Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies

Getting Started

Admission Requirements

CASPA

• All students must apply to the Physician Associate Program via CASPA.

Bachelor’s Degree

• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree awarded from an institution accredited by a US recognized higher education accrediting agency (currently referred to as regional accreditation agencies by CHEA).

Grade point Average (GPAs)

• Minimum overall cumulative GPA of 2.8 and minimum Science and Prerequisite GPA of 3.0.

Prerequisite Courses

• No less than “C” in any prerequisite course. Pass/Fail grades for prerequisite courses will not be accepted.
• AP credit will not be accepted for prerequisite courses.
• Applicants may have two outstanding prerequisites at the time of CASPA application submission, but these must be completed and verified prior to matriculation.
• All prerequisite courses must be completed within 10 years of CASPA application submission.
• AP Credit will not be accepted for prerequisite courses.

 

COURSE	CREDIT HOUR AND LAB REQUIREMENTS
Anatomy or A&P I	One course, or a minimum of 3 semester hours. Lab is required.
Physiology or A&P II	One course, or a minimum of 3 semester hours. Lab is required.
General Chemistry	Two courses, or a minimum of 6 semester hours. Lab is required. If a student received AP credit for chemistry, the student must repeat the course at the college level, or another higher-level chemistry course must be completed. The higher-level course cannot be used to satisfy any other prerequisite course required for admission.
General Biology	Two courses, or a minimum of 6 semester hours. Lab is required. If a student received AP credit for biology, the student must repeat the course at the college level, or another higher-level biology course must be completed. The higher-level course cannot be used to satisfy any other prerequisite course required for admission.
Statistics	One course, or a minimum of 3 semester hours.
Microbiology	One course, or a minimum of 3 semester hours. Lab is required
Psychology	One course, or a minimum of 3 semester hours.
Organic Chemistry or Biochemistry	One course, or a minimum of 3 semester hours. Lab is not required but is recommended.

Academic Rigor

• The program will review all transcripts submitted by each applicant for evidence of academic rigor in each semester of study. Completing more than one STEM class per semester in one or more semesters will strengthen the application.

GRE

• All students must take the GRE examination.

Direct Patient Care Hours

• The Program defines direct patient care hours as any experience where the applicant provides hands-on patient care and is exposed to patient care delivery and/or the provider-patient relationship. We require a minimum of 200 direct patient care hours with at least 8 hours direct interaction with a PA. Additional hours will strengthen the application. Any hours credited as part of education or training will not count. Direct patient care hours may be paid or volunteer. Please refer to our list of acceptable direct patient care hours for guidance.

Community Service

• Evidence of community service and a commitment to service is not required but recommended. Evidence of community service will strengthen the application based on the number of community service hours.

Leadership

• Evidence of leadership is not required but recommended. Evidence of leadership roles will strengthen the application based on the number of leadership roles.

Interviews

• No interview is required but there will be an optional accepted students’ day on campus.

Custom Essay

• All applicants will be required to answer three short-answer essay questions within the CASPA portal that are specific to the Alvernia University PA program.

Letters of Recommendation

• Three letters of recommendation are required, including at least one from a healthcare professional and one from a professor/instructor.
  • If an applicant is five (5) or more years post-graduation, a letter of recommendation from a second healthcare professional or a direct supervisor of employment can be submitted in place of one from a professor/instructor.   

Criminal Background Check

• All applicants must pass a criminal background check prior to matriculation.

Technical Standards

• All applicants must meet the program’s officially published technical standards at the time of matriculation and continue to meet them while enrolled in the program.

International Students

• We will not enroll applicants who have graduated from foreign or domestic medical institutions alone. International applicants must have completed at least one year of study in a US or English-Speaking Institution and fulfill our minimum requirements for the English proficiency examination.
• Applicants who have completed course work outside of the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, South Africa, or any other English-speaking country must take an English proficiency examination. The PA program requires one of the following minimum English proficiency examination scores:
  • TOEFL = 100
  • IELTS = 7.5
  • Duolingo = 130

Special Considerations

• Alvernia University Alumni.
• Local applicants from the Pennsylvania counties of Berks, Chester, Montgomery, Lebanon, Schuylkill, and Lehigh.
• All past and current military experience, including veteran, active duty, and reserve status.
• Applicants who speak Spanish, or any other language in addition to English, including sign language.

Advanced Placement Policy (A3.16 a, b, c) 

Advanced placement is not granted for any student entering the Alvernia University Physician Associate Program. 

