Physician Assistant Studies Main Campus, M.S.

Program Requirements: 113 Credit Hours

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Degree (MSPAS) is earned through the continuous twenty-seven month program of studies consisting of 113 Masters level credit hours. These hours are divided into sixty-eight credit hours of classroom-focused instruction and forty-five credit hours of clinical rotations and professional courses. A complete list of courses with course descriptions are located in the curriculum section. Transfer credits are not normally accepted toward degree requirements. The Physician Assistant Program-Main Campus does not award or grant advanced placement.

Program Vision

University of the Cumberlands Physician Assistant Programs at both the Williamsburg and Northern Kentucky campuses, as well as their students, aspire to be recognized for the quality of care they render through academic and professional excellence, moral character, integrity, empathy, team effort, and service to those in their communities.

Program Goals

In pursuit of this mission, the Program has established these goals:

1. To recruit students from medically underserved regions - in Appalachia and across the country - who have demonstrated commitment to academic and professional excellence.
2. Provide the graduate with the requisite fund of medical knowledge, in accordance with the NCCPA Blueprint, in order to provide evidence-based medical care in all settings.
3. Provide the graduate with the clinical and technical skills necessary to provide competent medical care.
4. Provide the graduate with the interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families and other health professionals.
5. Provide the graduate with the knowledge and skills necessary to work collaboratively in interprofessional patient-centered teams.
6. Provide the graduate with the knowledge and skills to provide medical care regarding issues that affect diverse populations.

Admission to the Physician Assistant Studies Program- Main Campus

All applicants must submit the following information:

1. Completed CASPA application
2. Completed PA Supplemental Application - Once an applicant’s CASPA Application has been verified and reviewed, a link to the Supplemental Application will be provided via email
3. An earned bachelor’s degree with an overall cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0
4. A minimum average of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 in required pre-requisite courses. Pre-recs must have a grade of C or better.
5. A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in the combined Biology, Chemistry, Physics (BCP) as figured by Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA).
6. Ability to fulfill any university admission requirements
7. Successful completion (as defined above) within ten years prior to admission of the following undergraduate science courses:

• Anatomy with lab (Human preferred)- 3 semester hours or more
• Physiology with lab (Human preferred)- 3 semester hours or more
• Microbiology with Lab- 3 semester hours or more
• Medical Terminology
• Upper Level Science Electives - 6 credit hours (Select from Genetics, Embryology, Immunology, Biochemistry, Advanced Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Histology, Parasitology, Virology, Organic Chemistry II, Analytical Chemistry, any upper level Pharmacology course)
• General Chemistry 1 and 2 with labs- 3 semester hours or more
• Organic 1 or Biochemistry
• Psychology (Abnormal or developmental preferred)- 3 semester hours or more
• Statistics- 3 semester hours or more

8. Direct Patient Contact Hours: The purpose of patient contact experience is to provide prospective students an introduction to medicine allowing the aspiring applicant exposure to medical terminology, common normal and abnormal findings, as well as introduction to critical thinking. It also allows for exposure to team-based care where they will encounter a variety of health care providers and how they work together for patient care. Lastly this provides the aspiring PA students ability to build professionalism skills such as communication, rapport, and accountability. The purpose of PA shadowing experience is to provide prospective students an understanding of the physician assistant profession as a unique member of the health care team. This allows the prospective student to have an understanding of the profession prior to enrollment. To achieve this, any patient care experience and PA shadowing that meets criteria will have to have occurred in specific locations as outlined below:

 Patient Care Experience is paid or unpaid direct patient care and/or observation of medical care occurring in a defined healthcare setting: outpatient clinic, inpatient (hospital, nursing home, long term facility), acute care (urgent treatment facility, emergency room, and prehospital acute care), perioperative care (pre-op, operating room, and post op care in both inpatient and outpatient surgery). 
 PA shadowing experience is direct observation of a physician assistant in the delivery of health care with patients and other members of the healthcare team.

9. Submission of 3 letters of recommendation (Acceptable references: MD, DO, PA, or NP as well as academic advisors)

10. Successful completion of an interview with and positive recommendation from program faculty

*The program does not offer advanced placement/accept transfer credit for prior PA coursework. 

Professional Phase Curriculum

The courses offered by the MSPAS program have been specifically designed and sequenced to prepare students to administer health care to patients. Students are expected to complete all course assignments as outlined in the individual course syllabus and to meet the university’s academic standards as outlined in this manual. Students will be given updates to these standards as they occur.