Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Bachelor in 3+2 Physician Assistant Program

Winona, USA

DEGREE TYPE

Bachelor's degree

DURATION

4 years

LANGUAGES

English

PACE

Full time

APPLICATION DEADLINE

EARLIEST START DATE

Aug 2026

STUDY FORMAT

On-Campus

Key Summary

About : The Bachelor in 3+2 Physician Assistant Program offers an efficient pathway for students to achieve a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in just five years. The program combines three years of undergraduate study with two years of graduate training, focusing on equipping students with clinical skills and knowledge necessary for a career as a physician assistant.

Career Outcomes : Graduates can pursue various roles in the healthcare field, becoming certified physician assistants or working in areas such as primary care, surgery, and specialty medicine. This program can lead to fulfilling careers in medical teams within hospitals, clinics, and healthcare organizations.

The health science major is the baccalaureate component of the 3+2 Physician Assistant Program in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.

This major is the baccalaureate component of the 3+2 Physician Assistant Studies program in collaboration with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. The first three years will be completed on the Saint Mary’s Winona campus and the fourth and fifth years will be completed at the master’s level out of the Saint Mary’s Cascade Meadow facility in Rochester, MN. The Bachelor of Arts in Health Science is awarded after the fourth year of study. This major prepares students with a strong scientific, preclinical, and liberal arts foundation in advance of the graduate clinical curriculum and preparation for a career as a physician assistant. Application to this major is during the student’s senior year of high school (early fall). Qualified high school applicants [Cumulative high school GPA and Science/Math GPA of 3.5 or higher (scale of 4.0); ACT composite score of 24 or higher or SAT equivalent of 1170 or higher; ACT Math score of 26 OR calculus ready] will be selected, upon review of all application materials, to interview for a limited number of seats in the program.

Accreditation

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science.

Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

Program Highlights

The health science major is the baccalaureate component of the 3+2 Physician Assistant Program in collaboration with Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences.

Program Features

What Makes it Special:

First three years: Winona Campus
Fourth and fifth years: Saint Mary’s Rochester Campus
Learn from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences faculty
Engage in clinical learning experiences at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and throughout Mayo Clinic Health System
End of your fourth year: Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Biology Health Science from Saint Mary’s
End of your fifth year: Earn a Master of Health Sciences degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. You’ll be prepared to sit for the PANCE exam and seek licensure as a physician assistant in Minnesota.