Degrees type: Bachelor
Main Campus
Mount Aloysius College offers flexible and affordable options to start your Physician Assistant education on campus and pursue a higher degree at a number of related institutions with departmental support and guidance.
Mount Aloysius College offers an affordable and practical first step toward your career as a physician assistant. Students will successfully complete the Pre-Physician Assistant phase at Mount Aloysius College where the end result is a Bachelor Degree in General Science/Pre-Physician Assistant. During the student’s senior year the department chair will prepare the student to make application at the colleges and universities where the student desires to enroll to complete two additional years of study for the Masters Degree in Physician Assistant. The department chair will advise students well by the conclusion of the freshmen year if a student is Physician Assistant bound. The department chair will work with highly successful students to transition at the end of the junior year on a case-by-case basis.
Colleges and universities where Mount Aloysius College students enroll for the professional physician assistant phase include: Arcadia University, Chatham University, Duquesne University, Lock Haven University, Saint Francis University, Slippery Rock University, Thomas Jefferson University, and the University of Pittsburgh, among others
Program Highlights
- Physicians offices
- Hospitals
- Outpatient care centers
- Government agencies
- Educational services
- BIOL 101 – Biology I: Molecular and Cellular Biology 3 Lecture / 2 Lab / 4 Credits (satisfies core requirement)
- BIOL 102 – Biology II: Evolution and Ecology 3 Lecture / 2 Lab / 4 Credits
- CHEM 101 – Chemistry I 3 Lecture / 3 Lab / 4 Credits
- CHEM 301 – Organic Chemistry I 3 Lecture / 3 Lab / 4 Credits
- MATH 113 – Pre-calculus 3 Credits
- MATH 220 – Introduction to Statistics 3 Credits (satisfies core requirement)
- MATH 305 – Statistical Research 3 Credits
- NASC 300 – Ethics of Science in the Modern World 1 Credit
- NASC 310 – Science Research Practices 2 Credits
The demand for Physician Assistants is expected to rise 28% from 2021 to 2031, an increase of 38,400 jobs.*
The average median wage for a Physician Assistant is $121,530.*
The courses required under this program in the sciences are designed to enable the student to:
- integrate and apply knowledge and experience from chemistry, physics, biology and other disciplines using analytical thinking skills, information tools and computer applications to interpret data and answer questions;
- understand the basic facts, principles, theories, methodologies and processes of science and be able to explain the differences between scientific and other ways of knowing;
- relate their scientific knowledge to both the natural and technological worlds around them, and apply those understandings to develop informed opinions about societal issues with a scientific component;
- employ the methods used by scientists to explore natural phenomena including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, evaluation of evidence and analysis of data utilizing safe practices related to laboratory and field work;
- locate, evaluate and synthesize information on scientific topics and develop effective written and oral communication skills, including the ability to compose summaries, develop research papers or persuasive essays, and present the results of their own scientific investigations;
- demonstrate respectful communication and collaboration within groups to function cooperatively in a team setting;
- develop a set of scientific ethics and understanding of how scientific information is shared between peers in modern science, including responsible conduct for acknowledging prior and current contributions; and
- successfully pursue their career objectives in advanced education in professional and/or graduate schools, in a scientific career in government or industry, in a teaching career in the school systems, or in a related career following graduation.
Faculty & Staff
Merrilee Anderson
Professor of Science and Mathematics
Juan Diaz, Jr.
Professor of Science and Mathematics
Mike Engle
Associate Professor Science & Mathematics
Crystal Goldyn
Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics
Laura Michaels
Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics
Sandra Nypaver
Associate Professor of Science and Mathematics
Penny O'Connor
Professor of Science and Mathematics
John Whitlock
Department Chair of Science and Math, Associate Professor of Science & Mathematics
Upcoming Admissions Events
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Main Administration Building
7373 Admiral Peary Highway
Cresson, PA 16630
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