Physician Assistant

Master of Science
Online and in-person
Convenient hybrid program prepares you for rewarding work as a compassionate medical professional.
  • Blends Nazareth's health and human services strengths with advanced medical training to provide excellent patient care and skillful prescription of medications.
  • High-fidelity simulation labs: Engage in realistic patient care scenarios to sharpen clinical decision-making skills before entering real-world settings.
  • Hybrid Year 1: Most components are online, some at scheduled times. On-campus sessions are on weekdays, one week of each semester.
  • Hybrid Year 2: Full-time, in-person supervised clinical practice at a variety of sites. On-campus sessions are on weekdays, one week of each semester.

Curriculum • Affordability • Program Director

Applications open in April 2025.
physician faculty and students using stethoscope

Highlights

clock graphic

Complete in 24 months full-time

pathway graphic

Diverse clinical sites for hands-on experience

group of people graphic

Collaborate with students in other Naz health programs

line graph graphic

Join a growing profession in the health care sector

Get more information and stay connected with Nazareth.

Join mailing list

physician assistant student working on a pregnant sim patient
health vitals on digital monitor
student smiling next to a hospital bed in the nursing sim lab

What to Expect

  • Be prepared for a challenging, in-depth study of medical sciences, including anatomy, pharmacology, pathology, and clinical medicine. This intensive coursework requires strong time management and a commitment to mastering complex material.
  • The first 12 months consist of didactic coursework that is primarily online with both synchronous and asynchronous delivery — meaning some occurs at scheduled times. Students come to campus one week per semester for hands-on, in-person training and assessments.
  • The second 12 months consists of supervised clinical rotations in a variety of settings and disciplines of medicine. Clinical rotations provide students with the invaluable opportunity to engage directly in patient care, allowing them to apply their medical knowledge in real-world health care settings. Through hands-on experience, students deepen their clinical skills, enhance critical thinking, and gain practical exposure to diverse patient populations, ensuring they are well-prepared for clinical practice. Students may need temporary housing for clinical rotations in distant locations.
Program is Ideal for
  • People working in health care or other fields who want to become a PA
  • People living in remote or rural areas with limited access to traditional PA programs, since the hybrid structure may eliminate the need for relocation
Curriculum Examples
  • Human Anatomy
  • Clinical Skills & Procedures
  • Professional Practice
  • Essentials of Cardiology
  • Clinical Integration
  • Surgery Rotation

Affordability

Grants, scholarships, veterans benefits, loans, and undergraduate loan forgiveness are options for paying for this grad degree. Making grad school affordable »

In-demand

Employment of physician assistants is projected to grow 27 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for physician assistants was $130,020 (2023), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Requirements

  • Cumulative GPA of 3.5 as defined in the “CASPA Overall GPA” calculation. This calculation considers all college-level coursework ever completed. For international coursework, see the International Applicants section.

  • Prerequisite Science GPA of 3.5 (courses indicated with asterisk on Apply: Physician Assistant)

  • Physician Assistant College Admissions Test (PA-CAT)

  • Baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution in the United States or its equivalent from a foreign country, earned by December 20, 2025

  • Patient care experience: minimum of 500 hours of direct, hands-on patient care experience. This may be paid or volunteer. Eligible experiences include, but are not limited to, work as an RN, EMT, paramedic, medical assistant, PT or OT assistant, CNA, medical technician, social worker. Hours must be completed by December 20, 2025.

  • Physician assistant shadowing: minimum of 40 hours of shadowing a physician assistant. Hours must be completed by the time of application.

See all requirements: Apply: Physician Assistant

Accreditation

Nazareth University has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Nazareth University 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.

Mission, Vision, Goals

Mission, Vision, Goals

Program Director
Heather Ann Grotke
Heather Grotke
Program Director, Clinical Assistant Professor
pa@naz.edu
Program Faculty »
stethoscope

Why Nazareth?

“Nazareth’s hybrid physician assistant program blends online learning with high-impact, hands-on training. Students benefit from cutting-edge online learning tools, high-fidelity simulation, and immersive clinical experiences. Aligned with our mission to educate highly skilled, compassionate PAs, we emphasize interprofessional collaboration and preparing students to serve diverse communities. We are equipping the next generation of health care providers to thrive and effectively address the needs of patients.”

— Heather Grotke, Program Director