School of Physician Assistant Studies

Kean University's School of Physician Assistant Studies trains future Physician Assistants (PAs) to be medical professionals who can provide excellent medical care across health care disciplines and settings. Physician assistants work in doctors' offices, hospitals, out-patient clinics and other health care settings, often serving as principal healthcare providers with the ability to diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans and prescribe medication to those in their care. 

They work collaboratively as part of a medical team and positively impact outcomes by improving access to and the overall quality of healthcare services patients receive.The physician assistant's role in our modern health care industry is significant, showing increased demand and predicted growth of 31% through 2028 (according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).  

Kean offers a Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree that is a 29-month, 105-credit-hour program where students are immersed in rigorous didactic and clinical training. It is a full-time program, completed as a cohort. It includes coursework in medical and behavioral sciences and ethics, along with over 2000 hours of clinical rotation in different medical and surgical disciplines from emergency medicine to pediatrics to psychiatry. Program graduates will be prepared to provide evidence-based, holistic healthcare treatments and effectively utilize the latest medical technologies.

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Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

The ARC-PA has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Kean University Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the Kean University.

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.

Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class.

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-kean-university/.

*Attrition rate calculation:  This is the number of students who attritted from cohort divided by the entering class size. Students may leave the cohort due to withdrawal (personal leave of absence or medical leave) or dismissal due academic or professional behavior violations.

**Graduation rate:  This is the number of cohort graduates divided by the entering class size.