Physician Assistant, MSPA
The MSPA program will provide students currently pursuing their BSHS prerequisite course work with the culminating accredited phase of their five year program.
About Our Physician Assistant Masters Program
General Information
To meet the objectives of the MSPA program, the College holds students in the MSPA degree program to the following requirements in the didactic year of the program:
| Fall Semester | ||
| Course Requirements | Timeframe | Credits |
| PA 500 – Principles of PA Practice I | 16 weeks | 3 |
| PA 505 – History Taking & Physical Examination | 1 week | 2 |
| PA 510 – Fundamentals of Clinical Medicine | 3 weeks | 3 |
| PA 520 – Immunology & Infectious Diseases | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 521 – Dermatology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 522 – Ophthalmology & Otorhinolaryngology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 523 – Hematology & Oncology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 527 – Nephrology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 551 – Diagnostic & Clinical Procedures | 1 week | 1 |
| Total Fall Semester Credits | 19 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Course Requirements | Timeframe | Credits |
| PA 501 – Principles of PA Practice II | 16 weeks | 3 |
| PA 524 – Pulmonology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 525 – Nutrition & Gastroenterology | 3 weeks | 2 |
| PA 526 – Endocrinology | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 528 – Cardiology | 3 weeks | 3 |
| PA 529 – Orthopedics & Rheumatology | 3 weeks | 3 |
| PA 541 – Genitourinary & Reproduction | 2 weeks | 3 |
| Total Spring Semester Credits | 18 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| Course Requirements | Timeframe | Credits |
| PA 502 – Principles of PA Practice III | 12 weeks | 3 |
| PA 530 – Neurology | 3 weeks | 2 |
| PA 531 – Psychiatry & Behavioral Health | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 543 – Principles of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 544 – Emergency Medicine | 2 weeks | 2 |
| PA 545 – Surgical Medicine | 1 week | 1 |
| PA 560 – Foundations of the Healthcare System | 6 weeks | 2 |
| PA 570 – Transition to Clinical Year | 1 week | 1 |
| Total Summer Semester Credits | 15 | |
A total of 52 credit hours is required in the didactic phase of the MSPA Program.
To meet the objectives of the MSPA program, the College holds students in the MSPA degree program to the following requirements in the clinical year of the program:
| Fall Semester | ||
| Course Requirements | Timeframe | Credits |
| Rotation 1 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| Rotation 2 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| Rotation 3 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 695A – Graduate Project I | 1 | |
| Total Fall Semester Credits | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Course Requirements | Timeframe | Credits |
| Rotation 4 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| Rotation 5 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| Rotation 6 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| Rotation 7 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 695B – Graduate Project II | 1 | |
| Total Spring Semester Credits | 21 | |
| Summer Semester | ||
| Course Requirements | Timeframe | Credits |
| Rotation 8 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| Rotation 9 | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 670 – Transition to Clinical Practice | 1 | |
| PA 695C – Graduate Project III | 1 | |
| Total Summer Semester Credits | 12 | |
A total of 49 credit hours is required in the clinical phase of the PA Program. Each student must successfully complete the following clinical rotations, the graduate project, and program summative assessments to complete the clinical phase. Rotations are not sequential; thus, a student may progress in any order through the clinical phase.
| Clinical Rotations | ||
| Course Requirement | Timeframe | Credits |
| PA 601 – Family Medicine Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 602 – Pediatric Medicine Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 603 – Women’s Health Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 604 – Behavioral Health Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 605 – Emergency Medicine Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 606 – Surgery Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 607 – Internal Medicine Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 608 – Elective I Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
| PA 609 – Elective II Rotation | 5 weeks | 5 |
A total of 49 credit hours is required in the clinical phase of the MSPA Program.
Graduate Studies
Meet Our Faculty
Professors. Mentors. Friends. At Valparaiso University, you will work on real-life problems alongside faculty leaders with decades of business experience and a true desire to do what’s best for you.
Graduate Studies
Related Programs
