If you want to help patients and diagnose diseases the five-year dual-degree Health Sciences BS / Physician Assistant MS program may be a good fit for you. The undergraduate pre-professional curriculum provides a stimulating and supportive environment to build strong skills in critical thinking and problem solving through foundation courses in health, science, psychology and the humanities.

In addition to the prescribed curriculum, there are multiple opportunities for experiential learning through internships and clinical hours, all of which will enrich your college experience, provide you with exposure to various healthcare environments, and help you to build a professional network.

This undergraduate entry option is designed for students who have found their niche in health care as a physician assistant early in their academic career. Applicants with more than 15 college credits are not eligible to apply to this program. Transfer students with more than 15 college credits are encouraged to consider applying to the BS program in Health Sciences.

Students are guaranteed a seat in the graduate portion of the program, provided they meet progression criteria set for their enrollment term, described below. Prior to enrolling in the professional phase of the program, students must complete an online application through CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants) by August 31 following completion of Year 3 of undergraduate studies.

Progression Criteria for the Pre-Professional Phase includes:

Complete all required pre-professional courses, with grade of B or higher. A course can be repeated only once; no more than two courses may be repeated. Withdrawing from a course will count toward number of repeated courses.
Earn minimum 3.250 (unrounded) cumulative and science GPAs at end of each spring semester
Submit online CASPA application by stated deadline following Year 2 (at least 7 science pre-professional courses must be completed at time of application)
Obtain minimum 200 hours of direct patient contact
Complete legal and health clearances required for matriculation