Department of Physician Assistant Studies

Kean University's Department 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.

Visit for more information about faculty, curriculum and admissions guidelines:

Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

At its March 2024 meeting, the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) placed the Kean University Physician Assistant Studies Program sponsored by Kean University on Accreditation-Probation status until its next review in March 2026.

Probation accreditation is a temporary accreditation status initially of not less than two years. However, that period may be extended by the ARC-PA for up to an additional two years if the ARC-PA finds that the program is making substantial progress toward meeting all applicable standards but requires additional time to come into full compliance. Probation accreditation status is granted, at the sole discretion of the ARC-PA, when a program holding an accreditation status of Accreditation - Provisional or Accreditation - Continued does not, in the judgment of the ARC-PA, meet the Standards or when the capability of the program to provide an acceptable educational experience for its students is threatened.

Once placed on probation, a program that fails to comply with accreditation requirements in a timely manner, as specified by the ARC-PA, may be scheduled for a focused site visit and is subject to having its accreditation withdrawn.

Specific questions regarding the Program and its plans should be directed to the Program Director and/or the appropriate institutional official(s).

The program’s accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at https://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.