Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS)

College of Health and Human Services

The Master of Physician Associate Studies (MPAS) Program is 29 months in length consisting of a 16-month didactic phase and a 13-month clinical phase.  The didactic phase is comprised of classroom instruction in advanced basic sciences, clinical skills, clinical medicine, pharmacology, behavioral medicine, ethics, and research.  No advanced standing is allowed in the program, regardless of previous graduate work in healthcare.  All incoming students must complete the entire PA curriculum.  In general, classes are held Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm.  

The clinical phase of the program consists of 12 supervised clinical clerkships followed by a summative block course.  Students will return to campus three times during the clinical phase for assessments as well as other educational sessions.  Supervised clinical clerkships are 4 weeks in length.  There are eight required clerkships to include Family Medicine (2), Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Behavioral Health, Emergency Medicine, and Surgery.  In addition to the required clerkships, students will complete four additional clerkships.  Some rotations will require students to work on the weekends and evenings.  Students are required to be available as instructed by their preceptors.  

Entry into the 29-month Physician Associate program will be a competitive process. Applicants must have earned their undergraduate degree; successfully completed specific prerequisite courses; and gained at least 500 hours of health care experience.

Graduates will be eligible to seek licensure to practice in one or more of the 50 states.

Online applications will be accepted through CASPA (Central Application Service for Physician Assistants). 

Prerequisite Classes

• 15-16 credit hours in biological sciences with labs covering general biology (4 cr), human anatomy (4 cr), human physiology (4 cr) and microbiology (3-4 cr). Anatomy and physiology classes may be taken separately or together if part of a two-course section.
• 14-16 credit hours in chemistry with labs to include general (inorganic) chemistry (8 cr, 2 semester sequence), organic chemistry (3-4 cr, lab recommended if available) and biochemistry (3-4 cr, lab recommended if available).
• 3 credit hours in statistics or biostatistics. (Additional mathematics class may be needed as prerequisite for science and statistics).
• 6 credit hours in psychology/sociology. Applicants may have one psychology and one sociology course, or two psychology courses.
• 6 credit hours in  English/Writing. Applicants may have English composition or writing-intensive courses.
• 1-3 hours in Medical Terminology. We also accept a certificate in Medical Terminology.
• Recommended courses: Oral communication and biomedical ethics.
• Meet technical standards for admission, progression, and graduation from the program.
• Starting the fall semester, maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on 4.0 scale. All courses must be passed to progress.
• Documented at least 500 hours of healthcare experience with direct patient contact.
• Document at least 16 hours of shadowing a physician assistant.

Curriculum

Admissions Requirements

Candidates for admissions must meet the following criteria:

• Earned bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution (in major of choice).
• Completion of on-line CASPA application including personal statement and references.
• Completion of all prerequisite classes with a grade of "C" or higher.
• Required course work graded Pass/Fail or credit obtained by CLEP examination or Advanced Placement (AP) will not be accepted.
• Minimum of 3.0 cumulative, prerequisite and science GPA on 4.0 scale.
• Optional: Send GRE scores to CASPA (SAU code is 0420)
• 500 hours of health care experience with direct patient contact.
• Campus Interview.
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) –Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A passing score of 600 (written), 250 (computerized), or 100 (internet) is required to be eligible for admission to the program. Results should be sent directly from ETS to St. Ambrose University. The institutional code is 6617.
• Credential Evaluation–Applicants with coursework or a degree from a college or university outside the United States must submit an official evaluation from World Education Services (www.wes.org).
• Individuals who are not U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents are not eligible for admission into the SAU MPA program.

Acceditation

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the St. Ambrose University Physician Associate Program. 

Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the ARC-PA will be 2029 March. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.