Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

• Mission/Purpose Statement: The M.S. in PA Studies program is committed to academic excellence, best practices, and professional leadership in the PA profession, promoting optimal student, clinician, and patient outcomes. The program advances the mission of Northeast College of Health Science through its preparation of students to become nationally boarded and state licensed PAs practicing holistic, person-centered, evidence-based medicine promoting optimal patient experiences and outcomes.
• Values Statements
  • General: In the PA program, we hold that all beings are entitled to the highest standard of appropriate, evidence-based, holistic, person-centered medical care without regard to socioeconomic status, age, race, ethnicity, color, creed, national origin, gender identification, sexual orientation, or other potentially discriminating characteristics. In alignment with this, we hold that all students are entitled to the highest quality instruction to best enable the provision of holistic, person-centered medical care to their future patients.
  • Belonging, Inclusion, & Respect: We strive to develop, deliver, and maintain a learning environment within which students are welcomed, included, respected, and valued, acknowledging each individual’s unique culture and abilities to enhance and contribute to a learning environment promoting optimal personal, professional, and clinical outcomes.
  • Collaboration: To promote ideal educational experiences and holistic, person-centered clinical care, we actively incorporate interprofessional education and interdisciplinary partnerships with other medical and allied-health professions and professionals focused on optimal outcomes for faculty, students, graduates, and the communities and individuals they serve.
  • Learning: We strive to encourage and support life-long learning focused on personal and professional growth and success including, but not limited to, continuing medical education to ensure faculty, students, and graduates practice at the highest caliber in their profession.
• Goal Statements
  • To provide the highest-quality PA education emphasizing professional excellence, personal growth and well-being, and holistic, person-centered and evidence-based medical care.
  • To foster a mindful learning environment exemplifying personal and professional integrity, compassion, and ethics aligning with PA professional standards of conduct and practice. 
  • To provide students and graduate with a foundation of clinical and scientific literacy promoting evidence-based practice and life-long learning. 
  • To prepare graduates for successful national board certifications.

To assess program effectiveness on meeting the above mission/purpose, values, and goals, students will complete an annual evaluation of the program and college. Upon graduation of the first and all subsequent cohorts, outcomes will be reported for each of the mission/purpose, values, and goals on this page. The program considers an average cohort score of 80% on annual evaluation items mapped to each of the above items as a benchmark of program effectiveness. Additionally, the program considers an average cohort score of 90% on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) as another measure of program effectiveness. Upon graduation of the first and all subsequent cohorts, the program outcomes will be detailed above.

For more on the institution's mission, values, and objectives, visit our Mission & Values page.

Northeast College of Health Sciences has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Northeast College of Health Sciences anticipates matriculating its first class in January 2026, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the September 2025 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.

The Northeast College M.S. in PA program has applied for and is pending ARC-PA provisional accreditation. Students cannot be matriculated or enrolled without this accreditation. Should the program not receive ARC-PA provisional accreditation, the anticipated program start will be delayed until accreditation is received.

For more on institutional accreditation, please see our Consumer Information page.

Take the next step in your healthcare career. Learn more about the admission criteria and steps to apply for the M.S. in PA Studies Program at Northeast College of Health Sciences.

Admission Requirements + How to Apply

Student Attrition Data for the M.S. in PA Studies Program

Comments: Upon matriculation of the first cohort and updated on at least an annual basis, the program will publish student attrition data in the above table.

*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).

Graduate Performance on the PA National Certifying Exam (PANCE)

Upon successful completion of the PA program, graduates are eligible to sit for their national board examination in pursuit of national certification and subsequent state licensure. On this page, when available, the program will publish the National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) 5-year PANCE exam performance summary report, updating this for each cohort. For more information on the PANCE, please visit the NCCPA website.

• Program Director: Scott Richards, Ph.D., PA-C, DFAAPA
• Medical Director: Thomas Thompson, M.D., Ph.D.
• Principal Faculty & Director of Didactic Education: Erin O’Donoghue, D.M.S., M.S., PA-C, ATC (ret)
• Principal Faculty & Director of Clinical Education: Gina LaMandre, M.S., MSPAS, PA-C
• Principal Faculty & Admissions Coordinator: Kimberly Wieringa, D.M.Sc., MPAS, MSH, PA-C, CAQ-HM
• Administrative Assistant: Ciara Campbell

Access the M.S. in PA Studies Program Handbook for a complete guide to academic and program requirements.

Program Handbook (PDF)

General Competencies

1. Person-Centered Clinical Practice Knowledge: Graduates will be able to:
   1. Recognize healthy vs. ill patients and when intervention is needed. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
      1. Preceptor Evaluations of Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) Students 
      2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
      3. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
      4. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
   2. Elicit & understand the stories of patients and apply the context of their lives when determining appropriate level of care and management. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
      1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
      2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
      3. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
      4. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
   3. Develop and maintain meaningful, therapeutic relationships with patients, their families, and significant others. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
      1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
      2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
      3. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
   4. Determine differential diagnoses, order and interpret laboratory, imaging, and procedural findings, and perform appropriate core procedures in the evaluation of patients. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
      1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
      2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
      3. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
      4. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
   5. Diagnose, treat, and manage pediatric, adolescent, adult, and elderly patients in alignment with their level of clinical experience and training. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
      1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
      2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
      3. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
      4. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
   6. Partner with patients to address health concerns and treatment adherence. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
      1. Preceptor Evaluations of Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) Students 
      2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
      3. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
      4. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
2. Society & Population Health: Graduates will be able to recognize and understand that the influences of the larger community and environment may affect patient health and well-being and integrate knowledge of social determinants of health in their medical care. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
   3. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
3. Health Literacy & Communication: Graduates will be able to communicate with patients as partners engaging in shared decision-making with recognition of individual patient personal, cultural, and social uniqueness and personal values. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
   3. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
4. Interprofessional Collaborative Team-Based Practice: Graduates will be able to recognize the benefits of and incorporate other healthcare professionals in patient care working within team-based practice environments to promote optimal patient outcomes. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
   3. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College
5. Professional & Legal Aspects of Health Care: Graduates will be able to practice medicine in a beneficent manner exemplifying and adhering to the highest standards of care. This competency will be evaluated in and at the conclusion of the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
   3. Annual Student Evaluation of Program and College

