Physician Assistant Studies

Program Mission

The mission of the Plaza College Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies Program is to educate and develop highly competent, compassionate, culturally sensitive physician assistants that excel at the practice of medicine.

In alignment with Plaza College’s mission the PA program is committed to the personal and professional advancement of our students through an inclusive, supportive and dynamic learning experience that promotes the education, health, and success of the communities that our students and the institution support and serve.

Program Goals

The following specific educational goals have been established for the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program:

1. Admit qualified applicants who will successfully meet the criteria for progression and completion of the program.
2. Foster a culture that values professional and community engagement.
3. Deliver a curriculum that graduates entry-level practice-ready PAs.
4. Graduate physician assistants who will help address the healthcare needs of New York City and adjacent communities (5 boroughs of NYC, Long Island, Westchester, surrounding cities of New Jersey and Connecticut).

Program Competencies

As further described in the Physician Assistant Program Graduate Competencies, upon completion of the program, the MSPAS student will be able to demonstrate:

1. the application of comprehensive knowledge of biomedical and clinical sciences to acute, chronic, urgent, and emergent patient-centered care of all patients across the lifespan.
2. the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, patient-identified family or proxies, and other health professionals and members of the patient care team.
3. the clinical reasoning and technical skills required to provide patient – and setting specific, age-appropriate assessment, evaluation and care of all patients.
4. the ability to engage with a variety of other healthcare professionals in a manner that optimizes safe, effective, patient- and population-centered care.
5. integrity and a commitment to practicing medicine in ethically and legally appropriate ways, while emphasizing the professional maturity and accountability for delivering safe and high-quality patient-centered and population-centered care.
6. the ability to learn and implement quality improvement practices by engaging in critical analysis of one’s own practice experience, the medical literature, and other information resources for the purposes of self-evaluation, lifelong learning, and practice improvement.
7. the ability to recognize and understand the influences of the person, family, population, culture, environment, and policy on the health of patients, health outcomes, and healthcare, and integrate knowledge of these determinants of health into patient care decisions.

*This program is currently in development and not yet accepting applications.

Admission to the Physician Assistant program is highly competitive, but the college welcomes all applicants who meet the minimum standards of the college and the program to apply. All applications must be submitted and verified through the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) within the active application period. Complete applications for the cohort matriculating in September 2027 must be submitted between April 30, 2026 – April 1, 2027.

Minimum Requirements

To be considered for admission to the PA program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• United States citizen or permanent resident
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States, completed before the submission of the application and within the last 10 years
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (C) on a 4.0 scale, as calculated by CASPA
• Pre-requisite courses completed at a regionally accredited institution in the United States within 10 years prior to the application submission:
  • English Composition, 3 credits
  • Math, 3 credits
  • Statistics or Biostatistics, 3 credits
  • Psychology, 3 credits
  • Biology (with labs), 8 credits*
  • Chemistry (with labs), 8 credits* (or LS189 and LS190/190a taken at Plaza College)
  • Microbiology, 3 credits*
  • Biochemistry, 3 credits*
  • Anatomy & Physiology I & II (2 courses both with labs) or individual Anatomy and Physiology Courses, totaling 8 credits*
  • Medical Terminology, 3 credits
  • Genetics, 3 credits
• Cumulative science GPA of 3.0 (C) on a 4.0 scale (courses marked with * above), as calculated by CASPA
• Two letters of recommendation
  • One from college-level academic instructor or professor speaking to the applicant’s academic performance
  • One from a MD/DO or PA speaking to the applicant’s clinical acumen and/or professionalism
• 250 hours of direct patient care experience
• Ability to meet all Physician Assistant Program Technical Standards
• Take and achieve a minimum score of 20 on the Wonderlic SLE exam
• International Applicants Only: Proof of English proficiency through a TOEFL score of 575

Detailed information regarding the admissions requirements, process, and preferences/suggestions for a competitive application may be found in the Informational Packet for Admissions Applicants – Physician Assistant Studies. Applicants should review the information contained in this manual prior to submitting their application materials on CASPA.

Admissions Interviews

Submitted applications are reviewed for completeness and compliance with minimum requirements by CASPA. All applications that meet these requirements are then reviewed by Plaza College, and the most qualified and competitive applicants are offered an in-person personal interview. Interviews are not guaranteed for all applicants, but are required for admission into the program.

Admissions Decisions

The Admission Committee has a holistic approach to recruiting a cohort that aligns with the mission and goals of the program. Admissions decisions are based on an extensive review of the applicant’s complete application, as outlined above and submitted via CASPA. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. Admissions decisions will be made on a rolling basis once in-person interviews begin.

