Physician Assistant Studies (MS) Overview
Application Deadline
Additional Info
Accreditation
Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA)
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at Accreditation History – Northeastern.
NCCPA PANCE Exam Performance
View Northeastern’s PANCE scores for the previous 5 years at the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination
Exam Performance Summary Report [PDF].
Application Deadline
August 1
U.S. Ranking
The 2019 US News and World Report Graduate Rankings list Northeastern University’s Physician Assistant Program as #26 in the nation.
Mission
To educate and inspire compassionate clinicians from diverse backgrounds to become accomplished leaders and innovators in all aspects of healthcare.
Vision
To transform the healthspan of our diverse society through education, innovation, leadership, and excellence.
Program Goals
- Prepare students who demonstrate cultural humility during interactions with patients, families, and the healthcare team.
- Prepare students to become effective members of an interprofessional healthcare team.
- Graduate competent medical practitioners who are in high demand by employers.
The Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program Goals Report highlighting our successes and achievements in meeting our program goals can be found here.
Core Values
- Integrity: The Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program believes that excellence in health care is founded on honesty, integrity, compassion and the highest ethical standards.
- Innovation: The Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program values transformation of health care and wellbeing through evidenced based medicine, technology, and research.
- Diversity: The Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program embraces diversity and fosters a culture of respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds community.
- Engagement: The Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program promotes commitment to lifelong learning, community service, and engagement in emerging health care issues nationally and globally.
Program Facilities
The Physician Assistant Program main office is located in Robinson Hall and also maintains classroom and laboratory space in the Behrakis Health Sciences Center. Classroom facilities include spacious theater-style seating, conference rooms for small group interactive learning, the cadaver lab for anatomy, and the state-of-the-art Arnold S. Goldstein Simulation Laboratories Suite. There is dedicated laboratory space in Behrakis for didactic instruction, Physical Diagnosis and Patient Evaluation, and medical procedures.
Open House Info
The Bouvé College of Health Sciences Graduate School holds a fall and early spring Open House for prospective students. Please check the Bouvé Graduate School Open House web page for the schedule. The department does not offer tours of the campus.
Contact Information
Physician Assistant Program
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Avenue
202 Robinson Hall
Boston, MA 02115
Tel: 617.373.3195
Student Attrition
ARC-PA Student Attrition
| Graduated Classes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2020 | Class of 2021 | Class of 2022 | |
| Maximum entering class size (as approved by ARC-PA) | 46 | 49 | 52 |
| Entering class size | 46 | 49 | 48 |
| Graduates | 43 | 49 | 48 |
| *Attrition rate | 6.5% | 0% | 7.7% |
| **Graduation rate | 93.5% | 100% | 92.3% |
*Attrition rate calculation: Number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size.
**Graduation rate: Number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.
Program Overview
PAs are medical practitioners who practice collaboratively with a supervising physician. The PA scope of practice is authorized by state law and determined by the supervising physician.
PAs take medical histories, perform physical examinations, order diagnostic tests/studies, diagnose, develop and implement a treatment plan in consultation with the supervising physician, prescribe medication in all states, advise and educate patients on health promotion and disease management, provide inpatient hospital care for patients, and assist in surgery. They provide care both in teaching institutions and in hospitals where there are no physician residents and are employed in health centers, multi-specialty medical group practices, emergency rooms, physician’s offices, and nursing homes.
Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences has been training physician assistants since 1971, making us one of the most experienced programs in the nation. Since its founding, Northeastern’s PA Program has been accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) and its predecessors. The program last received full re-accreditation in 2015; the approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2025. The current accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The program continually conducts self-review to ensure compliance with all ARC-PA guidelines and standards. The 2019 US News and World Report Graduate Rankings list Northeastern University’s Physician Assistant Program as #26 in the nation.
The Northeastern University Physician Assistant Program offers a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. In addition to the traditional program, there are 2 dual master’s degree pathways available: MSPA/MPH (Public Health) and MSPA/MSHI (Health Informatics). Further dual degree and certificate programs are in the process of being developed as Northeastern University’s PA Program continues to remain at the forefront of medical education and innovation.
Graduates of the PA Program are qualified to take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) administered by the National Commission for the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) after graduation. NCCPA certification is required for initial licensure/registration in all states. The pass rates for first-time takers from Northeastern University’s PA Program compare very favorably with national rates. Northeastern’s PANCE scores for the previous 5 years can be found at the National Commission on the Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
For more information on how Northeastern University’s PA Program prepares students for national certification, please contact the program at: paprogram.northeastern.edu.
As global citizens, we are dedicated to access, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to developing future physician assistants who can advance diversity by providing culturally informed care to people across race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity, class, age, ability, and nationality. We support the acquisition of competencies that prepare our students to recognize, confront, and end discrimination in its many forms.