Augsburg PA Curriculum Degree Requirements 2023-2024
The Physician Assistant program at Augsburg is approximately 27 months long with studies beginning each year in the summer semester. The program accepts up to 33 students for each new class. Graduates will receive a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies.
The Augsburg PA program includes time away from the program at varying times which may differ from the traditional breaks at Augsburg University. At this time, our program does not offer a hybrid option.
ACADEMIC PHASE (15 months)
Starting in May of each year, the academic phase consists of immersive community health experiences and didactic, or classroom, course work. The curriculum’s clinical content aligns across each course by organ system, enabling students to learn about disease process in clinical medicine, the physical examination and procedural diagnosis of those conditions, as well as the appropriate clinical management and treatment; all with the social and political determinants of health in mind.
Studies include courses in human gross anatomy and cadaver lab, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, pharmacotherapy, history and physical exam skills, and evidence-based professional practice. In addition, the Clinical Practice Seminar series consists of small-group, case-based learning that offers the unique opportunity to integrate and apply material from each of the courses to real-world patient cases. Our curriculum provides hands-on experiences that promote the development of practical skills through the use of simulation and live standardized patients, technical skills workshops, and labs.
Summer 1 (14 credits)
PA 500 – Community Health and Evidence-Based Professional Practice 1 (1 credit)
PA 501 – Human Anatomy and Neuroanatomy (8 credits)
PA 503 – Human Pathophysiology (5 credits)
Fall (23 credits)
PA 510 – Community Health and Evidence-Based Professional Practice 2 (1 credit)
PA 511 – History and Physical Exam Skills I (6 credits)
PA 521 – Pharmacotherapy I (4 credits)
PA 531 – Clinical Medicine I (9 credits)
PA 546 – Clinical Practice Seminar I (3 credits)
Spring (23 credits)
PA 512 – History and Physical Exam Skills II (6 credits)
PA 520 – Community Health and Evidence-Based Professional Practice 3 (1 credit)
PA 522 – Pharmacotherapy II (4 credits)
PA 532 – Clinical Medicine II (9 credits)
PA 547 – Clinical Practice Seminar II (3 credits)
Summer 2 (11-12 credits)
PA 530 – Community Health and Evidence-Based Professional Practice 4 (1 credit)
PA 533 – Clinical Medicine III (5 credits)
PA 545 – Clinical Phase Transition (2 credits)
PA 599 – Master’s Project Self-Directed Study or Global Experience Course (3-4 credits)
CLINICAL PHASE (12 months)
The clinical phase is completed in approximately 12 months. It is designed to effectively train students for practice by providing them with rotation experiences in different specialties and a variety of practice settings.
A student will be required to complete the clinical phase at various site(s) determined by the Augsburg PA Program to provide the student with the best educational experience. Students do not and should not set up their own clinical experiences. Clinical rotation sites will be located throughout the state of MN, the 5 state area, and beyond. To that end, each student will be required to complete rotations outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. A well-rounded clinical experience will include both urban and rural settings.
Fall 2 (12 credits)
3 Clinical Rotations
Spring 2 (12 credits)
3 Clinical Rotations
Summer 3 (16 credits)
3 Clinical Rotations
PA 690 – Capstone Course (4 credits)
Over the course of the clinical year, every student is required to successfully complete 7 core clinical experiences, 2 additional electives, and a capstone course that all align with our primary care-focused curriculum. These include:
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- Psychiatry and Behavioral Health*
- Emergency Medicine*
- Family Medicine*
- Surgery*
- Internal Medicine*
- Pediatrics*
- Women’s Health*
- Electives/Preceptorships
* denotes core clinical experience
Examples of Elective Experiences: Urgent care, primary care, cardiology, pulmonology, orthopedics, emergency medicine, critical care, surgery, transgender care, pediatrics, infectious diseases, internal medicine, dermatology, community and public health, telehealth, and PA education.
Course Descriptions
For a full list of course descriptions for all departments, visit the Academic Catalog page.