Not every PA school in the United States is created equal.
The good news is if you are a foreign student interested in attending a US PA school you do have a range of options.
Currently, 178 of the 265 active PA programs in the United States open their doors to international applicants.
99 of these PA programs require applicants to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examination.
List of all PA Programs Accepting International Students
Last updated (03/03/2019)
To view an interactive map of all PA program that accepts international students click here
You can also use my perfect PA program picker tool to sort by several variables simultaneously.
- Adventist University of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- Alderson-Broaddus University Physician Assistant Program
- Anne Arundel Community College Physician Assistant Program
- Arizona School Of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- Augsburg College Physician Assistant Program
- Augusta University (formerly Georgia-Regents University) Physician Assistant Program
- Baldwin Wallace University Physician Assistant Program
- Barry University Physician Assistant Program
- Baylor College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
- Bethel University (Minnesota) Physician Assistant Program
- Boston University Physician Assistant Program
- Bryant University Physician Assistant Program
- Butler University Physician Assistant Program
- California Baptist University
- California State University – Monterey Bay
- Case Western Reserve University Physician Assistant Program
- Charles R. Drew University Physician Assistant Program
- Charleston Southern University
- Chatham University Physician Assistant Program
- Christian Brothers University Physician Assistant Program
- Clarkson University Physician Assistant Program
- College of Saint Joseph Physician Assistant Program
- College of Saint Mary Physician Assistant Program
- College of Saint Scholastica Physician Assistant Program
- Cornell University Physician Assistant Program
- CUNY Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education
- CUNY York College Physician Assistant Program
- Cuyahoga Community College Cleveland State University Physician Assistant Program
- D’youville College Physician Assistant Program
- Desales University Physician Assistant Program
- Duke University Medical Center Physician Assistant Program
- East Carolina University Physician Assistant Program
- Eastern Michigan University Physician Assistant Program
- Elon University Physician Assistant Program
- Emory & Henry College Physician Assistant Program
- Emory University Physician Assistant Program
- Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
- Florida State University
- Franklin Pierce University Physician Assistant Program
- Frostburg State University
- Gannon University Physician Assistant Program
- George Washington University
- Grand Valley State University
- Grand Valley State University Physician Assistant Program
- High Point University Physician Assistant Program
- Hofstra University Physician Assistant Program
- Howard University Physician Assistant Program
- Idaho State University Physician Assistant Program
- Indiana State University Physician Assistant Program
- Indiana University School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- James Madison University Physician Assistant Program
- Jefferson College of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- Kean University Physician Assistant Program
- Kettering College Physician Assistant Program
- King’s College Physician Assistant Program
- King’s College
- Le Moyne College Physician Assistant Program
- Lipscomb University
- Lock Haven University Physician Assistant Program
- Loma Linda University Physician Assistant Program
- Lynchburg College Physician Assistant Program
- Marieb College of Health & Human Services Physician Assistant Program
- Marquette University Physician Assistant Program
- Marywood University Physician Assistant Program
- MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Boston)
- MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Manchester)
- MCPHS University Physician Assistant Program (Manchester) New Hampshire
- MCPHS University- Boston
- Mercer University Physician Assistant Program
- Mercyhurst University Physician Assistant Program
- Methodist University Physician Assistant Program
- MGH Institute of Health Professions Physician Assistant Program
- Miami-Dade College Physician Assistant Program
- Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program (Downers Grove)
- Midwestern University Physician Assistant Program (Glendale)
- Milligan College Physician Assistant Program
- Misericordia Uiversity
- Misericordia University Physician Assistant Program
- Mississippi College Physician Assistant Program
- Monmouth University Physician Assistant Program
- Mount St. Joseph University Physician Assistant Program
- New York Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program
- North Greenville University Physician Assistant Program
- Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program
- Northern Arizona University Physician Assistant Program
- Northwestern University Physician Assistant Program
- Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Program, Ft. Lauderdale
- Nova Southeastern University Physician Assistant Program, Orlando
- Ohio University Physician Assistant Program
- Oregon Health & Science University Physician Assistant Program
- Our Lady of the Lake College Physician Assistant Program
- Pace University – Pleasantville
- Pace University Physician Assistant Program
- Pacific University Physician Assistant Program
- Penn State University Physician Assistant Program
- Pennsylvania College of Technology Physician Assistant Program
- Philadelphia University Physician Assistant Program
- Presbyterian University
- Quinnipiac University Physician Assistant Program
- Red Rocks Community College Physician Assistant Program
- Rochester Institute of Technology Physician Assistant Program
- Rocky Mountain College Physician Assistant Program
- Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions Physician Assistant Program
- Rosalind Franklin Univ of Medicine Physician Assistant Program
- Rutgers University Physician Assistant Program
