MS in Physician Assistant Studies Course Descriptions
Course offerings listed below may vary from year to year based on course availability. For the most up-to-date courses, course requirements and descriptions, always refer
to the current University Catalog. View the current Catalog here.
PAS 510 - The Physician Assistant Profession
This course explores all aspects of the Physician Assistant Profession including, but not limited to, historical, legislative, and professional topics. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 520 - Gross Human Anatomy
This course covers the structure of the human anatomy through the use of lectures, clinical applications, and dissection. Lecture and Lab.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 527 - Microbiology & Immunology
This course provides a systematic organ-based review of the more important infectious disease agents and the principles and techniques employed in their laboratory diagnosis. The course also explores the components and response of the immune system in mounting defense against common pathogens. Relevant pharmacotherapy and preventive measures such as immunization will be discussed. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 530 - Physical Diagnosis I: Effective Patient Communication
This course is the first of three semester courses designed to prepare the Physician Assistant Studies student to obtain a complete history and to perform a complete physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to age, gender, and cultural background. This course will concentrate on how to take a complete medical history. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 563 - Medical Physiology
This course provides an overview of the physiologic function of the cell (including development, growth and function), the integumentary system, the nervous system, the pulmonary system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the gastro-intestinal system, the genitourinary system, the circulatory system, and the immune system. This course is designed to prepare the student for understanding disease processes associated with pathophysiologic dysfunction. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 566 - Human Genetics
This course will review the basic principles of medical genetics. A familiarity with basic genetics is assumed. Students will learn to obtain a detailed family history and assess possible modes of inheritance. Principles of genetic screening, testing, and diagnosis will be discussed. Specific genetic disorders, the underlying etiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options will be reviewed. The ethical principles related to genetic evaluation and testing will be discussed. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program
PAS 601 - Clinical Medicine I
This course explores the intricacies of human disease. The course divides into individual modules various medical disciplines including, but not limited to: cardiology, infectious disease, pulmonology, gastroenterology, neurology, rheumatology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, urology/nephrology, geriatrics, dermatology, and otolaryngology. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 630 - Physical Diagnosis II
This course is the second of three semester courses designed to prepare the Physician Assistant student to obtain a complete history and to perform a complete physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to age, gender, and cultural background. This course will concentrate on the adult patient, progressing body system by body system in a head-to-toe fashion, from head to abdomen. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 652 - Public Health & Nutritional Concepts
This course introduces counseling, behavioral science skills, and tools to Physician Assistant students to enhance their communication skills and their understanding of health-care and wellness issues in the community. Further public health concepts are discussed in order for the Physician Assistant student to gain a global view of healthcare. Additionally, nutritional concepts are explored as they relate to public health and to PA practice in general. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 660 - Diagnostic Methodology
This course provides clinical diagnostics, which includes three modules: laboratory and diagnostic studies, ECG interpretation, and radiology imaging. Through combined lectures, case discussions, demonstrations, and practice sessions, students will learn how to order and interpret a variety of laboratory and diagnostic studies that are performed by the provider or received through a referral in daily clinical primary care practice. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 663 - Pathophysiology
This course addresses the pathophysiology that pertains to cell growth, development, and function, the integumentary system, the nervous system, the pulmonary system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the gastro-intestinal system, the genitourinary system, the circulatory system, and the immune system, and acid-based disturbances. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 670 - Pharmacology I
This course is the first of two courses designed to present a systematic presentation of pharmacologic agents based upon drug group classification, nature and mode of action, toxicity, and clinical therapeutic applications. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 702 - Clinical Medicine II: Emergency Medicine
This course will explore and re-explore injuries, diseases, and other conditions relating to the various medical disciplines (i.e., cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology), only from an emergency department point of view. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 703 - Clinical Medicine II: Surgery
This course is designed to prepare the Physician Assistant student for the general surgery and surgical sub-specialties. General surgical concepts needed for the Physician Assistant to function in primary care settings as well as surgical sub-specialties are presented. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 704 - Clinical Medicine II: Women's Health & Pediatrics
This course is a continuation of Medicine I from and obstetric and gynecological point of view. The course will explore and re-explore injuries, diseases, and other conditions relating to the various medical disciplines, i.e., cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, etc., only from an obstetric and gynecologic point of view. Further, various aspects of infertility and conception to birth including high-risk labor are discussed.
The pediatric portion of the course will explore and re-explore injuries, diseases, and other conditions relating to the various medical disciplines, i.e., cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, etc., only from a pediatric point of view. Aspects of development from birth to adolescence as well as issues related to violence and behavior are discussed. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 706 - Primary Care Seminar
This course explores the most common conditions causing patients to present to primary care practitioners. This course will build upon knowledge already presented in the clinical medicine I course and complement information provided in the clinical medicine II courses.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 730 - Physical Diagnosis III
This course is the third of three semester courses designed to prepare the Physician Assistant student to obtain a complete history and to perform a complete physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to age, gender, and cultural background. This course will start by completing an adult history and physical examination, from neurology to male and female genitalia.
