Graduate Program
APPLY NOW REQUEST INFO GRADUATE COLLEGEThe Master in Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) prepares graduates with intelligence, sound judgment, intellectual honesty, appropriate interpersonal skills, and critical thinking skills. The graduate will be capable of medical patient assessment and developing a plan of action for addressing health concerns. The professional curriculum for PA education includes basic medical, behavioral, and social sciences, introduction to clinical medicine and, supervised clinical practice, and health policy and professional practice issues.
Master Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS)
Curriculum
The Cohort System
Opening a new chapter in life can be intimidating, especially if admitted to a physician assistant program. This is why a support system is crucial. Many students rely on family to get them through, but at UTRGV, we give students even more. With our cohort system, students work and connect with people who are sharing an experience similar to theirs. Together, students learn the valuable skills needed to succeed in the physician assistant program and in the profession. A cohort is a group of students who work through the program together, taking the same courses and working on the same curriculum. Gone are the anonymous lecture halls where fellow students and professors do not know each other. Instead, students learn in a comfortable environment where student success is a priority to the program faculty. As students learn, they gain from the expertise of their student colleagues and build a network of people who share their commitment to becoming and succeeding as physician assistants.
Because the curriculum is designed with the cohort system in mind, students cannot choose which courses they take from semester to semester. All students follow the same path to success. Successful completion of all didactic coursework is required for progression to the clinical year phase of training. Likewise, successful completion of all clinical coursework is required for progression to the Master's capstone phase of training.
| DIDACTIC COURSES ( 61 SCH) | |
| Fall | |
| PHAS 5101: Studies in the PA Profession | 1 |
| PHAS 5102: Introduction to Clinical Reasoning | 1 |
| PHAS 5107: Introduction to Pharmacology | 1 |
| PHAS 5112: Health Policy and Health Management | 1 |
| PHAS 5114: Research & Statistical Methods in Health | 1 |
| PHAS 5118: Legal and Ethical Issues in Health Care | 1 |
| PHAS 5119: Clinical Laboratory Methods | 1 |
| PHAS 5133: Patient Encounter I | 1 |
| PHAS 5200: Genetics and Physiology of Health & Disease | 2 |
| PHAS 5237: Preventative Medicine and Community Health | 2 |
| PHAS 5400: Clinical Anatomy* | 4 |
| Total SCH | 16 |
| Spring | |
| PHAS 5103: Clinical Reasoning I | 1 |
| PHAS 5116: Electrocardiography Seminar | 1 |
| PHAS 5306: Medical Physiology & Pathophysiology I | 3 |
| PHAS 5328: Pharmacology I | 3 |
| PHAS 5334: Patient Encounter II* | 3 |
| PHAS 5401: Clinical Medicine I | 4 |
| Total SCH | 15 |
| Summer | |
| PHAS 5402: Clinical Medicine II | 4 |
| PHAS 5307: Medical Physiology & Pathophysiology II | 3 |
| PHAS 5329: Pharmacology II | 3 |
| PHAS 5262: Clinical Clerkship* | 2 |
| PHAS 5104: Clinical Reasoning II | 1 |
| PHAS 5162: Clinical Imaging (hybrid) | 1 |
| Total SCH | 14 |
| Fall | |
| PHAS 5403: Clinical Medicine III | 4 |
| PHAS 5309: Medical Physiology & Pathophysiology III | 3 |
| PHAS 5330: Pharmacology III | 3 |
| PHAS 5335: Patient Encounter III* | 3 |
| PHAS 5105: Clinical Reasoning III | 1 |
| PHAS 5240: Psychiatry- Social and Behavioral Sciences | 2 |
| Total SCH | 16 |
| CLINICAL COURSES ( 39 SCH) | |
| Spring | |
| PHAS 7304: Capstone Research Experience | 3 |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation I | 4 |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation II | 4 |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation III | 4 |
| Total SCH | 15 |
| Summer I | |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation IV | 4 |
| Summer II | |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation V | 4 |
| Total SCH | 8 |
| Fall | |
| PHAS 7404: Capstone Review | 4 |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation VI | 4 |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation VII | 4 |
| PHAS 64XX: Clinical Rotation VIII | 4 |
| Total SCH | 16 |
| *Course with Laboratory Component | |
| SCH | |
| Didactic Curriculum: 4 semesters (16 months) | 61 |
| Clinical Curriculum: 3 semesters (12 months) | 39 |
| Program Total Duration (28 months) | 100 |
| Effective Fall 2024 |
Master in Physician Assistant Studies Bridge Program (MPAS)
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley regrets to announce that it will no longer be offering the Bridge Program effective June 1, 2024. This program has been instrumental in helping working PAs who have completed a bachelor’s degree in physician assistant studies transition to a master’s degree. Due to declining enrollment, the University has made the difficult decision to discontinue this offering. We extend our gratitude to all those who have participated in and supported the Bridge Program over the years.