University of Kentucky – Morehead Physician Assistant Program
Morehead, Kentucky · Masters
Tuition + fees $62,050 / $116,706 nonresident
Projected full-program tuition and required fees at 2026–27 rates
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A closer look
A 29-month Morehead distant-campus PA program with 16 students, required direct hands-on healthcare experience without a numeric minimum, and a 2.75 institutional undergraduate GPA minimum.
Mission & approach
To improve the health and well-being of the people in the Commonwealth of Kentucky by graduating competent and compassionate physician assistants who will become transformative leaders in their practices and communities.
Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Holistic admissions: the program states that academic success as well as personal attributes and experiences are considered. Reviewed factors include institutional undergraduate GPA (2.75 minimum), science GPA, and prerequisite performance. Patient-contact experience is required but the program sets no minimum hour count. No standardized admissions exam is required (no GRE, PA-CAT or MCAT); BLS certification is required by matriculation. The program states it values academic excellence, leadership, lifelong learning, ethical and professional behavior, and respect for varied perspectives and experiences. The Morehead campus exists specifically to prepare practitioners for rural and medically underserved Kentucky communities. Not rolling — a fixed annual deadline applies.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationHow this program interviews
Interviews for the UK PA program are conducted online through Zoom, generally during the first or second week of August, by UKPAS faculty, guest PAs, physicians, community leaders, and UK administrators. Accepted applicants are later invited to an in-person "Blue Carpet" event to visit campus before paying their seat fee.
Source checked Aug 1, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Program interview informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Prerequisite coursework
Semester creditsReview 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.
- Anatomy and physiology route: Human Anatomy + Human Physiology OR Anatomy & Physiology I and II
- Social science route: Sociology OR Anthropology
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
General Chemistry I and II with labs2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesEach semester course must be at least 3 credits, and it must meet the University of Kentucky's transfer-equivalency course requirement. | 6Semester credits | Required | C |
Organic Chemistry with lab1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 3 semester credits. | 3Semester credits | Required | C |
| Human Anatomy1 course(s) At least 3 semester credits. Pair it only with a standalone Human Physiology course, not A&P II. A lab is not specified in the program's table. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
| Human Physiology1 course(s) At least 3 semester credits. Pair it only with a standalone Human Anatomy course, not A&P I. A lab is not specified in the program's table. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
| Anatomy & Physiology I and II2 course(s) Alternative to standalone Anatomy plus Physiology. Each A&P course is 4 semester credits. The program's table does not specify a lab requirement. | 8Semester credits | Not specified | C |
General Biology with lab1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 3 semester credits. | 3Semester credits | Required | C |
Microbiology with lab1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 3 semester credits. | 3Semester credits | Required | C |
Statistics1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 3 semester credits; no lab requirement stated. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
Psychology1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 3 semester credits; separate from the required developmental psychology course. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
Developmental Psychology, child through adult lifespan1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 3 semester credits. Abnormal psychology or another psychology course is not accepted; must cover full lifespan. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
| Sociology1 course(s) One of the Sociology or Anthropology options. Check with the program to confirm how this course counts. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
| Anthropology1 course(s) An alternative to Sociology. Check with the program to confirm how this course counts. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
Medical Terminology1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesAt least 1 semester credit. | 1Semester credits | Not specified | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Minimum grade
- C or higher. Letter grades are required, with an exception for Spring 2020 (COVID).
- Course age
- No expiration.
- Completion timing
- Applicants may apply with up to two prerequisite courses still outstanding, as long as they finish them by August of the application year. The 2027-28 cycle opens in late April 2027 and closes July 15, 2027.
Morehead is the University of Kentucky PA program's rural campus and uses the same central admissions checklist as Lexington. Course equivalency is determined through the UK transfer database or syllabus review. Prerequisites do not expire.
When courses must be complete: You may apply with up to two prerequisite courses outstanding if you complete them by August of the year you apply. The 2027-28 application opens in late April 2027 and closes July 15, 2027.
Dates & application steps
The July 15, 2026 deadline for January 2027 entry has passed. The next cycle opens in late April 2027 and closes July 15, 2027.
This is the expected start of the entering class.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Projected full-program tuition and required fees at 2026–27 rates$78,906 program + $15,253 program + $15,677 program + $4,360 program + $2,510 program · Based on current university rates and the 95-credit curriculum; future terms may change.
Projected full-program tuition and required fees are $62,049.50 for residents and $116,706 for nonresidents. The estimate uses the current 95-credit curriculum, a 3-credit Summer II clinical continuation from the program's prior cost sheet, and 2026–27 Health Professional rates. It includes the published distance charge, two background/drug screens, medical equipment, and clinical technology. It excludes books, parking, clinical travel and living costs, professional expenses that may not apply to everyone, PANCE/licensure estimates, and the seat deposit (which is credited toward tuition). Future rates may change.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic education
A lockstep course sequence uses synchronous lectures across Lexington and Morehead with local in-person laboratories.
Clinical education
Faculty-coordinated supervised practice follows the didactic sequence.
The UK program spans 29 months with a spring start. Students complete the curriculum at their accepted campus; clinical sites undergo formal program review.
The admitted class
Combined Lexington/Morehead cohort beginning January 2026
Published class statisticsThe date is when the cohort began, not its graduation year. These figures cover one combined Lexington and Morehead cohort, not each campus separately.
Compare published cohorts
| Class | Published GPA | Published science-related GPA | Published experience hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Combined Lexington/Morehead cohort beginning January 2026 | 3.80 | 3.74 | Not recorded |
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: 73%
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 86%
Accreditation history
ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- Program program page
- Program program page
- Program program page
- UKPA Admissions Criteria (shared Lexington/Morehead requirements)
- Program program page
- Program program page
- University of Kentucky – Morehead curriculum and clinical training
- Program program page
- Program program page
- PAEA Morehead program directory (secondary; discrepancy noted)
- Program program page
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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