Lincoln Memorial University-Knoxville Physician Assistant Program
Knoxville, Tennessee · Masters
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A closer look
Mission & approach
Consistent with the mission and purpose of Lincoln Memorial University, the primary mission of the LMU-Knoxville PA Program is to train future PAs to provide high-quality patient-centered care in the Appalachian region and beyond by providing a rigorous educational experience, with expanded training in surgical sciences, which supports each student’s academic success and professional development.
Admissions insights
What this program looks for in applicants
Holistic review weighting: academic performance (cumulative & science GPA, GRE percentiles), CASPA personal statement, 3 evaluation letters, program-specific CASPA question responses, interview performance, professional behavior, healthcare/shadowing experience. Stronger academic profiles more likely interviewed. Preference: Appalachian-region residents (tiered: TN highest; then KY/VA/NC/WV; then OH/PA/AL/GA), military/veterans, LMU students and LMU GPA-Program students, articulation-agreement schools (Tusculum, Hampton, Union Commonwealth).
Summarized from the program’s admissions information. Confirm current selection criteria with the program.
Program admissions information2026 PAEA Virtual Admissions Fair
This program gave one of the clearest breakdowns of experience categories at the fair: patient-care experience can be hands-on care or directly supporting a provider delivering hands-on care; shadowing is strictly observational; and healthcare experience is a support role without hands-on patient contact. The admissions team stressed that only in-person shadowing counts, and that working alongside a clinician does not substitute for shadowing. A practical CASPA tip: you can add new shadowing experiences but cannot edit existing entries — contact the program directly if something needs updating. The program gives tiered admissions preference to applicants whose permanent residence is in the Appalachian region.
Shared at the fair on Jul 11, 2026; paraphrased program-level notes. This is a past event, not an upcoming session. Confirm current guidance with the program.
About these fair notes
PAEA Virtual PA Admissions Fair (CareerEco), July 11 2026 - program-level, paraphrased; qualitative only
How this program interviews
Interviews begin in the fall and continue until the 100-student class is filled. The program weighs academic performance, personal statement, letters of evaluation, program-specific responses, interview performance, communication behaviors and healthcare experience, and states that stronger academic profiles carry greater weight.
Source checked Jul 25, 2026. Interview formats and dates can change between cycles.
Program interview informationAdmissions & prerequisites
Admission requirements
Prerequisite coursework
Semester creditsReview 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.
- Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry: Organic Chemistry OR Biochemistry
- Anatomy and physiology course route: Human Anatomy and Physiology I + Human Anatomy and Physiology II OR Human Anatomy + Human Physiology
| Course | Credits | Lab | Min grade |
|---|---|---|---|
Biology, two courses of choice2 course(s)Course notes & alternatives7 credits total; General Biology or upper-level Biology accepted. Lab for at least one of the two courses is recommended, not required. | 7Semester credits | Preferred | C |
MicrobiologyCourse notes & alternatives3 credits; lab not required. This course cannot also count toward Biology. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
General Chemistry I course slot1 course(s)Course notes & alternatives4 credits. Any combination of inorganic, organic, or biochemistry coursework may be considered. Lab recommended, not required. | 4Semester credits | Preferred | C |
General Chemistry II course slot1 course(s)Course notes & alternatives3 credits. Any combination of inorganic, organic, or biochemistry coursework may be considered; lab not required. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
| Organic Chemistry1 course(s) 3 credits. Biochemistry is also acceptable. The course used for this slot cannot also count toward the additional Chemistry course slots. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
| Biochemistry1 course(s) Alternative to Organic Chemistry; 3 credits, lab not required. Cannot also count toward the additional Chemistry course slots. | 3Semester credits | Not required | C |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I1 course(s) 4 credits; a 4-credit Human Anatomy course is also acceptable. Lab recommended, not required. Must cover human body/all organ systems and be within 8 years of application. | 4Semester credits | Preferred | C |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II1 course(s) 3 credits; a 4-credit Human Physiology course is also acceptable. Lab recommended, not required. Must cover human body/all organ systems and be within 8 years of application. | 3Semester credits | Preferred | C |
