Physician Assistant Studies and Public Health

Accepted applicants to Northeastern’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program have the opportunity to pursue a joint degree, the PA/MPH, which is offered by the MS in Physician Assistant Studies program in conjunction with the Master of Public Health program. Enrolling in the PA/MPH program allows these students to earn two degrees in a shorter amount of time than it would to earn them separately, saving time and money while broadening one’s clinical toolkit to give it a population health-based perspective.

Students enrolled in the dual degree program take classes that meet the curriculum requirements for both an MS in Physician Assistant Studies and an MPH. The dual degree is structured to give students maximum flexibility while incorporating an urban health framework to complement their PA studies. PA/MPH students begin their program by taking the majority of their MPH coursework online from January to mid-August before coming to campus at the end of August to begin their PA coursework. During the two years of the PA program, they complete the remainder of their MPH coursework concurrently so that when they graduate, they are awarded their MPH at the same time as their MS in Physician Assistant Studies. Please see the sample course map below for more information.

The combined Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies/Master of Public Health program allows students to earn two degrees simultaneously.

• Completed and verified CASPA application
• Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Science GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Solid B grades in all prerequisite coursework prior to applying
• Approximately 1000 hours of hands-on patient care experience
• Basic Life Support (BLS) for Healthcare Providers Certification prior to matriculation
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts from all institutions attended, including WES-evaluated transcripts for study completed outside the U.S.
• Three personal statements – the CASPA application essay, the Northeastern PA program essay, and the PA/MPH dual degree-specific essay
• Resumé
• Official TOEFL scores taken within the last two years with a minimum score of 100

Once your application is submitted, received, and processed, you will be able to access your Application Status Check. If you are required to provide further information regarding your proficiency in English, you will be able to complete the requirement in several ways, depending on your familiarity with English, and the frequency with which you use English each and every day:

• Non-native English-speaking applicants will be required to submit official and valid results from one of the following English Language Tests:
  • C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English)
  • Duolingo English Test (DET)
  • IELTS Academic
  • PTE Academic
  • TOEFL Internt-based Test (CEEB Code: 3667) Northeastern will accept either the in-person version completed in a test center, or the TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• However, based on your academic environment and the primary instructional language in either your high school or university, you may be eligible for a waiver. All waivers must be submitted through your Application Status Check. For additional information and to determine whether or not you are eligible for a waiver, please read the section below on waiving the English proficiency requirement.

Please note: Northeastern’s Admissions Committee reserves the right to request proof of English language proficiency from any applicant, regardless of citizenship or first language, at any time during the evaluation process.

• 1.Create your application

  Submit your application through The Common Application or the Coalition Application (both are accepted). Once you have created your application, please select Northeastern University to directly submit your application to us. Application fee of $75 or need-based fee waiver* *Northeastern accepts need-based fee waivers from the Common Application, the Coalition Application, as well as organizations such as the College Board and ACT, or in a written request from a school official.

• 2.Submit all required materials

  Double check to make sure that you have submitted all required materials. Even if your application has been submitted, we cannot begin reviewing your file until all of your required materials have been received. For applicants applying for the 2022-2023 academic year, Northeastern University is test-optional and does not require standardized testing to complete an application for admission.

• 3.Check your application status

  Within seven days of applying, you should receive a confirmation email containing your Northeastern University ID number and instructions for setting up your Application Status Check account. To ensure all of the necessary documents have been submitted, and for updates or information about your application, visit your application status check.