Direct Entry and Dual Degree BS/MS Pre-Physician with Physician Assistant (PA) Degree Programs (3+2, 3 +3 year combined programs)

Direct from High School Entry PA Programs

The direct entry, dual degree BS/MS Physician Assistant (PA) programs offer the opportunity for early provisional acceptance to exceptional high school students wishing to accelerate their academic and career paths to become physician assistants.

Application for the program is usually made during the senior year of high school.

Most often accepted applicants go on to complete a five-year (3+2) Bachelor of Science program in biological sciences/Master of Science program in physician assistant studies.

There are multiple variations on this theme which are reflected on the pre-physician assistant program websites.

The programs are competitive and space is limited.

This direct entry admission option to the PA programs are often (although not always) available only to first-year students.

(With much thanks to the The Physicians Assistnt Life site: https://www.thepalife.com)

This list is not exhaustive, and more will be added as found.  Please send us your additions.

This is a rapidly changing profession with educational requirements being upgraded significantly over the last several years and destined to change more over the next 5 years.

There are significant financial and time savings if a Bachelor of Science is combined with a Master of Science.  The list is constantly changing so investigate the college's site carefully for all details.

Please review the details of each plan carefully to be sure you meet their application requirements far in advance as most cannot possibly met during a senior year in high school in time to apply for the following fall entry.

