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Address & Contact

Our Address

Physician Assistant Program414 East Clark Street, Julian 120 Vermillion SD

GPS

42.78858138764793, -96.92591276880023

Telephone

605-658-5926

Email

[email protected]

Web

Email PA Program
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PROGRAM PROFILE

University of South Dakota Physician Assistant Program

Vermillion, South Dakota · Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

Continued accreditation ↓On campus ↓24 months ↓
Save schoolCheck my fitSee where you're competitive — Match AIProgram website
Application deadline Confirm current cycleCheck with the program for its current application deadline.
Tuition Resident $37,274Nonresident $92,884
Tuition + fees $53,169 / $108,779 nonresident
Estimate for the full 104-credit program, based on Summer 2025 rates
Class size 25 studentsCurrent entering-class size.
Program length 24 monthsFull program
GRE requirement Not requiredUSD does not require a standardized admissions test.
Patient-care minimum 500 direct-care hoursAt least 500 hours of paid or volunteer direct patient care are required. Virtual care and virtual shadowing are not accepted; PA shadowing is recommended but not required.
Overall GPA minimum 3.00Minimum cumulative GPA is 3.00.
Science GPA minimum No separate cutoffUSD does not publish a separate science-GPA minimum. A reported average for enrolled students is not an admissions cutoff.
PANCE pass rate 96%First-time pass rateFive-year first-time: 90%
U.S. News PA rank #48 (tie)2025 PA edition · Peer-assessed reputation
THE PROGRAM

A closer look

The Physician Assistant (PA) Studies Program provides a comprehensive primary care education that prepares graduates to deliver high-quality health care to meet the needs of patients in South Dakota and the surrounding region.

24-month programNot required500 direct-care hours

Mission & approach

Read the program’s mission on its website

University of South Dakota Center for Health Education, home of the Physician Assistant program
University of South Dakota Center for Health Education in Vermillion, home of the Physician Assistant program.
YOUR PROFILE & THIS PROGRAM

Check my fit with this school

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Check three basics

Enter any GPA or patient care hours you know. We’ll compare them with this school’s published numbers. This is a starting point, not an eligibility decision.

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BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Admissions insights

What this program looks for in applicants

Holistic: academic potential, potential for primary-care practice, motivation/maturity/teamwork, healthcare/work experience, LORs, interview. Mission selects for SD/regional practice and rural/underserved primary care (in-state/regional preference).

Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.

YOUR STARTING POINT

Admissions & prerequisites

Admission requirements

GRENot requiredUSD does not require a standardized admissions test.
Patient care500 direct-care hoursAt least 500 hours of paid or volunteer direct patient care are required. Virtual care and virtual shadowing are not accepted; PA shadowing is recommended but not required.
Overall GPA3.00Minimum cumulative GPA is 3.00.
Science GPANo separate cutoffUSD does not publish a separate science-GPA minimum. A reported average for enrolled students is not an admissions cutoff.
Recommendations3 requiredThree recommendations are required. No specific recommender role is required.
International applicantsAccepted with exceptions · confirmInternational applicants are accepted with exceptions, but USD does not say what the exception is for the PA program. Confirm eligibility and visa requirements before applying.
English proficiencyConditional · confirm PA applicabilityUSD's general graduate English thresholds are TOEFL iBT 79, TOEFL Essentials 8.5, new TOEFL scale 4.0, IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 110, PTE 53, Cambridge 169, or Trinity ISE 93, with exemptions for certain degree countries. Confirm which rule applies to PA applicants.

Prerequisite coursework

Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.

Review each course, its lab, and the program’s policies. Your links are planning records; the program decides equivalency.

CourseCreditsLabMin grade
Human Anatomy
Course notes & alternatives

4 credits with a lab. The program highlights anatomy with full cadaver dissection. The number of courses and semesters is not stated.

4Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.RequiredNot specified
General Biology
Course notes & alternatives

8 credits. A lab and the number of courses are not stated.

8Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.Not specifiedNot specified
Biochemistry
Course notes & alternatives

3 credits. A lab is not stated.

3Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.Not specifiedNot specified
Microbiology
Course notes & alternatives

4 credits with a lab.

4Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.RequiredNot specified
General Chemistry
Course notes & alternatives

8 credits with a lab. The number of courses is not stated.

8Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.RequiredNot specified
Human Physiology
Course notes & alternatives

4 credits with a lab.

4Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.RequiredNot specified
Statistics
Course notes & alternatives

2 credits; no lab stated. This is an unusual credit amount, so confirm it with USD.

2Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.Not specifiedNot specified
Psychology
Course notes & alternatives

6 credits; no lab stated. Confirm the number of courses and the credit breakdown with USD.

6Credit amounts are as the program reported them. Whether they are semester or quarter credits is not stated.Not specifiedNot specified

Policies that can change your plan

Minimum grade
Confirm with program
Course age
10 (recommended, not required)
AP and CLEP credit are treated the same way.
Yes
How reliable this information is
Course details come from the program's own PAEA listing, last updated January 16, 2026. We could not view USD's detailed catalog or CASPA page, so confirm the details with the program.
Course timing
There is no age limit on prerequisites, and up to three outstanding courses can be completed by June 1.
Admissions cycle
USD's pages do not state the application deadline. The program starts in July 2027, so confirm the current deadline with the program.

USD's PA website points applicants to the graduate catalog and the CASPA portal but does not list prerequisites course by course. The most detailed course list is the program's own PAEA profile, last updated January 16, 2026. Confirm exact credits, course counts, grades and labs with USD or its CASPA program entry. Up to three outstanding prerequisites can be completed by June 1, and there is no time limit on prerequisites.

PAEA program-submitted University of South Dakota profile Checked 2026-09-24
BUILD YOUR TIMELINE

Dates & application steps

Application deadlineConfirm current cycle

Check with the program for its current application deadline.

Program startsJuly 2027

Only the entering month is given. Confirm the exact orientation date with the program.

THE FINANCIAL PICTURE

Know what the total includes

Published cost estimate

Estimate for the full 104-credit program, based on Summer 2025 rates
Resident tuition$37,274 published cohort/track amount
Nonresident tuition$92,884 published cohort/track amount

For planning only. USD has not yet published a cost schedule for the July 2027 cohort.

Required program feesConfirm with program
Tuition + required feesExcludes living and other expenses
$53,169

Tuition is about $37,274 for South Dakota residents and $92,884 for nonresidents (tuition and non-allied-health course tuition; the page's published estimate). Required fees bring the program total to $53,169 (resident) and $108,779 (nonresident). SD Advantage total is $76,286. Rates can change.

HOW YOU’LL LEARN

Curriculum & clinical training

0112 months

Didactic instruction

Classroom instruction on the Vermillion campus builds foundational medical knowledge.

0212 months

Clinical education

Supervised experiences include family medicine, surgery and emergency medicine.

This is a 24-month program. Students pay additional clinical travel, lodging and meal costs.

University of South Dakota curriculum/program program page Checked 2026-09-26
WHO STUDIES HERE

The admitted class

Recorded average GPA3.72
Recorded science GPA3.64

Published class statistics describe the named cohort or population. They are not admission minimums or acceptance probabilities.

OUTCOMES & OVERSIGHT

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: 96%
  • Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 90%

Accreditation history

Continued
First accreditedApril 1995
Next reviewJanuary 2033
ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory Checked 2026-09-26
CHECK THE EVIDENCE

Sources you can open

Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.

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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