Admission Requirements & Deadlines

The Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) program is a post-professional program for PAs who are or have previously been PAs.  Persons eligible to matriculate in this program must satisfy all of the following criteria:

1. Completion of the DMSc Application, which includes:
   1. Requirement to upload a current and comprehensive curriculum vitae; and
   2. Once admitted, payment of a $300 non-refundable deposit (which will be applied to the first semester’s tuition).
2. Proof of active state licensure and/or NCCPA certification (if retired, NCCPA PA-C Emeritus designation or proof of previous licensure and/or certification will also be accepted).
3. Completion of a master’s degree from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
   • PAs without a master’s degree may be eligible for the Master’s Equivalency Option (see below).
   • Applicants who graduated from a college/university outside the United States should submit acceptable evidence of U.S. degree/course equivalency (see below).

4. A minimum overall graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
5. Transcripts from qualifying degree institution(s), to include at least:
   1. Transcript showing completion of an accredited physician assistant program of study.
   2. Transcript showing completion of a graduate degree (if physician assistant program did not confer a graduate degree).
6. Ability to meet College technology requirements during the entirety of the doctoral program.
7. If applicable, for applicants who speak and/or write in English as a second language, submit:
   1. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores;
   2. IELTS Score;
   3. Duolingo Score; or
   4. Proof previously graduated from a college or university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education with a bachelor’s degree (or higher).

The College of Idaho’s Early Career PA Pathway is designed exclusively for new PAs who have graduated within the past two (2) years from an ARC-PA accredited program and are seeking the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree.

To be eligible for the Early Career PA Pathway Program, individuals must meet the DMSc admission requirements (see “Admission Requirements”) and have graduated from an ARC-PA accredited PA program within two (2) years of starting their DMSc degree.

With the grant of 12 credits of advanced standing for coursework and clinical practice experiences in a student’s PA program, the Early Career PA Pathway’s curriculum involves 24 credit hours that are completed in 12 months.  The College offers two start dates annually for the Early Career PA Pathway.  Its next start dates are September 2024 and January 2025.

The College of Idaho’s Experienced PA Educator Pathway is designed exclusively for PA faculty who have been teaching full-time at an ARC-PA accredited program for at least five (5) years and are seeking the Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc) degree.

To be eligible for the Experienced PA Educator Pathway Program, individuals must meet the DMSc admission requirements (see “Admission Requirements”) and have worked as a principal member of the faculty at an ARC-PA accredited PA program for at least five (5) years prior to starting their DMSc degree.

According to the 5th edition of the ARC-PA standards, principal faculty actively participate in the processes of: developing, reviewing and revising as necessary the mission statement, goals and competencies of the program; selecting applicants for admission to the PA program; providing student instruction; evaluating student performance; academic counseling of students; assuring the availability of remedial instruction; designing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating the curriculum; and evaluating the program.

With the grant of 12 credits of advanced standing for professional experiences as an experienced faculty member, the Experienced PA Educator Pathway’s curriculum involves 24 credit hours that are completed in 12 months.  The College offers two start dates annually for the Experienced PA Educator Pathway.  Its next start dates are January 2025 and July 2025.

The PA Fellow Pathway is designed exclusively for PAs who have graduated within the past two (2) years from an eligible PA fellowship program (also referred to as a clinical postgraduate PA program or a PA residency) and are seeking to accelerate their career through the DMSc degree.

To be eligible for the PA Fellow Pathway, individuals must meet the DMSc admission requirements (see “Admission Requirements”) and have graduated from an eligible PA fellowship program (also referred to as a clinical postgraduate PA program or a PA residency) within two (2) years of starting their DMSc degree.

An “eligible PA fellowship program” means either:

• A program accredited by the ARC-PA; or
• A program that meets all of the following criteria:
  • Program Length:  A minimum of 6 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; and/or
      • How to search, interpret and evaluate medical literature.

With the grant of 18 credits of advanced standing for the didactic and clinical instruction in a student’s PA fellowship, the PA Fellow Pathway’s curriculum involves 18 hours that are completed in 9 months.  The College offers two start dates annually for the PA Fellow Pathway.  Its next start dates are January 2025 and July 2025.

To meet the master’s equivalency, the PA applicant must have (i) either a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution awarding a physician assistant studies degree or a physician assistant certificate from an accredited institution along with a bachelor’s degree in any discipline; AND (ii) meet and document in a portfolio at least one (1) of the criteria below:

• An approved military or civilian postgraduate PA program or fellowship
• A Certificate of Added Qualification (CAQ) offered by the NCCPA
• Currently certified by the NCCPA with a minimum of at least ten years of continuous certification maintenance

Applicants who have graduated from a college or university outside of the United States must submit acceptable evidence of U.S. degree/course equivalency.  All coursework taken at an institution outside of the U.S. must be evaluated for American institution equivalence by one of the following services:

• World Education Services
• Educational Credential Evaluators
• American Association of Collegiate Registrars & Admissions Officers
• Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. International Education Consultants
• International Education Research Foundation, Inc.

The College of Idaho’s DMSc program offers four start dates per year, allowing students to start their degree at a time that works best for them.  Our curriculum allows students to graduate in just 18 months, completing coursework over six 10-week terms.  For accelerated pathways, students graduate in 9-12 months, completing coursework over three or four 10-week terms.  For more information, review our DMSc Curriculum.

To apply for the DMSc program, students select their preferred “start term” below and then submit the online DMSc Application by the associated “deadline.”