What is Physician Assistant Studies?
As part of Grand Valley State University's College of Health Professions, the Physician Assistant Studies program (PAS) is designed for students seeking a career as a Physician Assistant. Graduates of the PAS program are eligible to take the National Certification Commission on Physician Assistants’ (NCCPA) Physician Assistant National Certification Exam (PANCE), and may apply for licensure in any of the 50 states, District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories. Graduates seeking employment in states other than Michigan may obtain further information on submission of a state-specific licensure application from the American Academy of Physicians Associates (AAPA) website for the respective state.
Why Study Physician Assistant Studies at Grand Valley?
- Accredited. The GVSU Physician Assistant Studies Program has been granted accreditation-continued status by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA).
- Experiential Learning. Hands-on training in state-of-the-art facilities, including simulation suites, laboratory courses, small group discussion, and experiential learning experiences woven throughout an organ-based curriculum.
- In-Demand. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of physician assistants to grow 20% from 2024 to 2034, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 12,000 openings each year over the decade.
- Career-focused. As advanced-degree healthcare providers practicing on physician-led teams, PAs are positioned to lead and advance the profession across primary care and specialty settings.
- Return on Investment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage for physician assistants was $133,260 in May 2024.
Program Overview
A career as a physician assistant puts you at the center of patient care: examining, diagnosing, treating, performing procedures, and prescribing as a vital member of an interprofessional healthcare team. Our Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies is designed to get you there and to prepare you to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care in every community and setting.
Built to make you practice-ready. Your education begins with a foundational first semester, then advances through three additional didactic semesters built on an organ-based curriculum that integrates lecture courses, small-group discussions, hands-on labs, and experiential learning. You won't just learn medicine—you'll develop the clinical reasoning and problem-solving ability to practice it. You will then complete three full semesters of clinical training, applying your knowledge across diverse specialties and patient populations. By program completion, you will be ready to elicit a patient history, perform an examination, interpret diagnostics, and facilitate evidence-based treatment plans with confidence.
Strong faculty. Proven results. Our faculty bring real-world expertise and a genuine commitment to your success, reflected in consistently high national PANCE pass rates.
More than clinical skill. We develop the qualities at the heart of our mission: professionalism and ethical practice, compassionate communication across every background, and a commitment to inclusive care and health equity for the diverse communities we serve. You will also build the habits of a lifelong learner, appraising evidence, reflecting on your performance, and continuously improving the care you provide. You will be prepared to lead and advance the PA profession well beyond graduation.
Program at a glance:
- 28 months — 7 semesters of didactic and clinical education
- Four didactic semesters — a foundational first semester followed by three organ-based semesters of lecture, small group discussion, lab, and experiential learning
- Three clinical semesters of immersive, real-world training
- One cohort per year — apply by September 1 to begin the following fall
- 48 seats annually — 36 students on the Grand Rapids campus and 12 on the Traverse City campus