Master of Physician Assistant Studies

The HPU Physician Assistant Studies program will begin each Summer and will span 27 months over 7 continuous semesters. Part-time or interrupted attendance is not an option, and no online classes are offered. The program will prepare graduates with the necessary knowledge and skills to:

• Reliably perform the role of the PA and meet the demands of an expanding local, national, and global health care environment.
• Provide health care services to all persons regardless of race, culture, spiritual beliefs, gender, or socioeconomic status while contributing to the advancement of knowledge in their discipline and in medicine.

The curriculum is being designed to imaginatively blend critical thinking and intellectual inquiry with a practical need for innovation, skill, and knowledge within professional disciplines.

The innovative course of study includes an integrated set of educational experiences that focus on:

1. Core Medical Sciences
2. Critical Thinking
3. Cultural Values
4. Public Policy Issues
5. Research applicable to the needs of the PA profession
6. Service Learning Opportunities

The Didactic Phase of the program will take place over 4 semesters of graduate level academic coursework. The curriculum will be structured around active-learning strategies, practical lab sessions, simulated case presentations, problem-based learning sessions, and off-campus clinical interaction.

The Clinical Phase will take place during the second year and will span a total of 12 months. Students will participate in supervised clinical rotations during which time they will participate in the evaluation and management of patients in a wide variety of clinical areas. Students are not required to supply their own clinical sites or preceptors. In addition, all students will be required to produce a research project during their clinical year.

Physician Assistant Admission Requirements

Physician Assistant Curriculum

Physician Assistant Program Website

Applicants are considered for on-campus interview based on the following aspects identified within their CASPA application:

1. Prerequisite Coursework
2. Grade Point Averages (GPA)
3. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) Scores*
4. Health Care Experience
5. References
6. Bachelor’s Degree Requirement**
7. Ability to perform the program required Technical Standards 

*The GRE must have been taken within the past five years. For the 2016-17 admissions cycle, the GRE must have been taken after 1/1/2012 and before 9/1/2016. The Educational Testing Service only keeps scores for five years.  High Point University’s CASPA GRE Designated Institution Code, 7291, should be used to report scores.

**Applicants must provide evidence of an earned bachelor’s degree from a United States regionally accredited college or university prior to enrollment.

Cost of Attendance

The comprehensive fee schedule for the HPU PA Program is set annually. The comprehensive fee is a convenient way for students to determine their investments accurately. The comprehensive fee structure for billing will include all tuition and University fees. The comprehensive fee does not include books or course-specific fees.  Tuition and Fees for the program can be found here.

Financial Aid

Many HPU PA students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to apply for student loans to support their graduate education (School Code 002933). Information about these loans is available in the Office of Student Financial Planning.