Physician Assistant Program

Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPA)

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is a two-year professional program divided into a 12-month didactic phase followed by a 12-month clinical education phase in the form of on-site supervised clinical practice experiences. This program is an extension of the 3-year Valparaiso University undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Health Science (BSHS) program and will serve as the culminating phase of the 5-Year Physician Assistant Program (3 + 2).

The MSPA program will provide students currently pursuing their BSHS prerequisite course work with the culminating accredited phase of their five year program. The curriculum will provide the didactic and practical hands-on training required to complete their education as physician assistant students.  A combined total of 101 credit hours from the MSPA Program are required.

Didactic Year — Year Four of the 5-Year Physician Assistant Program

To meet the objectives of the MSPA program, the College holds students in the MSPA degree program to the following requirements in the didactic phase of the program:

Fall Semester

Course Requirements Timeframe Credits
PA 500 – Principles of PA Practice I 16 weeks 3
PA 505 – Physical Diagnosis & Documentation 4 weeks 3
PA 510 – Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine 4 weeks 2
PA 520 – Immunology & Infectious Disease 2 weeks 2
PA 521 – Dermatology 2 weeks 2
PA 522 – Ophthalmology & Otorhinolaryngology 2 weeks 2
PA 523 – Hematology & Oncology 3 weeks 2
PA 524 – Pulmonology 2 weeks 2
PA 540 – Principles of Geriatric Medicine 1 week 1
Total Fall Semester Credits   19

 

Spring Semester

Course Requirements Timeframe Credits
PA 501 – Principles of PA Practice II 16 weeks 3
PA 525 – Nutrition & Gastroenterology 3 weeks 2
PA 526 – Endocrinology 2 weeks 2
PA 527 – Nephrology 2 weeks 2
PA 528 – Cardiology 3 weeks 3
PA 529 – Orthopedics & Rheumatology 3 weeks 3
PA 541 – Urogynecology & Reproduction 3 weeks 3
Total Spring Semester Credits 18


Summer Semester

Course Requirements Timeframe Credits
PA 502 – Principles of PA Practice III 12 weeks 3
PA 530 – Neurology 3 weeks 2
PA 531 – Psychiatry & Behavioral Health 2 weeks 2
PA 543 – Principles of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine 3 weeks 2
PA 532 – Emergency Medicine & Surgery 3 weeks 2
PA 560 – Foundations of the Healthcare System 6 weeks 3
PA 570 – Transition to Clinical Year 1 week 1
Total Summer Semester Credits 15

A total of 52 credit hours is required in the didactic phase of the MSPA Program.

Clinical Year — Year Five of the 5-Year Physician Assistant Program

To meet the objectives of the MSPA program, the College holds students in the MSPA degree program to the following requirements in the clinical phase of the program:

Fall Semester

Course Requirements Timeframe Credits
Rotation 1 5 weeks 5
Rotation 2 5 weeks 5
Rotation 3 5 weeks 5
PA 695A – Graduate Project I 1
Total Fall Semester Credits 16


Spring Semester

Course Requirements Timeframe Credits
Rotation 4 5 weeks 5
Rotation 5 5 weeks 5
Rotation 6 5 weeks 5
Rotation 7 5 weeks 5
PA 695B – Graduate Project II 1
Total Spring Semester Credits 21


Summer Semester

Course Requirements Timeframe Credits
Rotation 8 5 weeks 5
Rotation 9 5 weeks 5
PA 670 – Transition to Clinical Practice 1
PA 695C – Graduate Project III 1
Total Summer Semester Credits 12

A total of 49 credit hours is required in the clinical phase of the PA Program. Each student must successfully complete the following clinical rotations, the graduate project, and program summative assessments to complete the clinical phase. Rotations are not sequential; thus, a student may progress in any order through the clinical phase.

Clinical Rotations

Course Requirement Timeframe Credits
PA 601 – Family Medicine Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 602 – Pediatric Medicine Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 603 – Women’s Health Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 604 – Behavioral Health Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 605 – Emergency Medicine Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 606 – Surgery Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 607 – Internal Medicine Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 608 – Elective I Rotation 5 weeks 5
PA 609 – Elective II Rotation 5 weeks 5

A total of 49 credit hours is required in the clinical phase of the MSPA Program.