Physician Assistant (BS/MS) Program

Would you like to serve on a team that is dedicated to caring for individuals in a health care setting? Do you want to work in one of health care's fastest growing fields? Can you see yourself delivering care to those in need by performing 85% of the duties commonly handled by primary care physicians? If so, then the Physician Assistant Program at Seton Hill University is for you.

Physician assistants are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine under physician supervision. Physician assistants evaluate patients, perform physical examinations, order and interpret tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, assist in surgery and write prescriptions. While physician assistants work in all health care environments, traditionally physician assistants have chosen to serve in primary care.

Seton Hill offers two degree programs in physician assistant: a combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science Program, and a Master of Science Program. Through the Physician Assistant Program at Seton Hill University students are exposed to wide-ranging academic experiences and hands-on clinical practice. Our faculty are dedicated educators and experienced health care providers who educate students to become clinically competent physician assistants who care for the whole patient - respecting diversity and delivering 'patient-centered' care that is ethically sound.

Seton Hill's Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Physician Assistant Program

Seton Hill's combined B.S./M.S. program gives students the opportunity to earn the Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Physician Assistant in only five years. Students in the B.S./M.S. program complete math, science, and behavioral science courses, along with the core undergraduate degree requirements, in their first two years of study, and then enter the graduate level program.

Seton Hill's Master of Science in Physician Assistant can be completed in 27 or 29 months, depending on the research option chosen. During the first 15 months of the graduate program, students benefit from the expertise of Seton Hill's premier faculty (all of whom are practicing health care professionals in addition to dedicated educators) through lectures, practical lab sessions, case presentations, problem-based learning session and off-campus clinical interactions. The master's program concludes with a clinical training year, involving clinical rotations in local and rural health care facilities. Each student is also involved in research at the graduate level.

The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees are both awarded at the successful completion of the entire combined B.S./M.S. curriculum.

Why Choose Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program?

• All of Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program faculty members are practicing physician assistants or health care providers in addition to being dedicated educators.

• 100% of Seton Hill's Physician Assistant Program graduates who have taken the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) have passed it - and 96% have passed on their first attempt.

• Students entering the program as freshmen can earn their B.S. and their M.S. in only five years.

• Small classes allow students to work directly with faculty members in a supportive environment.

• Seton Hill's program has a special emphasis on serving vulnerable populations.

• Seton Hill's program is fully-accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).

Seton Hill's Signature Degree Programs in the Health Sciences

Unique, personal, and promising - these are the qualities that make the Health Sciences at Seton Hill a Signature Degree Program. By setting the highest of standards, combined with a long history of educating health care professionals, here, students can embark on a personal journey with the distinctive purpose of helping others. A journey that begins with a signature program unlike any other in the country.