• All students must complete the full Physician Associate Program. 
• No external course work will satisfy Physician Associate Program requirements 
• Applicants who have graduated from, or attended, foreign or U.S. medical schools, or who have advanced degrees in biological sciences or similar programs, will not be granted automatic acceptance into the Physician Associate Program. Nor will transfer credits from graduate or postgraduate programs be accepted. 
• No transfer credit is accepted. No courses will be waived. 
• No credit is granted for pre-admission experiential learning. 

Technical Standards for Admission

The technical standards for the Alvernia University Physician Associate Program have been established to ensure that candidates have the ability to demonstrate academic mastery, competence when performing clinical skills, and the ability to communicate clinical information. Those standards can be read here.

Application Instructions

• Complete your CASPA application.
• Complete your financial aid paperwork.

Post-Selection Requirements

Non-Refundable Deposit

Candidates who accept a seat in the program must pay a $1,000 non-refundable deposit to secure their place in the cohort. Additional information and details regarding the deposit can be found in the acceptance letter.
 

CASPer

Accepted candidates must complete the CASPer online, open-response situational judgement test prior to matriculation. The CASPer test must be completed no later than Aug. 1 of each year prior to entering the program. To register for the CASPer test, visit acuityinsights.app/casper.
 

Prior to matriculation, each student must meet the following program, college, and university requirements no later than Aug. 1 of each year prior to entering the program:

• All requirements for admission, including providing verified official transcripts from previously attended colleges/universities.
• Background check.
• Fingerprinting.
• Negative substance abuse test for illegal drugs and substances or controlled substances (students with a controlled prescription will need to meet with the Alvernia University Medical & Counseling Center).
• Immunizations as required by the Alvernia University Medical & Counseling Center and CDC Recommended Vaccines for Healthcare Workers.
• Provide proof of active health insurance. Alvernia University does not offer student health insurance plans. However, below are websites that provide options for health insurance coverage. These are just suggestions; neither the University nor the PA program has any affiliations with either of these sites or coverage options.
  • healthcare.gov
  • pennie.com
• Required Matriculation Documents (need to be uploaded to CORE ELMS, the program’s clinical tracking platform):
  • Emergency Contact Form
  • Photo/Video Release Form
  • Immunization Release Form
• Attestation to technical standards (or university accommodations if applicable).
• Attestation to student handbook/policies.

Financing Your Education

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our financial aid page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

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Program Overview

Mission Statement

Guided by our Franciscan foundation, the Alvernia University Physician Associate Program is committed to working collaboratively with the community and students to foster and support their development as Physician Associates who practice with moral courage and will provide sensitive, compassionate, ethical, professional, proficient, and person-centered care. 

Curriculum

The post-baccalaureate physician associate program is 24 months in length and spans 6 semesters, including two summer semesters. The first 3 semesters will consist of didactic phase instruction, and the last 3 semesters will consist of clinical phase instruction. The curriculum is based on the most recent ARC-PA standards and NCCPA PANCE blueprint and aligns with the University and Program’s mission and goals.

The curriculum will include basic and clinical sciences, including an intensive anatomy course utilizing Anatomage tables. The second 12 months will consist of the clinical phase, during which students will participate in supervised clinical practice experiences which will allow them to meet program defined learning outcomes for the following:

• Family Medicine
• Emergency Medicine
• Internal Medicine
• Surgery
• Pediatrics
• Reproductive Health
• Behavioral and Mental Health
• Elective

Supervised clinical practice experiences will occur in both the inpatient and outpatient settings as well as the emergency department and operating room.
 

Didactic Phase: Fall Semester (19 credits)

• PA 505: Fundamentals of Disease States: 5 credits
• PA 510: Professional Practice I: 2 credits
• PA 515: Professional Practice II: 1 credit
• PA 520: Fundamentals of Dermatology: 4 credits
• PA 525: Fundamentals of Hematology: 3 credits
• PA 530: Fundamentals of Neurology: 4 credits

Didactic Phase: Spring Semester (23 credits)

• PA 535: Fundamentals of Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Neck and Throat: 4 credits
• PA 540: Fundamentals of Pulmonology: 5 credits
• PA 545: Fundamentals of the Cardiovascular System: 5 credits
• PA 550: Fundamentals of Gastroenterology and Nutrition: 4 credits
• PA 555: Fundamentals of Endocrinology: 3 credits
• PA 560: Professional Practice III: 2 credits

