M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies

Graduate Offerings

The MS in PAS consists of 116 semester hours of coursework (beyond the baccalaureate degree) taught in seven sequential semesters. Program hours are a combination of didactic courses and supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs) to ensure students gain both knowledge and skills to become practicing clinicians. All courses are designed to meet the standards delineated by ARC-PA.

Students enter the program as a cohort. Each cohort progresses through the first four semesters together in lock step, completing 68 hours of didactic coursework in on-ground courses. In the last three semesters, students will rotate through 45 weeks of supervised clinical practice experiences (SCPEs) which will expose them to patients across the lifespan, covering acute, chronic, and emergent settings.

Graduates must pass the national licensing exam, called the PANCE, in order to become licensed physician assistants.

Program Goals

In order to fulfill our mission and achieve our vision, the PAS program has set the following goals:

1. Prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary to deliver health care to diverse, underserved populations.
2. Train compassionate healthcare providers in a Christian environment to address the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of individuals in the communities where they live and work.
3. Model commitment to lifelong learning and professional development.
4. Train and graduate students with the knowledge and skills to be successful entry-level practitioners.
5. Promote graduates to be active in personal and professional organizations in order to be advocates for the PA profession.

Admission Requirements

*Applicants qualifying for priority admissions:  

• Faulkner legacy candidates (Graduate of Faulkner University or completion of at least half of prerequisite courses at Faulkner) 

• Applicants of schools that have an Articulation Agreement with Faulkner University for PA studies 

• Applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or greater  

• Applicants demonstrating missional alignment 

PA Studies Admissions Procedures:  

The program utilizes CASPA for application verification. Once an application is verified in CASPA, the CHS Graduate Admissions Coordinator sends the required Faulkner University Supplemental Form which includes the Technical Standards Attestation to the applicant. Upon completion, the CHS Admissions Coordinator marks the applicant as “Ready to Be Reviewed” in CASPA.  

“Ready to Be Reviewed” applications are reviewed by one or more members of the PA Program’s Admissions Committee.  The reviewer assigns a score using an admissions pre-screening rubric, which is based on the admissions requirements and enhancements listed on the program’s website. Based on the pre-screening rubric, qualifying applicants will be offered an interview (in-person or virtual option) while seats remain available.  All interview panels include program faculty and may also include community providers and Faulkner employees from other CHS graduate programs.  Interviewers use a standard rubric to evaluate the interview.  

Following the interviews, the total points from the admissions pre-screening rubric will be added to the applicant’s interview rubric score and applicants will be ranked according to total score.  The admissions committee will then meet to review rankings and discuss any additional insights gained from the interviews.  Based on the comprehensive review, the Admissions committee decides to accept, deny, or place the applicant on a waitlist.  

The final decision is communicated to the applicant via CASPA.  

Program Minimum Application Requirements: 

1) Official transcripts submitted via CASPA from every accredited United States College or University attended, or from a university outside of the United States with verified US equivalency. 

• Courses completed at Faulkner University do not require official transcripts to be requested. 

• Transcripts must provide evidence of earned or pending bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited United States University or from a university outside of the US with verified US equivalency. 

• Transcripts must provide evidence of all required prerequisite coursework. 

• Up to 2 prerequisite courses may be in progress at the time of application if they are successfully completed (with a letter grade of C or better while maintaining minimum GPA requirements of ≥3.0) by August 1st of the matriculation year. 

• Accompanying labs are not considered in progress prerequisite courses.  

• Medical Terminology, if not yet completed, may be in progress in addition to the 2 prerequisite courses. 

• At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, comparable courses completed during a terminal health related degree may be considered in lieu of undergraduate prerequisite courses. 

2) GPA Requirements:  

• Undergraduate Cumulative GPA:  ≥ 3.0  

(The admissions committee may factor in health-related post-baccalaureate and graduate degree work GPA to determine cumulative GPA.) 

• Overall Science GPA: ≥ 3.0          

• Last 60 hrs. GPA ≥ 3.0 

            *GPAs are taken as determined by CASPA.  It is the applicant’s duty to ensure that GPAs are accurately reflected in CASPA.  

3) Minimum grade of ‘C’ in each prerequisite course. 

4) Three Letters of Recommendation  

• No relatives 

• At least one letter must be from an MD, DO, NP, or PA. 

• At least one letter must be from a supervisor or professor.  

• Recommenders should be able to speak to the skill, knowledge, professionalism, work ethic, or unique qualifications of the applicant. 

• Letters of recommendation are evaluated based on strength of recommendation. 

