Undergraduate students interested in applying for early admission to the University’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) program must complete the following coursework in total at the University of the Cumberlands as Pre-PA Biology majors. Additionally, students must complete all requirements of the General Education curriculum for undergraduates as outlined in the University of the Cumberlands Undergraduate catalog. Admission is made during the third year of undergraduate study. Students must complete all PA admissions requirements by time of application. Completion of the Pre-PA curriculum does not ensure acceptance into the MSPAS program.
Students who complete the Pre-Professional PA curriculum but do not continue on to the Professional phase of the PA program will need a total of 35 hours of biology courses (those listed below, plus BIOL 495 or BIOL 498 , and either 6 additional hours of biology electives), 7 hours of allied science courses, and elective classes to complete the 128 hours needed to attain a Bachelor of Science with a major in biology. Alternatively, students can complete a Biology of Science degree in Independent Directions with a focus on applied health sciences. A third alternative is to complete a Bachelor of General Studies degree. Information on these alternatives may be found elsewhere in this catalog.
Students who successfully complete the pre-physician assistant curriculum and are accepted into the MSPAS program are awarded a Bachelor of Health Science degree by the University after the successful completion of the first year of didactic coursework in the MSPAS program. Students are then awarded the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree after the successful completion of the second year of coursework.
