The University of Kentucky, Division of Physician Assistant Studies (PAS) offers a Plan B, non-thesis, physician assistant master’s degree program that is accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.P.A.S.) program is designed for students who wish to become PAs and hold a baccalaureate or will have earned a baccalaureate degree by the time they enter the program. The M.S.P.A.S. program is offered at two distinct locations in either Lexington or Morehead, KY.
The mission of the University of Kentucky Physician Assistant Studies program is to improve the health and well-being of the people in the Commonwealth of Kentucky by graduating competent and compassionate physician assistants who will become transformative leaders in their practices and communities. Accordingly, we seek applicants who have a strong interest in practicing medicine in Kentucky, especially its most underserved areas. We employ a holistic approach to choose those students who will best fulfill our mission. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. After successful completion of the NCCPA Exam, graduates are eligible for state certification/licensure to practice as certified physician assistants.
Admission Requirements
The admissions cycle to the M.S.P.A.S. program is a competitive application and interview process occurring annually (April - July), with each cohort matriculating in January. Applicants select one campus (Lexington or Morehead) and apply simultaneously to the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA) and the UK Graduate School application. Students must satisfy admissions requirements for both the Graduate School and the Physician Assistant Studies Program. For more detailed information on the program admissions requirements, please visit the program website.
Bachelor’s Degree
All applicants must meet the minimum academic standards for the Graduate School. Completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required prior to entry into the program. (The UKPAS program does not require a specific degree and the program does not favor one degree over another.) Additionally, applicants may have only two outstanding prerequisite requirements at the time of application submission to be completed by August.
Prerequisite Courses*
A “C” grade or better must be earned in the following prerequisite courses and only one retake per course requirement:
- General Chemistry 1 with laboratory 1 semester
- General Chemistry 2 with laboratory 1 semester
- Organic Chemistry with laboratory 1 semester
- General Biology with laboratory 1 semester
- Microbiology with laboratory 1 semester
- Human Anatomy 1 semester
- Human Physiology 1 semester
- Statistics 1 semester
- Psychology 1 semester
- Developmental Psychology 1 semester
- Sociology or Anthropology 1 semester
- Medical Terminology 1 semester
Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
All GRE scores must come from exams taken within the last 5 years. A minimum score is not set by the program or UK’s Graduate School. The UKPAS Program accepts ONLY the GRE for our program. We do not accept any substitutes (e.g. the MCAT, PA-CAT).
TOEFL Requirements (if applicable)
International applicants or domestic students who attended a high school in which English was not the primary language are required to submit TOEFL iBT scores in addition to the GRE. A minimum score of 26 in each category must be obtained: Reading, Listening, Speaking, & Writing.
Patient Care Experience
The UKPAS Program requires patient contact, however a minimum amount of hours is not set. Contact hours may be completed utilizing the following (but not limited to) medical disciplines: CNA, EMT, CMA, Medical Tech., phlebotomist, etc.
Additional Recommendations
Shadowing, leadership, and volunteer experience are strongly recommended to be a competitive applicant.
Letters of Recommendation
Three (3) letters of recommendation are required from people acquainted with the applicant for at least one year and familiar with his/her professional goals. They must be submitted with the CASPA application. Letters should come from the following sources:
- Letter 1 - PA or Physician
- Letter 2 - Academic Professor, Advisor, or Committee
- Letter 3 - Medical (i.e. PA, physician, nurse manage, etc.) or Academic
Admissions Essay
The admission essays are completed through the CASPA application. Essays must be of graduate quality and reflect the applicant’s commitment and understanding to the profession, program mission, campus selection, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Basic Life Support Certification
Applicants must be certified in Basic Life Support for Health Providers through the American Heart Association by matriculation in January. Red Cross certifications will not be accepted.
Technical & Behavioral Standards, Background Checks, & Drug Screening
All students matriculating into the UKPA Program are required to meet certain technical and behavioral standards of the program and College of Health Sciences. Additionally, applicants must pass a background check and drug screenings.
Due to the competitive nature and large number of students applying to the program, not all applicants who meet minimum requirements will be invited for an interview.
For more information and dates of General Information Sessions please visit our website.
If you have questions after visiting our website and attending an information session you may contact:
Julia Berry
UKPA Educational Didactic & Admissions Coordinator
julia.berry@uky.edu
Degree Requirements
MSPAS Program Curriculum Requirements
All students enrolled in the program will take the following courses in a lock-step format.Courses are on a 4.0 grading scale. D grades are not awarded to graduate students.
Spring
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ANA 611
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Regional Human Anatomy
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5
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PAS 620
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Health Care Delivery in the 21st Century
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3
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PAS 651
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Introduction to the PA Profession
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2
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PGY 412G
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Principles of Human Physiology
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4
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Summer 4-Week Intersession
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PAS 610
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Research Methods & Epidemiology in PA Studies
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3
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Summer 8-Week Intersession
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PAS 653
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Introduction to Health & Disease
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3
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PAS 678
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Health Promotion & Disease Prevention
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2
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|
|
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Fall
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PAS 645
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Master’s Project
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1
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PAS 650
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Clinical Methods
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4
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PAS 654
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Clinical Lecture Series I
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4
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PAS 655
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Psychosocial Factors in Primary Health Care
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3
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PAS 672
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Pharmacology I
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3
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Spring
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PAS 646
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Master’s Project 2
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2
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PAS 656
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Patient Evaluation & Management
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4
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PAS 657
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Clinical Laboratory Procedures
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3
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PAS 658
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Clinical Lecture Series II
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4
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PAS 673
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Pharmacology II
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3
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Summer 4-Week Intersession
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CNU 503
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Nutrition for Health Professions
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1
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PAS 640
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Survey of Geriatric Medicine
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3
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Summer 8-Week Intersession
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Students begin Clinical Year Program Clerkship Requirements; rotations are not set in any particular order
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Clerkships are 4-week long rotations
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PAS 660
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Family Medicine Clerkship (Two 4-week rotations)
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6
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PAS 661
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Pediatric Clerkship
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3
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PAS 662
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Obstetrics & Gynecology Clerkship
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3
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PAS 663
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Surgery Clerkship
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3
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PAS 665
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Clinical Practicum in Physician Assistant Studies (i.e. Electives; Three 4-week rotations)
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9
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PAS 669
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Internal Medicine Clerkship (Two 4-week rotations)
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6
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PAS 670
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Emergency Medicine Clerkship
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3
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PAS 671
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Psychiatry Clerkship
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3
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PAS 680
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Seminar in PA Studies
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2
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Total Program Credit Hours
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95
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Please note that any course offered in the PA program curriculum must be taken while in the program. The program does not offer advanced placement or course audits. Courses will not be allowed to transfer into the program (e.g. PGY 412G, ANA 611, etc.)
After completing the course work and clerkship requirements with a minimum 3.0 GPA, students who receive passing scores on the final graduate (Summative) examination will be awarded a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (M.S.P.A.S.) degree. Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination. After successful completion of the exam, they are also eligible for state certification/licensure to practice as certified physician assistants.