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Application Timeline

Spring 2025

Applications open February 1, 2024. Rolling admissions until the cohort is full. Once the cohort is full, the application will close. It is best practice to apply as soon as possible

To apply to Pacific’s DMSc/DHSc program, please click HERE.

School of Health Sciences students walk together

Admission Criteria

Doctor of Medical Science (DMSC)


Required:

  • Graduated from an ARC-PA accredited PA program
  • Master’s or doctoral degree
  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in all post-secondary coursework  
  • Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
  • Meet Technical Standards (see below)
  • Display graduate-level writing skills
  • Explanation of degree alignment with career goals
  • Current CV/Resume


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Proof of active state licensure and/or NCCPA certification as a Physician Assistant State license or NCCPA certification must be received prior to matriculation; NCCPA PA-C Emeritus will also be accepted 
  • Clinical leadership or teaching experience


Advanced Placement:

Advanced placement credits up to 9 units may be applied for students who have taken graduate-level courses in the past to fulfill the Foundations of Behavioral Science, Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice, and Foundations of Professional Practice and Health Systems courses (determined by transcript review).

Doctor of Health Science (DHSC)


Required:

  • Graduated from an accredited clinical program represented at University of the Pacific
  • Master’s or doctoral degree
  • A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in all post-secondary coursework  
  • Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
  • Meet Technical Standards 
  • Display graduate-level writing skills
  • Explanation of degree alignment with career goals
  • Current CV/Resume


Preferred Qualifications:

  • Proof of active state licensure and/or certification. Emeritus will also be accepted 
  • Clinical leadership or teaching experience


Advanced Placement:

Advanced placement credits up to 9 units may be applied for students who have taken graduate-level courses in the past to fulfill the Foundations of Behavioral Science, Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice, and Foundations of Professional Practice and Health Systems courses (determined by transcript review)

Online learning requires only basic technical skills:

  • Competency with file management (for example, creating a folder on your desktop, moving files from one location to another, finding a saved file)
  • Internet navigation skills
  • Download plug-ins from the Internet
  • Update your Internet browser
  • Send and receive email
  • Create and save documents (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, or HTML)
  • Copy text from a word processing program and paste it into another program

The University of the Pacific will provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities otherwise qualified to complete the essential functions of the curriculum. However, such essential functions must be completed by the student in a reasonably independent fashion.

We are not currently accepting international students.