University of Pittsburgh Physician Assistant Program
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Master of Science
Tuition + fees $108,808 / $131,537 nonresident
Program estimate based on 2024-25 rates
A closer look
The mission of the Physician Assistant Studies Program is to develop highly qualified Physician Assistants who will serve as collaborative leaders in patient care, professional service and advocacy for all populations.
Mission & approach
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What this program looks for in applicants
Objective: overall GPA, prereq science GPA, prereq completion, PCE duration/level, graduate degree. Preference (non-academic): mission match, service in community orgs/free clinics, serving disadvantaged communities, resource-limited/HPSA upbringing, perseverance, caregiving, first-generation, military/veteran, multilingual. No in-state preference.
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions informationHow this program interviews
Interviews are virtual, held in September with decisions in October, and combine several individual mini-interviews with one group exercise — each conducted by a faculty or community member alongside a current Pitt PA student. Pitt publishes its actual rubric: the individual interviews score adaptability and stress management, conflict management, technical and professional knowledge, and approach to professional challenges; the group exercise scores active and empathetic listening, critical thinking, leadership and collaboration, inclusivity and cultural humility, and ethics and professionalism. Interview scores are combined with the pre-interview CASPA screening into a composite ranking.
Source checked Jul 26, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Program interview informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Prerequisite coursework
Courses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum.Review 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 with lab + Physiology OR Anatomy and Physiology combined, term 1 + Anatomy and Physiology combined, term 2
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
Science-major Biology with lab2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo semesters of science-major biology with lab. Examples include Biology I and II or equivalent sequences; course content should include human-focused living systems, metabolism, genetics, evolution, and ecology. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Required | C |
Science-major Chemistry with lab2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo semesters of science-major chemistry with lab (General Chemistry I and II, Principles of Chemistry I and II, or Foundations of Chemistry I and II). | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Required | C |
Microbiology with labCourse notes & alternativesOne semester; lab required. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Required | C |
| Anatomy with lab One route: one semester of Anatomy with lab, paired with one semester of Physiology. The anatomy course must cover human anatomy; comparative, mammalian and vertebrate anatomy do not qualify. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Required | C |
| Physiology Paired with Anatomy with lab in the one-semester route. Physiology must cover human homeostasis, growth, nutrition, reproduction and immune function. The program does not say a separate lab is required in this route. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Not specified | C |
| Anatomy and Physiology combined, term 1 Alternative route: two semesters of combined Anatomy & Physiology, with lab in each semester. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Required | C |
| Anatomy and Physiology combined, term 2 Alternative route: two semesters of combined Anatomy & Physiology, with lab in each semester. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Required | C |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternativesOne semester; accepted examples include General Statistics, Biostatistics, Research Methods, Quantitative Methods, and Applied Statistics. Course content should include probability, distributions, confidence intervals, group comparisons, regression, ANOVA, and chi-square. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Not specified | C |
Medical TerminologyCourse notes & alternativesOne semester, at least 1 college credit, on an academic transcript. Certificate courses do not qualify. | 1Courses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Not specified | C |
English Composition/Writing2 course(s)Course notes & alternativesTwo semesters. Writing-intensive courses in any subject may count if graded writing assignments are a significant part of the course and it is taken for academic credit on a transcript. Certificate courses are not accepted. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Not specified | C |
PsychologyCourse notes & alternativesOne semester; acceptable examples include Introductory, General, Developmental, or Abnormal Psychology. | Not publishedCourses are listed by number of semesters. Only Medical Terminology has a published credit minimum. | Not specified | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Minimum grade
- C
- Course age
- C or higher. Prerequisites do not expire.
- AP and dual-enrollment credit
- AP and dual-enrollment credit are accepted for prerequisites when they appear on a college transcript. CLEP credit is not mentioned, so check with the program.
- Course age
- No prerequisite expiration date.
- A&P routes
- Either Anatomy with lab plus Physiology, or two semesters of combined A&P with a lab each semester.
- Credits
- Requirements are given as numbers of semesters, with no credit minimums except at least 1 college credit in Medical Terminology.
Minimum grade is C or higher, and minimum overall and prerequisite-science GPAs are 3.0. Prerequisites do not expire. AP and dual-enrollment credit are accepted when documented on a college transcript. Courses and labs must be from accredited institutions, online included. Science prerequisites and course content must meet the current April 2026 rubric; higher-level sciences do not replace the named subject areas.
Dates & application steps
Exact date not yet published
Exact entering date not yet published.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Program estimate based on 2024-25 ratesPlanning estimate only. The program has not yet published the rate for the entering cohort.
Tuition is $98,580 for residents and $121,309 for nonresidents over six terms (2024-25 rates). Required university and PA program fees add $10,228, for $108,808 (resident) and $131,537 (nonresident) total. Rates for your cohort may differ.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic education
Three terms combine lectures, case-based activities and hands-on skills laboratories, including anatomy, ultrasound and telemedicine.
Clinical education
Eight supervised experiences across seven core specialties and electives, with transition-to-practice instruction and summative assessment.
Two-year, six-term on-campus program totaling 82 credits.
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: 93%
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 87%
Accreditation history
ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- Pitt PAS On-Campus current admissions requirements
- University of Pittsburgh program page 2
- University of Pittsburgh curriculum/program program page
- University of Pittsburgh program page 3
- Pitt PA prerequisite rubric, updated April 30 2026
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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