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 University of Kentucky Physician Assistant (PA) Program’s mission is to educate highly skilled, compassionate physician assistants trained to provide exceptional patient care and advance healthcare equity in underserved, and rural communities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Our program’s success in fulfilling this mission is founded on:
- Rigorous academic training
- Active community engagement
- A collaborative environment fostering care for others, innovation, leadership, and excellence.
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 choosing 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 to the Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). Following acceptance in the program, applicants will be directed to complete 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 before entry into the program. Additionally, applicants may have only two outstanding prerequisite requirements at the time of application submission to be completed by August during a summer semester term. (Applicants will not be reviewed if at the time of application submission the applicant has >2 outstanding prerequisite requirements)
Prerequisite Courses
A C grade or better must be earned in the following prerequisite courses:
- 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
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.
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
Program Manager
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.
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.
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