Chapman University Physician Assistant Program
Irvine, California · Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Fees not published
Planning figure · current cohort unconfirmed
A closer look
A 24-month, full-time, year-round MMS PA program at Chapman’s Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine, with 12 didactic months followed by 12 clinical months and nine rotations.
Mission & approach
The Chapman University MMS PA Studies Program’s mission is to provide an exceptional medical education that inspires compassionate and collaborative PAs who enhance access to high-quality patient care.
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Check three basics
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Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Rolling review considers CASPA application, academic performance, GRE sections, two recommendations, direct patient contact and shadowing hours, other experiences, graduate degrees and interview performance. Meeting minima does not guarantee interview or admission.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationHow this program interviews
Selected applicants complete a personal interview; admission decisions use in-person interviews.
Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Admissions & 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.
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
General Biology I & IICourse notes & alternativesBotany and Marine Biology do not qualify; AP biology requires upper-division biology substitutes with labs. | 8semester credits | Required | C |
General Chemistry I & IICourse notes & alternativesOrganic Chemistry alone does not qualify; if only one General Chemistry course is offered, Organic Chemistry with lab may replace General Chemistry II with lab. | 8semester credits | Required | C |
Anatomy & Physiology I & IICourse notes & alternativesEither two combined A&P courses with labs or separate Anatomy with lab and Physiology with lab. | 8semester credits | Required | C |
MicrobiologyCourse notes & alternativesGeneral or Medical Microbiology with lab. | 3.33semester credits | Required | C |
GeneticsCourse notes & alternativesOnly science prerequisite permitted online; no lab required. | 2semester credits | Not required | C |
Medical TerminologyCourse notes & alternativesFor Spring 2027, pass/fail is accepted; beginning the April 2027 application for January 2028, letter grade C or better is required. Certificates and workplace exams do not qualify. | 1semester credits | Not required | C |
English CompositionCourse notes & alternativesComposition or qualifying writing-intensive course; poetry and literature do not qualify. | 2.66semester credits | Not required | C |
General PsychologyCourse notes & alternativesMust be general or introductory; specialty psychology does not qualify. | 2.66semester credits | Not required | C |
Sociology or Cultural AnthropologyCourse notes & alternativesSociology, Cultural Anthropology, Gender Studies, or Ethnic Studies accepted. | 2.66semester credits | Not required | C |
Introduction to StatisticsCourse notes & alternativesTopic-specific statistics such as Biostatistics or Behavioral Sciences Statistics accepted. | 2.66semester credits | Not required | C |
Pre-Calculus or CalculusCourse notes & alternativesCollege Algebra is not accepted. | 2.66semester credits | Not required | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Transfer credit
- Not accepted. Prior PA or medical-school work does not grant advanced placement; complete the full program.
- Deferral
- Not offered. Applicants unable to start must reapply.
- Outside work
- Strongly discouraged. The program does not employ its PA students.
- Clinical sites
- Program arranged. Students may be placed at remote or underserved sites.
No prerequisite expiration. All science courses and grades must be complete at application. Non-science courses may be in progress for Spring 2027 but must finish before matriculation; beginning with the April 2027 application for January 2028, at most one non-science prerequisite may be in progress. Science lectures/labs except Genetics must be in person after December 2021. AP is accepted only for named non-sciences or through upper-division lab substitutions for General Biology/Chemistry. CLEP acceptance is not published. One course or lab cannot satisfy multiple prerequisites.
When courses must be complete: Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university before matriculation; no required major.
Dates & application steps
Spring 2027 cohort.
The Spring 2027 application window is closed. Rolling decisions may continue only for applicants who submitted timely, completed applications.
The cohort begins in January; exact day is not published.
For January 2028 entry, at most one non-science prerequisite may be in progress and Medical Terminology must have letter grade C or better.
Know what the total includes
Planning cost estimate
Planning figure · current cohort unconfirmedPublished PA tuition covers one 2026–27 academic year: Fall 2026 $23,237, Spring 2027 $23,934 and Summer 2027 $23,934 ($71,105 for those three trimesters). The 24-month program spans six trimesters, and tuition changes each year. A full program tuition total is not published. Check with the program. · Planning figure; current entering-cohort price and complete required fees may differ. · Previously recorded
See additional expenses & assumptions
$71,105 is the sum of the three published 2026–27 trimester rates, not a 24-month tuition total, and tuition changes each year. The separate $125,702–$127,182 total covers supplies, housing, transportation, health clearance and related program costs over 24 months; it does not include tuition.
Curriculum & clinical training
12 months
Classroom, laboratory and simulation education.
12 months
Nine rotations at assigned sites, including possible remote or underserved placements.
Full-time, year-round, three trimesters annually. Graduation requires C+ or better in every program course and 3.0 cumulative program GPA.
The admitted class
Incoming Class of 2027
Published class statisticsCompare published cohorts
| Class | Published GPA | Published science-related GPA | Published experience hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incoming Class of 2027 | 3.78 | 3.78 | 3,715 |
Class of 2023: 50 entered, 46 graduated (8% attrition). Class of 2024: 51 entered, 50 graduated (7.84% attrition). Class of 2025: 50 entered, 46 graduated (10% attrition).
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: 98%
March 24, 2026 report: latest Class of 2025 first-time rate 98% among 44 takers; official five-year average 98%. Six listed cohorts cover five graduation years because Classes 2020 and 2021 both have graduation year 2021. Percentages are source-reported; no pass counts are inferred.
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 98%
Graduation & attrition
2025 graduating cohort
Class of 2025: 50 students entered and 46 graduated, a 92% graduation rate. The program counts students who joined the cohort in that rate and reports attrition separately at 10%.
Accreditation history
Continued- September 2016Accreditation-Provisional
ARC-PA granted provisional accreditation with staged class-size approvals of 25, 35 and 50.
- June 2023Report on exceeding approved class size accepted
ARC-PA accepted the report with no further information requested.
ARC-PA Accreditation-Continued; first accredited September 2016, next review September 2030, maximum class size 50.
Sources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- ARC-PA accreditation history
- Incoming cohort data 2026
- NCCPA five-year first-time report dated March 24, 2026
- Chapman PA admission
- Chapman PA FAQ
- Chapman PA home and outcomes
- Program at a Glance
- Rinker 2026-27 cost of attendance allowances
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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