Students shine during Undergraduate Research and Fine Arts Conference
“Some students have presented a number of times and are pretty well seasoned, and then there are students who are here for the first time,” says Quentin Davis, PhD.
By choosing to earn your Master of Physician Assistant degree at Augusta University’s College of Allied Health Sciences, you’ll be part of a legacy of excellence that goes back to the program’s beginning 52 years ago.
As a physician assistant, you’ll be medically trained to practice autonomously or as a part of a healthcare team, providing high-quality healthcare in various environments.
Physician assistants are certified as medical generalists with a foundation in primary care, but they can also practice in a number of specialty areas, which means they enjoy the flexibility to adapt to changes in the workplace and the community.
Physician Assistant is for you if you consider yourself
Learning
like no
other.
Want to learn more about the Physician Assistant program at Augusta University?
Request InfoWhat You'll Study
During the didactic phase of the program, physician assistant students will remain
at the Augusta University Campus. During the second year, students will experience
clinical rotations in Augusta and across the state of Georgia.
After successfully completing the program, graduates are eligible to take the Physician
Assistant National Certifying Examination (PANCE).
As one of three primary care providers (PAs, nurse practitioners and physicians),
students in the physician assistant program will receive training in general medicine
as well as a variety of specialties.
Curriculum | Admissions Criteria | Tuition and Fees | Application Deadlines
Experience-based Education
Physician assistant students learn by doing, spending their second year at clinical sites across the region.
Students learn human gross anatomy in a full dissection cadaver lab rather than a
simulation lab.
Interprofessional educational activities occur with other health professions throughout
training, including the other health professions in the College of Allied Health Sciences
(Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Language Pathology), and the Medical
College of Georgia.
Multiple volunteer opportunities exist across health care fields, including the Equality Clinic and Clinica Latina.
Augusta University’s physician assistant students have a five-year first-time-taker PANCE pass rate of 99 percent and 100 percent of graduates in the past 5 years have passed the PANCE within their first year after graduation.
The PA graduate employment rate (within six months of graduation) has maintained at 90-100% over the past 5+ years.
Augusta University’s Physician Assistant “Green to Grad” program allows veterans applying to the program to use relevant ACE courses as credit toward the 90 semester hours of prerequisites.
Ten faculty members in the physician assistant program are graduates of Augusta University’s program.
Your Future
According the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for Physician Assistants is $130,020 per year.
Physician assistant jobs are projected to continue to increase, with a growth of 35% over the next decade, much faster than the average. U.S. News and World Reports ranks physician assistant as the #2 Best Health Care Job and the #3 Best Job Overall for 2022.
GPA: Overall GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on all previous college work, with a minimum average of 3.0 on math and science courses.
Degree Requirement: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
Transcripts: Official transcripts are required from all universities and colleges ever attended. Unofficial transcripts from US colleges and universities can be used in the admissions review process in lieu of official transcripts for this program.
Standardized Test Requirements: Completion of either the GRE or the PA-CAT exam and the CASPer test.
Letters of Recommendation: Recommendations from three individuals, with at least one from a certified PA, must be submitted through the application portal.
Hands-On Experience: A minimum of 100 hours shadowing a physician assistant in 3 different clinical settings and 100+ hours of health care experience is required.
International Students: Please review the verification process for international transcripts and the english proficiency requirement.
$7,149*
Estimated total
Full-time / In-State / Per Semester
$597
Tuition Per Hour
$675
Mandatory Fees
View Detailed Program Tuition
*Tuition & Fees listed here are for in-state students enrolling in the university for Fall 2024 semester.
Detailed Program Tuition InformationEarly submission of all application materials is strongly advised.
Applications are reviewed in the order that they become complete. Applications are considered complete when all supporting materials (transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores) have been received and processed by Admissions, which can take several weeks. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the materials arrive in time to be processed.
As a graduate from a program with over 50 years of experience training high quality physician assistants and a certification pass rate of 100%, employers will know you’re prepared to face the challenges of a dynamic career in medicine.
As one of Georgia’s four research universities, Augusta University provides unparalleled opportunities for research and scholarship, with state of the art labs and equipment.
With many program alums among the faculty, you’ll have the advantage of learning from those who have gone before you and can guide you to success in your journey to be a PA.
“Some students have presented a number of times and are pretty well seasoned, and then there are students who are here for the first time,” says Quentin Davis, PhD.
AU was represented by Kim Capehart, DDS, Pamela Cromer, DNP, Joann Denemark, Daniel Hannah, PhD, and AU alumnus Abiodun Akinwuntan, PhD.
“All my life, I feel like I’ve been in a little bubble, and there’s so much more to see and learn. This was a perfect opportunity for me," says Lauren Evens.
"We want them to feel appreciated, loved and respected. This is one of the activities we can do throughout the year to accomplish that," says Mike Patton.