Additional Functions and Tasks Graduates Should Be Able to Perform

In addition to the above, the program’s graduate competencies include the following functions and tasks graduates should be able to perform. As with the above learning outcomes, the program considers an average cohort score of 80% on evaluation items mapped to the specific function/task as a benchmark of effectiveness.

1. Perform an initial approach to a patient of any age group in any setting to quickly establish patient rapport and determine the most appropriate and necessary evaluation to be completed. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluation of Supervised Clinical Practice Experience (SCPE) Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs)
2. Perform appropriate, pertinent, and effective patient histories. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
3. Perform appropriate, pertinent, and effective patient physical examinations. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
4. Perform appropriate, pertinent, and effective diagnostic workups. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
   3. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
5. Appropriately and effectively document and present pertinent data from patient encounters in a professional and meaningful manner. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
6. Apply basic sciences in making diagnoses and understanding treatment procedures. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Examination
7. Diagnose health problems objectively through a person-centered problem-oriented approach. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
   2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
8. Work cooperatively and professionally with other members of the health care team. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
9. Know how to perform routine diagnostic and/or therapeutic procedures. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
   1. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: Practical Examinations to Assess Clinical & Technical Skills
10. Demonstrate appropriate and effective counseling patient education on clinical conditions and health maintenance. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
    1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
    2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
11. Initiate appropriate referral of patients when indicated. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
    1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
    2. End-of-Program Summative Evaluation: OSCEs
12. Recognize limitations of PA practice. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
    1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students
13. Demonstrate understanding and application of medical ethics and codes of conduct. Function/Task will be evaluated in the program by the following assessments:
    1. Preceptor Evaluations of SCPE Students

The program’s learning outcomes are divided into general professional competencies and functions and tasks graduates should be able to perform. The competencies and evaluations for program effectiveness in meeting those competencies are outlined below. The program considers an average cohort score of 80% on evaluation items mapped to the specific competency as a benchmark of program effectiveness. Upon graduation of the first and all subsequent cohorts, the program outcomes for each competency will be detailed above.

Review essential program policies to guide your success in the M.S. in PA Studies Program.

Program Policies
 

The program’s technical standards for both initial enrollment and for in-program progression once matriculated are noted below. The technical standards have been developed in consideration of the demands of PA program didactic and clinical training requirements and entry level practice. Along with other program prerequisites and requirements, all candidates and students must be able to independently, with or without reasonable accommodation, meet the Program specific technical standards. Once matriculated, all students must continue to meet these standards throughout the entirety of their program. Failure to meet all technical standards at any time in the program may preclude participation in the program and program activities, resulting in dismissal, deceleration/delay of graduation from the program.

The program’s minimum technical standards required of all students include:

• Critical Thinking Ability & Skills: Students must possess the intellectual capabilities required to complete both the didactic and clinical curriculum and achieve competency. Critical thinking requires the intellectual ability to measure, calculate, synthesize, and analyze a large and complex volume of medical and surgical information. Students in the program must also be able to perform applicable demonstrations and experiments in the medical sciences.
• Computer Technology Skills: Students must be able to utilize computerized information technology to access and manage on-line medical information, participate in computerized testing as required by the curriculum, conduct research, prepare multimedia presentations, and participate in the management of computerized patient records and assessments.
• Communication Skills: Students must be able to speak clearly and effectively in order to elicit and relay medical information. They must also be able to communicate effectively and legibly in writing.
• Visual Ability: Students must have the visual acuity needed to evaluate a patient during a physical exam and perform a wide range of technical procedures involved in the practice of medicine and surgery.
• Hearing and Tactile Ability: Students must have the motor and sensory functions needed to elicit information from patients by palpation, auscultation and percussion, as well as perform a wide range of technical procedures involved in the practice of medicine and surgery.
• Motor and Fine Skills: Students must be able to execute the physical movements required to maneuver in small places, calibrate and use equipment, position and move patients, and perform the technical procedures involved in the practice of medicine and surgery.
• Interpersonal Ability: Students must possess a wide range of interpersonal skills, including but not limited to the emotional health required for management of high stress situations while maintaining their full intellectual abilities; the ability to exercise good judgment; the ability to complete all assigned patient care responsibilities; the ability to manage time (show up on time, begin and complete tasks on time); the ability to develop a mature, sensitive and effective relationship with medical colleagues, clinical and administrative staff, patients and families; the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in positive ways to relieve stress, communicate effectively, empathize with others, overcome challenges and diffuse conflict; and the ability to recognize your own emotional state and the emotional states of others, and engage with people in a way that draws them to you.

Find more information on tuition + aid at Northeast College of Health Sciences. 

 M.S. in pa studies tuition + fees