Didactic Phase: Summer Semester (19 credits)

• PA 565: Fundamentals of Nephrology: 3 credits
• PA 570: Fundamentals of the Genitourinary System: 3 credits
• PA 575: Fundamentals of Reproductive Health: 4 credits
• PA 580: Fundamentals of Behavioral & Mental Health: 4 credits
• PA 585: Fundamentals of the Musculoskeletal System: 3 credits
• PA 595: Professional Practice IV: 2 credits

Clinical Phase: Fall Semester (14 credits)

• PA 605: Behavioral & Mental Health Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 610: Emergency Medicine Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 615: Family Medicine Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 620: Professional Practice V: 1 credit
• PA 625: Ethics and Moral Leadership I: 1 credit

Clinical Phase: Spring Semester (14 credits)

• PA 630: Pediatric Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 635: Reproductive Health Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 640: Surgery Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 645: Professional Practice VI: 1 credit
• PA 650: Ethics and Moral Leadership II: 1 credit

Clinical Phase: Summer Semester (11 credits)

• PA 655: Internal Medicine Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 660: Elective Rotation: 4 credits
• PA 665: Professional Practice VII: 2 credits
• PA 670: Ethics and Moral Leadership III: 1 credit

 

TOTAL CREDITS: 100

Solicitation of Clinical Sites & Preceptor Policy (A3.03) 

A3.03 The program must define, publish, and make readily available and consistently apply a policy for prospective and enrolled students that they must not be required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors.

Clinical rotation placement for each student is the responsibility of the PA program, and the program makes all decisions regarding student clinical placement. The Alvernia University PA program recruits, develops, maintains, and determines student placements for all supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs/rotations). Coordinating SCPEs/rotations by the program’s faculty involves identifying, contacting, and evaluating clinical sites and preceptors for suitability and student safety as a required (core) or elective rotation experience. Additionally, the program orients clinical preceptors to the goals, expectations, and outcomes of the specific rotation.

Students may suggest or provide information regarding potential clinical sites or preceptors to the program’s faculty, but no student will be required to provide or solicit clinical sites or preceptors. Any clinical site or preceptor recommended to the program by a student must be reviewed, evaluated, and approved for educational suitability and student safety by the program.

Students that want to submit a suggestion for a potential clinical site or preceptor must complete a "Student SCPE Request Consideration” form. Completion of the form does not guarantee placement.

Student Handbook & Policies

Read the Physician Associate Student Handbook & Policies.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• Utilization of the university’s state-of-the-art facilities, including Anatomage virtual dissection tables
• Standardized patients for assessment
• Participation in community service
• Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Career Outlook

The PA profession is one of the fastest growing in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job growth rate for 2023-2033 is 28%, which is much higher than the average growth rate of 5% for all professions. The median annual wage for physician associates was $130,020 in 2023. Obtaining a Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies will allow graduates to:

• Take medical histories
• Conduct physical exams
• Diagnose and treat illness
• Order and interpret tests
• Develop treatment plans
• Prescribe medication
• Counsel on preventive care
• Perform procedures
• Assist in surgery
• Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes
• Do clinical research

Accreditation Statements

• The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Alvernia University Physician Associate Program sponsored by Alvernia University. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website.
• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Program Goals and Outcomes

The Alvernia University Physician Associate Program Goals* are as follows:

Goal: First time PANCE pass rate at or above the national average.
Outcome Measure: PANCE first-time pass rate.
Benchmark: At or above the national average.

Goal: 100% student participation in community service.
Outcome Measure: Number (percentage) of students participating in community service.
Benchmark: 100% of the cohort.

Goal: Build a community with alumni engagement at or above the University average.
Outcome Measure: Percentage of alumni engagement.
Benchmark: At or above the University average (10.5%).

Goal: 100% of PA students will provide medical care in an underserved clinical setting. 
Outcome Measure: Number (percentage) of students participating in an underserved clinical setting.
Benchmark: 100% of the cohort

Goal: 100% of our students will acknowledge a better understanding and appreciation of how moral courage, sensitivity, compassion, ethics, professionalism, and proficiency is woven into the art of patient care. 
Outcome Measure: Number (percentage) of students that indicate an understanding and appreciation of the Program mission.
Benchmark: 100% of the cohort

*Outcome data will be updated as the program’s development progresses and the first cohort of students matriculate and graduate.

