Direct Entry PA Programs
There are 44 direct-entry, dual-degree BS/MS Physician Assistant/Associate (PA) programs in the United States.
These programs offer early provisional acceptance to exceptional high school students who wish to accelerate their academic and career paths to becoming physician assistants.
Application for the program is usually made during the senior year of high school.
Most often accepted applicants go on to complete a five-year (3+2) Bachelor of Science program in biological sciences/Master of Science program in physician assistant studies.
The websites for pre-physician assistant programs, linked below, showcase multiple variations on this theme.
The BSHS/MSPA Programs are rigorous, and admission is highly competitive. Successful applicants are typically strong students academically, especially in the sciences.
Healthcare experience is not always required but is beneficial. An understanding of the physician assistant's role is expected.
This direct entry admission option to most PA programs is often (although not always) available only to first-year students.
44 (and growing) Direct Entry and Dual Degree BS/MS Pre-Physician Assistant (PA) Programs
We strive to keep the following table and legend up to date. If you have knowledge of additional programs offering pre-professional, dual degree, or direct entry BS/MS programs, please share in the comments section below. Your input will help keep this information accurate and helpful for others!
Programs labeled “competitive” may require that the student reapplies for entry into the professional or graduate phase of the PA program or interview or obtain the recommendation of their program. Generally, it means that acceptance into the professional phase is not guaranteed upon successful completion of the pre-professional phase.
Name of Program and MS/BS Weblink | State | Pre-Professional Phase (years/degree) | Competitive Process for Advancement (yes/no) | Professional Phase (years/degree) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | NY | Three years | No | Offering a 28-month Physician Assistant program leading to a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. |
Arcadia University | PA | Four years/ bachelor's degree in majors such as biology, chemistry, or psychology | No | Two years/ Master of Medical Science |
Butler University | IN | Four years/ bachelor's degree | Yes | 24-month MPAS degree |
Chatham University | PA | Highly qualified first-year applicants to Chatham University are eligible for guaranteed or preferred admission to Chatham's integrated undergraduate and graduate degree programs | Yes | 24 months / Masters of Physician Assistant Studies |
College of Saint Mary | NE | 3 + 2 program
Three years/ Bachelor of Science in human biology |
Yes | Two years/ Master of Medical Science |
D'Youville College | NY | 4.5 years, combined pre-professional and professional phase/Bachelor of Science | No | Master of Science |
Daemen College | NY | Four to five years, combined pre-professional and professional phase/ no single degree conferred | No | 33 months/ Bachelor of Science in Health Science and Master of Science in PA Studies upon completion of all requirements |
DeSales University | PA | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Medical Studies | No | Two years/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Drexel University | PA | Three years/ bachelor's degree | Yes | 27 months/ Master of Health Science |
Duquesne University | PA | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (5-year complete program) | No | 27 months / Master of PA Studies |
Elon university | NC | 3.5 years + 2 | Yes | 24-month / Master of PA Studies |
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University | LA | Early admission will be considered after completion of 3.5 years of biology-human medicine curriculum / Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology-Human Medicine Track | Yes | 26 months /Master of Medical Science Degree in Physician Assistant Studies |
Gannon University | PA | 3 + 2 combined pre-professional and professional phase(5-year complete program) | No | Master of PA Science |
Jefferson University | PA | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Health Science | No | 25 months/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Hofstra University | NY | Three years | No | 28 months/dual degree: Bachelor of Science in PA Studies/Master of Science in PA Studies |
Kettering College | OH | 3 + 2 program
Three years/ Bachelor of Science in human biology |
Yes | Two years/ Master of PA Studies |
King's College | PA | 3 + 2 program
Three years/Bachelor of Science in Medical Studies |
No | Two years/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Le Moyne College | NY | Three years/ Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts | Yes | Two years/ Master of Science |
Lock Haven University | PA | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Health Science; prepares students for application to a number of PA programs across the country and to the LHU PA program | Yes | Two years/ Master of Health Science |
Marquette University | WI | Two years/ Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences | Yes | Three years/ Master of PA Studies |
Marywood University | PA | Three years (sometimes two)/bachelor's degree | Yes | 27 months/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Boston | MA | 30 months/ Bachelor of Science in Premedical and Health Studies | Yes | Two years/ Master of PA Studies |
Mercy College of Ohio | OH | Four-year Pre-PA Biology major | Yes | 28-month Master of PA Studies |