Admitted applicants must, prior to matriculation, submit a $500 non-refundable deposit and complete all onboarding requirements outlined in the Informational Packet for Admissions Applicants – Physician Assistant Studies by specified due date(s). Failure to do so may result in a rescindment of acceptance. In the event that Provisional Accreditation is not granted to Plaza College by the ARC-PA, delaying the matriculation of the cohort scheduled to start in September of 2027, deposits will be fully refunded.

For additional information, please use the “Request Info” button or attend a PA-specific
information session.

The tuition and fees outlined below are effective for the cohort matriculating in September 2027.

Tuition and fees are subject to change with the approval of the Board of Trustees at any time.

*For the cohort beginning in September 2027, this deposit will be refunded at student request in the event that the program does not start on the anticipated timeline.

**Total program cost does not include the cost of travel to campus or clinical sites, housing, food, health insurance, or other incidental costs.

E-books, software, lab supplies and materials, lab fees, short white coats, scrubs, background check, and drug screening, personal protective equipment, physical diagnosis equipment are included in the costs labeled above. Printed copies of textbooks may be purchased for an additional cost.

Tuition is payable in advance; however, payment may be deferred pending receipt of financial aid. Where financial aid is insufficient to cover all charges, a no-interest payment plan may be requested.  Each accepted student will be assigned a Financial Aid counselor who will go over the costs of the program and any financial aid for which they are qualified.  Please see the Tuition and Financial Aid page for additional financial aid details.

The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is a 24-month program consisting of a 12-month pre-clinical phase and a 12-month clinical phase. Course descriptions for each of the following courses may be found in the College Catalog or the Informational Packet for Admissions Applicants – Physician Assistant Studies.

Pre-Clinical Phase

The pre-clinical phase is an intensive training program that integrates practical skills, simulation training, and didactic education over the first 12-months of the program.

Semester 1 (24 Credits)

PA501:  Anatomy & Radiology (6 cr.)
PA502:  Physiology (4 cr.)
PA503:  Medical Interviewing (3 cr.)
PA504:  Introduction to the PA Profession (3 cr.)
PA505:  Epidemiology & Public Health (2 cr.)
PA506:  Surgery I: Introduction to Surgery & Skills (3 cr.)
PA507:  Clinical Pathology (3 cr.)

Semester 2 (22 Credits)

PA508:  Essential Principles of Medicine I (6 cr.)
PA509:  Surgery II: Surgery & Skills (3 cr.)
PA510:  Physical Diagnosis I (4 cr.)
PA511:  Clinical Pharmacology (4 cr.)
PA512:  Behavioral & Mental Health (3 cr.)
PA513:  Research I: Introduction to Research (2 cr.)

Semester 3 (24 Credits)

PA514:  Essential Principles of Medicine II (6 cr.)
PA515:  Surgery III: Surgical Specialties & Skills (3 cr.)
PA516:  Physical Diagnosis II (4 cr.)
PA517:  Emergency Medicine (3 cr.)
PA518:  Geriatrics (2 cr.)
PA519:  Pediatrics (2 cr.)
PA520:  Women’s Health (2 cr.)
PA521:  Research II (2 cr.)

Clinical Phase

The clinical phase, or second 12-months of the program, includes nine 5-week clinical rotations with a variety of our clinical partners, providing students with hands-on experience delivering a high level of care to a diverse patient population.  The outline below is an example, and clinical rotations may occur in any sequence.

Semester 4 (15 Credits)

PA5501:  Internal Medicine SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5502:  Surgery SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5503:  Geriatrics SCPE (5 cr.)

Semester 5 (15 Credits)
PA5504:  Behavioral & Mental Health SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5505:  Pediatrics SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5506:  Emergency Medicine SCPE (5 cr.)

 Semester 6 (19 Credits)

PA5507:  Women’s Health SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5508:  Family Medicine SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5509:  Elective SCPE (5 cr.)
PA5510:  Orientation to Practice: Capstone & Competencies (2 cr.)
PA5511:  Research III (2 cr.)

ARC-PA Student Attrition and Graduation Rate Table

This program is currently in development with no attrition or graduation data to report.

*Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attritted from cohort (decelerated + withdrawals + dismissals) divided by the (entering class size + number joining class cohort).

**Graduation rate calculation: Number of cohort graduates divided by the (entering class size + number joining class cohort).

Program Goals

This program is currently in development with no program goal data to report.

PANCE

Plaza College anticipates enrolling its first cohort of PA students in September 2027, and graduates will be eligible to take the PANCE exam after their anticipated graduation in August 2029.  You will be able to find the college’s NCCPA Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) Exam Performance Summary Report here at that time.

This section is under development.  Please check back at a later time for updates.

1. American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) https://www.aapa.org/
2. New York State Society of Physician Assistants (NYSSPA) https://www.nysspa.org/
3. National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) https://www.nccpa.net/
4. Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) https://www.arc-pa.org/