Students taking classes outside on the Clarkson campus

Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS) Program

Welcome to the website of the Clarkson University Physician Assistant (PA) Program. 

We are very pleased you are interested in learning more about our developing program.  Our program will offer a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies degree in a 28 consecutive month curriculum.  We hope this website will serve to provide a portal for obtaining information about our program, as well as providing links to other sources of information about the PA profession.  As we continue its development, I hope you will find this site informative, and that it will spark your interest in considering Clarkson as the place to pursue your goal of becoming a Physician Assistant (PA).

The Clarkson  PA Program will be located in Clarkson Hall in the village of Potsdam. Clarkson is the highest rated research university of its size in New York State.  The PA program will benefit from the expertise of its faculty and local health care providers. We will utilize clinical sites in St. Lawrence and surrounding counties. Our class size will be small, so you will not be lost in the shuffle of a large classroom. 

This program is not yet accredited. We are working toward provisional accreditation, which is the standard for all new programs. Our primary goal at present is to prepare this program for that accreditation. Our faculty is being formed and will consist of experienced PAs and physicians with a wealth of knowledge. We will start accepting applications for the inaugural class in early 2011 with the first class beginning in January 2012.  Our ultimate goal is to graduate high quality and compassionate PAs who will successfully pass their certification exam and then serve their patients and their communities with pride.

If you have decided to pursue a PA education, you have made a wise decision.  PAs are valuable members of today's healthcare delivery as they work alongside physicians as a team to deliver quality care to patients.  PAs are involved in almost all areas of medicine and have a wide range of professional opportunities open to them.  The current job opportunities for PAs are vast; the Department of Labor web site indicates that employment of PAs is expected to grow 27% from 2006-2016.  The US News and World Report ranks the PA profession among the top 30 Best Careers in 2009.  The American Academy of Physician Assistants reports that PAs have a high level of satisfaction with their jobs.

The education of a PA is very rigorous.  It will be the most demanding educational experience of your life.  If you are ready for that challenge and seek to serve others, we welcome your interest in our program. We will be holding an information session in the coming months and appointments are now available to discuss your potential as a Clarkson PA student.

Please check back often as this website will continue to evolve as we move forward.

Michael B. Whitehead, DHSc, RPA-C           
Department Chair