The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA) is an independent agency that defines the education standards for a physician assistant and evaluates programs within the territorial United States to ensure compliance with these standards.
To become a practicing physician assistant, you need to have completed a master’s degree from a program accredited by the ARC-PA, a state license, and a passing score on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE).
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the physician assistant profession will increase 28% from 2021 to 2031, significantly faster than the majority of other occupations. Given the rapid need for physician assistants, many universities are developing programs or are under accreditation-provisional status.
Accreditation-Provisional status is granted to a school who has not enrolled students or those awaiting graduation of the first class (cohort) of students, and have the proper plans and resource allocation, if implemented, to meet the ARC-PA standards.
Developing programs are schools with allocated funds to create physician assistant programs in the upcoming years.
Accreditation-Probation is a temporary status, usually of 2 years, granted by the ARC-PA to an accredited or accreditation-provisional program that does not meet compliance with standards. There is risk of loss of accreditation if demands are not met in a timely manner.
Southern California
California Baptist University Master of Science in PA Studies (MSPAS) – Riverside, CA
Western University of Health Sciences Master of Science in PA Studies – Pomona, CA
Chapman University Master of Medical Sciences (MMS) PA Studies Program – Orange, CA
Loma Linda University Master of PA Program – Loma Linda, CA
Marshall B. Ketchum University PA Studies – Fullerton, CA
University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine PA Program – Alhambra, CA
Charles R. Drew University Master of Health Science, PA Program – Los Angeles, CA
Point Loma Nazarene University PA Program (Accreditation-Provisional) – San Diego, CA
Southern California University of Health Sciences PA Program (Accreditation-Provisional) – Whittier, CA
West Coast University Master of PA Program (Accreditation-Provisional) – Orange, CA
Keck Graduate Institute Master of Science in PA Studies (Accreditation-Provisional) – Claremont, CA
Touro University California – Los Angeles (Developing)
University of California, San Diego (Developing) – San Diego, CA
California State University San Marcos (Developing) – San Marcos, CA
CSU San Bernardino Master of Science in PA (MSPA) Program (Developing) – San Bernardino, CA
University of LaVerne PA Program (Accreditation-Probation) – LaVerne, CA
Central California
A.T. Still University, Central Coast PA Program (CCPAP) (Accreditation-Provisional) – Santa Maria, CA
Northern California
Samuel Merritt University Master of PA Program – Oakland, CA
Stanford University Master of Science in PA Studies – Palo Alto, CA
Touro University California MSPAS/MPH Program – Vallejo, CA
University of California, Davis PA Program – Davis, CA
University of the Pacific Master of PA Studies Program – Sacramento, CA
Dominican University of California Master of Science in PA Studies (MSPAS) (Accreditation-Provisional) – San Rafael, CA
CSU Monterey Bay Master of Science PA (MSPA) Program (Accreditation-Provisional) – Marina, CA