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Address & Contact

Our Address

Office of AdmissionPhysician Assistant Program3200 Grand AvenueDes Moines, IA 50312

GPS

41.584459991835, -93.662159613781

Telephone

(515) 271-1603

Email

[email protected]

Web

Email PA Program
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PROGRAM PROFILE

Des Moines University Physician Assistant Program

West Des Moines, Iowa · Masters

Continued accreditation ↗On Campus ↗26 months ↗
Save schoolCompareProgram website
Application deadline Mar 1, 2027Submitted
Tuition Resident: Approximately $110,460 projected full-program tuitionNonresident: Approximately $110,460 projected full-program tuition · Current published schedule; future rates can change. Excludes listed fees and living costs.
Class size 65 studentsProgram cohort size
Program length 26 monthsFull program
GRE requirement Not requiredApplicants may submit GRE scores, but they are optional.
Patient-care minimum 750 hoursAt least 750 hours of hands-on direct patient care in medical office, hospital or extended-care setting; a completion plan may accompany application if not yet finished. PA shadowing required without published hour floor.
Overall GPA minimum 2.80Cumulative GPA minimum; no separate science GPA floor in current PA catalog.
Science GPA minimum No published minimumNo GPA cutoff stated in the published policy.
Recommendations 2 letters requiredTwo CASPA letters; evaluator categories are not specified on current admissions page.
International applicants Not publishedCurrent PA catalog requires a U.S. regionally accredited bachelor’s degree, but does not publish a categorical citizenship/visa rule. Confirm with program.
English proficiency / TOEFL Confirm with programNo PA-specific TOEFL or IELTS requirement/threshold published on reviewed current pages.
PANCE pass rate 98%First-time pass rate · Reporting year not recordedFive-year first-time: 98% · reporting period not recorded
U.S. News PA rank #48 (tie)2025 PA edition · Peer-assessed reputation
THE PROGRAM

A closer look

Current, source-bound PA admissions requirements and program facts.

Mission & approach

To develop highly competent and compassionate physician assistants who are committed to patient-centered care.

Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences campus
Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences' current campus in West Des Moines.
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BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Admissions insights

What this program looks for in applicants

Interview-candidate selection based on academic potential, healthcare experience, letters of recommendation, and personal statement. Interview is competency-based: an asynchronous assessment plus a synchronous virtual group or in-person experience. Military patient-care experience (combat medic, etc.) is especially competitive. PA shadowing required and typically expected before applying. No advanced standing.

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

Program admissions information
YOUR STARTING POINT

Admissions & prerequisites

Admission requirements

GRENot requiredApplicants may submit GRE scores, but they are optional.
Patient care750 hoursAt least 750 hours of hands-on direct patient care in medical office, hospital or extended-care setting; a completion plan may accompany application if not yet finished. PA shadowing required without published hour floor.
Overall GPA2.8Cumulative GPA minimum; no separate science GPA floor in current PA catalog.
Science GPANo published minimumA 3.4 science GPA is a guaranteed-interview partnership criterion, not a general applicant minimum.
Recommendations2 letters requiredTwo CASPA letters; evaluator categories are not specified on current admissions page.
International applicantsConfirm with programCurrent PA catalog requires a U.S. regionally accredited bachelor’s degree, but does not publish a categorical citizenship/visa rule.
English proficiencyConfirm with programNo PA-specific TOEFL or IELTS requirement/threshold published on reviewed current pages.

Prerequisite coursework

Semester hours by subject total

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.

  • Statistics option: Statistics OR Biostatistics
CourseCreditsLabMin gradeYour coursework
Human Anatomy1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 16 biology semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Physiology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 16 biology semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Microbiology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 16 biology semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Genetics1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 16 biology semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Inorganic Chemistry1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 15 chemistry semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Organic Chemistry1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 15 chemistry semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Biochemistry1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One semester; lab required when available. Counts within 15 chemistry semester hours; no individual course-credit minimum published.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Psychology course other than Abnormal Psychology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

At least six psychology semester hours total including Abnormal Psychology; other course identity and individual credit minimum not specified.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Abnormal Psychology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

Required within six psychology semester hours total.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Statistics1 course(s)

One course; Biostatistics is an accepted alternative.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
Biostatistics1 course(s)

Alternative to Statistics; one course.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan →This requirement needs an individual course review; completion has not been confirmed.
Medical Terminology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course.

