Charleston Southern University 9200 University Boulevard Health Science Building Charleston, SC 29406
32.98817, -80.046
North Charleston, South Carolina · Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies
A full-time, residential, 24-month Christian MMSPAS program using systems-based instruction, simulation, problem-based learning and nine clinical rotations.
To educate compassionate and highly motivated individuals in a Christian environment who excel in providing patient-centered care, practicing as an interprofessional team, serving as leaders in their communities and advancing the PA profession.
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Rolling review may fill seats before September 1. The program uses CASPA-calculated cumulative and science GPAs and invites its most competitive applicants. Required: 3.0 cumulative/science GPA, B or higher in each prerequisite, 1,000 direct PCE hours, and two letters including one qualifying clinician or healthcare supervisor observer. Interviews are primarily in person with limited virtual slots.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationRequired interview. CSU conducts interviews primarily in person and offers a limited number of virtual slots first come, first served; PAEA identifies MMI.
Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Review each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade | Your coursework |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Human Anatomy and Physiology sequenceCourse notes & alternativesSemester hours; no double counting. | 8Semester credits | Required | B | Sign in to plan |
MicrobiologyCourse notes & alternativesSemester hours; no double counting. | 3Semester credits | Required | B | Sign in to plan |
Biology OR GeneticsCourse notes & alternativesEither Biology or Genetics satisfies this single three-credit requirement. | 3Semester credits | Not required | B | Sign in to plan →This requirement needs an individual course review; completion has not been confirmed. |
General ChemistryCourse notes & alternativesSemester hours; no double counting. | 8Semester credits | Not required | B | Sign in to plan |
Organic ChemistryCourse notes & alternativesSemester hours; no double counting. | 4Semester credits | Required | B | Sign in to plan |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternativesSemester hours; no double counting. | 3Semester credits | Not required | B | Sign in to plan |
All prerequisites require B (3.0) or higher and semester hours. Only Anatomy and Physiology expire after seven years; all other prerequisites have no expiration. Biology or Genetics is one alternative three-credit requirement, not two requirements. General Chemistry may consist of any chemistry course. No course may count twice. Online courses and labs are accepted. Pandemic pass grades are accepted only for classes taken January 1, 2020 through September 1, 2022. Survey courses, AP, CLEP, exam credit, competency training, work experience, foreign prerequisites and IB credit do not satisfy prerequisites.
When courses must be complete: Bachelor degree conferred by September 1, 2026. Up to two prerequisites may be in progress; both must finish with B or higher by September 1 and official transcripts must reach CSU by October 1.
Current CSU application page.
For January 2027 entry, CASPA opens April 30 and must be submitted and verified by September 1, 2026. The required $75 CSU supplemental is sent only after CASPA verification and is due September 5, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST. The bachelor degree and any two outstanding prerequisites are due September 1; outstanding-course transcripts must reach CSU by October 1.
11:59 p.m. EST; invitation follows CASPA verification.
A selected candidate forfeits the seat if the transcript is not received.
Published on current CSU admissions page.
Confirm current entering cohort
CSU publishes $16,000 tuition per semester and $48,000 per three-semester year. Across six semesters, tuition is $96,000. Required university-billed fees total $3,750, for $99,750 in direct program cost. The separate estimated indirect allowance is $30,300 per year; using the same annual allowance for two program years gives a $60,600 planning projection and $160,350 when added to direct cost. The two-year figures are arithmetic projections, not separately published CSU totals. Tuition and fees may change; health-insurance cost and travel for a distant rotation remain unpriced.
Each is a full published estimate including tuition and fees above. Do not add the two totals together.
Direct cost uses six semesters across two program years. The $60,600 indirect and $160,350 combined figures multiply the published $30,300 annual indirect allowance by two; CSU does not publish them as fixed two-year totals. Health insurance and off-area clinical travel remain unpriced.
Traditional lectures, occasional flipped classroom, small-group problem-based learning, simulation and practical training.
Family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, women’s health and two electives.
Full-time, residential, year-round program totaling 102 semester credits over six semesters.
| Class | Published GPA | Published science-related GPA | Published experience hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current PAEA matriculants; class year not labeled | 3.90 | 3.89 | Not recorded |
PAEA reports matriculant overall GPA 3.90 and science GPA 3.89, but does not label the matriculating class year.
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.
NCCPA report generated March 13, 2026: first-time 2025 rate 34/35 (97%). The five graduation years 2021–2025 total 160 passes among 168 first-time takers (95.238% derived); CSU separately publishes the rounded five-year first-time taker average as 95%.
Program reporting year not recorded; direct comparison unavailable.
Program reporting period not recorded; direct comparison unavailable.
2025 graduating cohort
Program table reports Class of 2025: 35 entered, 35 graduated, 0% attrition and 100% graduation. Class of 2024: 37 entered, 35 graduated, source rate 5.4%. Class of 2023: 35 entered, 33 graduated, source rate 5.7%.
Approved for 25 students in the first class, 30 in the second and 35 in the third.
Continued accreditation; approved maximum class size 35.
Credits changed from 99 to 102 effective November 1, 2025; no further information requested.
ARC-PA accepted the required report with no further information requested.
ARC-PA Accreditation-Continued. First accredited September 2017; next review April 2032; maximum class size 35. ARC-PA accepted January 2026 and September 2023 exceeding-class-size reports with no further information requested.
Follow the source for the policy or cohort you are reviewing. A check date is separate from the year a figure describes.
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.
