Advance your career as a physician assistant/associate (PA) without putting it on hold. The College of Idaho’s fully online Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program empowers you to lead change in healthcare settings through evidence-based implementation science, equipping you with skills you can apply immediately.
Explore the steps to apply, review DMSc admission requirements and choose from four annual start dates.
The next start term is March 2025. Complete your application before February 24, 2025!
DMSc Admission Requirements
The DMSc program is a post-professional degree for licensed and/or certified PAs ready to elevate their expertise. To qualify for admission to the program’s traditional or accelerated pathways, you must meet all application requirements listed below. Additional criteria may apply for accelerated concentrations (see below).
- Complete the online DMSc application for your preferred start term.
- Upload a current and comprehensive curriculum vitae (CV).
- Once admitted, submit a $300 nonrefundable deposit that is applied to the first semester’s tuition.
- Provide proof of active state licensure and/or National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) certification.
- Retired applicants may submit NCCPA PA-C Emeritus designation or proof of previous licensure/certification.
- Hold a master’s degree from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education with a minimum overall graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
- PAs without a master’s degree may qualify for the Master’s Equivalency Option (see below).
- International applicants should submit evidence of U.S. degree and course equivalency (see below).
- Submit transcripts from qualifying degree institution(s).
- This should include transcripts from an accredited physician assistant program or the institution granting the graduate degree (if the PA program did not confer one).
- Demonstrate the ability to meet The College of Idaho's technology requirements for the duration of the doctoral program.
- For applicants who speak and/or write in English as a second language, submit one of the following:
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), IELTS or Duolingo scores.
- Proof of a bachelor’s degree (or higher) from a U.S. Department of Education-accredited institution.
Master’s Equivalency Option
Applicants without a master’s degree can meet equivalency requirements by holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution awarding physician assistant studies degrees or a PA certificate from an accredited institution, along with at least one of the following:
- Approved military or civilian postgraduate PA program or fellowship
- NCCPA Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ)
- NCCPA certification with a minimum of 10 years of continuous maintenance
Applicants being consider for the Master's Equivalency Option are only eligible to apply to the College's 18-month-track programs.
Requirements for International Students
Internationally trained applicants must hold a master's degree and are only eligible to apply to the College's 18-month-track programs. For more Information, review International Student Admission Requirements.
Applicants with a degree from a college or university outside the U.S. must provide evidence of U.S. degree and course equivalency for both their bachelor's and master's degrees. Approved evaluation services include:
- American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers
- Educational Credential Evaluators
- International Education Research Foundation, Inc.
- Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. International Education Consultants
- World Education Services
Application Deadlines
With four start dates each year, you can begin the online Doctor of Medical Science program when it best suits your schedule. Complete the DMSc curriculum in 18 months over six 10-week terms or in 9–12 months through accelerated pathways.
Check out our Academic Calendar below and select your preferred start term and submit the online DMSc application by the associated deadline.
Admission Requirements for Accelerated Pathways
The DMSc program’s accelerated options allow experienced PA educators, recent graduates and current PA fellowship students or graduates to leverage prior knowledge and complete the degree in as few as 9–12 months. Review the specific admission requirements for each pathway.
| 2024-2025 AY | Start Term | Term Dates | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-25 Fall Block 1 | July 2024 | 07/15/24-9/22/24 | CLOSED |
| 24-25 Fall Block 2 | September 2024 | 09/30/24-12/15/24 | CLOSED |
| 24-25 Spring Block 1 | January 2025 | 01/06/25-03/16/25 | CLOSED |
| 24-25 Spring Block 2 | March 2025 | 03/24/25-06/01/25 | February 24, 2025 |
| 2025-2026 AY | Start Term | Term Dates | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-26 Fall Block 1 | July 2025 | 07/14/25-9/21/25 | June 14, 2025 |
| 25-26 Fall Block 2 | September 2025 | 09/28/25-12/14/25 | August 28, 2025 |
| 25-26 Spring Block 1 | January 2026 | 01/05/26-03/15/26 | December 5, 2025 |
| 25-26 Spring Block 2 | March 2026 | 03/23/26-05/31/26 | February 23, 2026 |
For PAs with at least five years of 0.5 FTE or greater teaching experience at an ARC-PA accredited program, the Experienced Educator pathway grants applicants 12 advanced standing credits for professional experience. They complete the remaining 24 credit hours over 12 months.
Applicants must meet general DMSc admission requirements and provide documentation of their role as principal faculty at an ARC-PA program. Principal faculty responsibilities, as defined by the 5th edition of the ARC-PA standards, include:
- Developing, reviewing and revising, as necessary, the mission statement, goals and competencies of the program
- Providing student instruction
- Evaluating student performance
- Academic counseling of students
- Assuring the availability of remedial instruction
- Designing, implementing, coordinating and evaluating the curriculum
- Evaluating the program
The Early Career PA concentration is for new PAs who graduated within the past two years from ARC-PA-accredited programs. This pathway offers 12 credits of advanced standing based on PA program coursework and clinical experiences, allowing students to complete the final 24 credits of the program within 12 months.
Applicants must meet general DMSc admission requirements and submit proof of graduation from an ARC-PA-accredited PA program within two years of starting the DMSc program and successful completion of the PANCE.
Students who are currently enrolled in or have completed a clinical postgraduate fellowship or residency within the past two years can apply for the PA Fellow pathway. Eligible applicants earn 18 advanced standing credits and complete the remaining 18 credits in nine months.
Applicants must meet general DMSc admission requirements and submit proof of graduation from an eligible PA fellowship program. Eligible PA fellowship programs must either be ARC-PA-accredited or meet the following standards:
- Program Length: A minimum of six months of full-time training (incorporating both clinical and didactic instruction).
- Clinical Skills & Practice Experiences: A minimum of 1,000 hours of instruction in clinical skills and practice experiences, including appropriately progressive direct patient care.
- Program Didactic Instruction: A minimum of 52 hours of didactic instruction including but not limited to grand rounds, workshops, coursework and research/scholarly activities and instruction in at least four of the following topics:
- Biomedical and clinical science
- Quality improvement
- Patient safety
- Interprofessional teamwork
- Performance improvement
- Care of diverse patient populations
- Healthcare disparities
- How to search, interpret and evaluate medical literature
Build Your Future: Apply Now!
