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Bachelor of Science in Premedical and Health Studies: Physician Assistant Studies Pathway (BS/MPAS)

Location: Boston
Start Term: Fall

As a physician assistant, you provide care to patients as an extension of the physician relationship and a vital member of the healthcare team. This program allows you to focus your education on your career goals, so you’ll be well prepared to start treating patients on the first day of your new career.

Students in this professional pathway program have the opportunity to earn a combined Bachelor of Science in Premedical and Health Studies and Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree in six years. Students who meet minimum GPA, patient care experience hours, and course requirements are guaranteed an interview for admission into the MPAS program during their third year.

You’ll work closely with faculty mentors who have years of expertise in both teaching and advising pre-health professions students. And after an intensive study of the basic behavioral and medical sciences, you’ll have in-depth exposure to a wide variety of patients in a range of clinical clerkships. All to prepare you to begin your career with confidence.

First-Time Freshman Entry

Freshman applicants can view their admission requirements on the Undergraduate Applicants page.

Transfer Student Entry

Students with 12 or more college credits may transfer into the first or second year of the program. Courses must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of C or better for transfer. Math and science courses taken more than ten years prior to the anticipated date of matriculation to MCPHS will not be accepted.

While there are no specific required courses for entry into the first year of our program, the admission committee will look for success in any math and science courses you have already taken. If you complete any of the courses listed below, you may receive transfer credit and your first year course load may be lighter. However, due to the block registration nature of MCPHS programs, entering the first year of the program with transfer credits will not change the total length of your program. Courses, other than elective courses, may not be moved forward in your schedule.

Required Courses For Entry to Year II:

  • General Biology I & II with lab (8 credits)
  • General Chemistry I & II with lab (8 credits)
  • Calculus I & II (8 credits)
  • Expository Writing I & II (6 credits)
  • American Culture, Identity, and Public Life (3 credits) (Acceptable substitutions include American History, U.S. History, U.S. Government, Western Civilization)

Additional Courses Accepted for Transfer Credit:

  • General Elective (3 credits) (Acceptable courses include History, English, Fine Arts, Philosophy, Government, Ethics, Foreign Language, Psychology, Religious Studies, Anthropology, Communications, and Economics)
  • Social Science elective (3 credits) (Acceptable courses include History, Political Science/Government, Anthropology, Upper-level Sociology, American Studies, Women Studies, Ethnic Studies, Geography, Economics)

Progressing Into the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program

First-time freshman and transfer students interested in progressing though the 3+3 pathway to the graduate program are required to submit an admission application for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program at the beginning of the third year of the Premedical and Health Studies Pathway program. All students who meet the minimum GPA, patient care experience hours, and course requirements will be guaranteed an interview for admission. For additional guidance on graduate admission requirements and steps through the pathway, matriculated pathway students should contact the internal admission counselor.

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

Year I-Fall
BIO 150L Biology I Laboratory 1
BIO 151 Biology I: Cell and Molecular Biology 3
CHE 131 Chemical Principles I (w/ lab) 4
FYS 101 Introduction to the Major 1
LIB 111 Expository Writing I 3
MAT 151 Calculus I 3
TOTAL 15

Year I-Spring

BIO 152 Biology II: Biology of Organisms (w/ lab) 4
CHE 132 Chemical Principles II (w/ lab) 4
LIB 112 Expository Writing II 3
LIB 120 OR LIB 133 Introduction to Psychology OR American Culture,
Identity, and Public Life 		3
MAT 152 Calculus II 3
TOTAL 17

PAS 402 Online: Successful completion (“Pass”) of this course during Year I Summer is required to move on to PAS 403 Online in Year II Summer and take advantage of pathway benefits. 

Year II Variations

1. If LIB 120 is completed in Year I Spring, then you will have the following Year II schedule.

Year II-Fall
CHE 231 Organic Chemistry I (w/ lab) 4
Behavioral Sciences elective I* 3
LIB 133 American Culture, Identity, and Public Life 3
LIB 205 Health Professions Orientation Seminar 1
MAT 261 Statistics 3
Humanities elective 3
TOTAL 17

Year II-Spring
BIO 255 Medical Microbiology (w/ lab) 4
CHE 232 Organic Chemistry II 3
CHE 234L Organic Chemistry II Lab 1
SSC 230 Cultural Anthropology 3
LIB 220 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
for Health Professionals 		3
TOTAL 14

2. If LIB 120 is completed in Year I Spring, then you will have the following Year II schedule.

PAS 403 Online: Successful completion (“Pass”) of this course during Year II Summer is required to take advantage of pathway benefits. 

Year II-Fall
CHE 231 Organic Chemistry I (w/ lab) 4
LIB 120 Introduction to Psychology 3
MAT 261 Statistics 3
SSC 230 Cultural Anthropology 3
TOTAL 14

Year II-Spring
Behavioral Sciences elective I 3
BIO 255 Medical Microbiology (w/ lab) 4
CHE 232 Organic Chemistry II 3
CHE 234L Organic Chemistry II Lab 1
Humanities Elective 3
LIB 220 Interpersonal Communication for Health Professionals 3
TOTAL 17

PAS 403 Online: Successful completion (“Pass”) of this course during Year II Summer is required to take advantage of pathway benefits. 

Year III-Fall
BIO 351 Advanced Anatomy & Physiology I (w/ lab) 4
PHY 270 Foundations of Physics I 3
PHY 272L Foundations of Physics I Lab 1
BIO 360 Cellular Biochemistry 4
Behavioral Sciences elective II* 3
TOTAL 15

*Two BEH electives are required and must be chosen from a specific list.

Year III-Spring
BIO 352 Advanced Anatomy & Physiology II (w/ lab) 4
LIB 512 Healthcare Ethics 3
PHY 274 Foundations of Physics II (w/ lab) 4
SSC 495 Evolution of the Health Professions 3
Liberal Arts Elective** 3
TOTAL 17

**The Liberal Arts elective can be any 3 semester hour course in the following areas: BEH, SSC, HUM, language or communication.

BEH elective choices include:
BEH 250 Health Psychology
BEH 405 Mind/Body Medicine
BEH 260 Behavioral Health
BEH 341 Biological Psychology
BEH 454 Stress & Illness
BEH 351 Social Psychology
BEH 352 Human Development Through the Life Cycle

Year IV

For students moving on after their third undergraduate year to the professional phase of this pathway, fourth year undergraduate courses are replaced by successful completion of first year professional courses as follows:

  • The HUM elective is replaced by PAS 514 (Principles of Professional Practice) and PAS 416 (Primary Care Psychiatry)
  • LIB 480 is replaced by PAS 529 and PAS 539 (Research Methods for PAs I and II)
  • Successful completion of the remainder of the first year MPAS Boston curriculum will fulfill the fourth year undergraduate general elective requirements.