Earn your Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS)
Prepare for a career providing exceptional, compassionate medical care. Learn evidence-based medicine and develop the skills needed to work on health care teams in diverse settings, including primary care and family medicine, emergency medicine, surgery, behavioral health and sub-specialty areas. Northwestern College is Iowa's faith-based physician assistant program, accredited by the ARC-PA.
Program description
Northwestern College’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) is a faith-integrated 27-month graduate program that provides training for students seeking certification and licensure as a physician assistant (PA). Students will complete 116 graduate credits over 7 consecutive academic terms, including 4 terms of face-to-face training followed by 3 terms of clinical rotations with concurrent online courses designed to facilitate the integration of classroom material with clinical experiences.
Northwestern's graduate school plans to accept 32 students per year, allowing for meaningful collaboration among students and faculty. The PA program builds on the reputation of Northwestern College’s nationally recognized pre-health, nursing and other health science programs. Through hands-on experiential learning, faith integration, and supportive faculty teaching, you'll be equipped to serve all patients with exceptional, individualized medical care.
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Cohorts begin each Summer
Applications close for the 2025 cohort on October 1, 2024.
See more about how to apply.
Start CASPA application
PA program mission
The mission of the Northwestern College Physician Assistant Program is to equip faith-filled providers with exceptional medical education to serve in all communities with an emphasis on rural and underserved populations with excellence, integrity, and compassion.
PA program vision
The PA program of Northwestern College will be known for excellence in the preparation of primary care physician assistants who live and work in faithfulness to their Christian core values, making significant contributions to the health and holistic wellness of their communities.
Career potential
PAs are in high demand— U.S. News and World Report ranks physician assistant #2 among best health care jobs. As the population increases and ages, the demand for health care services also grows. Physician assistants play a vital role in independently attending to patients and providing many of the same services as doctors.
- Employment outlook: 30% increase from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations
- Median salary (2021): $121,530
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration
NCCPA Certification
Following successful completion of all curricular requirements, graduates will be eligible to take the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE). Information regarding the PANCE and eligibility can be found at nccpa.net. View Northwestern College's NCCPA Exam Pass Rates for more information on the graduate's PANCE performance.
Accreditation
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the Northwestern College Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Northwestern College. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
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 approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be September 2034. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-historynorthwestern-college/.