- Saint Catherine University Physician Assistant Program
- Saint Francis University Physician Assistant Program
- Saint Louis University Physician Assistant Program
- Salus University Physician Assistant Program
- Samuel Merritt University Physician Assistant Program
- Seton Hall University Physician Assistant Program
- Seton Hill University Physician Assistant Program
- Shenandoah University Physician Assistant Program
- Southern Illinois University Physician Assistant Program
- Springfield College Physician Assistant Program
- Stony Brook University Physician Assistant Program
- Sullivan University Physician Assistant Program
- The CUNY School of Medicine
- Thomas Jefferson University – City Center Campus (formerly Thomas Jefferson University)
- Thomas Jefferson University Physician Assistant Program
- Touro College (Bay Shore) Physician Assistant Program
- Touro College (Manhattan) Physician Assistant Program
- Touro University – Bay Shore
- Touro University (Las Vegas) Physician Assistant Program
- Touro University Nevada Physician Assistant Program
- Towson University CCBC – Essex Physician Assistant Program
- Trevecca Nazarene University Physician Assistant Program
- Union College Physician Assistant Program
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Physician Assistant Program
- University of Arkansas Physician Assistant Program
- University of Bridgeport Physician Assistant Program
- University of California-Davis Physician Assistant Program
- University of Charleston Physician Assistant Program
- University of Dayton Physician Assistant Program
- University of Detroit/Mercy Physician Assistant Program
- University of Evansville Physician Assistant Program
- University of Findlay Physician Assistant Program
- University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Program
- University of Lynchburg
- University of Maryland Eastern Shore Physician Assistant Program
- University of Mount Union Physician Assistant Program
- University Of Nebraska Physician Assistant Program
- University of New England Physician Assistant Program
- University of New Mexico Physician Assistant Program
- University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Physician Assistant Program
- University Of Oklahoma, Tulsa Physician Assistant Program
- University of Pittsburgh Physician Assistant Program
- University of Saint Francis (Fort Wayne) Physician Assistant Program
- University of Saint Joseph Physician Assistant Program
- University of Southern California Physician Assistant Program
- University of St. Francis (New Mexico)
- University of St. Francis Physician Assistant Program
- University of Tampa
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis) Physician Assistant Program
- University of Texas – HS Center at San Antonio Physician Assistant Program
- University of Texas – Medical Branch at Galveston Physician Assistant Program
- University of Texas – Pan American Physician Assistant Program
- University of Texas – SW School of Health Professions
- University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston PROGRAM INFO
- University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- University of the Cumberlands Physician Assistant Program
- University of the Pacific Physician Assistant Program
- University of the Sciences of Philadelphia Physician Assistant Program
- University of Toledo Physician Assistant Program
- University of Utah Physician Assistant Program
- University of Washington MEDEX Physician Assistant Program
- University of Wisconsin – La Crosse Physician Assistant Program
- UT Southwestern Physician Assistant Program
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine
- Weill Cornell Medicine Graduate School of Medical Sciences
- West Liberty University
- West Liberty University Physician Assistant Program
- West Virginia University
- Western Michigan University Physician Assistant Program
- Western University of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Program
- Westfield State University
- Wichita State University Physician Assistant Program
- Yale University School of Medicine Physician Associate Program
Did you know?
One of the biggest barriers to US PA school admissions as an international applicant is the PA school admissions essay. Did you know we have helped 100's of international students achieve their dream of attending PA school through our personal statement review service? We offer one-on-one coaching and essay review. You can read more about our offerings and read 100's of success stories by clicking here
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I’m a final year Bachelors of pharmacy (B.pharmacy) student from India.
I just want to know how could I apply for pa program.
Hi, Roshani,
You must first complete all the required coursework to apply for a US PA program, meet the minimum requirements and find PA programs that accept international applicants. Here is a cheat sheet I put together to help guide you with links to more resources: https://www.thepalife.com/cheat-sheet/
To find PA programs that accept international students, you can use my companion website. Here is the link to all current programs accepting international students: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/cat/accepted/
To broaden your search across categories use this link: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/item/
Follow the links to the PA program websites and reach out to them personally. They will be able to guide you better than me since every program is a bit different.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
http://www.thepalife.com
http://www.smartypance.com
Hello I’m an international student.
Can I persue a PA school without a bachelors
I mean with a associate degree and after attending PA school can I get a job in the US ?
Hi, Moli!
You cannot pursue PA school in the US without a bachelor’s degree (and the required prerequisite coursework) unless you attend a US-based 3+2 program that allows you to complete your undergraduate PRE-PA coursework as part of a 5-year program.
To practice as a PA in the United States, one must graduate from an ARC-PA accredited program and be certified by the NCCPA. If interested in applying to a PA program, such individuals should contact the PAEA for information on specific programs.
