M.S. in Physician Assistant
Program Requirements
The MS PA Program curriculum is designed to be completed over 28 months (seven semesters) in a lock step, sequential manner, and students must complete each semester in the sequence before moving to the subsequent semester.
In order to be awarded the M.S. in Physician Assistant degree, the student must remain in good academic* and professional** standing, successfully complete and pass all courses (104 credit hours), complete the community service learning requirement, and complete and pass all components of the summative evaluation.
- * MS PA students must demonstrate satisfactory performance in all individual MS PA Program courses and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
- **MS PA students must demonstrate appropriate professional behavior at all times.
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required for the awarding of a M.S. in Physician Assistant degree.
The M.S. in Physician Assistant degree program does not accept transfer students nor will advanced standing be granted.
Admission Criteria
Applicants to the M.S. in Physician Assistant (PA) Program are required to:
Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) Application
- Submit an online application through CASPA which includes documentation demonstrating having met the admission requirements for the SEU MS PA Program as outlined below.
- Applicants are responsible for all CASPA fees; which are non-refundable;
- In addition to the required CASPA application, applicants must select the SEU PA Program page to submit the additional required documentation. All applications must be submitted through CASPA by the deadline date.
- The application cycle for the SEU MS PA Program opens with the CASPA cycle each year and closes the following spring
Visit the CASPA website to submit your application.
Specific Requirements
Applicants must have:
- Earned a Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent
Applicants whose baccalaureate degree will be conferred by the spring semester prior to matriculation are eligible to apply
- Achieved an overall GPA of 3.0 or better (as calculated by CASPA)
- Achieved a prerequisite GPA of 3.2 or better (as calculated by CASPA)
The most recent grade will be used in the calculation for any repeated coursework.
- Satisfactorily completed each of the following prerequisites with a "B- (2.7)" or better
- English Composition (3 credits)
Must be taken at a U.S. institution
- General Psychology (3 credits)
- Statistics (3 credits)
- Medical Terminology
Must be taken at a US institution
- General Biology 1 with Lab (4 credits)
- Genetics (3 credits)
- Anatomy and Physiology 1 with Lab (4 credits)*
- Anatomy and Physiology 2 with Lab (4 credits)*
- Microbiology with Lab (4 credits)*
- General Chemistry 1 with Lab (4 credits)
- General Chemistry 2 with Lab (4 credits)
- Biochemistry (3 credits)
- Completed a minimum of 300 hours of direct patient care experience, 16 hours of PA shadowing experience, and 50 hours of community service.
- Submit three letters of recommendation; one letter must be from a professor attesting to academic capability and at least one must be from a physician or PA attesting to professional capacity
- Submit two personal statements detailing:
- The applicant's fit with the Mission, Vision and Goals of the MS PA Program and Saint Elizabeth University
- A social justice issue they are passionate about and believe they can address as a PA
- TOEFL: International students with non-US or Canadian post-secondary credentials must submit recent scores on the Test of English and Foreign Language, also known as TOEFL.
- PA-CAT: The PA-CAT is a specialized test designed to measure applicant knowledge in key prerequisite science subjects typically required for PA school.
- The PA-CAT is a requirement, but used solely as a predictor of success and not used as an element to decide admission. If score(s) are below 500, students are required to complete modules prior to the start date of the cohort to aid in preparation.
*Must be completed within 10 years of matriculation
Applicants with outstanding admissions requirements are eligible to apply but must include a plan for completion of the requirements prior to the deadline date. Applicants may petition the admissions committee for consideration of extending the completion time for a requirement into the summer prior to matriculation. Each application is considered from a holistic perspective and reviewed by the faculty.
Interview
- Highly qualified applicants will be invited for an interview
- An interview does not guarantee acceptance
- Admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis once interviews begin.
Special Considerations for Students in Articulated Programs and SEU Students and Alumni
- Saint Elizabeth University and the SEU PA Program have collaborated with several institutions to provide pathways for student enrollment that includes early acceptance decisions (in the student’s junior year) to fill guaranteed seats.