New York Institute of Technology | NY | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences | Yes | Three years/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Nova Southeastern University | FL | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Life Sciences | Yes | 27 months/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT) | PA | One year of pre-professional preparation recommended at Penn College (one of PCT's academic schools)/Bachelor of Science | Yes | 27 months at PCT/Option for a Master's in Health Science available through Nova Southeastern University in Florida |
Quinnipiac University | CT | Four years/ Bachelor of Science in Health and Science Studies | No | 27 months/ Master of Health Science |
Rochester Institute of Technology | NY | Two years | Yes | Three years/ Combined Bachelor of Science/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Rutgers | NJ | 3 + 3 program
Three years/ Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts |
Yes | Three Years Master of Science |
Salus University (pre-professional phase completed at Brigham Young University in Idaho and Western New England University) | PA | Three years/bachelor's degree from BYUI | Yes | Two years/Master's of Medical Science in PA Studies |
Seton Hall University | PA | 3 years / Bachelor of Sciences in Biology | Yes | 3-year Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies |
Seton Hill University | PA | 2.5 years | No | 27 or 29 months/ Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science upon completion of the program |
Shenandoah University | VA | 3 years Bachelor of sciences | Yes | Direct admit 5 high school seniors to their PA program every year. They also reserve a PA Program slot for 5 undergrads from their PrePa program of study each year. |
Slippery Rock University | PS | 3 years Bachelor of sciences | Yes | 2-year Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies |
Springfield College | MA | 33 months/ Bachelor of Science in Health Science | Yes | 27 months/ Master of Science |
St. Francis University | PA | Physician Assistant Science Program, B.S. in Health Science + Master of Physician Assistant Science (5-year) | Yes | Master of Physician Assistant Science (2-year) |
Stockton University | NJ | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences (BSHS) | No | Master of Physician Assistant Studies (2-year) |
Union College (UC) | NE | Three years/ Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in biology, chemistry, or psychology; or Bachelor of Science in international rescue and relief; prepares students for application to a number of PA programs across the country and to the UC PA program | Yes | 33 months/ Master of PA Studies |
University of Detroit Mercy | MI | Three years/ Bachelor of Science in Biology | Yes | Two years/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
University of the Cumberlands | KY | Three years as a pre-PA biology major/ Bachelor of Health Science | Yes | Two years/ Master of Physician Assistant Studies |
University of Evansville | IN | Three years as a pre-PA biology major/ Bachelor of Health Science | Yes | Two years/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
University of the Sciences (USP) | PA | Three years | Yes | Three Years Master of Science - Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Graduate PA Program |
University of St. Francis–Ft. Wayne | IN | After completing a bachelor's degree, students move directly into the PA master's degree curriculum with no additional application process | No | 27 months/ Master of Science in PA Studies |
Valparaiso University | IN | Three years / Bachelor of Science in Health Science degree | Yes | Two years / Master of Science in Physician Assistant |
Wagner College | NY | Three years | Yes | Three years/ Bachelor of Science/ Master of Science in Advanced PA Studies and a PA Certificate of Completion |
Legend and Notes:
- Programs labeled “competitive” may require that the student reapplies for entry into the professional or graduate phase of the PA program or interview or obtain the recommendation of their program. Generally, it means that acceptance into the professional phase is not guaranteed upon successful completion of the pre-professional phase.
- Degrees earned for completion of the pre-professional phase are frequently not awarded by the programs until students successfully complete the first year of the professional phase or upon graduation from the program’s professional.
Do you have an opinion about direct entry PA programs or a PA program update you would like to share? If so, please do so in the comments section below.
Mel says
What are the requirements like sat score or any essays needed in order for me to get into one of the pa programs?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Mel, you can read my other response in regards to SAT scores. As far as essays, I am not sure if all schools require them. I know years ago when I applied to The University of Washington prior to the days of direct entry PA programs a personal statement of intent was required and this was a very big part of the admissions process. Probably depends a lot on the school. Do you have some schools in mind?
Stephen
Christina says
Hi, thanks for compiling this list! I’m curious, can a student accepted to and enrolled in one of these programs change his/her mind while in the program and decide to pursue medical school instead? Would he/she have the proper prerequisites? Could he/she then just graduate with a bachelor degree instead? My son isn’t sure yet and may change his mind. Thank you!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Christina, this is such a good question!
