University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Program (School of Health Professions)
Long Beach, Mississippi · Master of Science in Medicine
Tuition + fees $92,800
Published estimated full-program tuition and required fees
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A closer look
Mission & approach
Educates PAs for collaborative, evidence-based care, with particular attention to rural and medically underserved communities.
Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Holistic modified-rolling review w/ MMI. Min 3.0 overall & prereq GPA, 500 DPC hrs, 16 shadow hrs. Preference points: MS residents, USM students/alumni (guaranteed interview), military/veterans, disadvantaged/rural/HPSA & first-gen backgrounds, service/mission commitment, healthcare certs, master's degree, improved re-applicants. No test 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.
- Human anatomy and physiology route: Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs OR Human Anatomy with lab + Human Physiology with lab
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Anatomy & Physiology I and II with labs2 course(s) Human-based only. Alternative to standalone Human Anatomy with lab plus Human Physiology with lab. Each route fulfills the same A&P prerequisite. | 8Semester credits | Required | C |
| Human Anatomy with lab1 course(s) An alternative standalone route, paired with Human Physiology with lab. Minimum credits for this course are not stated. Must be human-based. | Not publishedSemester credits | Required | C |
| Human Physiology with lab1 course(s) An alternative standalone route, paired with Human Anatomy with lab. Minimum credits for this course are not stated. Must be human-based. | Not publishedSemester credits | Required | C |
Biology prerequisite (one approved option)1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesOne course: General Biology, Genetics, Cell/Molecular Biology, Histology, Immunology, Virology, Epidemiology, Biochemistry, or Nutrition with BIO prefix. Three semester credits. Course equivalency may require syllabus review. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
General Chemistry I and II with labs2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesBoth courses required; total 8 semester credits. | 8Semester credits | Required | C |
Organic Chemistry I with lab1 course(s)Course notes & alternatives4 semester credits. | 4Semester credits | Required | C |
Microbiology or Infectious Disease1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesOne 3-credit semester course; lab is not required. Syllabus may be requested to confirm course substitution. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
Statistics (general, behavioral, or biostatistics)1 course(s)Course notes & alternativesBusiness Statistics is not accepted. Online Statistics is allowed. Course equivalency may require syllabus review. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Minimum grade
- C or better; C- or below not accepted.
- Science rigor
- Science (except statistics) should be intended for science/health majors; required labs must match lecture rigor.
- Recency
- No age limit on prerequisites is published on the admissions page — check with the program.
- Outstanding courses
- No more than two outstanding at application.
- Alternatives
- Check whether your biology, microbiology, statistics, and A&P alternatives match the current page and course equivalencies.
These requirements apply to the closed 2026 cycle; USM says updates will be posted before the April 2027 cycle. No age limit on prerequisites is published. Older program documents list a different set of courses; the current admissions page applies. You may have no more than two prerequisites outstanding at application and no more than two courses graded pass/fail/credit.
When courses must be complete: No more than two outstanding prerequisites at application. The 2026 cycle is closed. A definite completion date for outstanding courses is not listed — check with the program.
Dates & application steps
The current cycle is closed, and the next exact deadline hasn't been published.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Published estimated full-program tuition and required fees$90,000 program + $2,800 program · Initial estimate; university may revise amounts
Estimated direct program charges are $92,800: $90,000 tuition plus $2,800 in required fees. The program separately estimates $12,360 in other required education expenses. Living, transportation, and clinical relocation costs are not included.
Curriculum & clinical training
Planned didactic education
In-person medical sciences, patient assessment, clinical skills and research at the Gulf Park campus.
Planned clinical education
Five-week supervised rotations in seven core disciplines and an approved elective; campus callback seminars and a research capstone.
The published curriculum is 29 months and 108 credits at Gulf Park in Long Beach. The first cohort is scheduled to start in January 2027, so this describes planned training.
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
No graduates yet; first graduation expected 2029.
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.
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies program website
- University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies (School of Health Professions) program page
- University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies (School of Health Professions) program page
- University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies (School of Health Professions) curriculum/program program page
- University of Southern Mississippi Physician Assistant Studies program website
- PA School Finder contact record
- Undated USM completion-form PDF with conflicting older course list
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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