5) Personal Statement  

• Personal statements are evaluated based on quality of writing, demonstration of program missional alignment, and demonstration of motivation to pursue PA education or the PA profession. 

6) Minimum of 200 Direct Patient Care Hours (Documented in CASPA) 

• Patient Care Experiences are those in which you are directly responsible for a patient’s care. For example, prescribing medication, performing procedures, directing a course of treatment, designing a treatment regimen, actively working on patients as a nurse, paramedic, EMT, CNA, phlebotomist, physical therapist, dental hygienist, etc. 

https://help.liaisonedu.com/CASPA_Applicant_Help_Center/Filling_Out_Your_CASPA_Application/CASPA_Supporting_Information/2_Experiences 

• Click here to view Faulkner PA Studies Ranking Guide for Patient Care Experience

7) Submission of Faulkner PA Supplemental Form which includes technical standards attestation. 

Additional Requirements for International Students:
Applicants submitting prerequisite courses and/or a bachelor’s degree from a university outside of the United States must provide a certified, translated transcript from NAIA Incred or World Education Services that specifically states the US equivalent course(s) and/or degree.

Applicants whose native language is not English are required to take an examination of their English language ability. The test required is the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and a minimum score of 550 is required on the paper-based test and 213 on the computer-based test. On the computer-based TOEFL, we require a total score of 80 with 20 on each section (listening, speaking, reading and writing). 

Prospective and current international students are responsible for staying informed of the United States Department of Homeland Security and regulations for the International Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). It is your responsibility to obtain your visa, file your I-901 form and pay the mandatory SEVIS fee, and make any necessary travel arrangements.
*Only international students with a valid immigration student status of F-1 will be permitted to register. 

Applicants may enhance their application by demonstrating any of the following: 

• Missional Alignment with Faulkner University
• • Those who are of Christian Faith 

• • Additional enhancements will be given to those who are a member of the church of Christ as Faulkner University is affiliated with the churches of Christ.

• Faulkner Legacy Student, defined as one of the following: 
  • Previous degree from Faulkner 

• • Completion of at least half of prerequisite coursework at Faulkner 

• Excellence in Undergraduate Cumulative, Overall Science, and Last 60-hour GPAs. 

• Completion of any of the following additional science coursework with a letter grade of B or higher: 

• • Immunology  

• • Genetics 

• • Pathophysiology  

• • Biochemistry 

• • Physics  

• • Cell Biology  

• • Organic Chemistry 

• More than 200 Direct Patient Care Hours 

• PA Shadowing Hours 

• Military Service 

• First Responder 

• Leadership experience in a healthcare profession 

• Advanced Degree in Health-Related Studies (Ex: Master’s in Public Health)

Matriculation Requirements 

Once candidates have been offered a seat in our program, there are several requirements that must be met prior to matriculating in the Fall. All acceptances are contingent upon satisfactory completion of the following requirements. Acceptance letters will provide detailed instructions for each item listed below. 

1. Seat Deposit: Once an offer is extended, the candidate will be required to pay a non-refundable seat deposit of $1,000 in order to reserve their seat.  
2. Prerequisites / Bachelor’s Degree: If any prerequisites were in progress at the time of application, the candidate will be required to submit official transcripts to verify successful completion. If a bachelor’s degree is pending at the time of application, the candidate will be required to submit official transcripts showing degree conferral. All items must be completed by August 1st of the matriculation year.  
3. Criminal Background Check and Drug Screen: The PA Program will set up an account for the candidate to complete a criminal background check and drug screen. The candidate will be responsible for the cost of the background check and drug screen. Unsatisfactory results will result in forfeiture of the candidate’s seat. 
4. Health Insurance - All students must maintain a valid major medical insurance policy while registered at Faulkner University. This includes classes during the didactic and clinical phases of the program.  
5. Physical Examination - Candidates must have a comprehensive physical examination performed by their healthcare provider to demonstrate that the student is free of any physical or mental impairment(s) which may pose a potential risk to him/herself or to patients or which may interfere with the performance of clinical responsibilities. 
6. Immunizations - All students are required to maintain immunizations that are recommended by the CDC for healthcare workers. These include: hepatitis B, influenza, COVID-19 (or exemption), measles/mumps/rubella (MMR), varicella (chickenpox), meningococcal, and tetanus/diphtheria/pertussis (Tdap).

For any additional questions, please contact CHS Admissions: chsadmissions@faulkner.edu

Graduation Requirements

• Successful completion of all courses
• Minimum of 1,200 clinical hours.

Student Load

A student in the MS PAS program is considered full time when registered for six (6) or more credit hours. However, due to the lockstep nature of this program, the hours taken each semester must reflect those assigned to the degree plan.

Degree Plan