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 527 – Nephrology | 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 524 – Pulmonology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 528 – Cardiology | 3 weeks | 3 |
| PA 529 – Orthopedics & Rheumatology | 3 weeks | 3 |
| PA 541 – Genitourinary & 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.