The remainder of the semester then focuses on directed histories and physical examinations on targeted body systems. The course culminates in student demonstration of proficiency with standardized patients during the Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE). Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 770 - Pharmacology II
This course is the second of two courses designed to present a systematic investigation of various drug classes and their mechanisms of action, main clinical effects, chief clinical applications and their most common and most adverse side effects. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 773 - Research Methods
This course will explore basic statistical principles as they relate to the medical literature. Evidence-based practice and examination will be kept in mind during the course. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 807 - Practical Clinical Skills
This course provides the student with practical experience in the performance of clinical skills necessary to function as a Physician Assistant. This includes, but is not limited to, training in procedures related to wound management, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, IV access and venipuncture, and parenteral administration of medications.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 810 - Ethics, Health Systems, Law & Policy
This course is designed to give students an appreciation of medical ethics and their legal implications where applicable. Lectures will provide students with a basic understanding of the ethical responsibilities of physician assistants as health-care practitioners and as individuals. In part, this course will examine the private and public health-care sectors, their interrelation, and the changes that are blurring their distinction. The student will be exposed to a discussion of the issues and systems related to the delivery of health care in the United States, to an overview of provider roles, and to an examination of the role of the Physician Assistant in particular. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 830 - Diverse & Vulnerable Patient Populations in Health Care
This course instructs the student in the prevention, recognition, intervention, and management of child maltreatment and domestic violence. Further, the student identifies ways to advocate for victims of violence. Additionally, various cultural aspects of medicine and diversity will be explored.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 840 - Clinical Decisions
This course will concentrate on common medical problems seen in out-patient primary care settings. Students will be assigned reading topics for each class. Lecture sessions will involve case study reviews. Class discussions will contribute significantly to the learning process; hence, student participation will be strongly encouraged. It will also begin the appreciation of practicebased learning and systems-based practice issues such as risk-management and electronic medical records (EMR). Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 880 - Behavioral Health & Illness
This is a one-term course in which the student will develop the skills necessary to evaluate and manage psychiatric illnesses. There will be an emphasis on those disorders commonly seen in primary care and emergency room settings. The course is set up as a series of lectures that begin with the psychiatric interview and examination. Several lectures that follow focus on specific disorders as well as psychiatric emergencies. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
This course explores all aspects of the Physician Assistant Profession including, but not limited to, historical, legislative, and professional topics. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 520 - Gross Human Anatomy
This course covers the structure of the human anatomy through the use of lectures, clinical applications, and dissection. Lecture and Lab.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 527 - Microbiology & Immunology
This course provides a systematic organ-based review of the more important infectious disease agents and the principles and techniques employed in their laboratory diagnosis. The course also explores the components and response of the immune system in mounting defense against common pathogens. Relevant pharmacotherapy and preventive measures such as immunization will be discussed. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 530 - Physical Diagnosis I: Effective Patient Communication
This course is the first of three semester courses designed to prepare the Physician Assistant Studies student to obtain a complete history and to perform a complete physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to age, gender, and cultural background. This course will concentrate on how to take a complete medical history. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 563 - Medical Physiology
This course provides an overview of the physiologic function of the cell (including development, growth and function), the integumentary system, the nervous system, the pulmonary system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the gastro-intestinal system, the genitourinary system, the circulatory system, and the immune system. This course is designed to prepare the student for understanding disease processes associated with pathophysiologic dysfunction. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 566 - Human Genetics
This course will review the basic principles of medical genetics. A familiarity with basic genetics is assumed. Students will learn to obtain a detailed family history and assess possible modes of inheritance. Principles of genetic screening, testing, and diagnosis will be discussed. Specific genetic disorders, the underlying etiology, clinical presentation, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment options will be reviewed. The ethical principles related to genetic evaluation and testing will be discussed. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Admission into the Physician Assistant Studies Program
PAS 601 - Clinical Medicine I
This course explores the intricacies of human disease. The course divides into individual modules various medical disciplines including, but not limited to: cardiology, infectious disease, pulmonology, gastroenterology, neurology, rheumatology, endocrinology, ophthalmology, urology/nephrology, geriatrics, dermatology, and otolaryngology. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 630 - Physical Diagnosis II
This course is the second of three semester courses designed to prepare the Physician Assistant student to obtain a complete history and to perform a complete physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to age, gender, and cultural background. This course will concentrate on the adult patient, progressing body system by body system in a head-to-toe fashion, from head to abdomen. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 652 - Public Health & Nutritional Concepts
This course introduces counseling, behavioral science skills, and tools to Physician Assistant students to enhance their communication skills and their understanding of health-care and wellness issues in the community. Further public health concepts are discussed in order for the Physician Assistant student to gain a global view of healthcare. Additionally, nutritional concepts are explored as they relate to public health and to PA practice in general. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 660 - Diagnostic Methodology
This course provides clinical diagnostics, which includes three modules: laboratory and diagnostic studies, ECG interpretation, and radiology imaging. Through combined lectures, case discussions, demonstrations, and practice sessions, students will learn how to order and interpret a variety of laboratory and diagnostic studies that are performed by the provider or received through a referral in daily clinical primary care practice. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 663 - Pathophysiology
This course addresses the pathophysiology that pertains to cell growth, development, and function, the integumentary system, the nervous system, the pulmonary system, the endocrine system, the cardiovascular system, the gastro-intestinal system, the genitourinary system, the circulatory system, and the immune system, and acid-based disturbances. Lecture.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 670 - Pharmacology I
This course is the first of two courses designed to present a systematic presentation of pharmacologic agents based upon drug group classification, nature and mode of action, toxicity, and clinical therapeutic applications. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 702 - Clinical Medicine II: Emergency Medicine
This course will explore and re-explore injuries, diseases, and other conditions relating to the various medical disciplines (i.e., cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology), only from an emergency department point of view. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 703 - Clinical Medicine II: Surgery
This course is designed to prepare the Physician Assistant student for the general surgery and surgical sub-specialties. General surgical concepts needed for the Physician Assistant to function in primary care settings as well as surgical sub-specialties are presented. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 704 - Clinical Medicine II: Women's Health & Pediatrics
This course is a continuation of Medicine I from and obstetric and gynecological point of view. The course will explore and re-explore injuries, diseases, and other conditions relating to the various medical disciplines, i.e., cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, etc., only from an obstetric and gynecologic point of view. Further, various aspects of infertility and conception to birth including high-risk labor are discussed.
