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Address & Contact

Our Address

Desales University Physician Assistant Program 2755 Station Avenue Center Valley, PA 18034

GPS

40.5370577, -75.3789675

Telephone

610-282-1100 x1415

Email

[email protected]

Web

Email PA Program
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PROGRAM PROFILE

DeSales University Physician Assistant Program

Center Valley, Pennsylvania · Masters

Continued accreditation ↗On Campus ↗24 months ↗
Save schoolCompareProgram website
Application deadline Dec 1, 2026Verified by deadline
Tuition Resident: Approximately $102,900 projected full-program tuitionNonresident: Approximately $102,900 projected full-program tuition · Future semester rates may change
Class size 47 studentsPAEA program-supplied estimate for the August 2027 incoming class, not an approved maximum or actual enrolled count. DeSales anticipates 45–50 graduate students.
Program length 24 monthsFull program
GRE requirement One of PA-CAT, GRE, or MCAT requiredSubmit one of PA-CAT, GRE, or MCAT by December 1. The school says applicants should achieve PA-CAT 483, GRE 290, or MCAT 491; these are published targets, not stated hard cutoffs. GRE code 0540.
Patient-care minimum 500 U.S. direct patient-care hours before matriculation; 250 recommended by application; up to 50 virtual shadowing hours may countAt least 500 U.S.-completed direct patient-care hours are required before late-August matriculation. The school recommends 250 by CASPA submission. Paid, volunteer, or shadowing experience may count; no more than 50 virtual-shadowing hours are accepted with CASPA contact information.
Overall GPA minimum 3.00CASPA-verified cumulative overall GPA of at least 3.0.
Science GPA minimum 3.00CASPA-verified cumulative science GPA of at least 3.0.
Recommendations 3–5 lettersSubmit at least three and at most five letters. Instructors, academic advisors, and supervisors are appropriate; avoid brief shadowing-only contacts, relatives, and friends.
International applicants AcceptedPAEA's program-supplied profile says international applicants are accepted. DeSales directs applicants with foreign degrees/coursework to CASPA transcript evaluation and has a conditional TOEFL rule; confirm individual visa and degree eligibility.
English proficiency / TOEFL ConditionalTOEFL 90. Applicants from a country where English is not the primary language must submit TOEFL with a minimum overall score of 90. No PA-specific alternate exam or score-age rule is published on the reviewed program pages.
PANCE pass rate 96%First-time pass rate · Reporting year not recordedFive-year first-time: 97% · reporting period not recorded
U.S. News PA rank #26 (tie)2025 PA edition · Peer-assessed reputation
THE PROGRAM

A closer look

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

Mission & approach

DeSales is a Catholic, Salesian university that energizes transformative learning through the liberal arts and professional studies. Fostering dynamic relationships and moral, spiritual, and intellectual virtues, we grow as a community to stand for and with others to advance their dignity and serve the common good.

DeSales University Gambet Center, home of the Physician Assistant program
DeSales University Gambet Center for Business and Healthcare, home of the Physician Assistant program.
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BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Admissions insights

What this program looks for in applicants

Requires bachelor's from regionally accredited institution, CASPA-verified cumulative and science GPA >=3.0, and one of PA-CAT, GRE, or MCAT (published score targets of 483, 290, and 491 respectively; these are not stated hard cutoffs) by Dec 1. Min 500 hours direct patient care (paid, volunteer, or shadowing). Ten prerequisite courses (>=3 credits each) completed with grade 2.0+ before matriculation. Competitive matriculant profile (5-cycle avg): 3.79 cGPA, 3.75 science GPA, ~2,165 patient-care hours, ~916 service/volunteer hours, GRE ~309.

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

Program admissions information
YOUR STARTING POINT

Admissions & prerequisites

Admission requirements

GREOne of PA-CAT, GRE, or MCAT requiredSubmit one of PA-CAT, GRE, or MCAT by December 1. The school says applicants should achieve PA-CAT 483, GRE 290, or MCAT 491; these are published targets, not stated hard cutoffs. GRE code 0540.
Patient care500 U.S. direct patient-care hours before matriculationAt least 500 U.S.-completed direct patient-care hours are required before late-August matriculation. The school recommends 250 by CASPA submission. Paid, volunteer, or shadowing experience may count; no more than 50 virtual-shadowing hours are accepted with CASPA contact information.
Overall GPA3.0 minimum cumulative GPACASPA-verified cumulative overall GPA of at least 3.0.
Science GPA3.0 minimum science GPACASPA-verified cumulative science GPA of at least 3.0.
Recommendations3–5 lettersSubmit at least three and at most five letters. Instructors, academic advisors, and supervisors are appropriate; avoid brief shadowing-only contacts, relatives, and friends.
International applicantsYes, with conditionsPAEA's program-supplied profile says international applicants are accepted. DeSales directs applicants with foreign degrees/coursework to CASPA transcript evaluation and has a conditional TOEFL rule; confirm individual visa and degree eligibility.
English proficiencyConditional TOEFL 90Applicants from a country where English is not the primary language must submit TOEFL with a minimum overall score of 90. No PA-specific alternate exam or score-age rule is published on the reviewed program pages.