- SEU students and alumni who are not accepted through the articulated agreement process and who meet the minimum requirements are guaranteed an interview.
- Unfilled seats reserved for articulated programs will be filled by applicants who apply through the SEU PA Program’s standard admission process.
Technical Standards
Applicants accepted for admission to the SEU PA Program will be required to verify that they understand and meet the PA Program's Technical Standards prior to matriculation.
It is expected that students be able to adhere to the technical standards throughout all aspects of the SEU PA Program including the classroom, small group, simulation and clinical rotation courses and in all interactions with faculty, instructors, fellow students, preceptors, members of the healthcare team, patients and their families.
Read Standards
Course Sequence
First Academic Year: 39 credits
Fall B Session (9 credits)
| PA601 | Human Anatomy One | 3 |
| PA603 | Physiology, Pathophysiology & Genetics One | 3 |
| PA611 | Foundations of PA Practice | 1 |
| PA621 | Patient Centered Communication and Approach to Diversity | 1 |
| PA671 | Foundations of Critical Thinking and Clinical Decision Making | 1 |
Spring (17 credits)
| PA602 | Human Anatomy Two | 3 |
| PA604 | Physiology; Pathophysiology & Genetics Two | 3 |
| PA612 | Team-based Practice and Ethics in Healthcare | 1 |
| PA622 | Patient Evaluation and Principles of Public Health | 3 |
| PA631 | Clinical Medicine One | 4 |
| PA641 | Clinical Pharmacology One | 2 |
| PA672 | Integrated Clinical Decision Making in Patient Centered Care One | 1 |
Summer (13 credits)
| PA613 | Principles of Healthcare Delivery and Patient Advocacy | 1 |
| PA623 | Patient Evaluation and Principles of Patient Education | 3 |
| PA632 | Clinical Medicine Two | 4 |
| PA642 | Clinical Pharmacology Two | 2 |
| PA661 | Epidemiology and Principles of Evidence Based Medicine | 2 |
| PA673 | Integrated Clinical Decision Making in Patient Centered Care Two | 1 |
Second Academic Year: 47 credits
Fall (11 credits)
| PA614 | Professional Growth and Development for PA Practice | 1 |
| PA624 | Patient Evaluation and the Impact of Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
| PA633 | Clinical Medicine Three | 3 |
| PA643 | Clinical Pharmacology Three | 1 |
| PA662 | Research Methods | 2 |
| PA674 | Integrated Clinical Decision Making in Patient Centered Care Three | 1 |
| PA680 | Didactic Capstone | 0 |
Spring (18 credits)
| PA615 | Leadership, Advocacy and Social Justice Seminar | 1 |
| PA663 | Evidence Based Medicine Seminar | 1 |
| PA675 | Applied Clinical Decision Making and Cost-Effective Patient Care Seminar | 1 |
| PA681 | SCPE Core Internal Medicine | 5 |
| PA682 | SCPE Core Family Medicine | 5 |
| PA683 | SCPE Core Pediatrics | 5 |
Summer (18 credits)
| PA616 | Essentials of PA Practice Seminar | 1 |
| PA676 | Applied Clinical Decision Making and Patient Safety Seminar | 2 |
| PA684 | SCPE Core Women’s Health | 5 |
| PA685 | SCPE Core Psychiatry | 5 |
| PA686 | SCPE Core General Surgery | 5 |
Third Academic Year: 18 credits
Fall (18 credits)
| PA617 | Leadership, Advocacy and Service in PA Practice Seminar | 1 |
| PA677 | Applied Clinical Decision Making and Transition to Clinical Practice Seminar | 2 |
| PA687 | SCPE Core Emergency Medicine | 5 |
| PA690 | Summative Capstone | 0 |
| PA691 | SCPE Elective | 5 |
| PA692 | SCPE Elective Clinical Practicum | 5 |
The order of the Clinical Rotation courses will vary by student placement and availability of clinical rotation sites.
The MS PA Program follows its own academic calendar that may not match that of SEU.