Here is a wonderful resource on the topic from the ARC-PA (they accredit US PA programs and determine who may sit for the PANCE exam): http://www.arc-pa.org/frequently-asked-questions/non-us-health-care-professionals/
Before you can work in the US, you must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) to complete a visa screening program which, in part, will determine if your education was equivalent to that from a US-PA Program. If your education is comparable, you are eligible for a certificate that you can submit with your visa application to the US State Department. The State Department’s approval of your occupational visa may help you enter the U.S., but you are still not eligible to work as a PA in the U.S.
To become a PA in the United States, individuals must also attend and graduate from an ARC-PA–accredited entry-level PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certifying of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
For information on PA programs, contact the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): https://paeaonline.org/ and the directory of PA programs here: http://directory.paeaonline.org/.
Eligibility criteria for taking the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) are available on the NCCPA website: http://www.nccpa.net/.
Additional information on practicing as a PA in the US can be found at the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) website: https://www.aapa.org/.
To determine if an individual state allows non-US educated physicians to practice as PAs without additional education and national certification, you would have to contact the licensing bodies of the specific states.
To find PA programs that accept international students:
I would start by searching the PAEA directory website and click the box “Accept int’l applicants.” Currently, 138 programs accept international students. From there, you need to narrow down further based on requirements. I would then use my PA program picker table. You can narrow your search even further using all your variables: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/.
Then, follow the links to the PA program websites and reach out to them personally. They will be able to guide you better than me since every program is a bit different. If you have any questions afterward, shoot me a reply.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
Hi,
I’m a Psychology major from Turkey and want to get into PA program in US. What is required of me and which schools would be suitable for me?
Hi Ruby,
To practice as a PA in the United States, one must graduate from an ARC-PA accredited program and be certified by the NCCPA. If interested in applying to a PA program, such individuals should contact the PAEA for information on specific programs.
Here is a wonderful resource on the topic from the ARC-PA (they accredit US PA programs and determine who may sit for the PANCE exam): http://www.arc-pa.org/frequently-asked-questions/non-us-health-care-professionals/
Before you can work in the US, you must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) to complete a visa screening program which, in part, will determine if your education was equivalent to that from a US-PA Program. If your education is comparable, you are eligible for a certificate that you can submit with your visa application to the US State Department. The State Department’s approval of your occupational visa may help you enter the U.S., but you are still not eligible to work as a PA in the U.S.
To become a PA in the United States, individuals must also attend and graduate from an ARC-PA–accredited entry-level PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certifying of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
For information on PA programs, contact the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): https://paeaonline.org/ and the directory of PA programs here: http://directory.paeaonline.org/.
Eligibility criteria for taking the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) are available on the NCCPA website: http://www.nccpa.net/.
Additional information on practicing as a PA in the US can be found at the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) website: https://www.aapa.org/.
To determine if an individual state allows non-US educated physicians to practice as PAs without additional education and national certification, you would have to contact the licensing bodies of the specific states.
To find PA programs that accept international students:
I would start by searching the PAEA directory website and click the box “Accept int’l applicants.” Currently, 138 programs accept international students. From there, you need to narrow down further based on requirements. I would then use my PA program picker table. You can narrow your search even further using all your variables: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/.
Then, follow the links to the PA program websites and reach out to them personally. They will be able to guide you better than me since every program is a bit different. If you have any questions afterward, shoot me a reply.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
Hi there,
I am a foreign medical doctor and planning to apply for PA program. I just don’t know which university accept bachelor degree outside of US. I know about prerequisites but first thing if they even consider it. Thanks
Hi, Wanali,
From the standpoint of the ARC-PA, individuals educated as health care providers (MDs, PAs, nurses, etc.) outside of the United States are not treated any differently than any other prospective PA student regardless of degree. To practice as a PA in the United States, one must graduate from an ARC-PA accredited program and be certified by the NCCPA. If interested in applying to a PA program, such individuals should contact the PAEA for information on specific programs.
Here is a wonderful resource on the topic from the ARC-PA (they accredit US PA programs and determine who may sit for the PANCE exam): http://www.arc-pa.org/frequently-asked-questions/non-us-health-care-professionals/
Before you can work in the US, you must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) to complete a visa screening program which, in part, will determine if your education was equivalent to that from a US PA Program. If your education is comparable, you are eligible for a certificate that you can submit with your visa application to the US State Department. The State Department’s approval of your occupational visa may help you enter the U.S., but you are still not eligible to work as a PA in the U.S.
To become a PA in the United States, individuals must also attend and graduate from an ARC-PA–accredited entry-level PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certifying of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
For information on PA programs, contact the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): https://paeaonline.org/ and the directory of PA programs here: http://directory.paeaonline.org/.
Eligibility criteria for taking the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) are available on the NCCPA web site: http://www.nccpa.net/.