The pre-PA track may or may not (depending on the school) fulfill the same prerequisite coursework one would need to apply to PA school. My inclination would be that it would not by default. But it may be possible to take higher level pre-medical coursework that would fulfill both. Either way, he will be on track to graduate with a bachelors degree. In my case, I was on a pre-med track so I took all upper division science classes which were not necessarily required by many PA schools (this, in the end, helped me). During my junior year when I decided to pursue the PA track, I did change my major so that I could fulfill some of the pre-PA coursework which was not required by many medical schools such as anatomy and physiology (among others). He should definitely speak with an academic advisor at his school if he has any doubts. It may be better for him to forgo a direct entry dual degree program in order to keep his options open as he is able to get hands-on experience and nail down which route is best for him.
Karen Mikulka says
Not sure if this was posted yet, Since their merge, Philadelphia University is now called Jefferson, in case anyone tries to look it up.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Thanks so much, Karen I have updated the chart to reflect the changes.
Stephen
Jon says
Valparaiso University (IN) has a 3+2 program:
https://www.valpo.edu/physician-assistant-program/programs/bshs/
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Thanks so much, Jon I have updated the table and added Valparaiso Universit to the list of 3 + 2 accelerated BS/MS PA programs.
Stephen
Nicole says
Does Maryland have any PA schools? Or the surrounding DMV (D.C, Maryland, Virginia) area?
Kathryn says
Philadelphia University has now combined with Thomas Jefferson University and offer a 3+2 pa program and a 4+2 pa program!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Thanks, Kathryn, I have updated the table and have combined the programs into the new Thomas Jefferson University BS/MS 3 + 2 PA program.
Stephen
Angela says
So happy my daughter got into the Seton Hall pa program!!!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Angela, thanks for your comment, what is your daughter’s favorite aspect of the Seton Hall 3 + 2 BS/MS PA program? Is she happy she went the direct admit route?
Stephen
Moe says
Any five-year PA Programs that accept transfer students if I am a freshman at another university?
angela says
Pace doesn’t have a dual degree program.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Thank’s Angela, I have updated the table. I appreciate you taking the time to point this out!
Stephen
Maria Holguin says
Hello,
Why are there no Dual Programs is in the West Coast? Do you know of any?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Maria, this is a great question. In my experience, West Coast PA Schools like MEDEX, OHSU, UCDAVIS (among many others) have notoriously required more HCE hours prior to admissions. This may have something to do with it, but I think it warrants further investigation.
Amitha Mathew says
Hi! I am trying to transfer into an undergraduate PA program. Can you tell me wwhat programs accept transfer students? I know Quinnipiac doesn’t. Thank you!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Amitha, I am sorry I don’t have this information but it can be found on the PAEA website: http://directory.paeaonline.org/programs
Unfortunately, it is not in the list of search modifiers so you have to go through each program individually and on the PAEA website it shows that Quinnipiac does not accept transfer students but I find the information in their database can often be outdated. Best to contact the programs and find out for sure.
I may do a post on this in the future! Thanks for your questions.
Stephen
Chase says
I’m 27 with a degree in Economics and a minor in Sport Management, with work experience in corporate tech presales and various roles in executive recruiting. I am looking at medicine from the former athlete and recent infection victim with a compassion for helping others not only overcome health afflictions but to go beyond treatment and use cutting edge research to give athletes a competitive edge.
I am considering PA school to revisit the academic work attributable to treating patients, which I abandoned after my freshman year for lack of interest in plant biology. I have a sense that at this point, another year of prereqs + 2-2.5 years of PA school puts such a gap between me and others who, I am now learning, are not only coming straight from college but even high school! I cannot help but think there is a more practical career option for me, despite the “follow your passion” narrative.
What other kinds of medical professions could I work today where I could perhaps use my current educational and professional background that would not place me at the bottom of the barrel?
I feel as though I have many other outside interests as well but am struggling to find where my strengths, personality, and skills line up within fulfilling responsibilities.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Chase, I don’t think your experience places you at the bottom of the barrel at all, in fact, I think it is quite the contrary. So, I believe the PA profession could still be a very viable option… Possibly the best option. But it depends on what you really want to do. Other options include MD, DO, PT, athletic trainer, OT, or nutritionist. There are probably a host of other career options as well depending on your interests. Don’t sell yourself short for PA school. They are looking for experienced, qualified applicants like yourself.
Stephen
Kathryn says
Hi Stephen!
