Physician Assistant
A degree in Allied Health Studies with a Physician Assistant Emphasis paves your way into the health professions.
About the Physician Assistant Emphasis
Students interested in pursuing post-graduate education towards a career as a Physician Assistant are typically enrolled in the B.A. in Allied Health Studies with an emphasis in Physician Assistant.
Physician Assistants (PAs) provide health care services under the supervision of physicians. Although PAs work with the supervision of a physician, they may be the principal care providers in certain practices. In such cases, the PA confers with the supervising physician as needed or required by law.
PAs are formally trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative health care services, as delegated by a physician. They take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order and interpret laboratory tests and X-rays, make diagnoses, and prescribe medications. PAs treat minor injuries by suturing, splinting, and casting. PAs also may prescribe medications in all 50 states.
- View the scope of practice for PAs by state.
- To see a comprehensive list of PA programs by state and their accreditation status, visit PA Education Association (PAEA) website.
- For more information about the job outlook for PAs, visit the Occupation Outlook Handbook.
Incoming freshmen indicate their interest in physician assistant on the UM application. Others complete the short online form to be assigned to an HPAO advisor and notified about HPAO programs and services.
On this Page…
Program Information
Degree
B.A. in Allied Health Studies
Emphases
Physician Assistant
Required Credit Hours
120
Program Type
Major
Program Location
School
Duration
4 years
Degree Requirements
Find out about credit hour and course requirements from the 2025-26 academic catalog.
Students in the College of Liberal Arts earning the B.A. degree have a common set of 48-50 hours of general education. The specific courses taken to complete the categories of general education may differ between majors.
Categories of General Education:
- First Year Writing I, II
- English Literature Survey
- Modern or Ancient Language
- History
- Additional Humanities
- Fine or Performing Arts Appreciation
- Mathematics
- Social Sciences
- Natural Sciences
To see the details for the general education requirements, visit the UM online catalog or the degree sheet attached at the top of this webpage.
Students in the B.A. in Allied Health Studies program complete 30-36 credit hours of courses for the major, additional requirements, and a required minor field of study.
Core Courses
- Bisc 210: Microbiology (or any Bisc 300 level or higher)
- ES 396: Allied Health Terminology OR Clc 201: Medical Terminology
- NHM 311: Nutrition
- Spch 102: Fundamentals of Public Speaking OR Spch 105: Business and Professional Speaking
- One of the following advanced communication courses
- Spch 305: Collaborative Communication
- Writ 300: Rhetoric of Professional Communication
- Writ 310: Writing in Professional Contexts
- Writ 320: Contemporary Writing Studies
- Writ 380: Scientific Writing
- Writ 399: Special Topics
- Writ 410: Grant Writing
Advanced Electives
5 of the following electives, depending on your allied health field and interests
- Anth 349: Medical Anthropology
- Ger 310: End of Life Issues
- Ger 344: Aging in the 21st Century
- Ger 390: Special Topics
- Ger 490: Programs and Services in Gerontology
- IMC/Jour 585: Health Communications
- Mgmt 352: Health Innovation & Information
- Mgmt 353: Healthcare Regulation and Policy
- NHM 323: Human Growth and Development
- NHM 325: Family Relations
- NHM 328: Child Development
- PH 303: Prevention and Care of Athletic Injuries
- PH 312: Behavioral Aspects of Weight Management
- Phil 321: Ethics
- Phil/Rel 328: Biomedical Ethics
- Soc 301/G St 303: The Family
- Soc 310: Sociology of Disability
- Soc 311: Social Problems
- Soc 333: Sociology of Delinquency
- Soc 345: Population Trends and Problems
- Soc 353: Community Development
- Soc 370/Hon 315: Population Health
- Soc 413/AAS 413: Race and Ethnicity
- Soc 427: Social Stratification
- SW 326: Gerontology
- Any 300 level or above biology course
- Any 300 level or above psychology course
- Any 300 level or above exercise science course
Additional Requirements
- Psy 201: General Psychology
- One of the following
- Psy 301: Developmental Psychology
- Psy 311: Psychopathology: Integrative Approaches
- NHM 323: Human Growth and Development
HPAO Opportunities
Next Steps
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