1. College of Saint Mary- The College of Saint Mary offers a five year program for high school students looking to enter the physician assistant profession.  The first three years students work on attaining their bachelor of science in human biology, the fourth year of the program students transition to working on credits for both their bachelor's and master's degrees.  In the final year of the program students complete the final year of their physician assistant degree. 
2. Rochester Institute of Technology- Rochester Institute of Technology admits just 30 to 40 students to its accelerated physician assistant program each year.  Admissions faculty stress that the in-person interview is the most important part of the admissions process.  So, start practicing your interview responses if you plan on applying to this highly competitive program. 
3. Ohio Dominican University- Beginning in fall 2014, Ohio Dominican University will begin accepting highly qualified high school seniors to its new accelerated physician assistant program.  The program allows students to complete a bachelor's degree in four years followed by a seamless transition into the two year PA program. 
4. Drexel University- Nestled in Philadelphia, PA, Drexel University offers a highly regarded physician assistant program for students entering directly from high school.  Students entering the program from high school must maintain a high level of academic standards in order to continue through the entirety of the program.
5. King's College- In just five years, the PA program at King's College awards students a bachelor of science degree in medical studies, a minor in biology and a master's level physician assistant degree.  Admission to this accelerated program is competitive so students should use their high school years wisely to demonstrate their academic achievements to admissions faculty. 
6. Wagner College- Wagner College offers a five year physician assistant program for high school graduates.  Admissions staff advise prospective PAs to apply early as the program is competitive.  Students indicating Early Decision status will be given preferred consideration for some scholarship opportunities. 
7. Saint Francis University- Saint Francis University's accelerated PA program comes with some additional perks.  Unlike most PA programs, students at Saint Frances have opportunities to study abroad including experiences like a course in field biology in the Galapagos.  These extracurricular activities don't interfere with student's education.  Students at Saint Francis boast a 96% first time pass rate on the national PA certification exam.
8. New York Institute of Technology- A bit longer than most other PA programs for high school students, the New York Institute of Technology's PA program requires six years of study.  
9. Seton Hill University- Seton Hill University accepts high school students to their B.S./M.S. physician assistant program preparing them well for their futures.  96% of Seton Hall's physician assistant program graduates pass the national certification exam on their first attempt. 
10.  DeSales University- DeSales University in Center Valley, PA offers a five year program for prospective physician assistants.  Students kick off the program with three years as a medical studies major then enter the 24 month PA program. 
11. City University Of New York (CUNY) Kingsborough Community College - http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/academicdepartments/bio/Pages/bioweb_Programs.aspx in Queens, NY. (For NY residents the cost is under $7,000/year for the associate degree.)  The Biology Department offers an A.S. Biology program with concentrations in marine biology, biotechnology, and secondary education. We also offer a transfer option program in Health and Nutrition Sciences with Brooklyn College. Our department offers Allied Health transfer-options specifically in Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, and Pharmacy that provide the prerequisite courses in liberal arts and sciences to facilitate transfer to professional schools offering advanced degrees in those disciplines. 
12. Le Moyne College, Syracuse, NY, http://lemoyne.edu/DirectEntryPA, was developed to offer the opportunity for early  provisional acceptance to exceptional high school students wishing to accelerate their academic and career paths to become  physician assistants. Application for the program is made during the senior year of high school. Accepted applicants go on to  complete a five-year (3+2) Bachelor of Science program in biological sciences/Master of Science program in physician assistant  studies at Le Moyne College. The program is competitive and space is limited. This direct entry admission option to the P.A.  program is available only to first-year students. 
13.  Mount Aloysius College, Cresson, PA, http://www.mtaloy.edu/majors-programs/physician-assistant-cooperative/, 3 +2 program.  Has an affordable and practical first step towards your future as a physician assistant. Under a joint agreement between Chatham University, Mercy College and Mount Aloysius College, undergraduate students who have successfully completed specific core course requirements at Mount Aloysius College may continue their education in physician assistant at one of the cooperative schools in this program of study.  A student can choose between 3 or 4 years at Mount Aloysius completing various requirements and then complete the program of study at Chatham University or Mercy College.
14. Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA.  PRE-PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT 3+2 - Psychology (BS): http://catalog.sru.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=24&poid=3946&returnto=467, The first year of the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program meets the requirements for the fourth year of the undergraduate degree. Approved undergraduate majors in Biology, Excercise Science, and Health Science-Public Health are also available for the Pre-Physician Assistant 3+2 option. Other majors can be used to pursue the Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, but students cannot apply until after completing their undergraduate degree and they, too, must meet all Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies admission criteria.
15. Lock Haven University, Lock Haven, PA, http://www.lhup.edu/majors/MasterHSPhysicianAssistant.html, is a 3+2 BS/MHS accelerated program open to highly qualified high school seniors who apply to the undergraduate Health Sciences Department for admission and indicate they are interested in the physician assistant program. Potential candidates are then invited to interview with faculty from the PA program, admissions staff and the Chair of the Health Sciences Department. For more information contact the Department of Admissions at 570-484-2011. 
16.  University of Evansville, Evansville, IN, https://www.evansville.edu/majors/physicianassistant/directentry.cfm, B/PA program is highly competitive with no more than twenty students accepted into the program annually. Students accepted into the University of Evansville’s B/PA program will receive strong merit scholarship consideration to assist with their UE bachelor’s degree and provisional admission to the University of Evansville Physician Assistant (PA) Program. Upon successful completion of a baccalaureate degree at the University of Evansville, and meeting all B/PA program requirements, students will matriculate directly into the University of Evansville PA Program.
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The following table and legend were last updated 07/2017 and are based on the PAEA Guide to Physician Assistant Programs with Pre-Professional Phases. If you are aware of additional programs offering pre-professional, dual degree or direct entry BS/MS programs please let me know in the comments section.

Programs labeled “competitive” may require that the student reapplies for entry into the professional or graduate phase of the PA program or interview or obtain the recommendation of their program. Generally, it means that acceptance into the professional phase is not guaranteed upon successful completion of the pre-professional phase.

Legend and Notes:

• Programs labeled “competitive” may require that the student reapplies for entry into the professional or graduate phase of the PA program or interview or obtain the recommendation of their program. Generally, it means that acceptance into the professional phase is not guaranteed upon successful completion of the pre-professional phase.
• Degrees earned for completion of the pre-professional phase are frequently not awarded by the programs until students successfully complete the first year of the professional phase or upon graduation from the program’s professional.