Not publishedSemester hours by subject totalNot specifiedCSign in to plan
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Policies that can change your plan

Course credits
16 biology hours with Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Genetics; 15 chemistry hours with Inorganic, Organic, Biochemistry; 6 psychology hours including Abnormal Psychology; one Statistics/Biostatistics and one Medical Terminology course.
Labs and recency
Biology and chemistry labs required when available. Completion within five years is highly recommended, not required.
Application eligibility
Bachelor’s degree and prerequisites from regionally accredited U.S. institutions. No separate science GPA minimum is published.
International and English policy
Current PA pages do not publish a categorical citizenship/visa exclusion or TOEFL threshold. U.S. degree and transcript requirements apply; confirm individual eligibility and English-test rules with Admissions.
Aggregate credit thresholds
16 biology, 15 chemistry, and 6 psychology semester hours; the program does not assign four credits to each named course.
Labs
Required when available for biology and chemistry courses; availability needs transcript review.
Recency
Biology/chemistry within five years is highly recommended, not a hard expiration.
Credit and grade
C or better; regionally accredited U.S. institution; AP, CLEP and pass/fail not accepted except potential COVID pass/fail special consideration.
Current official PA prerequisite requirements Current 2026–27 catalog · Checked 2026-09-24
BUILD YOUR TIMELINE

Dates & application steps

Application deadlineMar 1, 2027

Submitted by deadline

2026–2027
Save a school & planMonth-only dates stay month-only.
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THE FINANCIAL PICTURE

Know what the total includes

Projected cost estimate

Estimated full-program tuition from published 2026–27 MSPAS schedule
Resident tuitionApproximately $110,460 projected full-program tuition
Nonresident tuitionApproximately $110,460 projected full-program tuition

$110,460 documented program schedule · Current published schedule; future rates can change. Excludes listed fees and living costs.

Required program fees$160
Projected tuition + required feesCurrent-rate estimate; living and other expenses excluded
$110,620

Basis: $110,460 documented program schedule · current-rate projection · high confidence

DMU’s 2026–27 MSPAS table lists $55,230 first-year, $44,184 second-year, and $11,046 third-year tuition, totaling $110,460. DMU calls this estimated and warns rates can change. Listed first-year AAPA/IPAS/background fees total $160; insurance, living, books and transportation are additional.

See additional expenses & assumptions
Year-one tuition$55,230
Year-two tuition$44,184
Year-three tuition$11,046
Program tuition at published schedule$110,460
Listed AAPA, IPAS and background fees$160

Confirm insurance, deposit treatment, and personal expense assumptions with the program.

Plan for the application, too.

Keep application fees separate from the cost of attending.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

Curriculum & clinical training

0114 months

Didactic study

Basic and clinical sciences, reasoning, pharmacotherapeutics, ethics, health systems, and wellness are supported by simulation and interprofessional learning.

0212 months

Clinical coursework

Clinical training includes 44 weeks of supervised experiences and a capstone project that may address community outreach or local care needs.

The MSPAS program lasts 26 months. The reviewed program page does not provide a complete specialty rotation list.

Des Moines University official curriculum Current linked official program structure checked September 26, 2026 · Checked 2026-09-26
WHO STUDIES HERE

The admitted class

Recorded average GPANot recorded
Recorded science GPANot recorded

Cohort year and experience averages need verification.

Class averages describe an admitted cohort. They are not 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: 98%

Program reporting year not recorded; direct comparison unavailable.

  • Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 98%

Program reporting period not recorded; direct comparison unavailable.

Accreditation history

Continued
First accreditedApril 1983
Next reviewOctober 2035

A complete dated action history has not been added to this record.

ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory Directory as retrieved 2026-09-26; scheduled review dates are provisional timing and may change · Checked 2026-09-26
CHECK THE EVIDENCE

Sources you can open

Follow the source for the policy or cohort you are reviewing. A check date is separate from the year a figure describes.

Rankings & information still to verify

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.

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PA School Finder × PA Life Applicant ToolkitOne program record. One application plan.