Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the Program’s ARC-PA accreditation status?
The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, Inc. (ARC-PA) has granted Accreditation-Continued status to the University of Evansville Physician Assistant Program sponsored by the University of Evansville. Accreditation-Continued is an accreditation status granted when a currently accredited program is in compliance with the ARC-PA Standards.
Accreditation remains in effect until the program closes or withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards. The approximate date for the next validation review of the program by the ARC-PA will be March 2031. The review date is contingent upon continued compliance with the Accreditation Standards and ARC-PA policy.
The program's accreditation history can be viewed on the ARC-PA website at http://www.arc-pa.org/accreditation-history-university-of-evansville/.
- How successful is UEPA in achieving its goals?
Please visit the Goals web page for detailed information.
- What are the first time PANCE rates for the five most recent UE graduating PA classes?
At this time, the University of Evansville has graduated five cohorts at a 100% Overall PANCE Pass Rate.
- What is the attrition and graduation rate of each cohort?
View the ARC-PA Student Attrition table.
- Will you accept Biochemistry with lab as a replacement for Organic Chemistry 2 with lab?
Although this is a rigorous course, we cannot accept this as a replacement for Organic Chemistry 2.
- What are all the required curricular components?
The curriculum is designed to prepare students to provide patient-centered care and work within an interprofessional team environment. The curriculum builds a strong base in health information, evidence-based medicine and emphasizes the importance of life-long learning.
The curriculum is built on the mission and goals of the University of Evansville and the Physician Assistant (PA) Program. It provides core knowledge about established and evolving biomedical and clinical sciences in a breadth and depth to prepare students for the clinical practice of medicine.
The sequencing of the curriculum is designed to assist students in meeting the program competencies and the University's mission and goals. The start of the program (first semester) is focused on a team environment, needs of a community/population and on the human element (art) of medicine. The goal is to “set the stage” for clinical practice by developing a sense of “bigger than an individual or simple knowledge” to be able to provide clinical care.
The next three didactic semesters begin to mix foundation science material with clinical science to maintain a dynamic relationship between base knowledge and evolving clinical practice. The course material is synchronized and thus is somewhat modular in topics covered.
The final 12 months (3 semesters) are structured clinical practice experiences (rotations). These courses are designed to have the student integrate and apply the knowledge acquired from the didactic portion of the curriculum.
There are seven core areas per accreditation standards. These are divided into four primary care fields (family medicine, internal medicine, women's health, pediatrics) and three specialty care fields (general surgery, community mental health, emergency medicine). The program additionally requires a rotation in orthopedics. The students will also have an elective rotation in an area or specialty of their choice. Additionally, students may be able to implement subspecialty hours within their core rotations.
Please see the curriculum page for more information.
- What is the academic credit offered by the program?
Completion of the Physician Assistant Program results in a Master of Physician Assistant Science (MPAS) degree. The curriculum is 113 credit hours divided over seven semesters. The first four semesters (17 months) are primarily didactic (pre-clinical) with the final 3 semesters being clinical.
Please see the curriculum page for more information.
Please see tuition and financial assistance for more information.
- Policies and procedures for refunds of tuition and fees
All tuition and refunds are based on the date of official drop, withdrawal, or disenrollment from the University. Please see the University Refund Policy.
You can also visit tuition and financial assistance for more information.
- What are the policies about student employment while enrolled in the program?
Students are permitted to work during the program, however, the PA faculty strongly recommend against a student working during the professional phase due to the academic rigors. A student may not use work as an excuse to miss program activities. A student may not represent himself/herself as a SPA (Student Physician Assistant) except during official UE sponsored clinical affiliations. The professional liability coverage provided by the University of Evansville does not apply to student employment situations.
- Are there any admission or enrollment practices that favor specified individuals or groups?
The University of Evansville Physician Assistant Program does not recognize any special populations.
- What are the admission requirements regarding prior education or work experience?