| Human Anatomy1 course(s) Alternative to Human Anatomy and Physiology I; 4 credits. Lab recommended, not required; course must cover all organ systems and be within 8 years of application. | 4Semester credits | Preferred | C |
| Human Physiology1 course(s) Alternative to Human Anatomy and Physiology II; 4 credits. Lab recommended, not required; course must cover all organ systems and be within 8 years of application. | 4Semester credits | Preferred | C |
PsychologyCourse notes & alternatives3 credits; Psychology course of choice. General, abnormal, or developmental psychology recommended as preparation. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
StatisticsCourse notes & alternatives3 credits; should cover descriptive and inferential statistics. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
English CompositionCourse notes & alternatives3 credits; another writing-intensive course may be accepted. | 3Semester credits | Not specified | C |
Medical TerminologyCourse notes & alternatives1 credit; should cover all organ systems. Certificates are not accepted. | 1Semester credits | Not specified | C |
Policies that can change your plan
- Course completion
- All prerequisites must be complete before matriculation; more than three outstanding before interview makes the applicant ineligible for admission.
- Course recency
- Eight-year expiration applies to the two Anatomy/Physiology courses. No general expiration is listed for other prerequisites.
- Course grade
- C or higher in prerequisites.
- International applicants
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Prerequisite courses must be completed in the United States at an accredited college or university.
Courses must be completed at a U.S. regionally accredited institution before matriculation. No more than three courses may remain before interview. No lab is mandatory; listed lab requirements are recommendations only.
When courses must be complete: Complete all prerequisites before matriculation; no more than three may remain before interview.
Dates & application steps
Your application must be verified by the deadline.
Know what the total includes
Published cost estimate
Confirm current cohortConfirm rates for your entering cohort
Tuition for the Class of 2028 Knoxville program is $107,975 over 7 semesters, the same for residents and nonresidents. Program fees add $3,051 (Year 1: $1,230; Year 2: $1,163; Year 3: $658), so tuition plus fees comes to $111,026. Not included: health insurance ($12,204, waivable), books and supplies ($7,350), housing, food, transportation and miscellaneous expenses ($91,180 combined), loan fees ($550), and the first professional credential fee ($550). The school's estimated total cost of attendance is $222,860, which includes all of these items.
Curriculum & clinical training
Didactic study
Integrated clinical medicine, anatomy and dissection, patient assessment, procedures, simulation, and small-group learning include expanded surgical sciences.
Clinical education
Supervised experiences span primary care and surgical settings, including three electives in medical or surgical disciplines.
The Knoxville program requires 115 credits over 27 months and starts in September. Graduating students complete a summative evaluation (a final comprehensive assessment). The usual program length is separate from the 54-month maximum time allowed to complete the program.
The admitted class
Class of 2025 · orientation in September 2023, classes began October 2023
Published class statisticsThe university's September 29, 2023 story reports these historical averages and an entering class size of 100. Newer profile figures seen in search results were not on the admissions page and are unconfirmed.
Compare published cohorts
| Class | Published GPA | Published science-related GPA | Published experience hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2025 · orientation in September 2023, classes began October 2023 | 3.65Mean overall GPA | 3.53Mean science GPA | Not recordedMean direct patient-care hours |
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: 97%
- Five-year first-time PANCE pass rate: 91%
Accreditation history
ContinuedSources you can open
Links to the program’s own pages and the official directories we use.
- PA School Finder deadline record
- ARC-PA currently accredited programs — sponsoring-institution directory
- Lincoln Memorial University-Knoxville program page-qualified class profile
- Lincoln Memorial University-Knoxville program overview
- Lincoln Memorial University-Knoxville curriculum
- Lincoln Memorial University-Knoxville program page
- PA School Finder contact record
- Program contact page
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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