Online Master of Medical Science

What is the Master of Medical Science Program?

The mission of the online Master of Medical Science (MMS) Program is to provide students in affiliated physician assistant programs the opportunity to obtain graduate education in an affordable, flexible, online format. The MMS Program partners with four physician assistant certification programs throughout the United States to offer an opportunity for those students to earn a master’s degree while they complete their clinical rotations. This option permits these graduates to be competitive with entry level master’s degree physician assistant practitioners.

Consistent with the Franciscan tradition, the MMS Program encourages students to identify and address service needs, utilizing an evidence-based approach, while capitalizing on the student’s clinical competence. This unique strategy prepares graduates to creatively and effectively respond to complex practice issues, both now and in the future.

Master of Medical Science Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the MMS Program, graduates will be able to

• Use research to develop evidence base regimes/programs to address unmet needs.
• Critically analyze current pharmacotherapeutics and apply to disease processes in clinical practice.

Online Master of Medical Science Program Highlights

• The MMS Program is an online, 33-credit program.
• The MMS Program accepts 20 transfer credits from your PA clinicals.
• The MMS Program is typically completed during the clinical year of PA studies.
• The online format provides flexibility during the unpredictable and challenging clinical year of PA education.
• Provides structured coursework with prescribed due dates.
• Complete your coursework when your schedule permits.
• As designed, students can also complete the MMS Program shortly after the completion of their Physician Assistant studies.
• The program has a long history of successfully providing graduate education to affiliate PA students.
• There are more than 1,000 MMS Program graduates.
• The success of each MMS student is supported through the collaborative academic advising between the Coordinator of Academic Advising, MMS faculty and staff, and affiliate PA program faculty and staff.
• Graduates of the MMS program will have demonstrated competence in both scholarship and research and are prepared to deliver health care more effectively in a variety of clinical practice and administrative settings.