Additional information on practicing as a PA in the US can be found at the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ (AAPA) website: https://www.aapa.org/.
To determine if an individual state allows non-US educated physicians to practice as PAs without additional education and national certification, you would have to contact the licensing bodies of the specific states.
To find PA programs that accept international students:
I would start by searching the PAEA directory website and click the box “Accept int’l applicants.” Currently, 138 programs accept international students. From there, you need to narrow down further based on requirements. I would then use my PA program picker table. You can narrow your search even further using all your variables: https://www.thepalife.com/pa-program-picker/.
Then, follow the links to the PA program websites and reach out to them personally. They will be able to guide you better than me since every program is a bit different. If you have any questions afterward, shoot me a reply.
You can also browse my website at http://www.thepalife.com or visit our knowledge base, where I am growing a list of guides intended to cover a broad range of topics.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
http://www.thepalife.com
Hi there
I am General physician with 25 years practicing in Iran.I will be in sandiego a bout 2 month later. I want to study in PA what should I do . Please inform me .
is there any option and merits for international medical gradutes to reduce or short the duration of PA study.
Thanks in advance.
Hi, Peymaneh,
From the standpoint of the ARC-PA, individuals educated as health care providers (MDs, PAs, nurses, etc.) outside of the United States are not treated any differently than any other prospective PA student regardless of degree. To practice as a PA in the United States, one must graduate from an ARC-PA accredited program and be certified by the NCCPA. If interested in applying to a PA program, such individuals should contact the PAEA for information on specific programs.
Here is a wonderful resource on the topic from the ARC-PA (they accredit US PA programs and determine who may sit for the PANCE exam): http://www.arc-pa.org/frequently-asked-questions/non-us-health-care-professionals/
Before you can work in the US, you must contact the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools (CGFNS International) to complete a visa screening program which, in part, will determine if your education was equivalent to that from a US-PA Program. If your education is comparable, you are eligible for a certificate that you can submit with your visa application to the US State Department. The State Department’s approval of your occupational visa may help you enter the U.S., but you are still not eligible to work as a PA in the U.S.
To become a PA in the United States, individuals must also attend and graduate from an ARC-PA–accredited entry-level PA program and pass the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) administered by the National Commission on Certifying of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
For information on PA programs, contact the Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA): https://paeaonline.org/ and the directory of PA programs here: http://directory.paeaonline.org/.
Eligibility criteria for taking the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) are available on the NCCPA website: http://www.nccpa.net/.
Additional information on practicing as a PA in the US can be found at the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) website: https://www.aapa.org/.
To determine if an individual state allows non-US educated physicians to practice as PAs without additional education and national certification, you would have to contact the licensing bodies of the specific states.
To find PA programs that accept international students you can use my companion website. Here is the link to all current programs accepting international students: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/cat/accepted/
To broaden your search across categories use this link: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/item/
Stephen Pasquini PA-C
http://www.thepalife.com
http://www.smartypance.com
Hi!
I live in the U.S., and I am a naturalized citizen, but my Bachelor’s degree is not from the U.S. I have being checking if these schools accept a BS from overseas, and so far “Arizona School of Health Sciences” does not accept it. They only accept Bachelor’s degree that are done in the U.S.
Hello,
I am planning to apply to PA surgery program as a back up in case MD programs do not work out. I was wondering if I do PA surgery and go to medical school after do I still have to do residency? Whoever replies, please advise me if it is a good options. I want to get into MD programs with scholarship but it is very hard for international students. Thank you.
Hi Teljan, I would recommend you not use PA as a backup plan. You will have to prove to any prospective PA program that you are interested in PA, not MD it’s highly competitive and this would not be a good route for you.
Stephen
Hey, this is the first thing I’ve seen about international studying and US PA programs. I’m an American student looking to get my Bachelors abroad, and I wanted to know if a degree from Europe would be accepted or frowned upon by PA schools. I have always wanted to travel, and I feel like this is my chance to, while hopefully making myself stand out a bit. Do you think getting a bachelors abroad would be okay, would I have to get it in a certain country (ex Poland or Netherlands), or would PA schools prefer I stayed in the US? Thanks so much, and I look forward to hearing back!
Hi and great question. As I am not an International student myself I may not be the most qualified to answer this question but I have spoken with academic advisors in the past and it seems as the most important question is if your credits are transferrable here to the US and will meet PA program prerequisite requirements. Many International undergraduate programs are linked with US schools and the credits are equal and transferrable without questions. So if you go this route I would do my homework and make sure to have these questions answered by several PA school administrators and undergraduate US academic advisors so you can move forward with confidence. I think international study is a wonderful option but you just want to be able to be confident that if you’re planning is to come back to the US to start PA school you have a solid foundation and plan. The first step is to reach out to some programs and schedule an appointment with an academic advisor.