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Address & Contact

Our Address

118 College Drive #5095 Hattiesburg, MS

GPS

30.36408, -89.15536

Telephone

6012666846

Email

-

Web

Provisionally Accredited — Inaugural Class Enrolling

The University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies program (School of Health Professions) was granted Accreditation-Provisional by the ARC-PA on July 18, 2026. Accreditation-Provisional is the status granted to a new program that has not yet enrolled students or has not yet had a class graduate; it does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status.

Applying: the inaugural January 2027 cohort does not apply through CASPA. USM uses REDCap plus the university’s Slate graduate application, and the program states it plans to join CASPA in April 2027 for the January 2028 cohort. All materials — including transcripts and recommendation letters — must be received by August 31, 2026.

What this means for applicants: the program is accredited and enrolling, but it has no graduates and therefore no PANCE pass rate or attrition data yet. USM’s own website may still describe accreditation as pending — that page predates the July 2026 decision. Confirm the deadline and requirements directly with the program before applying.

PA PROGRAM AT A GLANCE

  • Accredited Status: Provisional Accreditation
  • Campus Location: Long Beach, Mississippi (Gulf Park campus — not the Hattiesburg main campus)
  • Degrees Offered: Masters (Master of Science in Medicine)
  • Class Start Month: January
  • Class Duration: 29 months
  • Class Capacity: 30
  • Seat Deposit: See Program Website
  • International Students: See Program Website
  • TOEFL: Check program website

TUITION

  • Resident tuition: $90,000 (excludes program fees)
  • Nonresident tuition: $90,000 (excludes program fees)
  • The program publishes its cost estimates as images rather than text, and notes they are “initial estimates … subject to change.” We do not publish a figure we cannot verify.

PANCE PASS RATE

  • First-time PANCE pass rate: No graduates yet
  • Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: No graduates yet

APPLICATION INFORMATION

  • CASPA Participant: Not a CASPA Participant — the inaugural cohort applies via REDCap + the USM Slate graduate application
  • Application Deadline: August 31, 2026 (all materials received)
  • Supplemental Application: See Program Website

GPA

  • Overall GPA: 3.0
  • Science GPA: 3.0
  • Prereq GPA: 3.00
  • Average Applicant GPA Accepted:
    • Overall: See Program Website
    • Science: See Program Website

EXPERIENCE

  • Required Experience Hours (PCE/HCE): 500 hours minimum Direct Patient Care, paid or unpaid (volunteer). All hours must be complete at the time of application.

SHADOWING

EVALUATIONS

GRE

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