College
College of Health Professions
Degree
Bachelor of Science, Master of Science
Campus
East Falls, Voorhees
Format
On Campus
Duration
5 Years
Enrollment Options
Full Time
Contact Information
If you want to help patients and diagnose diseases the five-year dual-degree Health Sciences BS / Physician Assistant MS program may be a good fit for you. The undergraduate pre-professional curriculum provides a stimulating and supportive environment to build strong skills in critical thinking and problem solving through foundation courses in health, science, psychology and the humanities.
In addition to the prescribed curriculum, there are multiple opportunities for experiential learning through internships and clinical hours, all of which will enrich your college experience, provide you with exposure to various healthcare environments, and help you to build a professional network.
This undergraduate entry option is designed for students who have found their niche in health care as a physician assistant early in their academic career. Applicants with more than 15 college credits are not eligible to apply to this program. Transfer students with more than 15 college credits are encouraged to consider applying to the BS program in Health Sciences.
Students are guaranteed a seat in the graduate portion of the program, provided they meet progression criteria set for their enrollment term, described below. Prior to enrolling in the professional phase of the program, students must complete an online application through CASPA (Centralized Application Service for Physician Assistants) by August 31 following completion of Year 3 of undergraduate studies.
Progression Criteria for the Pre-Professional Phase includes:
- Complete all required pre-professional courses, with grade of B or higher. A course can be repeated only once; no more than two courses may be repeated. Withdrawing from a course will count toward number of repeated courses.
- Earn minimum 3.250 (unrounded) cumulative and science GPAs at end of each spring semester
- Submit online CASPA application by stated deadline following Year 2 (at least 7 science pre-professional courses must be completed at time of application)
- Obtain minimum 200 hours of direct patient contact
- Complete legal and health clearances required for matriculation
Curriculum
Health Science Pre-Professional
East Falls Campus
The Pre-Professional Phase is comprised of the first six semesters of undergraduate study. Students complete medically-related science, health science, and psychology prerequisite courses, along with all of the components of the college studies program. The goal is to prepare students for the Professional Phase of the program.
Curriculum
Year 1
- Pathways Seminar
- Writing Seminar I: Written Communication
- Topics in American Studies
- Writing Seminar II: Multimedia Communication
- Chemistry I Lecture & Lab
- Biology I Lecture & Lab
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Health Professions
- Chemistry II Lecture & Lab
- Biology II Lecture & Lab
Year 2
- Ethics
- American Diversity
- Global Diversity
- Global Citizenship
- Abnormal Psychology
- Bioorganic Chemistry
- Microbiology Lecture & Lab
- Anatomy & Physiology I Lecture & Lab
- Anatomy & Physiology II Lecture & Lab
- Developmental Psychology
- Applied Statistics
- Introduction to Healthcare
Year 3
- Contemporary Global Issues
- Integrative Seminar
- Philosophies of the Good Life
- Health Sciences Elective (3 credits)
- Biology Elective (4 credits)
- Applied Statistics for Health Sciences
- Clinical Interactions
- Principles of Genetics Lecture & Lab
- Medical Terminology and Documentation
- Free Electives (6 credits)
Progression Criteria for the Pre-Professional Phase includes:
- Complete all required pre-professional courses, with grade of B or higher
- Maintain required minimum 3.250 cumulative and minimum 3.250 science GPA at end of each spring semester
- Submit CASPA application by deadline
- Obtain minimum 200 hours of direct patient contact
- Complete legal and health clearances required for matriculation
With successful completion of these requirements, students are guaranteed admission to the Professional Phase.
Professional Phase
East Falls or Voorhees Campus
If you meet all progression criteria, you are guaranteed admission to the Professional Phase.
The Professional Phase involves 25 months of continuous study, and includes both didactic and clinical coursework and experiences. The didactic year consists of three semesters of medically-related classroom and laboratory work, with limited clinical experience. The clinical year consists of extensive clinical experience through nine 5-week rotations at a variety of medical facilities such as hospitals and medical offices. Students must successfully complete all didactic courses before entering the final clinical year.
The BS in Health Sciences is granted after the first semester of the Professional Phase (December of fourth year of studies). The remaining courses in the Professional Phase comprise the MS degree. View the professional phase of the Curriculum here.
Upon completion of the full five-year program, graduates will receive a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, be eligible to sit for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE), and may participate in the Physician Assistant Program Completion Ceremony in August, as well as the commencement ceremony in May.