Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)

The College of Idaho and Idaho State University (ISU), building on strong agreements around cooperative programs in health studies, signed a partnership agreement in 2012 for a joint master’s degree program in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS). Beginning in Fall 2014, twelve MPAS students will begin participating in the ISU program from The College of Idaho campus, joining thirty students on the ISU Pocatello campus and another thirty on the ISU Meridian campus. The program involves one year of didactic instruction delivered both on site and via distance learning technology from all three program campuses; a second year of eight clinical rotations occurs at sites throughout the region. Students completing the program through the C of I will receive a dual degree from both institutions.

All matters of admission, curriculum, and certification are administered by Idaho State University. For details about the program, see the ISU website at http://www.isu.edu/PAprog/index.shtml. Application to the program is through the Central Application Service for Physician Assistants (CASPA). The program maintains continued accreditation by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc., (ARC-PA).

Graduates of the program are eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Certification Examination (PANCE), which is administered by the National Commission for Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Over the past five years, 97% of ISU’s PA Program graduates have passed the NCCPA examination on their first attempt. During this time ISU’s first-time pass rate has exceeded the national first-time pass rate. Information about pass rates may be found on the program’s website at http://www.isu.edu/paprog/pdf/pass-rate-report.pdf.