Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies

Be Part of the Solution

East Texas faces a growing physician shortage, leaving many rural and underserved communities without adequate access to care. The Master’s’ in Physician Assistant Studies program empowers you to be part of the solution. With this degree, you’ll play a critical role in expanding access to care and improving patient outcomes in high-demand fields such as internal medicine, surgery or family medicine.

Learn from expert faculty who will equip you with the knowledge and skills to deliver exceptional patient care under physician supervision. With hands-on clinical rotations, you’ll gain the experience needed to excel.

Graduate prepared to lead with empathy and excellence in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape!

Why Earn a Master’s in Physician Assistant Studies at UT Tyler?

Small Classes: The School of Medicine has low student-to-teacher ratios, which allow for more personalized attention and interactions.
Affordability: Build your skills without building debt. Our MS in Physician Assistant Studies is one of the most affordable programs in Texas.
World-Class Faculty: Train under world-class faculty members who have years of experience working in top healthcare facilities and researchers working on innovative approaches to regional healthcare challenges.
Outstanding Facilities: The Longview University Center offers state-of-the art classroom facilities with cutting-edge technology. UT Health East Texas health system, main campus and the UT Tyler Health Science Center strengthens UT Tyler’s status as a regional healthcare and research hub.
Hands-on Clinical Rotations: During your clinical year, you’ll gain real-world experience working alongside leading physicians, PAs and healthcare teams in hospitals and clinics across the region. These rotations expose you to multiple specialties and patient populations, allowing you to apply the knowledge and skills mastered during the didactic phase in a supervised, supportive environment.

What You'll Learn

The Master of Physician Assistant Studies program will equip you to provide the latest in innovative care to help you take care of patients under a physician’s supervision. Our degree program is structured as a 27-month program that includes a 15-month didactic phase and a 12-month clinical phase. The didactic phase is held at the Longview University Center while the clinical phase is conducted at area hospitals and medical clinics. You will then complete a capstone research project before graduation.

You will:

Build the skills needed to treat patients with the latest research-based care under the supervision of a physician.
Develop excellent personal, professional and ethical professional standards.
Learn how to communicate clearly and appropriately with patients, families and other health professionals.
Develop the capacity for compassionate, competent patient care with the attentiveness to the needs of rural populations.

After graduation, you will be eligible to take the Physician Assistant National Complying Exam (PANCE) which is required for licensure in all states. After you are certified, you will be ready to serve the communities with cutting-edge healthcare solutions, education and compassionate care in East Texas and beyond.

See the Physician Assistant Studies Degree Requirements

View Physician Assistant Program

What Can You Do with a Master of Physician Assistant Studies Degree?

Use your knowledge and your passion for caring for people to build a rewarding career in the medical field. You can use your degree to work in various healthcare roles, including:

Hospitals
Primary Care/Specialty Clinics
Urgent Care Centers
Academic Medical Centers
Community Health Centers

How to Apply

Admission Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
A minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and a 3.0 GPA in science courses
The following prerequisites must be passed with a grade of “C” or better:
- Human Anatomy with lab
- Human Physiology with lab
- OR Anatomy & Physiology I & II with labs
- General Chemistry I & II with labs
- Microbiology with lab
- Organic Chemistry I with lab
- Genetics
- Psychology (Introductory, General, Abnormal or Developmental)
- Statistics
GRE is required.

To apply, submit the following materials:

CASPA application
Official transcripts and three letters of recommendation
Completion of the Casper Situational Judgment Test

Important Dates

July 23, 2027

CASPA applications open

October 1, 2026

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application opens for the 26-27 academic year.

January 15, 2027

CASPA application deadline

ARC-PA Accreditation Statement

The UT Tyler Physician Assistant Studies Program has applied for Accreditation - Provisional from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). The UT Tyler Physician Assistant Studies Program anticipates matriculating its first class in September 2027, pending achieving Accreditation - Provisional status at the April 2027 ARC-PA meeting.

Accreditation - Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding accreditation-provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students.