A closer look
A public Arizona PA program based in Phoenix, emphasizing clinical readiness, service, and care for diverse and underserved communities.
Mission & approach
To educate individuals from inclusive backgrounds and lived experiences and graduate PAs who provide high-quality, compassionate medical care to the people of Arizona, with emphasis on primary care and medically underserved/rural communities.
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Check three basics
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Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Interview required; preference to applicants likely to remain in Arizona and to targeted populations (first-generation college, economically/educationally disadvantaged, military veterans, rural backgrounds); U.S. citizen/permanent resident or DACA required
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationAdmissions & 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.
Courses shown as alternatives in the table are not all required. Confirm the accepted route with the program.
- Anatomy and physiology route: Anatomy & Physiology I and II OR Anatomy + Physiology
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
General Biology ICourse notes & alternativesScience-major introductory biology; non-science-major courses excluded. | 3Semester credits | Not required | Not specified |
General Biology IICourse notes & alternativesSecond part of introductory biology for science majors; non-science-major courses excluded. | 3Semester credits | Not required | Not specified |
MicrobiologyCourse notes & alternativesIntroductory, science-major microbiology; lab required. | 3Semester credits | Required | Not specified |
| Anatomy & Physiology I and II2 course(s) Two-part combined human A&P route; 6 semester credits total; lab required for both courses; human-focused preferred. | 6Semester credits | Required | Not specified |
| Anatomy Alternative route: anatomy must cover all body systems; lab required. The credit split for the separate anatomy/physiology route is not stated. | Not publishedSemester credits | Required | Not specified |
| Physiology Alternative route: physiology must cover all body systems; lab required. The credit split for the separate anatomy/physiology route is not stated. | Not publishedSemester credits | Required | Not specified |
Additional science courseworkCourse notes & alternatives12 semester credits from CASPA subjects that count toward science GPA; labs not required. Courses are chosen individually; confirm which count with the program. | 12Semester credits | Not required | Not specified |
General Chemistry ICourse notes & alternativesScience-major introductory general chemistry; lab required. | 3Semester credits | Required | Not specified |
General Chemistry IICourse notes & alternativesSecond part of science-major introductory general chemistry; lab required. | 3Semester credits | Required | Not specified |
Organic Chemistry or BiochemistryCourse notes & alternativesOne introductory organic chemistry OR biochemistry course; lab not required. | 3Semester credits | Not required | Not specified |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternativesAny discipline; calculus does not substitute. | 2Semester credits | Not required | Not specified |
Policies that can change your plan
- Recency
- At least 9 semester credits of science coursework completed within the last five years; no specific courses are named.
- Course standards
- Science-major-level coursework required for biology/chemistry prerequisites; separate A&P route must cover all body systems and include labs.
- Course-by-course review
- Additional-science courses and the separate A&P (anatomy and physiology) route are reviewed course by course.
At least 9 science credits must be completed within the last five years; the program does not say which courses. Check course equivalencies with NAU. C-level grades are accepted, but confirm with admissions how course grades are interpreted.
When courses must be complete: Three recommendation letters and 500 healthcare experience hours are due by September 1, and both the CASPA and NAU applications are due September 1. The program also mentions CASPA verification by October 1, so confirm the exact timing with the program.
Dates & application steps
The prior-cycle deadline of 2026-09-01 has passed; the next deadline is not published.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Published full-program estimatePublished nonresident full-program tuition
Resident tuition plus required fees comes to $94,323. No nonresident total is listed because the published nonresident figures don't add up.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic education
Three semesters combine lectures, small-group activities and practical workshops in medical science, clinical foundations and procedures.
Clinical education
Seven core six-week rotations and one six-week elective take place in Arizona rural/community clinics and hospitals. Campus returns support assessments, research and capstone work.
The Phoenix entry-level PA curriculum spans two years. The clinical year runs continuously without standard semester breaks.
The admitted class
Class of 2025
Published class statisticsStatistics for the class listed above.
Compare published cohorts
| Class | Published GPA | Published science-related GPA | Published experience hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2025 | 3.67 | 3.62 | Not recorded |
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: 91%
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 92%
Accreditation history
ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- Northern Arizona University curriculum and clinical training
- Northern Arizona University published class statistics
- Northern Arizona University program page
- Northern Arizona University program page
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
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.”
How competitive are you for this program?
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