MS in Physician Assistant Studies

School of Science

Your Physician Assistant Career Starts Here.

The heart of Marist College is our dedication to the service of others. This passion manifests itself in the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program. In it, you’ll learn how to care for patients in a variety of settings and be taught by experienced industry professionals. By training in state-of-the-art facilities and participating in real-world clinical rotations, you will have the tools and skills to embark on a successful career as a PA.

Prepare For Your PA Career

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program is a 24-month, full-time program designed to prepare students for clinical practice. The program consists of one 12-month didactic phase and one 12-month clinical phase. In this format, students are prepared to treat patients:

  • In all environments: in-patient, out-patient, operating room, emergency room, and more
  • At all life stages: from newborn to end-of-life
  • With technical skills: from suturing to counseling
  • In innovative ways, like at our Point of Care Ultrasound Clinical Elective Rotation
  • Globally: the program emphasizes global health practices and caring for the underserved, from Indian Health Services to local clinics

Image of physician assistant students at commencement ceremony.

Prepare For Your PA Career

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program is a 24-month, full-time program designed to prepare students for clinical practice. The program consists of one 12-month didactic phase and one 12-month clinical phase. In this format, students are prepared to treat patients:

  • In all environments: in-patient, out-patient, operating room, emergency room, and more
  • At all life stages: from newborn to end-of-life
  • With technical skills: from suturing to counseling
  • In innovative ways, like at our Point of Care Ultrasound Clinical Elective Rotation
  • Globally: the program emphasizes global health practices and caring for the underserved, from Indian Health Services to local clinics


Cutting-Edge Physician Assistant Facilities

Marist PA students have access to some of the most advanced technology available for practicing Physician Assistants. The Science and Allied Health Building offers many facilities for our PA students, including a gross anatomy laboratory, a 10-bed skills laboratory, and a technologically advanced clinical simulation suite with a twin trauma bay and five traditional exam rooms. The clinical simulation suite incorporates the use of standardized patients and high-tech manikins, including Sim Man 3G and "Harvey," the cardiopulmonary patient simulator.

 

 

Benefits of the Marist Physician Assistant Program

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Job Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Physician Assistant career outlook is predicted to grow by 31% over the next decade.

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Median PA Salary

The median annual salary for PAs is $115,390, which is higher than the average for all healthcare clinicians.

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Hospital Clinical Sites

Marist’s position within the Hudson River Valley community has helped establish an extensive list of clinical rotation sites within a 60-mile radius of campus.

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Faculty & Student Achievements

Dedicated faculty in the PA Program are determined to help you succeed. Faculty have helped past students earn scholarships with the National Health Service Corps, Area Health Education Centers, the Air Force, among others.

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Frozen Tuition

Throughout the duration of the program, your tuition rate will remain the same. The College also offers financial aid for the program.

A Curriculum Designed For Your Future

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is a 24-month, 90-credit, full-time program designed to prepare students for the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE) and for a successful career as a physician assistant. The program consists of two 12-month phases: didactic and clinical.

Didactic Phase

During the didactic phase, students learn about healthcare across the lifespan in a variety of settings. The curriculum begins with applied basic sciences and progresses through the core areas of clinical medicine. In addition, the ethical responsibilities of the profession, behavioral aspects of health, roles and responsibilities of the physician assistant, and aspects of public health are covered.

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Clinical Phase

The clinical year includes seven five-week core rotations as well as two electives focusing on students’ specific interests. After each clinical rotation students return to campus to participate in rotation-specific simulations and participate in grand rounds presentations. A notable strength of the program is the tremendous support it has received from the regional healthcare community, with our students being hosted at a wide variety of clinical sites.

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A Day in the Life of a Marist PA Student

Follow Marist PA student Carly Marie as she guides you through her exciting classes, state-of-the-art facilities, studying, and more!

A Day in the Life of a Marist PA Student

Follow Marist PA student Carly Marie as she guides you through her exciting classes, state-of-the-art facilities, studying, and more!

Speaking with the alumni and faculty during my interview displayed to me that the Physician Assistant program really emphasized a curriculum that focuses on educating well rounded providers that are not only strong academically but also in clinical skills.
After coming here for the interview, I knew this was where I wanted to go. The facilities are beautiful, and the enthusiasm of the faculty and staff was contagious. Our program is lucky enough to have a Gross Anatomy lab, where we studied with 10 donors.
One of the best decisions I have ever made was deciding to pursue a master’s in physician assistant studies. My advice is if you find yourself struggling, ask for help. Never be ashamed to utilize the resources around you. Every professor involved with the PA program is there because they care about the profession and each of them have a unique set of skills and expertise to share.
As cliché as it may sound, the second I stepped foot on campus I knew that Marist was the perfect academic environment for students like me to thrive. The faculty members are driven and passionate and have created a program to graduate highly competent physician assistants.
I really enjoyed emergency medicine because it started to teach us the hands-on skills that I still use today. I use many of the lessons taught in that class and apply them during the acute moments at work. I also enjoyed clinical medicine II where we focused on cardiology which is part of the field I practice in today.
Our physical diagnostics and clinical diagnostics labs during our clinical year were meaningful to my professional development because we were given the opportunity to practice clinical skills and scenarios under the guidance of faculty members and local practicing PAs who offered valuable feedback and advice.

Accreditation Status

*The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Marist College Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Marist College. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards. 

Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2030. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy. 

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-marist-college/.

Updated: 10/1/2020

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