Applicants must complete all required prerequisite courses and obtain a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation into the program. There are no specific degree or major requirements. The program does NOT require previous healthcare experience (HCE), but it is strongly encouraged.
- Does the Program award advanced placement?
No, there is no advanced placement with this program.
- What are the technical standards for enrollment?
Please see the Technical standards.
- What classes should I take in high school?
It is important that you have a strong background in science to prepare you for the pre-professional requisite courses. Taking high school biology, chemistry, and physics is strongly advised. Courses in math and communication are also recommended.
- Does your program offer direct entry admission?
If you are a high school senior and wish to be considered for the B/PA (direct entry) program, you should submit your application and PA essay to the University of Evansville by November 1. Qualified applicants will have scored a 25 or higher on the ACT or a 1200 or higher on the SAT, and possess a weighted high school grade point average of 3.5 or higher. In-person interviews are held at Stone Center in early December.
- If I am not direct entry, what are some of the advantages in attending UE for my bachelor’s degree?
There are many advantages for completing your bachelor's degree at UE.
- UE provides a strong undergraduate curriculum and nurturing environment.
- The average class size for undergraduate classes is 16, and the student to faculty ratio is 9.5:1.
- Mentoring from UE Physician Assistant Program faculty, staff and students.
- You have the opportunity to study abroad at Harlaxton for a full academic semester or a five week summer session depending on your selected undergraduate track.
- What can I do to increase my chances of being admitted into the PA program?
The selection committee is looking for well-rounded students who have exposure and understanding of the physician assistant (PA) profession, a strong academic background and good communication skills. Therefore, you should be involved in campus activities and organizations, obtain knowledge of the PA profession through independent exploration and excel in the classroom.
- How many applications do you receive for the PA Program?
In a typical year we receive 400 applications.
- How many students do you admit into the PA Program each year?
The program will accept 40 students.
- How do you select students for the program?
The admissions process is a two-step process. The first step is an academic evaluation of the applicant's overall and prerequisite GPA using the CASPA application. Personal statements, exposure to and understanding of the physician assistant profession, campus involvement, investment in community, commitment to learning, history of leadership, letters of recommendation, and strong writing and interpersonal skills may also be taken into consideration by the selection committee. The top candidates are then invited for an interview on campus. The UEPA program uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process. Candidates are then re-ranked and selected for admission.
- Do I need to take the Graduate Records Exam (GRE)?
No, the University of Evansville PA Program does not require applicants to take the GRE.
- What is the job market like for physician assistants?
PA employment is expected to grow by 28% between 2021-2031. (US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
BLS occupational outlook for PAs (via www.bls.gov).
- Can I complete the PA program on a part-time basis?
The PA Program is a 28-month year around, full-time commitment. We do not offer a part-time option.
- Does your program allow online courses/labs?
Please send a complete course description to pa@evansville.edu including the name of the institution for an evaluation of the online course. We will then evaluate to ensure the course meets our requirements.
- Does your program accept pass/fail courses?
Due the COVID-19 pandemic, many Universities enabled students to take undergraduate courses during the spring & summer 2020 semesters as pass/fail. However, the UEPA Program will only accept letter grades for our listed prerequisite courses. This applies to all applicants, via both Pathways 1 and 2.
- Does you program utilize a rolling admission process?
No, we evaluate applications as they arrive over the application cycle through August 1. We do not make a determination on our interview invites until approximately August 3.
- When will interviews be conducted in 2024?
Candidates will be invited for an on-campus interview which will be conducted at Stone Center for Health Sciences on the morning of Saturday, September 14, 2024.
- Could you tell me more about the process after interviews?
We will put out our first offers for our January cohort approximately 3 days after interviews. After that time, we will continue to offer off the waitlist all the way up to the first day of classes.
- When does your program begin?
We are a 28 month, year-round program. Our classes begin each January.
Office Phone
812-488-3400
Office Email
pa@evansville.edu
Office Location
Stone Family Center for Health Sciences, 515 Bob Jones Way, Room 3001, Evansville, IN 47708