I’m a junior in high school interested in being a PA. In your opinion, do you think it is worth it to go to a direct admission program? I have looked at this list many times, but not many of the colleges have what I want outside of the PA program. I am concerned about getting my undergrad and then having to apply to PA school, because I know that the demand is increasing and I don’t want to miss my shot. Thanks in advance!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Kathryn, I think this is a great question. Honestly, I am not sold that a direct entry dual degree program is the way to go. I loved being able to complete my 4-years of undergrad in Seattle, work and travel a bit and then go back to PA school, which for me was a three-year program. But I also see the value of a more direct route. I don’t think you have to sweat it though, and I would focus on what you want in a college over the direct entry route. In my humble opinion.
Stephen
mel says
i was wondering what college in seattle is good for pa. i just visited seattle and i really love it. wondering if there any good colleges over there
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Medex is the place to be 🙂 https://depts.washington.edu/medex/
Yeng says
When do you plan on adding new universities to this list. I am currently a highschool freshman. Do you think this list will subject to change. I want more options for dual/direct entry pa programs, hopefully more in the state of NJ
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Yes, Yeng, schools are adding/changing/updating their offerings all the time. I update this table whenever I become aware of a new direct entry PA program. If you know of any that are not on this list please share!
Thanks, Stephen
Megha says
Are there any accelerated/5yr/direct-entry PA programs within the state of Texas?
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Megha, I don’t know off the top of my head. I would suggest using my PA Program Picker (put in the search query “Texas”) and see what you find. You can also search by state at my companion website PASchoolFinder – here are all the programs in Texas: https://www.paschoolfinder.com/?s=&category=&location=410&a=true
I will add these accelerated programs to my program picker!
Stephen
Ashley says
Hi! I have looked at this list many times, because I am very interested in the PA profession. Thank you so much for making it and keeping it updated! I was just wondering if you like being a PA and what you think the pros and cons are of being a PA? Thank you so much:)
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Ashley, yes I love being a PA.
Pro’s: I get to work with people that I love every day from all walks of life, my profession is a helping profession, I get to make a good living doing good work that fills the soul, I get to laugh every day at work, as a PA you get to experieince life at it’s most vulnerable, it’s about humanity, caring, holding hands, hugging, being part of families, kids lives, well child checks, new babies, sometimes sad moments, painful moments, joyful moments. It is the entire scope of the human experience. The schedule can be what you need it to be if you work at it, we are in incredibly high demand, we have skills that can be used in International aid work, my kids think my stethoscope is cool, learning is endless, science and medicine are fascinating, collaboration, it is technology forward, and… did I mention that because of my job I get to speak with people like you! 🙂
Con’s: Long days, paperwork, insurance companies, many barriers to good care, insurance companies (did I already say that), working inside (sometimes I wish I could get some sun for gosh sakes), hospitals (I really don’t like hospitals but I don’t mind clinics), it is hard to be spontaneous with things like vacation and days off without canceling on all my patients, I don’t get summers off (my mom in this sense was right when she said I should become a teacher).
The Pro’s outweigh the Con’s in my mind by a margin of a lot.
What is your Pro’s and Con’s list?
Stephen
Molly says
Are there any opportunities like this for non-traditional students interested in PA school?
C says
University of New England no longer offers the program.
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Thanks so much, I have removed the University of New England from the table!
Stephen
Elena says
Dear Stephen! We got acceptances to Arcadia, Hofstra, Albany PA programs. Trying to make the best choice. Based on your knowledge, can you discuss pros and cons for each program? Thank you very much in advance!
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Hi Elena, I would love to help but I am not really in the best position to do this. After going to the interviews and visiting the campus, faculty, and students… can you tell me the pros and cons? Then take a look at program accreditation, PANCE pass rates (although I am not sure this is always the best indicator), location, costs, etc. etc. I would recommend setting up a pro’s and cons list or using a weighted decision matrix like the one I created here: https://www.thepalife.com/decision-matrix/
Although it compares two variables (PA vs. MD) you can use the downloadable Excel spreadsheet to compare each of these schools side by side giving each variable a weighted average. At the end of the process, I think you will have made your decision. Would love it if you have time to drop on by and let me know your findings!
Stephen
angela says
We’re your sat scores really high? My daughter is going to start applying to colleges and is nervous since some schools only take 25ish students.
N says
I believe College of Saint Mary does as well
Stephen Pasquini PA-C says
Thank’s so much, I have added College of Saint Mary to the list.