Master of Physician Assistant Studies

• Ranked #1 Best Physician Assistant Program in the state of Arizona
• Top PA program in the state of Arizona, and among the best PA programs in the nation
• The NAU PA Program is one of only eight PA Programs nationally housed in Hispanic-Serving Institutions. 

The MPAS program offers:

• high quality didactic and clinical experiences
• interdisciplinary medical education
• value and affordability

Upon completion of the program, graduates will graduate with a Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

Program location

MPAS students study in the state-of-the-art Phoenix Bioscience Core a 30-acre medical and bioscience campus in downtown Phoenix. The program operates in collaboration with the University of Arizona – Phoenix College of Medicine.

The program’s Phoenix location offers graduates real-world education in well-established hospitals and clinics in cooperation with other public university colleges of medicine, nursing, public health, and pharmacy.

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Northern Arizona University Physician Assistant Program is to educate individuals from inclusive backgrounds and lived experiences and graduate physician assistants who provide high quality, compassionate medical care to the people of Arizona.

To read more about our mission, visit our program goals and successes page.

 

Graduate performance on certification exam (PANCE)

95%

NAU first-time taker average pass rate on PANCE exam (2014-2023)

 

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Exam Performance Summary Report Last Five Years

National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE) Exam Performance Summary Report All Years

Licensure

Successful completion and graduation from this degree program leads to licensure in the United States. For information on licensure for NAU’s MPAS in Physician Assistant Studies degree by state, view the NAU Professional Licensure by State table.

Accreditation

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation -Continued status to the Northern Arizona University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by Northern Arizona University. 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 2025. 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. The program’s attrition data is provided in the following Attrition Table.