Yes, a Physician Assistant (PA) degree is a master’s degree. Every accredited PA program in the United States is required to award a graduate-level degree, and the vast majority confer a master’s. Programs typically run about 27 months, or three academic years, combining classroom instruction with extensive clinical rotations.
What the Degree Is Called
PA programs don’t all use the same degree title, which is part of why this question comes up so often. The most common titles you’ll see are Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS), Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MS-PA), Master of Medical Science (MMS), and Master of Health Science (MHS). Despite the different names, these degrees all meet the same accreditation standards and qualify you to sit for the national certification exam (the PANCE). No version carries more weight than another in hiring or clinical practice.
Why a Master’s Is Required
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA), which is the body that accredits all entry-level PA programs, mandated that every program must confer a graduate degree on students who matriculated after 2020. Programs that failed to comply by January 1, 2021 faced having their accreditation withdrawn. Before this mandate took effect, a small number of older programs still awarded bachelor’s degrees or certificates, but those pathways no longer exist for new students.
This means if you’re entering a PA program today, you will graduate with a master’s degree. There is no accredited bachelor’s-level PA program currently accepting new students.
What You Need Before PA School
Because PA programs award a master’s degree, you need a bachelor’s degree to get in. Most programs don’t require a specific undergraduate major, but they do expect prerequisite coursework in areas like biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and statistics. You’ll also typically need direct patient care experience, often measured in hours. Common ways to accumulate those hours include working as an EMT, medical assistant, paramedic, or certified nursing assistant.
GPA requirements vary by program, but competitive applicants generally have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a science GPA in a similar range. Most programs also require GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.
How the Program Is Structured
A typical PA program lasts about 27 months. The first year is mostly didactic, covering subjects like pharmacology, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, and physical diagnosis in a classroom and lab setting. The second portion of the program shifts to supervised clinical rotations, where you spend blocks of several weeks each in specialties like family medicine, surgery, emergency medicine, pediatrics, psychiatry, and internal medicine.
PA programs are intensive and generally designed as full-time commitments. Most programs do not accommodate part-time enrollment or outside work during the clinical year. After graduation, you take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam to earn your PA-C credential, which is required to practice in all 50 states.
Could It Become a Doctorate?
Some PA students and prospective students wonder whether the profession is moving toward a doctoral-level entry degree, similar to what pharmacy (PharmD) and physical therapy (DPT) did in recent decades. As of now, the answer is no. The Physician Assistant Education Association (PAEA) formally supports the master’s degree as the terminal and entry-level degree for the profession, a position it reaffirmed in October 2023.
That said, the conversation is active. In June 2024, PAEA’s Board of Directors formed a Doctoral Education Commission to investigate what a transition to an entry-level doctorate might look like, including the potential benefits and challenges. The Commission has been meeting with leaders from accreditation bodies, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, and other stakeholders. No formal recommendation or timeline for change has been announced, so anyone entering PA school now should expect to earn a master’s degree.
Some universities do offer post-professional doctoral programs for practicing PAs who want to pursue academic or leadership roles. These are optional and not required for clinical practice.