Prerequisite coursework

Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.

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

CourseCreditsLabMin gradeYour coursework
English Composition I and II2 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

Two courses, each at least 3 credits. Writing-intensive substitution applies when English Composition was not required in applicant’s curriculum. The current page says AP courses satisfy the requirement in this context; do not generalize AP acceptance to other prerequisites.

6Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
General Psychology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course, minimum 3 credits.

3Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
Statistics1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course, minimum 3 credits.

3Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
General Biology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course, minimum 3 credits; no lab requirement stated.

3Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
General Chemistry1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course, minimum 3 credits; no lab requirement stated.

3Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
Organic Chemistry1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course, minimum 3 credits; no lab requirement stated.

3Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
Microbiology1 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

One course, minimum 3 credits. One of the three courses specified as within five years of application.

3Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II2 course(s)
Course notes & alternatives

Main admissions page lists two courses, each at least 3 credits. Both are within five years of application. Lab requirement is not stated.

6Credits; admissions page says each course has minimum 3 credits; semester/quarter equivalency is not specified on the cited page.Not specifiedNot specifiedSign in to plan
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Policies that can change your plan

Minimum grade
At least 2.0 in each prerequisite; source does not specify a letter-grade equivalent.
Course recency
Microbiology and Human A&P I/II within five years of applying; active medical work may support an exception.
Labs
A science lab is recommended for newly taken courses, not stated as a universal requirement.
A&P alternative
An undated official PDF lists separate Anatomy plus Physiology; current admission page lists A&P I/II. Confirm the separate route with DeSales before relying on it.

CASPA verification due December 1; no more than two prerequisites may remain after the deadline and all must be complete before matriculation. The current admissions page does not state lab requirements. An undated official policy PDF also describes separate Human Anatomy plus Human Physiology; confirm whether that alternative remains accepted before relying on it. The 2.0 threshold is kept in the summary because the reviewed source does not explicitly equate it with a letter grade. Current MSPAS FAQ recommends a lab when enrolling in a new science course, but says an already completed science course does not need to be retaken for a lab.

When courses must be complete: CASPA application verified by December 1; at most two prerequisite courses may remain after that deadline. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a grade of at least 2.0 before matriculation.

DeSales University MSPAS graduate admissions requirements Current published ten-course prerequisite list and recency policy · Checked 2026-09-24
BUILD YOUR TIMELINE

Dates & application steps

Application deadlineDec 1, 2026

CASPA application verified by December 1; no supplemental application

2026–2027
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THE FINANCIAL PICTURE

Know what the total includes

Published cost estimate

2026–27 published semester rate; six-semester estimate
Resident tuitionApproximately $102,900 projected full-program tuition
Nonresident tuitionApproximately $102,900 projected full-program tuition

$17,150 semester × 6 documented semesters · Future semester rates may change

Required program fees$7,500
Tuition + required feesExcludes living and other expenses
$110,400

Basis: $17,150 semester × 6 documented semesters · rate-based projection · high confidence

$102,900 full-program tuition is six semesters at the published 2026–27 $17,150 semester rate, subject to later rate changes. $7,500 in professional fees is separately published; $110,400 is tuition plus professional fees. The school's broader $167,380 estimate includes housing/transportation and other costs.

Plan for the application, too.

Keep application fees separate from the cost of attending.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

Curriculum & clinical training

01Year 1

Didactic study

Clinical medicine, pathophysiology, and pharmacology are integrated with anatomy, clinical skills, diagnostic methods, and early professional experiences.

02Clinical year

Supervised practice

Nine five-week rotations include emergency care, two family medicine experiences, internal medicine, women’s health, pediatrics, psychiatry, surgery, and an elective.

The full-time, in-person program lasts 24 months and requires 99 credits. The program arranges rotations within 60 miles of campus; students are not required to obtain sites or preceptors.

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

The admitted class

Last five admission cycles; specific cycle years not stated

Published class averages
Overall GPA3.79
Science GPA3.75
Patient-care hours2,165

Published pooled matriculant averages; do not label as a single entering class or assign cycle years.

Compare published cohorts
ClassOverall GPAScience GPAPCE hours
Last five admission cycles; specific cycle years not stated3.793.752,165

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: 96%

Program reporting year not recorded; direct comparison unavailable.

  • Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 97%

Program reporting period not recorded; direct comparison unavailable.

Accreditation history

Continued
First accreditedApril 1997
Next reviewJuly 2027

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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