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The Â鶹ÊÓƵ PA program for matriculation in August 2025. 

Transform Health and Wellness

Physician assistants/physician associates are licensed clinicians who practice medicine in every specialty and setting. Trusted, rigorously educated and trained healthcare professionals, PAs are dedicated to expanding access to care and transforming health and wellness through patient-centered, team-based medical practice.

Alvernia offers two pathways to obtain a Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies: a Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track and a traditional post-baccalaureate track. Alvernia's traditional post-baccalaureate program is designed for students who have obtained a baccalaureate degree. The Â鶹ÊÓƵ Physician Associate Program welcomed its first class in August of 2024! Please refer to our updated accreditation status from the ARC-PA.

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Getting Started

Technical Standards for Admission

The technical standards for the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Physician Associate Program have been established to ensure that candidates have the ability to demonstrate academic mastery, competence when performing clinical skills, and the ability to communicate clinical information. Those standards can be read here.

Admission Requirements

• See the admission requirements for the post-baccalaureate track.
• See the admission requirements for the Bio-PA (3+2) accelerated track. 

Application Instructions

• Complete .
• Complete your financial aid paperwork.
• For Bio-PA (3+2), submit your transcripts.

Financing Your Education

There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, and visit our FAFSA page to stay up to date on the latest from federal student aid. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.

Career Outlook

The PA profession is one of the fastest growing in the country. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected job growth rate for 2023-2033 is 28%, which is much higher than the average growth rate for all professions. The median annual wage for physician associates was $130,020 in 2023. Obtaining a Master of Medical Science in Physician Associate Studies will allow graduates to:
 

• Take medical histories
• Conduct physical exams
• Diagnose and treat illness
• Order and interpret tests
• Develop treatment plans
• Prescribe medication
• Counsel on preventive care
• Perform procedures
• Assist in surgery
• Make rounds in hospitals and nursing homes
• Do clinical research

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• Utilization of the university’s state-of-the-art facilities, including Anatomage virtual dissection tables
• Standardized patients for assessment
• Participation in community service
• Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS)

Accreditation Statements

• The (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Physician Associate Program sponsored by Â鶹ÊÓƵ. 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. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on .
• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the (MSCHE). MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.