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. 

Competencies

The medical knowledge, interpersonal, clinical and technical skills, professional behaviors, and clinical reasoning and problem-solving abilities required for PA practice. (ARC-PA glossary)

Graduates from the Northern Arizona University Physician Assistant Program will have met the following competencies appropriate for practice as an entry level physician assistant.1

MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE

Demonstrate knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences and the application of this knowledge to person-centered care.

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

Demonstrate effective communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals.

CLINICAL & TECHNICAL SKILLS

Demonstrate the clinical and technical skills appropriate for an entry level physician assistant, including assessment of health status by gathering a history, performing physical examination, ordering and interpreting appropriate screening and diagnostic studies, diagnosing, performing procedures, and developing a management plan that considers social determinants of health for acute and chronic conditions.

PROFESSIONAL BEHAVIORS

Demonstrate professional responsibility and accountability, compassion, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to excellence, integrity, inclusivity, equity and ongoing professional development.

CLINICAL REASONING & PROBLEM-SOLVING ABILITIES

Integrate critical thinking skills and apply evidence-based medical knowledge to formulate appropriate differential diagnoses and provide entry level patient care health services across the lifespan* for a diverse population in a variety of settings.**

Address preventative care, emergent, acute and chronic conditions, women’s health, surgical care, and behavioral and mental health conditions. Recognize the need for urgent or emergent care and initiate evaluation and management including referral.

*Including prenatal, infant, child, adolescent, adult, elderly

**Outpatient, emergency department, inpatient, operating room

1 American Academy of PAs (AAPA). Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession. Adopted 2005, reaffirmed 2010, 2018, amended 2013, 2021.

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.