Degree Plan

St. Catherine's Master of Physician Assistant Studies program is a full time, focused course of study that consists of 110 credits and over 2,000 clinical hours.

The program is divided into three segments: 14 months of classroom-based learning followed by 14 months of clinical education. All students conclude the program with a senior seminar.

Course sequence

The PA program uses the cohort model, so each term's coursework follows a specific order.

Fall (18 credits)

MPAS 6000: Introduction (1 cr)
MPAS 6010: Dermatology (3 cr)
MPAS 6020: Ear/Nose/Throat (3 cr)
MPAS 6030: Cardiovascular (5 cr)
MPAS 6040: Pulmonology (4 cr)
MPAS 8010: Research I (2 cr)

Interim (4 credits)

MPAS 6050: Musculoskeletal (4 cr)

Winter (16 credits)

MPAS 6606: Neurology (3 cr)
MPAS 6070: Gastroenterology (3 cr)
MPAS 6080: Genitourinary (2 cr)
MPAS 6090: Hematology/Oncology (2 cr)
MPAS 6110: Endocrinology (2 cr)
MPAS 6120: Mental Health (2 cr)
MPAS 8020: Research II (2 cr)

Summer (12 credits)

MPAS 6200: Women's Health (2 cr)
MPAS 6300: Pediatrics (2 cr)
MPAS 6400: Aging and Elderly (2 cr)
MPAS 6500: Special Populations (2 cr)
MPAS 6600: Outpatient/Chronic/Long-term (2 cr)
MPAS 8030: Research III (2 cr)

Fall (14 credits)

MPAS 6700: Surgical/Hospital (2 cr)
MPAS 6800: Urgent/Emergent (2 cr)
Clinical Block I: Clinical Clerkships* (10 cr)

Interim (3 credits)

MPAS 7200: Transitions (3 cr)

Winter (17 credits)

MPAS 8040: Research IV (1 cr)
Clinical Block II: Clinical Clerkships* (16 cr)

Summer (13 credits)

MPAS 8050: Research V (1 cr)
Clinical Block III: Clinical Clerkships* (12 cr)

*Block I Clinical Clerkships: Women's health, mental health, general surgery
*Block II & III Clinical Clerkships (A) or (B):
     (A): Family medicine, pediatrics, elective I
     (B): Internal medicine, emergency medicine, elective II
     Note: Students who complete (A) in Block II will complete (B) in Block III, and students who complete (B) in Block II will complete (A) in Block III.

Fall (13 credits)

MPAS 7900: Senior Clerkship I (4 cr)
MPAS 7950: Senior Clerkship II (4 cr)
MPAS 7999: Senior Seminar (1 cr)
Clinical Block III: Clinical Clerkships* (4 cr)

*Block II & III Clinical Clerkships (A) or (B):
     (A): Family medicine, pediatrics, elective I
     (B): Internal medicine, emergency medicine, elective II
     Note: Students who complete (A) in Block II will complete (B) in Block III, and students who complete (B) in Block II will complete (A) in Block III.

Please note the following:

The MPAS department does not award graduate credit for work experience.
Credits from such programs as Credit for Academically Relevant Learning (CARL) or College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) cannot be applied to the MPAS degree.
Credit from other graduate-level programs cannot be transferred to St. Catherine to fulfill MPAS degree requirements.
Prerequisite course content does not fulfill MPAS degree requirements.