The pediatric portion of the course will explore and re-explore injuries, diseases, and other conditions relating to the various medical disciplines, i.e., cardiology, gastroenterology, pulmonology, etc., only from a pediatric point of view. Aspects of development from birth to adolescence as well as issues related to violence and behavior are discussed. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 706 - Primary Care Seminar
This course explores the most common conditions causing patients to present to primary care practitioners. This course will build upon knowledge already presented in the clinical medicine I course and complement information provided in the clinical medicine II courses.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 730 - Physical Diagnosis III
This course is the third of three semester courses designed to prepare the Physician Assistant student to obtain a complete history and to perform a complete physical examination on any patient with special sensitivity to age, gender, and cultural background. This course will start by completing an adult history and physical examination, from neurology to male and female genitalia.
The remainder of the semester then focuses on directed histories and physical examinations on targeted body systems. The course culminates in student demonstration of proficiency with standardized patients during the Objective Standardized Clinical Examination (OSCE). Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 770 - Pharmacology II
This course is the second of two courses designed to present a systematic investigation of various drug classes and their mechanisms of action, main clinical effects, chief clinical applications and their most common and most adverse side effects. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 773 - Research Methods
This course will explore basic statistical principles as they relate to the medical literature. Evidence-based practice and examination will be kept in mind during the course. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 807 - Practical Clinical Skills
This course provides the student with practical experience in the performance of clinical skills necessary to function as a Physician Assistant. This includes, but is not limited to, training in procedures related to wound management, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, IV access and venipuncture, and parenteral administration of medications.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 810 - Ethics, Health Systems, Law & Policy
This course is designed to give students an appreciation of medical ethics and their legal implications where applicable. Lectures will provide students with a basic understanding of the ethical responsibilities of physician assistants as health-care practitioners and as individuals. In part, this course will examine the private and public health-care sectors, their interrelation, and the changes that are blurring their distinction. The student will be exposed to a discussion of the issues and systems related to the delivery of health care in the United States, to an overview of provider roles, and to an examination of the role of the Physician Assistant in particular. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 830 - Diverse & Vulnerable Patient Populations in Health Care
This course instructs the student in the prevention, recognition, intervention, and management of child maltreatment and domestic violence. Further, the student identifies ways to advocate for victims of violence. Additionally, various cultural aspects of medicine and diversity will be explored.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 840 - Clinical Decisions
This course will concentrate on common medical problems seen in out-patient primary care settings. Students will be assigned reading topics for each class. Lecture sessions will involve case study reviews. Class discussions will contribute significantly to the learning process; hence, student participation will be strongly encouraged. It will also begin the appreciation of practicebased learning and systems-based practice issues such as risk-management and electronic medical records (EMR). Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 880 - Behavioral Health & Illness
This is a one-term course in which the student will develop the skills necessary to evaluate and manage psychiatric illnesses. There will be an emphasis on those disorders commonly seen in primary care and emergency room settings. The course is set up as a series of lectures that begin with the psychiatric interview and examination. Several lectures that follow focus on specific disorders as well as psychiatric emergencies. Lecture.
Prerequisites: Successful completion of the previous semester and continued good standing in the Physician Assistant Studies Program.
PAS 890, PAS 891 and PAS 892 Experiential Clinical Preparation I, II, and III
These courses will take place in each of the spring, summer, and second fall terms
of the Didactic phase. These courses will help the student prepare for the clinical
phase of their education by providing opportunities to integrate classroom knowledge
from other courses and apply it using (1) simulated cases with tabletop situations,
standardized patients, and high fidelity simulations in our Simulation Lab and (2)
encounters with individuals across age, national origin, and socioeconomic ranges
as part of our Service Learning program.