Hawai’i Pacific University Physician Assistant Program
Honolulu, Hawaii · Master of Medical Science
A closer look
Master of Medical Science program with a hybrid didactic phase, focused on preparing PAs for Hawaii communities and underserved populations.
Mission & approach
Educate the next generation of physician assistants by engaging students who are dedicated to advancing health equity and delivering an innovative educational model that reduces barriers for PA learners. We are committed to preparing students to deliver high quality patient-centered care to the Hawaiian island communities and medically underserved populations across the nation.
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Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Holistic MMI; science GPA emphasis; high-acuity PCE; Hawaii resident / HI HS or college grad / disadvantaged-status preference; service to underserved.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationHow this program interviews
HPU invites a select number of candidates to a virtual MMI-format interview based on their application screening scores and ranking.
Source checked Aug 1, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Program interview informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Overall GPA exception pathway
Applicants below 3.0 cumulative GPA may qualify when science GPA exceeds 3.3; confirm current-cycle review with admissions.
Prerequisite coursework
Semester hoursReview 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 pathway: Human Anatomy with lab + Human Physiology with lab OR Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
General or Human Biology pathway with labs2 course(s)Course notes & alternatives8 semester hours total. Acceptable routes: a year of General/Human Biology with labs, OR one semester of General/Human Biology with lab plus one semester of additional lab biology (cell biology, histology, molecular biology, pharmacology, embryology, genetics, immunology, or neuroscience). The two routes do not combine. Check with the program to match your transcript. | 8Semester hours | Required | C |
| Human Anatomy with lab 4 semester hours; detailed course description expects full human body anatomy and excludes a neuroanatomy course as substitute. May be part of an approved combined A&P I/II sequence. | 4Semester hours | Required | C |
| Human Physiology with lab 4 semester hours; course should cover homeostasis, cell structure, cardiac, respiratory, renal, endocrine, digestive, energy, growth, immune, nutrition, and reproductive physiology. May be part of approved combined A&P I/II sequence. | 4Semester hours | Required | C |
| Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs2 course(s) Alternative to individual Human Anatomy and Human Physiology courses: the full two-semester A&P I and II sequence, both with labs. A separate credit total for this route is not published — check with the program. | Not publishedSemester hours | Required | C |
Microbiology with labCourse notes & alternatives4 semester hours, including lab. | 4Semester hours | Required | C |
General Chemistry with lab2 course(s)Course notes & alternatives8 semester hours, including lab. | 8Semester hours | Required | C |
Organic ChemistryCourse notes & alternatives3 semester hours. Lab is not listed as required. | 3Semester hours | Not specified | C |
BiochemistryCourse notes & alternatives3 semester hours. Both Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry are required; if they are a combined course sequence, complete the entire sequence to receive credit for both courses. | 3Semester hours | Not specified | C |
PsychologyCourse notes & alternatives3 semester hours. Introductory or General Psychology preferred; another psychology-specific course with General Psychology as a prerequisite is accepted. | 3Semester hours | Not specified | C |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternatives3 semester hours. | 3Semester hours | Not specified | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Biology route
- 8-credit Biology requirement: either a year-long General/Human Biology lab sequence, or a 4-credit Biology with lab plus a 4-credit additional biology with lab (cell biology, histology, molecular biology, pharmacology, embryology, genetics, immunology, or neuroscience). Check with the program for course matching.
- A&P route
- Separate human Anatomy with lab plus Physiology with lab, or complete two-course combined Human A&P I and II with labs. Neuroanatomy alone is not an accepted substitute for Human Anatomy.
- Organic Chemistry / Biochemistry
- Both are required, not alternatives. If a combined organic chemistry/biochemistry course is used, complete its entire sequence for credit for both.
- Recency
- All science prerequisites within 10 years of application; program director may review a graduate-coursework waiver request case by case.
- International coursework
- International applicants may apply with WES-equivalent bachelor's; all prerequisites must be completed at an accredited U.S. institution or Canadian institution with English as primary language of instruction.
- Cycle deadline
- The August 1 submission and September 1 verification deadlines for the January 2027 cohort have passed; confirm dates for future cycles.
For the January 2027 cohort, the completed CASPA application was due August 1, 2026, and all documents had to be verified by September 1, 2026. Up to two prerequisite courses may be incomplete at application; outstanding courses must be verified by September 1. 500 hours of U.S. direct hands-on patient care are required before applying. Two recommendations are required: at least one from a clinical supervisor and one from a collegiate academic reference. GRE and MCAT are not required. International degrees must be evaluated by WES, and prerequisites must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an English-instruction Canadian institution.
When courses must be complete: For the January 2027 cohort, application submitted by August 1 and CASPA verified by September 1, 2026. Up to two prerequisites may be outstanding at submission; all must be submitted and verified by September 1 to proceed.
Dates & application steps
Prior cycle deadline 2026-08-01 has passed; next cycle date is not published. Confirm with program.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Confirm current cohortConfirm rates for your entering cohort
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Curriculum & clinical training
Hybrid didactic learning
Remote synchronous and asynchronous instruction is combined with periodic one- to two-week hands-on immersions on the downtown Honolulu campus.
Clinical training
Supervised practice covers seven required disciplines—emergency, surgical, internal, behavioral, family, women’s and pediatric medicine—plus an elective.
Final campus immersion
A comprehensive summative evaluation and preparation for professional practice conclude the sequence.
The full-time MMS-PA program is 24 months. The first cohort matriculated January 2025.
The admitted class
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: No graduates yet
First-time program results are not yet available; no graduates have been reported.
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: No graduates yet
Five-year first-time results are not yet available.
Accreditation history
ProvisionalSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- Hawaiʻi Pacific University MMS-PA Admissions — prerequisite requirements and 2026 timeline
- PA School Finder deadline record
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- Hawai’i Pacific University program page
- HPU PA Prerequisite Course Descriptions
- Hawai’i Pacific University curriculum and clinical training
- Program contact 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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