Program Competencies

Domain	Program Learning Outcomes (Program Competencies)
Medical Knowledge	1. Apply fundamental medical, social, and behavioral science knowledge in the evaluation, diagnosis, and management of patients.
Communication & Interpersonal Skills	2. Obtain a focused and/or comprehensive patient history. 3. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate clinical findings. 4. Apply interpersonal and communication skills to collaborate and educate patients and/or caretakers.
Clinical & Technical Skills	5. Demonstrate general clinical procedures safely and effectively. 6. Perform a focused and/or comprehensive physical examination. 7. Interpret diagnostic and screening studies.
Clinical reasoning & Problem-solving	8. Generate a working differential diagnosis. 9. Formulate appropriate therapeutic management plans.
Professional Behaviors	10. In alignment with Alvernia's expectations, students will demonstrate professionalism in all interactions.

PANCE Report

The most current annual NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance Summary Report Last 5 Years will be posted annually no later than April 1 beginning the year after the first cohort graduates (August 2026).

Program Attrition

The Alvernia University Physician Associate Program has set a benchmark to have an attrition rate that is less than or equal to the national average each year. Attrition is defined as the permanent loss of a matriculated student from the course of study in the PA program.

Upon matriculation of the first class, the Alvernia PA Program will provide the most current annual student attrition information. The data will be presented with a standard table, which will include attrition information for the Alvernia PA Program’s graduated cohorts and the most recent entering class size data for the cohorts currently enrolled.
 

	Graduated Classes
	Class of (Year)	Class of (Year)	Class of (Year)
Maximum entering class size (as approved by ARC-PA)	#	#	#
Entering class size	#	#	#
Graduates	#	#	#
*Attrition Rate	#	#	#
**Graduation Rate	#	#	#

* Attrition Rate: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.

**Graduation Rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size

Tuition and Fees

Alvernia University Physician Associate Program Class of 2026 Tuition and Fees

Tuition and Fees*

Item                                                                                                                                           Amount
Total Program Tuition ($15,000 per semester x 6 semesters total)	$90,000
University Fee ($1,350 per semester x 6 semesters)	$8,100
Experiential Learning Fee ($4,000 per year)	$8,000
Graduation Fee	$140
TOTAL PROGRAM COST	$106,240

*Tuition and fees are subject to an annual increase pending approval by the Alvernia University Board of Trustees.
 

Additional Estimated Costs Associated with the Program

Item                                                                                                                                                                                                  Amount
Background Checks ($65 each occurrence, required prior to both the didactic and clinical phases of the program)	$130
Urine Drug Screenings ($45 each occurrence, additional may be required by the program or clinical sites)	$90
Diagnostic Medical Equipment and Supplies (May vary based on features selected)	$684
Textbooks (Most required textbooks are offered electronically through the PA program; this cost reflects those textbooks that are not offered in tuition)	$310
Short White Coat	$80
Black Scrubs	$80
AAPA Membership	$75
PSPA Membership	$50
Laptop Computer (May vary based on features selected)	$1,500
Student Health Insurance (Provided by the student. Plan rates will vary based on the carrier.)	$15,000
Needlestick Insurance	$95
Board Review	$300
TOTAL ASSOCIATED PROGRAM COSTS	$18,394

 

Total Estimated Living and Transportation Expenses

Item                                                                                                                                                                                       Amount
Miscellaneous Living Expenses: Rent/Mortgage/Food* (*Based on graduate housing rates for CollegeTowne. Board rates vary and are subject to an annual increase pending approval by the Alvernia University Board to Trustees. Cost may vary for those living off-campus.)	Per Year: $19,400 Total: $38,800
Personal Expenses (Cell phone, internet, etc.)	Per Year: $2,400 Total: $4,800
Transportation (In-state only)	Per Year: $6,500 Total: $13,000
Housing and Transportation for Distant Clinical Rotations (Clinical year expenses may vary based on the number of distance clinical rotations assigned.)	$3,000
TOTAL ESTIMATED LIVING AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES	$59,600

 

Overall Cost of Attendance for the Physician Associate Program = $184,234

Get To Know Your Faculty/Staff

For more information about Alvernia’s Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies traditional post-baccalaureate track contact Kelly Burr, M.Ed Director of Graduate Enrollment, at 610-796-8296 or Kelly.Burr@alvernia.edu, or reach out directly to the program at 610-685-3253 or physicianassociate@alvernia.edu.