the total includes

Published cost estimate

Published full-program estimate
Resident tuition$125,280 published full-program tuition
Nonresident tuition$125,280 published full-program tuition

Published nonresident full-program tuition

Required program fees$5,931
Tuition + required feesExcludes living and other expenses
$135,531

Full-program tuition and required fees. Living, travel, insurance, and personal expenses may be additional.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

Curriculum & clinical training

01Duration not stated

Didactic and community learning

A sequential medical curriculum incorporates community service beginning in the first semester at the Chester Community Clinic.

02Duration not stated

Clinical training

Supervised placements follow program clinical policies, with sites and preceptors arranged through program processes.

The Chester program states an average completion time of 27 months. Separate phase lengths are not published — check with the program.

WHO STUDIES HERE

The admitted class

Recorded average GPANot recorded
Recorded science GPANot recorded

Published class statistics describe the named cohort or population. They are not admission minimums or acceptance probabilities.

OUTCOMES & OVERSIGHT

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

Provisional
First accreditedMarch 2024
Next reviewJanuary 2027
CHECK THE EVIDENCE

Sources you can open

Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.

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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