Physician Assistant Studies

Master’s Program

The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio’s physician assistant program is administratively housed in the Department of Physician Assistant Studies, one of 10 programs or departments in the School of Health Professions. 

The UT Health Science Center at San Antonio Physician Assistant Program began as a collaborative effort with the US Army’s Physician Assistant Program at Fort Sam Houston, Texas in 1995 and discontinued in 2001.  The UT Health Science Center physician assistant baccalaureate curriculum was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in April 2000.  The first class matriculated in the fall 2000.  A professional master’s degree was approved by the Coordinating Board in April 2001 and the first master’s class matriculated in fall 2003.  Class size is 30 students, 24 in San Antonio, and 6 in Laredo. 

The master’s curriculum is 33 months in length with 21 months (5 semesters) in the didactic phase and 12 months (3 semesters) in the clinical phase.  The curriculum is designed to emphasize primary care and service to South Texas.  All students are required to complete a minimum of two supervised clinical rotations in an underserved or rural site(s).  Students must be prepared to be away from San Antonio for a period of time and to assume the costs of these rotations.  The capstone for the Master’s of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) is a Community Service or Community Medicine Project.  The course of study is demanding, intense, and rigorous.        

The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) granted the program provisional accreditation in the fall 2000, full accreditation in fall 2002, and continuing full accreditation in the fall 2005.  The next accreditation visit will be in 2010.

The 2004 edition of US New and World Report ranked the program at 14th among graduate physician assistant programs.  The program was ranked 17th in 2007.

In 2007, the PA curriculum was offered by distance technology to a 6 student cohort on the UT Health Science Center Laredo Campus Extension.  These students take the first year of the program in Laredo; come to San Antonio for the second year (2 semesters); and return to Laredo for the supervised clinical practice year.  Beginning in fall 2009, all three years of the program will be offered through or on the Laredo Campus Extension.