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Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies - Nashville

What You’ll Learn

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at South College is a rigorous 27-month curriculum that builds on your previous education to qualify you for advanced physician assistant positions throughout the medical field.

Physician assistants help improve access to medical care by expanding a physician’s practice base, which is especially important in medically underserved areas. Many PAs are employed in primary care specialties, including family practice, pediatrics, and general medicine.

South College is passionate about providing the education and skills necessary to help you become a highly qualified physician assistant, able to deliver outstanding, professional patient care. In addition to our core faculty members, we bring in local physicians and physician assistants as adjunct faculty to give the program a hands-on focus.

South College Students in a lab

What can I do with a Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies Nashville?

Internal Medicine General Surgery Family Medicine Geriatrics Emergency Medicine Women's Health Pediatrics Clinical Psychiatry Behavioral Health And Many More Specialties

30%* Estimated Job Growth

Keys to Success

In addition to drive, focus, and a desire to improve lives through healthcare, you should be able to demonstrate good working relationships with patients and co-workers. This will help you to successfully complete the PA program, pass the national certifying examination, and go on to have a satisfying career.

The South College core faculty members take a personalized approach to education, and are frequently available to answer questions and provide guidance. Our adjunct faculty consists of local physicians and physician assistants who are committed to acting as mentors in our students’ education, and you can find additional support from course tutors and the Writing Lab.

South College Physician Assistant Students

Continuing Education

The Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies program is the most advanced degree in this field offered at South College.

Additional Information

Accreditation or Approval

South College – Nashville has applied for Accreditation – Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). South College – Nashville anticipates matriculating its first class in October 2019 pending achieving Accreditation – Provisional status at the June 2019 ARC-PA meeting. Accreditation – Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. If the ARC-PA does not approve Accreditation-Provisional Status to the Nashville campus, students who were offered a seat at the Nashville campus and paid the $1,500 seat deposit will receive a refund of the seat deposit.
Total Program and Degree Length
Total Program Credits*: 165
Didactic: 87
Clinical: 78
Degree Length: 27 months full-time enrollment
*South College operates on the quarter system, offering the possibility for more flexibility and more options for our students.
Program Tuition Rate
$10,600/quarter
South College offers flat-rate tuition, which provides students the opportunity to take more hours for a lower cost. 10-18 hours is the same cost regardless of how many hours are taken.
Admissions Requirements

Consumer Information

Amounts for tuition, fees, books, and supplies are subject to change. Important information about the educational debt, earnings, and completion rates of students who attended this program can be found here. South College follows the required methodology provided by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission for the reporting of employment information for graduates. This information is compiled on an annual basis and submitted to the Commission by October 15 each year for graduates during the most recently completed reporting year (July 1-June 30). For more detailed information related to the calculation of graduate employment rates, please click here.

*The career options listed above are a small sample of potential job titles, and are not meant to be comprehensive. Students may or may not find employment in these positions. Job growth statistics are taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2014–2024 projections. Note that the Bureau does not publish estimates for all job titles, so in some cases these numbers are an approximation based on similar job titles.

Success at South College

Audrey Sherles

While I was looking at programs, South College’s DPT program had a unique atmosphere and was a program that was challenging the traditional brick and mortar DPT education model. It was something I wanted to be a part of, and I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from the top PTs and educators in the country.

- Audrey Sherles, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Anjali Doshi

I am currently in the Bachelor’s of Business Administration program with a Concentration in Accounting. I felt that given my personal interests, strengths, and skills, that a career in accounting would be the right choice. Also, I wanted to choose something that had the potential to allow work/life balance in the future as both are important to me.

- Anjali Doshi, Bachelor of Business Administration
Adam Hatcher

I went to college originally straight out of high school with the intent of majoring in musical performance with a concentration in theoretical studies. I was not prepared to for college at that point, so I decided to gain some experience and maturity by joining the work force full-time. After working for 10 years, I felt it was time to try school again.

- Adam Hatcher, Bachelor of Business Administration
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