Master of Science in Physician Associate Studies
MSPA

The following courses are required for admission with a grade of C or better. All must be completed through a regionally or nationally accredited institution with a grade ‘C’ or higher within 10 years of the application deadline. Applicants are allowed to have up to two outstanding prerequisites (no more than 8 semester hours or 12 quarter hours total) at the time of application. However, all prerequisites must be satisfactorily completed by June 15 of the enrollment year:

• Human anatomy and physiology with lab (two courses)
• Microbiology
• Medical terminology
• General or inorganic chemistry with lab
• Organic or biochemistry
• Statistics

1,000 hours direct patient care experience completed in the past five years is required at the time of application. Examples of direct patient care experiences include:

Unacceptable patient care experiences include: hours obtained in optometry, podiatry, veterinary, or dental settings; administrative roles in hospital or office settings; and those hours obtained as a lifeguard, aesthetician, in home care services, caregiving/taking, or in non-clinical research (i.e., laboratory setting only).

Hours obtained during volunteer, shadowing, or training programs are not counted towards patient care hours (e.g., certified nurse assistant, medical assistant, medical school, or PA school). Those hours attained after graduation are accepted, such as residency hours.

Direct patient care experience hours must be completed in the United States, U.S territories, or as part of U.S. organizations such as the military, peace corps, etc. Acceptance of U.S. organization-based patient care hours is at the discretion of KGI.

The program will determine which hours are counted towards the PCE based on what the applicant writes as a description of duties. If duties are unclear, the program reserves the right to determine how many hours will be accepted based on the description.

Statistics and biochemistry are required not highly recommended.

Goals

1. Recruit and matriculate a class of uniquely qualified students with diverse backgrounds.
2. Provide innovative, student-focused instruction to ensure the academic success of each of our students.
3. Create a team-based environment within the KGI healthcare and bioscience programs through strong interprofessional collaboration.
4. Develop strong leadership, communication, and entrepreneurial skills through didactic instruction, engagement in advocacy efforts, and leadership opportunities.
5. Encourage a strong dedication to serving the needs of diverse communities with compassion, sensitivity, and cultural awareness.

The KGI MSPA program evaluates its effectiveness in meeting program goals utilizing various external and internal benchmarks developed during our continuous self-study process. The data is updated annually.

Curriculum

Program Learning Outcomes and Competencies

Upon completion of the KGI MSPA program, students will have acquired the following program competencies and learning outcomes, which are required for successful entry into PA professional practice. The development of these program competencies and learning outcomes were guided by the AAPA’s Competencies for the Physician Assistant Profession (revised in 2012), Association of American Medical Colleges’ Core Entrustable Professional Activities for Entering Residency (2014), PAEA’s proposed entrustable activities for PA graduates (2017), and PAEA’s Core Competencies for New Physician Assistant Graduates (2018). They were also organized to align with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) definition of program competencies. 

MSPA Handbook

The purpose of the MSPA Program Student Handbook is to provide clear and detailed information about the MSPA program, including program expectations, policies, procedures, and important contact information. This handbook is specific to the MSPA program and should be used in conjunction with other MSPA handbooks and the KGI Student Handbook. These policies apply to all MSPA students, MSPA program principal faculty, and the MSPA Program Director regardless of location. View MSPA program student handbook.