Physician Assistant Studies and Public Health
The combined Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies/Master of Public Health program allows students to earn two degrees simultaneously.
Accepted applicants to Northeastern’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program have the opportunity to pursue a joint degree, the PA/MPH, which is offered by the MS in Physician Assistant Studies program in conjunction with the Master of Public Health program. Enrolling in the PA/MPH program allows these students to earn two degrees in a shorter amount of time than it would to earn them separately, saving time and money while broadening one’s clinical toolkit to give it a population health-based perspective.
Students enrolled in the dual degree program take classes that meet the curriculum requirements for both an MS in Physician Assistant Studies and an MPH. The dual degree is structured to give students maximum flexibility while incorporating an urban health framework to complement their PA studies. PA/MPH students begin their program by taking the majority of their MPH coursework online from January to mid-August before coming to campus at the end of August to begin their PA coursework. During the two years of the PA program, they complete the remainder of their MPH coursework concurrently so that when they graduate, they are awarded their MPH at the same time as their MS in Physician Assistant Studies. Please see the sample course map below for more information.
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Unique Features
- Save time and tuition
- Broaden your clinical and professional toolkits to include a population health, community-based perspective
- Most of the MPH coursework is completed online prior to matriculation into the PA portion of program
- Graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) Exam, the only professional certification specific to the field of public health
Career Outcomes
Graduating with a MS in Physician Assistant Studies and a MPH helps to diversify the public health workforce and improves graduates’ ability to approach clinical situations with cultural sensitivity and awareness. Graduates of the program benefit from having a greater understanding of public health issues in clinical practice, including the racial and ethnic health disparities prevalent in the United States healthcare system, as well as a strong grounding in epidemiology, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and the use of scientific evidence, skills critical to many fields of healthcare practice.
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Program Costs
Requirements
- Completed and verified CASPA application
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Science GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Solid B grades in all prerequisite coursework prior to applying
- Approximately 1000 hours of hands-on patient care experience
- Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers Certification prior to matriculation
- Three letters of recommendation
- Transcripts from all institutions attended, including WES-evaluated transcripts for study completed outside the U.S.
- Three personal statements – the CASPA application essay, the Northeastern PA program essay, and the PA/MPH dual degree-specific essay
- Resumé
- Official TOEFL scores taken within the last two years with a minimum score of 100
Admissions Dates
Your application must be submitted to CASPA by August 1st and verified by CASPA and sent to the PA program by August 31st.
In order to be considered for the PA/MPH program, interested applicants must complete and submit a CASPA application by August 1st, along with the Northeastern Data Sheet and $75 application fee (made payable to Northeastern University), according to the same process that is outlined on the PA program’s webpage at https://bouve.northeastern.edu/physician-assistant/ms/admissions-tuition/ under the “How to Apply” tab.
Physician Assistant Studies and Public Health General Requirements
Physician Assistant Requirements
A grade of C or higher is required in each course.
Required Core
Anatomy and Physiology
Diagnosis and Evaluation
Pharmacology
Principles
Clinical
Master of Public Health Requirements
A grade of B– or higher is required in each course.
Required Core
Urban Health
Practicum
Capstone
Elective
Complete 3 semester hours of approved elective course work.
Please note: this curriculum is for marketing purposes only, and is subject to change. Official curriculum can be found within the Course Catalog.
PA/MPH students complete nine applied study rotations in various disciplines, including community-based, public health-oriented settings.
Our Faculty
Our faculty represents a wide cross-section of professional practices and fields ranging from finance to education to biomedical science to management to the U.S. military. They serve as mentors and advisors and collaborate alongside students to solve the most pressing global challenges facing established and emerging markets.
By enrolling in Northeastern, you gain access to a network of more than 255,000 alumni and 3,350+ employer partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and global nongovernmental organizations. Our current students and faculty across strategically located regional locations further foster a lifelong, global community of learning and mentoring.
Below is a look at where our Nursing & Healthcare alumni work, the positions they hold, and the skills they bring to their organization.
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Where They Work
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Boston Medical Center
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What They Do
- Healthcare Services
- Business Development
- Education
- Community and Social Services
- Operations
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What They're Skilled At
- Healthcare
- Nursing
- Hospitals
- Patient Safety
- Healthcare Management
Learn more about Northeastern Alumni on Linkedin.