Physician Assistant Studies

Earn a master's degree in physician assistant studies

Our full-time, 27-month, accredited Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program—located in Indianapolis—is preparing students for one of the most rapidly growing professions in the health care field. Physician assistants (PAs) are prominent members of today’s health care teams who play diverse roles in primary care and specialized practice areas. You will diagnose illness, develop and manage treatment plans, prescribe medications, and often serve as your patient’s principal healthcare provider.

As a graduate, you’ll earn an Indiana University degree and be primed with the experience and education to provide top-notch care to patients as a physician assistant.

Preparing to apply?

Review admission requirements for our MPAS program, including important prerequisite courses, and take note of application specifications and deadlines.

Learn about admission

#1Best health care jobs, U.S. News & World Report

#1on the 100 best jobs, U.S. News & World Report

$115,390Median pay in 2020, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Your success starts here

PA students practice CPR in an emergency medicine practice.

Get in the action

During the fall after your first year in the MPAS program, you will begin clinical rotations that will provide you with practical experience for the real world. Our ten rotations will expose you to a variety of clinical settings that will not only broaden your learning but help you identify your preferred health care environment. You also have the flexibility to choose two elective clinical rotations to explore your own medical interests.

Aerial view of IUPUI's campus and downtown Indianapolis

Study in the center of it all

Just from location alone, you'll benefit from valuable connections within the large sphere of health care educators, researchers, and professionals in Indianapolis. You are within walking distance to four of Indiana’s leading hospitals and the IU School of Medicine, and you'll have access to over 400 community and clinical partnerships in central Indiana.

Serve real people

From day one, we’re engaging students in co-curricular and curricular community engagement. Take your learning to the next level by participating in programs like the IU Student Outreach Clinic—a free, student-run health clinic that provides primary care-based medical services for the uninsured and under-served in the Indianapolis community.

Entering a program with remarkable results

Our program has the status of accreditation-continued with the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). With us, you’ll find well-developed coursework that will prepare you for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and teach you the skills to enter your career with confidence.

Explore the MPAS curriculum

Check out our PANCE performance

View our accreditation status

I chose the IU MPAS program because of their success rates on the PANCE exam, the variety of clinical rotations, and their access to the School of Medicine, clinics, and hospitals.
-Alexa Schofner, Class of 2021

Get to know us a little more

The IU Department of Physician Assistant Studies is proud to be preparing leaders, innovators, and professionals in physician assistant studies to meet the health care needs of our communities. Together, our faculty, students, alumni, and partners are transforming human experience and quality of life.

PA faculty instruct a CPR certification class with PA students.

A network of support

Our faculty are expert physician assistants and teachers devoted to educating future health care professionals. All our faculty and staff are invested in you!

Meet our faculty & staff